Fishing with Phil & Dr.Leon .......

[ice cream man]

A month earlier my neighbor Dr.Leon asked me when we were going fishing this year ? .........
Now, Dr.Leon is a busy man, with a lot on his plate, that loves to golf & not really into fishing ........

The same day I get an email from Dr. Leon, I receive a phone call from Capt. John about needing to go fishing on his day off .......
Both want to go fishing on the same day, how lucky can I be - the pressure is off me . [ Note to self - but lotto ticket today ] ......
Yessss! - I get to fish .......
Just hoping the Doctor & the Captain can play well together, this is going to be simple easy, right ? WRONG!

Have not forgotten about Phil ? You have you ? Haven't you ?
This fishing with Phil & Dr. Leon, after all ......

Get the second phone call the night before from Capt. John.
Something about teaching Phil how to oyster & is it okay to bring Phil ? .........
Sure, Phil's cool & maybe they will get me some clams ........
Phil's a good guy, been fishing on Phil's boat & had a good time - but didn't catch fish ........
Come to think of it no one every catches fish with Phil, not even Capt. John - this could be a problem .........
Phil's getting this reputation as being bad luck, Phil's cool & will keep Dr.Leon from looking bad .........

Just hoping the Doctor, the Captain & the Contractor can play well together ........ While I'm fishing ......

It's early when we all meet, make introductions, the Cat is finally loaded with hardly any room to move .....
Buckets for oystering - check
Speck rods - check
Surf rods - check
Surf cart - check
3 pairs of Waders - problem !
3 rain jackets - problem !

We get out at high tide trolling MirrOlure's, start catching fish, Lizardfish ......
Dr.Leon is having a good time, while Phil's reputation is turning around & the Skunk is off the boat ......
Stop to talk with Big Wave Dave & he tells us about only catching a 2 spike Specks,
the large school of finicky Reds & the Blues on steroids, outside the inlet .....
Capt. John gives me a strange look, I am thinking it had something to do with calling him a " gun nut " earlier,
until he says " Let's get on those Blues with topwater plugs ....." and " it's gun enthusiast ....."

Sunny, calm seas, clear water & another boat catching fish ........ Conditions are perfect.
Things are not so perfect for Phil ( he's cool ) & Dr.Leon, both can not cast very far.
While Capt. John has his first, then his second Blue on topwater ........
I take time to give them a quick lesson on casting while Capt. John is running the boat & they are still not catching Blues .......
I am busy untangling, retyping rigs & finally it happens ....
Phil ( he's cool ) bust a guide out of one of my rods - Phil is no longer cool, but he is hooked up & that's cool ..........
Leon's hooks up ( he's cool ) & I still have not fished & that's not cool ......

Both Phil & Dr.Leon wore themselves & the Blues out - but we wanted Reds & they needed a break .........
Kept a few for bait & decide make a lunch run, some quite reflective time - Capt. John style ........
Now, Capt. John has a lot of life experience, down home wisdom & a story for most every occasion -
Let's see there's " The 3 F's .... " or was it
"The Tiger, The Jaguar & The Jack Ass...... " ( this is a real gem )
Maybe the realization that pork makes everything taste better .....


This tale could end here & you would never know about all the fish caught & by whom ?......
Or did Phil ( he's cool again ) break his bad luck cycle ?.......
Or is Dr.Leon ever going fishing again ?........
And, what about Scalez, All Day Ray & David C ?.........

But for those not familiar with Capt. John fishing style, let me just say " hardcore " is an under statement .......
Extreme Radical Combat Fishing with maximum results is more like it ....
More to come ..........ICM

[Robja]

Nice report ICM but the pictures didn't come out.

[ice cream man]

Cameras are prohibited to protect the innocent ......

We end up having lunch with All Day Ray where the food is warm, the insults are cold, even Dr.Leon "man's up" with a couple of zingers -
all directed at the one person that put them all together, I felt alone in a crowd ......
All I want to do is catch a fish ........

During this fine dining experience, the range of topics went from local fishing hot spots, to the consumption of weird foods,
to fundamental differences & gravitational attraction the Russian hotties Hardees had as in-terms the previous year .......
Picture Pamela Anderson in a paper hat taking your order .......

Our stomachs full, the tide falling, the need to fish overtaking us, with some fresh in-tel from All Day Ray
- about a creek holding some large Shrimp we head out ...........
You would never think an adult male like Capt. John could be considered graceful ? Until you see him throw a cast net ..........
We three watch in awe as the cast net opens in a perfect circle every time, only to come up with a few baits .....

Heading to the secret spot, avoiding spot netters at every turn & the yearly migration of Snow Birds traveling south .........
I receive a call from Scalez about going fishing - he's cool .......
Have always caught Reds in the suds with Scalez, maybe his good juju will offset Phil's bad juju ........

With the Cat anchored about a mile from where we want to fish ........
We suit, up I mean the 2 smart ones with clean waders & rain jackets -
While Phil, without a rain jacket & the dried clay, caked on his waders, walking around the Cat - bad juju ( he's not cool & about to be wet ) .......
And Dr.Leon in a bathing suit, beach shoes & Gore Tex jacket ( the really smart one with the degrees to prove it )
is about to be cold, bone chilling cold before this adventure ends ......

With beach cart base camp established on dry ground .....
The sun still shining bright, warming us & filling us up with hope, all the while overheating us in our waders .......
Capt John makes his way into the surf with a topwater rod & he's gone ...... He doesn't just walk a few yards, he's really gone ! .......
Thru the sloughs, over the first, then the second set of sandbars - he even beyond the 2 anchored boats .....
All you can see is a little spot of yellow with a black dome above it ..........
Leaving me on the beach, setting up rods, baiting up hooks & getting up set -
I mean all I want to do is catch a fish, is that too much to ask for ? .....

Capt. John makes his first cast & is hooked up to a topwater Red - he's good & he's found the school .........
I'm still on the beach watching, when both Phil & Dr.Leon walk off into the cooling down surf with only 1 live bait each .......
This is not good for me, because I have the bait bucket & now have to follow them out to re-bait their hooks ......
Turn around to grab a topwater rod, look out to see Capt. John hooked up to his second topwater Red ........
Also see Phil take a wave over the top of his waders - bad juju ....
Dr.Leon casting to where the Reds are not ...... Oh boy, this is going to be a long day ........

Capt. John is hooked up for the third time, but it's a monster Blue, that bites off his topwater ...... I'm feeling bad for him - not really .....
Both Phil & Dr.Leon are taking chest high waves, both are not feeling the cold, because both are hooked up with slot Reds ......
No more bad juju for Phil, also no more bait for Phil or Dr.Leon ...... And I still have not made a cast .........

By now Scalez has arrived, is ready to fish, Capt. John has caught some fish,
Phil has no hook to fish, Dr.Leon is too cold to fish, & I have yet to fish ........

Capt. John cuts up a Blue for bait, grabs my other surf rod & is catching Reds almost on every cast, them Scalez start catching Reds,
Phil is soaking wet catching Reds, Dr.Leon is freezing wet maybe catching a cold ........

It's my time to fish & I am determined to catch a Red on topwater - after all any one can catch a fish on cut bait .......
Your with me on this right ?
"It's like dating a fat chick, you know to want to, you know you can, but you don't want your friends to know you did ......"

Make a couple of dozen cast & start catching Blues - wrong species ......
Slow down my retrieve a little when he explores all over my topwater, fight is taking a little to long to be another Blue,
this my friends is a Red, an over slot Red at that .....
And happens to be the biggest Red caught this day ........
Final count they caught some fishy's & I caught a Red Drum ....

We made it home after dark safely - dead tired, worn out & very happy, even with that Mile Marker scare .....

I am happy to report Phil is not longer bad luck ......
Dr.Leon had a great time & will be recovering soon ......
Capt. John has enrolled in therapy .........

Thanks ....... ICM

[scalez]

The therapy of the shoals will do anybody some good, even those 'lost causes' like Capt John !!!!

It's "cool" to fish warrior style with you guys ! And hey, Dr. Leon and I are hard core tough guys who don't need any stinking waders ---- it's only November

BTW that pesky ankle bitter blackfin shark showed up to eat my last yearling as he rode the wave to within 20 feet after you left !!!! A HUGE explosion !

[Capt_John]

The therapy of the shoals will do anybody some good, even those 'lost causes' like Capt John !!!!

It's "cool" to fish warrior style with you guys ! And hey, Dr. Leon and I are hard core tough guys who don't need any stinking waders ---- it's only November

BTW that pesky ankle bitter blackfin shark showed up to eat my last yearling as he rode the wave to within 20 feet after you left !!!! A HUGE explosion !

Exactly why when the sun got to going down, I was heading to dry land. I know what swims around that shoal all too well.

[Capt_John]

Billy, I thought you already had a bunch of bait pre-cut, so I grabbed my rod and took off. I saw the boats anchored up in 3 feet of water so I knew I could wade there. By the time I looked back, it seemed like I was a mile away. Oh well, still caught some fish. I didn't know you were in that much work setting them two guys up. Next time, I'll be bait b*&%h.
It was fun and I really needed that.

[ice cream man]

Capt. John ......... Fishing with you will never be dull .....
Did not realize you were that good of a surf caster either ........

Dr.Leon say's hey, said it was one of his best days fishing, hanging out with the guys & doing manly man stuff .........

Scalez ..... I was wondering when they would show up .......
Have a great trip ....... ICM

[Robja]

[QUOTE=ice cream man;858776]Cameras are prohibited to protect the innocent ......

INNOCENT?????

I thought Capt. John was with you.

[ice cream man]

[QUOTE=Robja;864008]

Cameras are prohibited to protect the innocent ......

INNOCENT?????

I thought Capt. John was with you.

Robja......... let me explain. Yes, Capt. John was with us & them he wasn't - we lost him when the fish started biting .......
We would still be out there if it was up to Capt. John ......... ICM

[gottaflylee]

Great read Billy, laughing my a$$ off with ya...