speaking of fish and cips, anyone ever go to Ye Olde Engilsh Fish and Chips in Woonsocket? I went last Friday, absolute heaven,,,,,

The bank on a fine winter day is a sight for all. On a bad day, it's still a day on the water regardless. I do it 2 or 3 times a winter, and pick my dayes

Wow, that sounds like a nightmare, I would have had to kill myself
I can't even go on those trips on warm calm days. forgetaboutit
I'm glad you got fish

But people will stay up all night, climb on slime coverd rocks, washed over by knee deep swells, swim in wetsuits to distant locations in the hope to catch a single fish over tide. Go figure

Not sure I'd jump on a charter boat with 50 others.Sounds like hell.I'd be looking for more of a private charter or just keep it hung up until spring when our striped friends come back.ishtty trip but at least you got some filets.

but that's FUN. :hihi:

you have the option of swimming back to shore when you want to (on a boat 60 miles offshore you are stuck there) ... and most people don't wetsuit in freezing temperatures.

oh yeah, it's FREE.

:hee:

man, sounds like a fun trip :yak4:. I feel bad for that kid... that is tough for anyone to take, but brutal at that age.

Ben,
Did you wear the kneepads?
Sounds like they might have come in handy.
LOL,
Rick

nope, not sure i needed kneepads, but i might tie a pillow on my butt for next time. the way things were going late in the afternoon, a helmet wouldn't have been a bad idea either.

Guys,

I haven't fished with Capt. Joe on the Helen H in some time, but from what I recall he is one of the most conservative/safety-minded captains out there. He won't take guys out if he knows it's going to be uncomfortable. In fact, I often hear a lot of chatter from guys frustrated that the boat cancelled even though "the weather didn't look that bad!" Frankly, I'd much rather err on the side of caution, as I'm sure most of you would.

Joe probably cancels 3 of every 4 trips during the winter months, and I seriously doubt that he knew what he was bringing you into when you left the dock. Anyway, just thought I'd throw it out there--most captains, especially intelligent ones like Joe, are not sadists who will put their patrons through hell just to make some money. Everyone makes mistakes--in this case, sounds like it was the weatherman (what else is new).

In any case, it certainly doesn't sound like a fun trip. I do a fair amount of winter codding, and if the forecast is looking crappy but the boat is still planning to go, I'd much rather just give up my deposit etc. It's no fun being stuck out there in rough seas and worse, the wind and cold. I'm sure some of the guys on that boat would have paid more than 195 bucks to get off that boat;).

-Willy.

No doubt Joe is a great Captain. He is regarded as one of the best now and was regarded as one of the best when he was in Sheepshead bay, Brooklyn. I used to go out with him when I as a teenager for blue fish to 17 as we call it and the mud hole as a lot of others call it.

I think he really thought the weather was going to be good or he wouldn't have gone out...IMOP.

The trip was miserable :yak4: for most on the boat though. I enjoyed myself with the exception of the constant two step that needed to be applied to keep balance.

I hope to be going next week!

did the 18 hour trip on the big Jamaica in NJ... very rough seas:(

i knew i was going to be long trip when a few guys broke out johnny walker black, hard boiled eggs and cigarettes... we just walked on the boat 11pm at night.

oh baby

sounds like a good trip to me. you caught fish, most of the fares weren't fishing so the rails souldn't have been crowded. you had a nice boat ride. nothing worse than flat boring seas. i guess my father should of been charged with child abuse, he started taking me out on party boats when i was 6 years old. mostly during the winter since we had our own boat which we used up until the end of november.i don't think there are too many captains that will put there boat in harmsway just to make a few bucks. these guys know what there boats are capable of. as a fare on a boat you should know what conditions you are capable of fishing in.

Hey Kadir, when are we going toggin' on the 'Poacher?'

:faga:

:hihi:

Willy, I'll take your word for it.

Obviously, the weather is a hard thing to nail down with precision. I certainly don't expect the sea to be like glass 60+ miles offshore during the winter. So I am realistic about that.

I'll just be more firm about putting my foot down about not going if I feel the Wx is not going to make the trip "fun." For me (and everybody is different) it's all about the fun. When fishing is more work than fun, it's not fun. When the weather is "50/50" before the day of the trip, the skipper should really be more accommodating to folks who want to cancel or give fares the option to reschedule.

Ironically, the attrition brought about by the fatigue, cold, and massive group-barfing means the catching is better for the rest of us rail yams who are still at it. It's just a little demoralizing to see folks slumped in the cabin, and it's especially demoralizing to see a young boy SCREAMING at this dad to take him home. I think I would have felt a little differently about the trip if that kid just stayed home or stopped whining.