Hopewell Va~ 27 Sept 2008
Dad has been in town for a few days and of course the weather has really
sucked with the wind and rain,the Nor'easter blow'n around ....... goofed off at the gun range and golden corall Friday waiting on the Thursday mess to clear out......saltwater was going to be hit or miss at best......summer fish are heading south and winter fish are not here yet,water temps and conditions made it a great day to go to Busch Gardens.......but fish to take home was the game plane and so where else to go get quality fish and plenty of pullage but the James River.......Dad arrived at the house 8am in a pouring rain Saturday morning and said this is a NO GO ......yea right......he had no idea what was planned for him today......I showed him the radar just so he knew the rain was only along the coast and where I was taking him there was no rain,aint gonna be no rain.......we load the truck and head to Tony's house where he is hooking up the boat and just about ready.......off down the road we go......roll'n down 460.....YEP YOU GUESSED IT - HOPEWELL !!! Arrive at the city marina,launch.....idle around looking for bait and Tony throws the cast net......nothing but blue cats about 10 to 12 inches long.....back they go.....second thorw,third,fourth.....this sux.......lots tries and 1 friggen shad to show for it......I have a bucket of mullet,2 spot and 3 menhaden I brought from home so we head on out into the river and hit a few spot with limited results of eaters in the 18 inche range for the cooler.........slipped into herring creek and set out the gill net and let it soak for 30 minutes......200 big fat blue crabs were tangled in the net along with just 2 shad........after an hour of drifting in circles, Dad & Tony get all the crabs out if the net and stow it away......we run out in the channel. We parked 25 feet from the Green Bouy #91.....I say parked because we did not anchor......we used my CLT method.......uh huh ........before all 5 rods could be put out with the only 2 fresh baitfish we had......we had fish on........lost a 20+ pounder at the boat.......NO NET ? Tony whats wrong with YOU ? We were just going after eaters not trophy size fish today so we have no scales or net......a couple eaters heaved over the side of the boat and loose another trophy fish at the boat 40+ pounds ........fish here fish there and Dad gets a 30+ that Tony was dead set on getting in the boat for a photo op........leaders the fish and wraps the line around both wrists and in comes Dad's biggest fish ever.......30+ pound ramge easy ! I get a few, Dad gets a few more, Tony lands a couple and then the smallest rod with a 3/0 circle and a whole 4 inch menhaden goes down hard and Tony reaches out and lifts the rod up and cranks on the fish........he's hooked.......oh nice fish......too big for a keeper tho......in the 20's easy.........drag slams and the fish hauls tail .......30+ fish.........fish gets close to the boat and its bigger than a 30 pounder for sure.......40's maybe.......the hawg has no intentions of meeting any human beans today tho.......back to the dethps of the river it goes ! 10 minuets later the fish surfaces again ........this thing is in the 50's......up for the last time........Tony stop playing and give me the rod........I reel down and heave up several times and bring the fish to the surface as Tony hangs over the side of the boat with a tie down S hook to slip in the bottom jaw of the fishes mouth........FINALLY up & in the boat they both collapse......Tony with his new girlfriend .........somewhere in the mid 50's easy ( Thats all I will allow him to brag about 55 pounds )
Its now 5 pm and we are still a hour away from the boat ramp and 2 hour drive from home..........cut ourselves loose and head up river to the ramp. Haul home with a cooler full of eaters for Dad to take back to Indiana. Stop at Crab Creek for a cooler & a bag of ice while the sub shop makes a couple subs and contine home.....eat dinner and clean fish,packed in vac bags and ice for the trip back to Indiana........Dad should be on his way just about now this morning........good thing he has cruise control in the Aurora because his arms are going to be sore for a few days ..........Sept 27 2008. water temp was 71* all fish were caught between 11 am and 4 pm......who says you gotta fish at NIGHT or wait until the water gets COLD !! Brought home 8 eaters threw back a dozen others including a couple in the 20's, a 30ish, lost a 40 at the boat, landed a 50+ .......20 some fish all together.......yea we had a great day.
THANKS AGAIN FOR HAULING US UP THERE IN YOUR RIG !!
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