Your Season Lowlights
 

This is a counter to the Bigfish THREAD:

Here's one of mine (unfortunately, I have a few more):

While driving over 25 miles middle of the night to fish a perfect spot and tide, the line jumped off the manual pickup arm of my reel. When I arrived, I had no line-- just a couple turns of backing. Of course, I only had one outfit on board.:smash:

dark night in mtk few guys talking back behind me on the beach. I said eff it, im swimming out. swam out to a fvorite southside rock, not even sure these guys saw me. first 10 casts 5 fish all about 15-20lbs. realeased without having to turn on my light. 11 cast i hook up again, reach down to lip it, and hook swings into my hand. went into my knuckle and dug itself into the bone of my knuckle and shook. i could feel it scraping my bone. only way i was gonna deal with this was with a light. i flicked it one and almost instantly a darter goes flying past my ehad.

Fishing was awesome, at first but a finger that doesnt move all the way now and getting mugged ruined it.

my other worse was almost getting ht by a private boat and a party boat in the same day skishing. last time ive been in during the day hours

Do you legally need a dive flag do go skishing?

No but not a bad idea.

My low lights

Watching fish break directly across from me too many times at the canal.

Dragging Sax out to Woodend for a perfect dropping tide with perfect wind. To catch 1 16" fish. Just a bit of a hike. I destroyed a pair of waders and my leg on the way back too.
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Finding this guy gone from his normal spot at the canal.
Missing (because of procrastination and fishing) the chance to say goodbye to him.
Realizing he was the main reason I'd even fish the place.
RIP Skip.

My Back

Too much sailor jerry that night at cutty :)

Asking for a day off here and there and being told " Arrrgh we need you on the job ! ". Then I get the wish you were here fish pics on the phone from my friends. Real stand up guys.
Wonder who taught them that torture trick. ?
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That did suck lol. But I'm grateful for the ride and the spot knowledge mark!


my best day this year could also be considered the worst. One day in june got some monsters, but deffinately lost my biggest fish of the year mid afternoon... my arms already felt like noodles, and I Didnt have a chance in hell of stopping this fish just kept going ZZZZZZZZZZ and finally came off. brought back a siwash on a super strike polaris that was bent 45 degrees out. I think about it at least once a day lol

Missing the Fall Run because of a torn achilles:smash:

recurring skin cancer, kept me, at least mentally, from spending alot of time out on the water.

Missing to many good tides due to work with the worst being the overnight security detail in Swampscott watching them search for a missing kayaker most of the night. Bothered me enough that I am considering selling my new kayak.
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:huh: Skip is gone? :(
I didn't know that, had no idea
sad news George :(
what a nice guy
RIP Skip

not much to complain about. would have liked to have gotten out more.

lost a good fish one night to a bad knot. tied it and it didn't look right. gave it a good pull and it held so i said #^&#^&#^&#^& it out of fatigue and made a cast and hooked up. knot gave on second good run. got what i deserved.

also, my best fish of the year, 41 lbs, had so many lesions on it that i didn't want to touch it. barely fought, felt like a big cod. released it and it just swam away really slow. sad.

It's that glue.That old age glue that sticks me to the chair at night.
I don't want to face the fact that I might be getting old but I can't face the fact that I'm to darn old.
To many night plugs to fish,to many stars to fish under,to many fisher ghosts to talk to,to many reasons not to get old.

Alan just told me this last week. Met him probably 20 years ago and enjoyed our conversations over the years when I would run into him on canal. Great stories about days gone by fishing the canal. Such an enjoyable gentleman. RIP.

Josh, it has happened to all of us and you can bet it won't happen again. You will remember to double check no matter how tired. I lost a fish on a riggie at Black Point one night. Screaming drag and after 2 runs.....nothing. Line comes back with a pigtail on the end. From then on I tie a 3 turn clinch or Palomar and then throw an overhand knot on top just to be sure.

I've got no real complaints... a low light, I guess would be that as always... it ends too soon.. on the otherhand, I fished all season while reabilitating a torn MCL...I wore and annoying brace that did nothing to keep my knee from hurting non stop.. some nights I could barely stand.. but i pressed on... likely to my own detriment.. i fished from late July until the end with tendonitis in my left elbow.. every cast felt like an ice pick was being driven into the joint... the last week of the season I was eating advil and antacid tablets like candy... the Ice pack was my best friend...everything is much bettter now.. funny how a little rest cures all ills.. I've even started running again... I've rewired my entire electrical system in my 35 year old boat.. she's asleep now.. both of us anxiously awaiting the first breath of spring!

Skip MARKONISH
 

He was one of the reasons that made it easy to be a police officer in Whitman. Stopped by the station so many mornings out for a walk with the wife to give me the fishing news. His obit makes it very obvious what was most important to him outside of the home, fishing and lure making.

Low lights are easy, after a great (some might say EPIC) day of toggin alone end of Oct to use up leftover TogFest III crabs, hit a submerged object @35mph. My boat drafts <2-3' and I was in 20' water.


9-10hr each way ride on the HelenH with nothing to show for it!:smash:

Not fishing with Lawrence once this season. Unless you can count Lawrence yelling across the canal at me.

me either. No Lawrence. I did go to breakfast with him and AH,Don, one morning after we all ran into each other on canal after the fishing ended. Nice to catch up and to watch Larry drink a gallon of coffee.

No low lites for me all positive this year.

Thats alot of damage for not hitting a rock.... I guess the brightside is your hull didn't get whacked...I hit a floating/partialy submerged telephone pole one night 3 miles off of the beach a number of years ago.. it did almost as much damage externally as it did internaly... hopefully you have no broken gears...SS props are great for cutting lobster trawls you dont see.. not so gentle on your gears and shafts... I've seen them actualy twist the spline on the drive shaft and never chip a gear... good luck...

Professor M... I did miss you making the trip with Slip.. maybe next summer...late JUNE!

yes Joe I missed coming up, but made out good with the eel donation.:uhuh: I think I was too tired and beat that week. I will indeed make it next year. Always a pleasure.

no comment.

Oh man! i had now idea. Skip was very nice guy. Always enjoyed his visits in the shop. An expert eel skin jigger in my opinion. He made a great casting jig and Polaris popper.

May he rest in peace.
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no

Didn't know - yes, a truly nice guy & gentleman

Three rounds of cellulitis in my left leg. (July, Sept and Nov.)
Latest was last week, spending 5 days in IV antibiotics in the hospital.
Let's say it that it has me worried if it will happen again.

in CT lost a Beachmaster 40 on a Lobster Pot line. A pain in the butt even to break off when you get the slack and start dragging the pot towards you. Then moved and an hour later lost a Bassmaster needle - one of my favorites- on another lobster pot. Was so pissed-Never pots there before. :fury:

Went back 2 days later and plugs gone. That sucked.

need to try wetsuiting so I can swim to Lobster pots.

Zeebaas Idiocy: Just 3 weeks ago, my Zee was not right and running rough after this long season of use, including a new wear and tear wrinkle for me-- swim fishing. I send this back with a plea they would expedite service so I can use it to crank in a couple more migrators before season ends. Ron complies; in fact, he serviced it for free. Not even postage.

While remounting the reel, I drop it on a concrete floor and fatally bend the rotator head. What an idiot. And this idiot was bailed out again by the Zee people...fixed it for free. Not even postage.

Getting owned by Craig from VS in Montauk about a month ago. The fish showed up by the Sewer Pipe, on rainbait. After about an hour, I went back to the truck and switched over to the fly rod as the fish really didn't want plugs or bucktails. Tide was incoming so I headed over to a nice rock in Brown's with my fly rod, figuring the bite would move towards the light. The fish headed over and stayed for a few minutes, then went right back to the Sewer. Craig had gotten out on the farthest rock there, and just proceeded to hammer fish to the mid 20s, and breaking off one even bigger, all on the fly. Yeah I had my shots, but I got owned that day :(.
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Geez Alan. George told me about the Zee. You must of had some good moments

Tried and failed miserably (and repeatedly) to put my 2 sons (6&8) on bass. took them to normally good spots day and night (even woke them up at 2am to drive an hour, to fish a private but normally loaded spot) I knew of a few definite places, but they were much too dangerous for them. Then was supposed go out with a few different people on boats and we got blown off multiple times. They seemed to have almost lost interest in fishing which gives me pain in my chest. I would have given up every fish I caught over 10lbs this year just to see them both with a 10lb bass. I had my best year, but it's far over shadowed by my failure in putting my boys on bass. I will say though,,, they did not complain once when I got them up at 2am. not once. I am proud of that. If I can get them out there again next year my number one priority will be getting them on fish.

also lost a fish so big Victor offered to stop fishing and land it for me. DOH!!!

last but not least I blew out 2 pairs of breathables at the ditch.. hip boots next year for there.

Been there, done that. I have some advice you might consider.

You are going about this wrong. I know, I made the same mistake and often wish I could do it over. Catching a large fish does not hook kids on fishing. Having fun is what does it. Take them scup fishing, snapper blue fishing, schoolie fishing, fresh water fishing, squid fishing. Go at reasonable hours and for short periods. Take their friends with them. Measure success in laughs and time outdoors rather than catch. If it is in them (and often it is not) they will grow into the sport themselves.

I was too intense, too focused on getting my sons' a big bass. They sensed it and didn't have fun. If big fish come at the expense of fun a kid will turn off to fishing quickly. Getting a child a big fish does not make up for our short-comings as parents (if only it did). Luckily, spending time with our kids having fun does.

everytime my god damm cabo would f-up

Remember that big run of September bass on the jig bite in the canal? Remember stories (or memories for some) of fishing that first night till daybreak and bailing big fish? Yeah I remember reading and hearing about it and keep thinking about why I left at the place just minutes before it started to go off!
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It was within minutes too...:rotf2:

I forgot about this. I had a decent morning, went back to the cape, and got the call 40# on lots of macks. Forgot it was sunday afternoon in the middle of the summer. Traffic was backed up for miles getting off cape :fury:
THE most torturous traffic of all time. Finally got down there (on the wrong side) got a few nice keepers but it was the very end of the heavy action. And I got mugged and asked 1,000 questions by Mr. and Mrs Havecamp while fishing... GD tourists