Tin on Tin

[TheTinMan]

Took a drive past the local Town Beach about 4pm. It's where I launch the tin boat when conditions permit. A rippled sea with very light S'erly winds puts a smile on my face. :)

I can't launch there unless the tide is half up or higher. High tide is about 8pm, look at my watch, perfect, I can launch in an hour! I bang a U-turn and head to the local bait shop and pick up 8 snakes (eels), shoot the sh!t w/the owner a bit and then head home to hook up the boat.

I gather my gear, disconnect my camera from the computer which was still hooked up from uploading phesters pics.....DAMMIT batterie's dead! >:( I ALWAYS bring my camera. I don't like to kill big fish anymore, don't taste as good as the smaller ones anyway, so I snap a pic, measure and release. I throw the battery on the charger and surf wellcraftv20.com for 10 minutes. I'm antsy at this point, I have a feeling I'm gonna get my keeper Bass for this year....yes, I have not got one yet :'(
Throw the camera in the backpack and head to the beach.

The beach is only a couple miles from the house so I'm there in no time, launch the boat and head for my "honey hole" which is only about a ten minute ride.

Hmmm...no boats??? I did see a couple about an hour ago...why'd they leave? no fish? Oh well, got the spot to myself. Killed the Tohatsu (love that motor) and rigged an eel, 3-way swivel w/5' 60lb. leader with a 6/0 Gamikatsu (sp?)Octopus Circle hook and 10 oz. of lead. First drift NADA, did mark a few fish though. Next drift....ziiiiiing! 4/0 Senator is in freel spool with the clicker on....I wait...1...2...3...4...5, throw the reel in gear and start reeling (no setting hook with circle hooks)....NADA! DAMMIT missed it! Got my eel back in fine shape, NOT a bluefish! My last couple trips there I've been feeding the Blues some expensive snakes.

I get another runoff....missed that one too! Think to myself, what a dammn noob! Next drift I get another runoff...1...2...3..4...5...6...7...8, throw the lever, crank the reel....ah, there we go! Fish on! ;D Hmmm, feels like a pretty nice fish, get it alongside, grab the net and pull in a 36 and a half inch Striper! The curse is broken!

Next fish was about 42"!!! I'd say in the low 30 pound range. the third fish was 39"! What a great evening, fished till 8pm, slack tide, couldn't get a hit on my last eel and I didn't feel like waiting fot the tide to start ebbing. It was also kinda lonely fishing out there with no moon or any other boats.

I pointed the bow of Tinny to the shore lights that mark the beach and headed back. I doubt I even burned a gallon of gas.....LIFE IS GOOD! ;)

Sorry for the crappy pics but I was by myself and it was dark AND there were more fish to catch!

This was the smallest of the 3, about 36 1/2 "



This was the biggest, about 42"