Finally crossed the mark

[skeetbum]

Having been lucky lately in catching some nice fish, I’ve been frustrated that I couldn’t get across the 10” mark. One of those close, but no cigar things. Today it happened, several times. Slim Jim joined me on a short trip to see how I do things, and did we have a time. Mother Nature decided we needed to be rinsed and cut the trip short. The day was overcast and fished a bit different than a bright sunny day. Give me a few minutes and I’ll try to tell you how it went.

6AM start time, a quick trip through Dunkin for a couple of breakfast sammiches and off to the ramp. Jim had brought a 6’6” fiberglass rod, looked to be a Garcia from a few years back and in very good condition. Great action but limber like glass rods tend to be. We dropped in and moved off to the fish grounds. Got him rigged and I grabbed one of my littles and the rods started bending. Where I fish is close quarters and shooting under cover the norm, which Jim had never done before. A quick tutorial on a few of the basics and he was off. Just a bit later I watched him make a cast and he did fine, but the rods had some extra reaction during the cast. Just the nature of the beast. I gave him one of the other little rods, a few minutes adjusting to the different action, and he was off.

A few ‘Gills came to visit, a few of them might have come to dinner. We eased around, Jims casting improved a lot, and I started to move to another area. As it came close, we both looked at this one area that just looked fishy and I turned off the TM and we both cast in a few times. The mother lode, for us anyway. I think it was Jim that got the first one, a good Shellcracker that was looking pretty hard at the 11” mark. Good fight, wrapped some weeds, give a little slack and out he came. Got him in the net and I was in awe. Haven’t seen one like that in a long while. 13oz on the scale. Thicker than my hand by a good bit too. I asked and Jim said that a few for dinner would be good, so in the live well he went. It wasn’t long that he had company, a nice “gill made the cut. All totaled I believe that we had 3 of the big ‘Crackers and 2 good gills for the ride home. Then came the shower, then the clouds got a little more serious, then the rain, and we called it done. Looked at the clock to find that we had caught north of 25 fish, over half were good ones, and had just hit the 3 hour mark. Sometimes you just get lucky. A very good, quick morning in good company who excels at bringing very good snacks. Looking forward to the next trip together Jim, I sure had fun. Hope everyone got a chance to get a few.....Skeet.