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Ship Wrecked
As many of you know... I got the bug... Screw work, responsibility or anythinmg having to do with common sense. I loaded my swordin gear up and was on a mission...
The marina where I keep the little boat I lovingly call the "Dump" as it is home to several shall we say less than savory types. Its often an adventure there and today was no exception. Todays action though was not the usual. They launched my boat and set it behind a derilict sailboat. They are common place in our area and serve as home to several of the people I descrbed. As i loaded my gear aboard my boat I saw uniforms below on the sailboat and watched as they carried out a body bag... I have no love for these vagrants of the sea but still a human passing alone like that just plain sucks... I wasted no time in getting out of there.
The inlet looked fair despite a prettty stiff wind. The first ten miles were bumpy enough to keep me slowed to about 15 then they steeped up a bit and slowed me to 12. I arrived early at my desired grounds and splashed a couple hoos while positioning. The wind was pretty stiff east so I compensated for that by heading off two extra miles.
A mile into the drag I saw a familiar purple shape and did a full deepin on a sail with a 50w outfit. Not much sport there but it was a fish.
I got to my desired spot and set em out with daylight to spare. The wind eased up a tad and the drift looked promising. As it got dark and a few other boats joined me out there. Just after dark. I saw the deep rod bouncing and I went to inspect. It was tight on a fish but certainly not a big one. I reeled it up to find a pup of maybe 10 pounds foul hooked. Oh boy a sword!
The hook pulled as I grabbed the leader and the bait was un marked so I sent it back down. I had just done a radio check with another boat at about 7 o'clock when the mid bait got hammered. This was a good one. as I watched about 3/4 of the spool vanish I set myself in for combat...
The fish ran down sea then ran up sea I followed... Almost an hour into it I was whipped and not gaining much at all. Its hard to even guess how big cause some swords are brutally strong and can surprise you. I just plodded along... Then I saw the line angle come up... "Ok Deep, it screwed up. Lets go get em..."
I pushed the throttle up and something caught my eye. A shape. A big black shape with a tiny green dot and red dot and a nice white one right between...
"Oh shit a ship!"
Now I pride myself on knowing where they usually run so I don't have to reset during the night but this guy was a couple miles out of his line and on collision course with me. In the dark you cant guage speed very well but I knew he was commin quick... I knew I had to either get forward enough to give me a green light or slow up enough to get red. I wanted the green but he was comming too fast so I had to hit the brakes and got the red light...
The line angle was high... Too high and I could only pray. I did but it did no good. I could hear his big loping diesels as the bow passed about two hundred feet away. I could feel that horrible hull rubbing on my nice shiny sufix mono and the end was near. The rod stood straight...
I had one of those great debates go off in my head. Chew him a new one.... How do you say F*** Y** in croatian though... I don't own the sea but damnit neither does he and was two miles inside the usual north bound lane and his radar had to show him there was a line of boats along it...
So that was my night. I think I'm just gonna have to do it again tomorrow...
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Originally Posted by gradywhite273
