| Fishing Report For April 20th |
[Apr. 22nd, 2010|04:22 pm]
The Fishing and Hunting Community
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I was going to wait to post about our fishing trip Tuesday until my brother posted but I've waited long enough. Sorry to anyone who see this twice being both on huntfish and my friends list.
So Tuesday the fore-casted weather was mid sixties north west winds 5 to ten knots waves one to two feet. In other words very calm. Upon seeing that the forecast seemed to at least be true for the morning my brother and I decided to launch from Deal Island and run out to the islands and try our luck there.
So we tried our luck around Bloodsworth Island, then near Holland's Island. We had the opportunity to see the house on Holland's Island and the Sherman tank that's in the shoals near Bloodwsorth with no luck with the fish. After trying for a bit on the north end of Bloodsworth we decided to head back toward the mouths of a couple rivers we normally fish.
Some how while cutting back through Hooper Straits we ended up of course and ended up in Fishing Bay. Upon realizing we were at Eliott Island I made the command decision to head back toward Deal Island so we could refuel, I was unsure how far of a run it really was or how much fuel it would take.
Upon arriving at the boat slip we had about a sixteenth of a tank of gas. So I made a run in the vehicle to procure more fuel while my brother waited with the boat.
Once I'd procured more fuel and made my way back tot he boat slip we got under way again and headed toward Great Shoals.
Great Shoals is and area in Monie Bay at the mouth of the Wicomico River. Once there was a lighthouse there, now there's only a rock pile and a hazard marker. We fished there last Thursday and had caught fish. So we figured we'd try again.
We arrived at Great Shoals at around three o'clock. The tide was moving in so we tried the south side of the marker first. After three attempts with the anchor we finally were successful getting it to grab. We caught a few fish but nothing spectacular, but we had gotten the skunk off the boat. After talking to the Old Man we decided to listen to his recommendation and we moved to the north side of the marker.
Once we started we were able to locate the rock pile much easier than last time we were there. So we anchored up parrallel to the marker and the rock pile and started to fish. Almost immediately we started catching fish. Mainly perch and a few croakers.
At that point I was fishing two rods one with a high low rig with bloodworms trying to catch whatever was about. The second rod I was using a three way swivel with a single hook on a long leader and herring as bait. Thinkingoutlaw had requested some catfish. So I was attempting to fill that request. Also Rock will eat herring and other bait fish.
After a few cast I had a pretty good pattern down and was catching some very nice catfish. Most of the cats were bulls but a few were nice channels which I kept.
A few times it would have looked like a comedy routine to an on looker when both my rods would go and my brother would have a fish on. Amongst the madness I did catch a sixteen inch croaker.
Its important to note some where in here that my brother first cast once we moved to the other side of the marker, he got snagged and was forced to break off. Instead of tieing on another rig he switched rods and reels to an ultralight rod and reel.
After about three hours the fish suddenly turned off. The Old Man called to find out how we were making out. He of course asked if we'd seen anything with stripes and we hadn't but one of his last comments in the conversation was that they could show up anytime. After talking with the Old Man I was contemplating moving again. It wasn't two minutes since I'd set down my cell phone when I saw my brother come up with his rod which was bent pretty good. My brother commented, "Its was like he was just, there." Meaning the fish hadn't hit, it grabbed the bait and ran. About that time his reel started to scream as the fish started to peel line off. Then about sixty yard behind the boat we saw the fish swirl at the top of the water and we knew he had hooked something big. I quickly reeled in my two rods so the lines wouldn't get tangled. I could see the reel was loosing line fast and my brother hadn't made a single turn on the handle. My brother looked at me and asked, "Which way to tighten the drag?!"
The only thing I could think to say because I was thinking on other things was, "Its a screw!"
I told the Big Bear to move to the back of the boat. It took a few attempts to get him to understand not to back up but to move to the back of the boat. Once the Big Bear was at the back of the boat I pulled the anchor figuring we'd go on a Nantucket sleigh ride if we had to, I was going to do everything I could to make sure we managed to get that fish to the boat. I was still unsure of what he had on the end of his line and was really hoping it wasn't a winged monster like a skate or a ray. But I was pretty sure I'd seen a fish shape the first time it swirled at the top. After quite a few minutes the Big Bear managed to get the fish close to the boat where I took a few picture as it swam by just in case something stupid happened right next to the boat. His rod was bent in a circle almost, and I was even wondering if the rod would hold up.
Luckily nothing stupid happened and we did get him along side the boat. It was a big rock. With one hand I grabbed him at the base of the tail and thumbed his bottom jaw with the other while my brother took a picture. We ended up cutting the line right at the hook. I pointed his head away from the boat and he swam away. He was at least thirty eight inches and well over twenty pounds. A perfectly legal fish where we were fishing, but my brother and I had argeed on our first trip out to that area that if either of us caught a big rock we'd release him so that's what we did. It was a beautiful sight seeing that big of a rock swim away and disappear into the dark water of the bay.
We set back up and fished till sunset. Then we headed back to the boat slip.
All in all one of the best days fishing we've had in a long time. Its been a few years since I saw one of us catch a monster rock like that.
Below is a link to my brothers photos from the trip.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=164072&id=661743646&l=563747e3d3
Keep your powder dry and your tomahawk sharp.
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