For Mate's Only , Not !

[seabass]

I'd really like to hear some stories from mates , the ones about the bone-head moves that the captain made, especially . We've all had the days when the angler makes a GAFF , but the worst are when you are working with a Fill-in Cappy that just came in from the water taxi biz and tells you "This isn't my first "RODEO" I've got a few funny ones to tell

[HOLWACHAGOT]

I've got a few funny ones to tell

Let's hear em! HOLWACHAGOT

[Capt-D]

I had a fill in captian that insisted on putting me CLOSE (aka in) to the lobster Balls and Weedlines "Cuz that's where the fish are", that I spent most of the day loosing rigs on the balls and shoveling grass.

-D

I got more and will post them when I get a chance!

[WAHOONBOX]

I LOVE TO LOOK UP ON THE BRIDGE AND SEE A CHARTER CAPTAIN STANDING UP ....AND FISHING THE BOAT....I SAID FISHING THE BOAT!!! NOT DRIVING THE BOAT...

ANYONE CAN DRIVE THE DANG THING...BUT TO FISH IT IS AN ART.....YOU CAN NOT GET HER DONE SITTING DOWN!!! YOU CAN'T SEE ...NO WAY CAN YOU GET TO A BRIDGE POLE BITE FAST ENOUGH IF YOU ARE SITTING DOWN

IF YOU ARE SITTING DOWN....YOU CANNOT SEE BOTH TEASERS SIMULTANEOUSLY........

AND YOU ARE NOT WATCHING THE BAITS IF YOU HAVE YOUR FEET ALL PROPPED UP!


ALL ROLL THE CURTAINS UP SO YOU CAN SEE.....AND IF YOU WISH LEAVE THE REAR BRIDGE CURTAINS UP AND ZIPPED SHUT ....I'LL JUST STAY AT THE DOCK MYSELF.

[Capt_John]

I LOVE TO LOOK UP ON THE BRIDGE AND SEE A CHARTER CAPTAIN STANDING UP ....AND FISHING THE BOAT....I SAID FISHING THE BOAT!!! NOT DRIVING THE BOAT...

ANYONE CAN DRIVE THE DANG THING...BUT TO FISH IT IS AN ART.....YOU CAN NOT GET HER DONE SITTING DOWN!!! YOU CAN'T SEE ...NO WAY CAN YOU GET TO A BRIDGE POLE BITE FAST ENOUGH IF YOU ARE SITTING DOWN

IF YOU ARE SITTING DOWN....YOU CANNOT SEE BOTH TEASERS SIMULTANEOUSLY........

AND YOU ARE NOT WATCHING THE BAITS IF YOU HAVE YOUR FEET ALL PROPPED UP!


ALL ROLL THE CURTAINS UP SO YOU CAN SEE.....AND IF YOU WISH LEAVE THE REAR BRIDGE CURTAINS UP AND ZIPPED SHUT ....I'LL JUST STAY AT THE DOCK MYSELF.

Dang box.....you stole my thoughts almost to a "T". I can only add the capt. that keeps me weeded up all day,the capt. that won't turn into a missed billfish bite,that dang capt. who drops all the cigarette ashes on my deck,and that darn capt. who screams and yells at customers who aren't perfect anglers on their first ever trip offshore.

[Deep C]

I LOVE TO LOOK UP ON THE BRIDGE AND SEE A CHARTER CAPTAIN STANDING UP ....AND FISHING THE BOAT....I SAID FISHING THE BOAT!!! NOT DRIVING THE BOAT...

IF YOU ARE SITTING DOWN....YOU CANNOT SEE BOTH TEASERS SIMULTANEOUSLY........

AND YOU ARE NOT WATCHING THE BAITS IF YOU HAVE YOUR FEET ALL PROPPED UP!

Now wait a second there Babbalouie... I'll do some thinnin here...

When a capt gets good and knows his machine. He can sit and even prop his feet up in a way that he can spring with cat like reflexes. One of my ost productive positions is propped up with my feet on the companion seat with helm chair angled slightlly aft. I set my helm seat high and guest cooler seat low so I can see over him.
Remember not only do I captain but I mate my own boat. I prop the feet to kepp from rolling out of the helm seat in the trough. From that position I can not only see all the baits, but all my guages and electronics as well. Also from there I can get to a bait usually faster than a man standing next to the rod...
Seldom do I get smoked when sitting that way. Actually the most common place for me to get caught with my pants down is when I'm back changing, cleaning or resetting a bait. Then I'm focused on just that side of the boat and the other side is at my back...

Now although I'm a captain that does not mean for a second that I don't have mucho ooldles of pit hours under the belt. One great trip I remember working the pit was at Walkers Cay on a pretty Merrit boat. Won't say the boat name or captain name cause I don't want to embarrass him.
He was a tough bugger. If he thought we were sluffing off he' d call a false alarm. "Left rigger, right flat, nope back on the rigger!!" We'd scramble and look at him and he'd just give us a look...
One day he had us jigging our teasers... Wham! A wahoo clipped mine off. I saw it but nothing I could do. He swore I wasn't paying attention and at least a grander blue popped it off. He rode me like a rusty ten speed for the next few hours until the rigger went down.
It was a monster bust and I was pretty sure it was a good alison tuna... We backed hard he kept screaming "blue". I knew better. Soon I could see the fish, bright yellow streamer fins and all. I grabbed the leader and my co- mate stood ready with the gaff... The captain gave her a way too hard shot of backward and I heard the "FUMP FUMP FUMP " of our prop finding the fish. He tossed her forward and through the blood in the water I saw the remkains of our once majestic fish. We gaffed the remainder and boxed it.
Backing hard on a tuna you're gaining on with ease really isn't necessary. Backing harder with leader in hand is worse. Grinding the fish into chum. Way bad... But what came next was just priceless...
He first unloaded a volley of profanity at Panish controls. Then he cursed Cummins for being too sensitive. He went on to bash allison gears for responding too slow. He went every place with his blame game... I think he cursed the teak forrests of borneo for growing teak that refleceted light wrong. He went every where excet to this... Hey dumb ass YOU backed over the fish and ground it up!

[Capt_John]

Amazing how many of those guys are out there. I know a certain capt. that throws tantrums like a kid when we miss a fish. It could be a peanut dolphin,much less a billfish and he flips out. I'll give him some slack though,he's usually trying to recover from partying the night before anyway.

[hedjug]

I was a 1st mate on a head boat for 6 years. I have seen it all. I have seen the best & worst of Captians, mates (myself included) & passengers.

Capts:
-One of our brilliant skippers used to stand dead infront of the 60 mile radar in his tighty whities while en route to the fishing grounds. He did this everyday. He wanted to "be able to go bareback for the rest of his life". His nickname was Chester the Molester. He rarely caught fish & he didn't care at all. I have a great story about Chester & a 8 hours booze cruise that I will tell later.

-The boat owner/part time Capt of one of the headboats I worked on was dubbed "El Sid". He would only show up when his capt called in sick (see Chester) & was usually 3/4 in the bag from the night before. The moment we cleared the inlet, the auto pilot was set (to the same location every time) & he would slump over in his chair & go for the ride. Hence the "El Sid" nickname. No matter how rough or nasty it got, he never fell out of his chair. Once his autopilot alarm went off, he would drop lines & go back to sleep. We always caught fish when EL Sid was onboard.

-The evening cruise capt was quite the ladies man & he went by the nickname "Disco Teeth". His gig was to rattle his false teeth together to the beats of the music in bar & dance hall drinking contests. He also did this during the cruise over the PA system & told stories of his talent show victories.

[WAHOONBOX]

SORRY TO DISAPPOINT SOME GREAT CAPTAINS OUT THERE.....BUT IF I LOOK UP AND SEE YOUR FEET ALL PROPED UP AND YOU ARE SITTING SIDEWAYS ALLOWING ONE SIDE OF YOUR VISION TO BE BLINDED.....I PERSONALLY GET A CASE OF THE RED-ASS....I WILL NOT SAY ANYTHING HELL NO! IT IS NOT MY PLACE TO....BUT YOU JUST CURED ME FROM DAY TWO WITH YOU....

FISHING WITH SOME OF THE BETTER CAROLINA CAPTAINS OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES HAS RUINED ME NO DOUBT...SPOILED AIN'T THE WORD........TO SEE A CAPTAIN "WORK " A BRIDGE....OR A BETTER WORD IS "FISH THE BRIDGE" LITERALLY FIRES MY ASS UP TO WORK JUST AS HARD AS HE....WHEN I SEE HIM FISH A BRIDGE HARD WHEN THERE IS NO ACTION....THAT KEEPS ME FIRED SA-LAM UP AS WELL I TELL YA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FISH HARDER WHEN THERE IS NO BITE!!!



WHY "THE BEAST" NEVER SIT DOWN....NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THAT IS BUT ONE REASON HE WAS/IS THE BEST OUT THERE....NOT TO MENTION HE HOOKS A GODZILLION FISH FROM HIS MULTIPLE BRIDGE POLES....AND WORKS THE TEASERS LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW!!! ALWAYS SCANNING.....I **** MY EYES UP FROM TIME TO TIME TO SEE WHAT MY CAPTAIN IS DOING....I WANT TO SEE A HEAD TURNING 360 LIKE AN OWL ON A BARN RAFTER ROOST!!!


THERE IS NO COMPROMISE IN THIS DEPARTMENT...I MEAN THIS BRIDGE STATION!!!

NOPE....I WILL NOT CHANGE MY VIEW FOR NO-ONE!!!

MY POINT STANDS!!!

[Sea Draggin]

Box........Scattered Grass