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LOOKING FOR THE ONE,
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR FOR ME
By: Ron Wilson
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I'm still hunting for that 20 plus! |
May 25, 2009.... For the last couple
months its been mostly striped bass fishing for me. At least a couple
times a week.
I have been fishing at the Kitchen,
Bedroom, New Run, Patio, Peacock and down around the Antioch area. Lots
of small fish 3 to 8 pounds have been there as they traveled up the
river systems to spawn. But those big gals have been impossible for me
to hook this year.
I have been hoping for a late run but I
am not sure it will happen. The old timers have pulled there boats out
of the water and left figuring the run is all but over but according to
a lady that works at Eddo’s, she thinks we still have a couple weeks
left and that the big ones are on there way.
Wednesday my partner Harold Wiley and I
started at B&W and worked our way down to the snag near the barges and
were rewarded with a couple 8 pound stripers off the sandbar.
We continued on down to the Eddo’s sign
and a 15 pound male nailed my red and white Rebel lure. Talk about
smashing a lure and taking drag. If that don’t get the blood flowing
with excitement nothing will. Harold and I did a high five once the fish
was in the net, "not the 20 pound striped bass you were looking for Ron,
but it will do", he said. Harold soon put fish number 4 in the box and
we called it an early day.
Thursday at 5 a.m. we dropped the boat in the water again. I hit
all the usual good spots for an outgoing tide all the way to the
Antioch Bridge without a single nibble. The tide was just to
strong is the only conclusion we could come up with.
We headed back to the barges and started
trolling again and I soon had the first keeper in the box. Things
looking up and then I had a fish strike the red and white Rebel again
and pull off about 10 yards of line before it shook the hook.
Rats lost another good fish. Time for a
break so we reeled up and just as we got ready to travel I noticed a sea
lion chase and catch a striped bass in the 8 pound class.
Grab the net Harold we are going to steal
that fish from him. Harold just laughed, I said I am not kidding pay
attention. The sea lion will eat its tail off first and then it will
surface and tear the head off throwing the fish in the air, all you have
to do is net what's left as I drive by before the sea lion knows what we
are doing.
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We taught this sea lion what it feels
like to have a fish stolen! |
Harold laughed again until he saw the
seal eating the tail and then disappear under the water and come up and
throw the body part about 10 feet away from him as he tore the head off
with a mighty swing of his head. I gunned the boat and Harold scooped up
the chuck and that was fish number 2 in the box.
Break time to let the tide slow down some
more so we went into Eddo's and gassed up and got a beverage. We putted
back out to find that the tide had slowed and the fished had moved out
to the snag and the sand bar behind it. We put fish number 3 in the box
and turned around and fish number 4 quickly followed.
There were a couple fly fishers there and
we told them where the hot spot was as we packed up our gear to call it
a day. They hollered they wouldn’t eat what they were throwing and I
said anything red and white should work and left them and the fish do
there thing.
Will the big gals show up next week. I
don’t know but Harold and I will pound them until we strike out and then
we will go after another species of fish to play with. |
