Well, this weekend featured Dad and I going out to the skinny water for some local fare. Reds and Blues were on the card for us today. We met the guide for WaterDog Charters at the boat ramp in Beaufort and headed out as the sun made its entrance for the day. (I tried getting with our own GottaFlyLee, but he was making his way back ti Wilmington and the schedules just didn't mesh) Light to no breeze, calm water and no bugs in the marshes......... Its gonna be good.
Last week, I began preparing for the trip by making a fresh and new weapon for the outing. On the table for this trip was a sweet blank that is the hunter green matrix that will throw up to 5/8oz and has a great backbone with outstanding sensitivity. Here are some pics of the rod after it was completed back at the shop in Maryland.
This rod features custom made grips by or own SticksandBones and are SICK!!!
So, the rod is made, and its time to get some slime on it!!! We headed out of Beaufort and hit the grasses.
Dad got on the board first with a good 10lb Bluefish. The sun wasn't even up all the way yet and I was already behind the 8 Ball with nothing to hold up! So, Dad stood back by the engine with a smug grin on his face and continued to fish. I made a few more casts along the grasses and then finally got the explosion I was looking for!
Throwing Morrolures, the rod did great and is absolutely perfect for the reds. We continued fishing the grasses and did very well. After another 5 fish or so, we continued working around the grasses. help The fishing remained strong for the next 10-15 minutes. help We kept hitting it and I continued to hear help waaaaaay off in the distance. I kept looking over my right shoulder and hearing help but never saw anything so I kept fishing. Then, over my left shoulder, I saw a flat bottomed boat that was doing about a 300yd circle......help. I made another cast along the grasses when my heart fell to my stomach!!!!!!!! OH CRAP, and I turned to see that the boat doing a 300 yd circle had NO ONE driving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I yelled to the capt that we had to go and go NOW!!!!!!!!! We got the lines in and headed upwind across the water to the marsh on the other side of the water. We got 3/4 of the way there and BINGO!!!!!!! On the shoreline was a man that was waving his shirt to get someones attention. He had mine!!! We pulled up and got him onto the boat and called the Coast Guard. After about 3-5 minutes, they rolled in. All this time, the boat was doing a lazy circle and each time, it was traveling about 20 yards further east. When we asked the capt what had happened, he told us that he was alone and while traveling at full throttle, he hit a submerged log and it catapulted him from the boat!!!!!!!!!!!! To add insult to injury, the first 2 times around while in the water, the boat rocketed right over him as he was swimming!!! He had to dive below the boat as it went over top of him!
Here is a pic of the boat unmanned...
So, as the boat kept going further to the east, it got closer and closer to the marshes that we were just fishing...At that point, it was a sit back and wait game as no one wanted to do the Indiana Jones and ride alongside and jump on a full throttle boat.
So, the boat finally went into the marsh and it was another 3 times around before it finally caught up and came to a stop.
We made our way over to it and got the capt back to his boat.
He got back to the boat and we pulled him out and all was well again. The motor was not damaged and I think the hull was fine. From there, it was time for a meeting with the Coast Guard and we went on our way.
Sorry the distance pics are not better but I wasn't planning on taking long shots!
So, with that behind us, we headed up the Newport and after some more fish!!
After getting on the board early, Dad was scoreless and still had not gotten a Red yet. Well, we moved and once again, I was bent with a good fish!!
After a couple for me, Dad got into the action and he was not held back! We have been fishing together for over 35 years and his love for fishing is what got me into rodbuilding way back when. Well, for the last 10 years, Dad wanted to get a picture with a good fish and this was his day!!
That was the first of 3-4 and once he got the first good fish, he had the tempo down and he was on fire!!!
Taking these pictures of him, I was proud. Proud of him for being out there and fishing as hard as he did. To a 73 year old, being out there for hours on end in the heat and on a small boat, he was exhausted. But, he kept going.
The best part of the day was the last creek that we went to. It held packs of reds that were chasing shrimp along the shoreline. Packs of 10-20 fish that, once they got up to the ambush spot, were as easy as fish in a barrel. Dad and I picked off another 5 or so and by that time, we were spent.
We had a double at one time, but mine was lost at the net. I kept trying for one while he was hooked up, but it never happened. I guess we will have to go out again on another trip so that we can get that father/son picture with fish.....
Looking forward to the Wahoo Challenge next month and then the Specs and False Albacore over inside the hook in November!!!
Flatliner
Nice day and priceless as it was with your dad. nice fish. I'm glad that handle worked for you. The rod turned out great i like the abalone choice it goes well.
Mate Fin Hunter Sportfishing www.moreheadcitysportfishingcharters.com
First of all good on ya for the rescue. 2nd I am jealous as can be. Times of sons fishing with dads nowadays are few and far between. Glad to see you guys still enjoy it and what it is all about.
Thanks for sharing the adventure Kevin. I enjoyed it.
Wish my dad would still go fishing with me and my brother once in a while. He was expected to go with his dad when he was younger and does not enjoy it anymore. But he has always encouraged us to respect and enjoy all the outdoors has to offer.
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