Random thoughts from MV Derby 2011
 

Once again, a great time had by all(I think). I know the fall fishing on The Island has gone from bad to worse, I still enjoy the camaraderie and fishing until exhaustion(or after) that the Derby brings out in me and a few other selected knuckleheads. Thanks again for the crew - PaulS, Lurch(Lenny), Good2Hook(Squiggy), GregW(Captain Windknot), Fishbones, Renegade, Squidkidsdad, Milo, Warren and Jim.

Here are a few of my favorite memories from this time around. I hope Lenny can add some pics.

"I fixed the tip on that 108L." Did you find some ferrule cement? "No, I used super glue" Why did you do that!?!? You will never be able to get it off. "Why would I need to get it off?" Why are you replacing it now???? "Oh yeah" DOHHHH! Can you say 106-1/2L:smash:

Lenny, who had never before caught an Albie, outfished the rest of the crew 5 -0 on East Beach/Chappy, proving his favorite saying that even a broken clock is right twice a day. Good job Big Man.

The smile on George's face when he landed his first Albie(Pic please Lenny)

The look of frustration on Georges face when he broke his new Mojo on his 2nd cast.

The look of utter disbelief on Georges face when Lenny informed him that he had broken his brand new Tsunami while squid jigging.

George driving the Sand Sled for the first time and hitting the brakes as the Chappy ferry slid into the dock.

Milo, using a 40 year old glass rod with metal ferrules and a $10 closeout mitchell fishing next to a dude with a $700 loomis/shimano outfit and outfishing him 4 - 1 on Albies. Milo, I don't think I have ever seen you smile like that in all the years we fished together.

A Sebile Magic Swimmer is absolutely DEADLY on Albies!! In 2 mornings in the Harbor, the MS had 11 Albies. Guys would have paid $50 for that plug. Special thanks to Andy at Powderhorn Outfitters for going above and beyond to get us the plugs.

We kept a few Albies for my clients(yes they eat them) so we checked belly contents expecting to find spearing but instead found some midsized baitfish 4"(macs maybe) and a load(like 30) of juvenile Lookdowns! They were the size of a quarter and recently eaten. Pt. Jude Butterfish would have been a perfect match.

One of my goals was to catch on a rigged eel so we spent some time rigging some up and hit the beach. 1st cast and I get whacked hard and land a feisty 3#..............Hickory Shad? With a 8/0 Siwash well into it mouth?? 2 casts later 22" bass, 2 casts later 15# bass(my biggest of the week). I am a believer!

I AM THE SQUID WHISPERER.

OK guys, what were some of your favorite moments?

Great time as usual Rick even tho the stripers didn't co-operate.Always look toward to eating some squid and those whatchamacallita that are stuck to the rocks.just wish I was there a few more days and don't make fun of my setup but? thanx for the mini swimmer
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Not making fun of it at all, it worked great, outfished my a$$.

Milo reaches into the water and grabs out a clump of seaweed with some form of crustacean attached. He peels one off,opens it, and after offering it to me its down the hatch? What was that? "I don't know but it tastes good".

Fishbones borrowed one of my wetsuits but his junk was too much for the suit to handle.

I was surprisingly popular with the ladies:love:

Although the fishing was sub par for most of the week I enjoyed the company.
Some of the best guys I have fished with. No complaining, just optimism. Seemed to me everyone had a good time.

When life gives you dead eels, you make riggies.

LOL, Love it Greg. And we had plenty of dead eels after the circuit breaker tripped - DOHHHHH!

Nice to see you getting the hang of this squid fishin'. Early in the week, after expenses(lost jigs), it was costing about $6 for every squid you put in the bucket.

I miss M.V. Andy Little at the Powderhorn is as good as it gets, only guy I deal with now. Very helpful.

Sounds like a good time gents. Nice work on the albies
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hmmmmmmmmmm....."favorite" moment this week? :confused:

Rick calls me from the Vineyard, tells me the Albie action is HOT, hot, Hot - "C'mon, get out here!!!"....meanwhile, I've been trying to potty-train my son. Get off the phone with Rick because my son's yelling "Ka-Ka DAD!!" ...while he's in the middle of a dump, race him to the toilet...ripping his shorts down...tearing the diaper off, tossing it to the side...realizing that it landed wrong-side down...(mind you, he was in the middle of a dump (soft of course)))....plop him on the bowl, miss center cuz I'm looking at the chit on the tile-floor...he catches the side of the seat cuz I'm still looking at the floor....I smear him on center, realize that now it's all over his leg, seat, floor.....:wall: :bshake: :wall:

:nopics:

NO, I DID NOT STOP FOR PICTURES PERVS!!!!

After the cleanup, realizing.......I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE DAMM VINEYARD!!!!


Can't wait to hear the stories though....Glad you guys had a great time.

pictures

more...

As usual...great bunch of guys...it was a team effort. Everyone wanted everyone else to catch fish. It was great to catch my first albie....I think I have Albie Fever!

Talking to complete strangers on the beach was nice.

That fishing "shack" was AMAZING.

The sand sled is a BEAST!

Pesto and carrots make a GREAT snack.

Watching the Sunrise and Sunset are, as usual, a beautiful thing.

Rick is a fishing machine!

When fishing with Milo make sure he stands to your right.

Our young friend Nate is going to grow up to be one hell of a fisherman.

Even though the fishing was slow while I was there, I had a great time. Great group of guys to fish with and just to be around. I just wish I could have stayed longer than the first weekend so I could have met the rest of the group. It was nice running into ProfessorM and Vineyard Blues over there, too.

The thing that stuck with me the most is how driven, energetic and optimistic Rick is. I think he only stopped fishing that first weekend because everyone else needed a break. Also, his love of fishing the Vineyard was inspiring.

As for the wetsuit, let's go with the story of my junk being too much for it to handle.:rotf2: That sounds much better than there already being a small hole that expanded when I squeezed my fat body into it.

I forgot to add that the calamari Rick made was the best I've ever had.

Ok, you are invited back:)

Now that is funny stuff.......been there done that.....

Some day, when my finances allow it, I have to get over there again. It's a beautiful place to be, even when the fishing is tough.

The nice part of having bass fishing being slow to dead, if there's a silver lining to be had, is that you can actually fish civilized hours, instead of burning the night oil.

I think back on 50+ fish nights at the Gut, or nights pulling 30-40 pounders out of Wasque---all alone except for me and my crew---and it makes me sad to see what happened to bass fishing on the Island.

I was nice to meet and see more guys from the web site ..
If it was NOT for the albies it would have been just another chit year fishing the derby ( the last two years were bad as bad could be)
No BlueFish Blitz, No stripers of any size and qty... What were them little 1/2 dollar size bait fish ? thin as a dime ??

Speaking of tide changes... First time I EVER found money in the surf
I thought I hit the mother load , 1775 gold coin was only a 2010 quarter :)
found 85 cents in a new ODL ...lol All in about 1/2 mile of each find

walked 51 miles in 10 days ....... back to work

VB

Peter, those look to me like juvenile Lookdowns, I think they are also called moonfish
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Those two are STILL talking about you, and how amazing you are......

they actually have been referring to you as "mr. rick", and saying how much they miss you.

You should see it guys, he's like a snake charmer.....

first of all, what *&*$%$#@ booked us that crappy place to stay? Unfit for human habitation I say.....Somehow we managed to survive.....

Thanks again to rick as always for spearheading and organizing this expedition.

If my measly 4 years of coming here are any indication of the fishing and the health of the population - then things are definitely declining..... Thank good ness the company and camaraderie more than makes up for the spotty fishing.

Ideal conditions, ideal spots, 4 guys fishing eels prime time for an entire tide for 1 25" fish? and having that happen two nights in a row at different places? wow..

Today fishing fresh squid on the bottom near a pond opening after moon-set and into daylight - rewarded with only a beautiful sunrise.... and then a hickory shad and a 7" bluefish after the sun came up and switched to a 1/8 oz kastmaster in the wash....


as others have said - the albies have saved the trip the past two years.

Rick is always inspiring to be on this trip with. His enthusiasm and energy is contagious. I learn something from him every time we fish, and he's the first guy to hand off the plug that is working to a frustrated, fishless friend in the group, or hand off a hooked up rod to someone who is really struggling..... People like this make this trip something to look forward to even if you don't catch, and this whole group is like this.

Lenny is now the albie king, Greg kept his streak of albies every year alive. George is now a certified beach driver/albie catcher......Jim from Michigan got to feel a tunoid pull for the first, and second times - as well as took a bass on a night at Squibnocket when Rick, Milo and I couldnt..... ( damn tourists).....

Milo should give up his day job and go into cooking squid, and sausage and peppers full time! that good

Rick remains the squid whisperer... its uncanny.... although I'm catching up - managed some at menemsha last night. ( shh - dont tell rick its because i used his secret squid jig pattern and made up several with the supplies he left....)

ahhh- and just think - I still get to be here til Sunday!

thanks again to everyone for making fishing week such a fun time

The angle of the truck with the sun setting/rising actually makes that thing look somewhat civilized....almost peaceful. There aint nuthin civilized or peaceful on the inside of that beast!!!

Great thread!!!

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One of my favorite pictures from the week.
Lenny took it.
By the way, lenyy can you send me the originals of some of the pictures?

As long as I live and no matter how many time I go over i will never forget last year and how much it meant to me.

You'll also never forget the BroStache from this year.:rotf2: It's amazing how funny things can be when you're sleep deprived.

LOLOL......Greg was a little dopey with sleep deprivation.
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Albies make your smile muscles exhausted