View Full Version : Big effort-small return


Rockfish9
09-20-2020, 08:16 AM
Some nights these days, I just go through the motions, hit a promising spot for a few hours,then go home.. last night was NOT one of those nights.
I met a guy ibe been showing the ropes to at the boat at 6:30, 15 minutes latter I was stemming tide in one of the rivers storied big fish holes,to my right,a large pile of rocks, to my left a mooring field bordering a flat,by keeping the boat on the edge, a caster can toss a bait up into the flow that is split by the boulders as the water Eddie's in the 20' deep hole behind, in bye gone days, a half hour effort during the ebb would have produced at least 1 40lb class fish..the seagulls applauded our effort but little else happened..
I.moved on to a small flat of stones that was a storied medium fish spot, but is usually bypassed due to boat traffic, not the case last night, we were alone,a good effort with zero results..from there we moved to the edge of a mussel shoal that boarders the channel, 20 years ago, there would have been 20 boats working, that minus ebb..again we were alone, we stuck it out for 2 more hours..only the occasional bellyflop of a sturgeon to tell us there was something there..at the bottom of the tide, we hit to yet another storied rock pile,now close to the mouth of the river, we could hear the roaring surf, we pounded that rock pile and the adjacent mussel shoal and deep water.near bye.nothing.
The tide turned, and I used the electric motor to work the top of the stones, picked up 3 small fish on eels before they moved on, using the electric. We worked our way up river and squeaked over the bar to fish the grassy banks,the wind picked up from the north, but we worked the bank while floating in 18" of water..fishing the rising tide. We stuck it out all the way until high tide, i added 2 more 19" Students to the tally before heading to the dock at 2 AM
.It was 42 degrees when I got back to the truck..
I was cold,stiff, but satisfied there was nothing else we could have done.. there were no giants to be had last night.

Guppy
09-20-2020, 08:55 AM
And up at 7:00! .... great effort

Rockfish9
09-20-2020, 09:21 AM
And up at 7:00! .... great effort

Didn't sleep much in between, just a cat nap so to speak
My eyes are back by my ears somewhere..I'm getting too old for this crap.
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Rockfish9
09-20-2020, 09:30 AM
And up at 7:00! .... great effort

I'm pretty sure many of us here did that( functioned on a few hours sleep to apease family) back in the day, but it sure ain't like old times.i know I sure cant..
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hq2
09-20-2020, 11:41 AM
Yeah, I fished that spot on the river a while ago when there were actually fish there. I never did that well there, but it’s a textbook spot. If that isn’t producing anything these days, I don’t know what is.
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ProfessorM
09-20-2020, 01:13 PM
I'm pretty sure many of us here did that( functioned on a few hours sleep to apease family) back in the day, but it sure ain't like old times.i know I sure cant..
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Me either.
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MAKAI
09-21-2020, 06:57 AM
Us old dogs need more crib time.
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piemma
09-22-2020, 06:26 AM
I'm pretty sure many of us here did that( functioned on a few hours sleep to apease family) back in the day, but it sure ain't like old times.i know I sure cant..
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Use to do 125 miles R/T 100 nights a year and then work all day. Sometimes on a flight out of town for a meeting. Get home at 10 or 11 PM and in the surf by 3 or AM.. No more.

JohnR
09-22-2020, 12:37 PM
I'm pretty sure many of us here did that( functioned on a few hours sleep to apease family) back in the day, but it sure ain't like old times.i know I sure cant..
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These days i am afraid I would kill someone driving home

Rockfish9
09-22-2020, 02:20 PM
These days i am afraid I would kill someone driving home

I remember when we used to leave after work in June,before the big girls got to PI, drive to the cape, spend half the night getting herring, fish until mid day. Eat,have a nap go get more herring, fish Sunday until we ran out of bait then drive home, I can't believe no one ever was killed..the only casualty was Paule Searls 18' starcraft came uncoupled on Rt 3..it ended upside down in the medium.

I went off the road once in the late 70's after a week long fishing binge, working by day, fishing all night, napping during lunch and for an hour or two after dinner.
I fell asleep on my way to work on day 9, drove my 67 dodge power wagon off into a ditch on 495..I was lucky.., I locked the hubs and crawled back on the highway in low gear..had some "splanin" to do, but was wide awake all the way to work.
. Again, I'm sure there are a few more "whackos" here with similar tales..that's why I LOVE this site.
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Guppy
09-22-2020, 04:17 PM
Launched around sunset came back in the next day around 4 PM to the wrong harbah..... let’s hear more,,, fun

Rockfish9
09-22-2020, 04:23 PM
Launched around sunset came back in the next day around 4 PM to the wrong harbah..... let’s hear more,,, fun

Love it..how long did it take to realize no one stole your truck!
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nightfighter
09-22-2020, 04:45 PM
Launched around sunset came back in the next day around 4 PM to the wrong harbah..... let’s hear more,,, fun

Sometimes, Ray. I just have to ask...How have you lived so long???? That is hilarious!

Guppy
09-22-2020, 04:49 PM
Love it..how long did it take to realize no one stole your truck!
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LMAO....

Guppy
09-22-2020, 04:50 PM
Sometimes, Ray. I just have to ask...How have you lived so long???? That is hilarious!

Chit luck,,,,, :smash:

JohnR
09-23-2020, 06:57 AM
I remember when we used to leave after work in June,before the big girls got to PI, drive to the cape, spend half the night getting herring, fish until mid day. Eat,have a nap go get more herring, fish Sunday until we ran out of bait then drive home, I can't believe no one ever was killed..the only casualty was Paule Searls 18' starcraft came uncoupled on Rt 3..it ended upside down in the medium.

I went off the road once in the late 70's after a week long fishing binge, working by day, fishing all night, napping during lunch and for an hour or two after dinner.
I fell asleep on my way to work on day 9, drove my 67 dodge power wagon off into a ditch on 495..I was lucky.., I locked the hubs and crawled back on the highway in low gear..had some "splanin" to do, but was wide awake all the way to work.
. Again, I'm sure there are a few more "whackos" here with similar tales..that's why I LOVE this site.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device


I was dangerous. I would drink Rock Star, Coffee, and have a playlist of great driving songs. Still fell asleep behind the wheel. when I got home my heart was pounding and could not sleep the few winks before going back to work.

Clammer
09-23-2020, 07:36 AM
If ya don,t have a few great stories .then ya didn,t fish hard enough .

then there are the stories that have nothing to do with or because of fishing ><:sled:

MAKAI
09-23-2020, 08:03 AM
Driving back from RP after another no sleep much Fri-Sun fish binge, fell sound asleep behind the wheel going 70mph.
The rumble strip woke me up.
I thought I was in bed dreaming of driving my truck. Took a few seconds to realize it was real !

Not sure I blinked the rest of the ride home.

Higgie
09-23-2020, 09:46 AM
First time to the salmon river drove five hours out dropped stuff off at camp went to get licenses and a few things at Amish shop decided to wader up while others were in the store. Drove several miles up to upper fly zone then realized I misplaced my wallet. After about 15 min of retracing steps realized I left it on bumper of my truck. It was still on the bumper when I remembered.
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Guppy
09-23-2020, 03:22 PM
Another all nighter north side CC, Then figures I’d run up to the Race to fish Before first light , got so tired just couldn’t go any further, pulls in tight to Herring Cove , sets anchor, leaves running lights on, cover the front boxes with PFD’s , lays down for a nap,,, I still remember how great that felt to close my eyes....
First light hits about 15-20 min later and every freakin boat out of the Pamet and P Town headed to the Race came in tight and buzzed me to see what that boat was doing,,, Was like trying to sleep in a washing machine.... LOL
OH the joys of fishin! :huh:

Pete F.
09-23-2020, 06:55 PM
My fall weekend in the good old days, drive from Vermont to south county, arrive fish till they quit, find someplace to sleep, likely Rose Nulman park, wake up fish some more, fished all the breachways, Narrow river, on and on, camped at Burlingame sometimes for a shower but someone would always be running a f’n generator
Caught some big fish, sometimes none, met some good guys in the middle of the night, too old to play that game so I play f’n golf and fish for trout, sometimes for Pike, maybe I’ll walk out back and do that this weekend
Need to have another Habs tourney
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SAUERKRAUT
09-23-2020, 07:11 PM
Last October: Pulled an all niter on the beach CH in a NW. Otherwise good conditions but freezing cold, and I just plain ran out of energy. Needed sleep and needed shelter: I crawled into the cab of a bulldozer.

Mike P
09-24-2020, 03:17 PM
I had a couple of favorite coops on the Canal rocks. Also took a nap many times on the abutment of the RM bridge on Lawn Guyland.

I never drove off the highway, but I scared the crap out of myself when I woke up driving in the breakdown lane of 195 once or twice.

wdmso
10-02-2020, 08:29 PM
today left green harbor 5am very calm seas moonlight to Sw corner got macs ran east hit the shipping lane then shot down to Nasuet. Headed back hunted around cape cod Bay seems90 100 inchers were in the area to big for my gear NW wind shows 15 20 slow wet ride backto green Harbor. Miles. Traveled 125
Tuna seen zero. Whales 1 dolphins 3 6 mackerel. Worst September I've had in a long time and I've been putting in the time ,, oh well

Guppy
10-03-2020, 02:57 AM
today left green harbor 5am very calm seas moonlight to Sw corner got macs ran east hit the shipping lane then shot down to Nasuet. Headed back hunted around cape cod Bay seems90 100 inchers were in the area to big for my gear NW wind shows 15 20 slow wet ride backto green Harbor. Miles. Traveled 125
Tuna seen zero. Whales 1 dolphins 3 6 mackerel. Worst September I've had in a long time and I've been putting in the time ,, oh well

Better days are comin:-)

Rockfish9
10-03-2020, 08:43 AM
today left green harbor 5am very calm seas moonlight to Sw corner got macs ran east hit the shipping lane then shot down to Nasuet. Headed back hunted around cape cod Bay seems90 100 inchers were in the area to big for my gear NW wind shows 15 20 slow wet ride backto green Harbor. Miles. Traveled 125
Tuna seen zero. Whales 1 dolphins 3 6 mackerel. Worst September I've had in a long time and I've been putting in the time ,, oh well
Just like the title, big effort, not alot to show for it... except you supported your local
fuel distributor .funny year,
Buddy of mine spent 12 hours yesterday on the water , couldn't find mac's so trolled and cast to small pods of micro stripers, never saw anything over 20 inches..he said the only boats he saw were hauling lobster pots..very telling for this time of year.
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fishgolf
10-03-2020, 02:51 PM
Just got back from the beach. No birds, no bait, no fish. 2 seals lounging in front of me and wouldn't go away... Nothing in the bay either.

SAUERKRAUT
10-04-2020, 09:29 AM
I spent last night in Recovery (In Bed).
I spent an all niter, night before, concentrating on 2 beaches you cannot OSV. Totally sterile. I never had a single hit.
I will regroup, re think, be patient, and continue the hunt.