Ripple Foreplay

[bloocrab]

Right along the lines of a blitz about to bust wide open, catching a glimpse of rippling water with no obvious reason always seems to arouse me
I was driving by a local herring run Friday and saw just that, an area of rippling water right along-side one of the banks. The tide was on the low side so the water was skinny enough to display this type of behavior, that is.. if my wishful thinking was true. And there also happened to be a couple of sea-gulls standing on the high ground. I was driving slow enough to see it but too fast to decipher whether or not it was what I secretly wished it to be....one of my first signs.
At the next available opportunity, I circled back to investigate. After exiting the car and walking through the tall grass, what little common sense I have was telling me, "the tide is low dummy, it's just a low spot with running water". I guess it really didn't matter, I was out of the car and in the bush already. With it being the first day of March, I knew it was early but boy, wouldn't that be great if I was about to see 2013's first herring. Cold enough for firm ground, I had no worries about getting muddy feet. The gulls hopped across the narrow river almost as if to say, somethings' here or has been here. To my disappointment, that little common sense I had started laughing at me when I looked down and saw some river weeds being pushed downstream by the ebbing water causing the ripple effect on the surface. I can't say I was upset about it, I'm not that ignorant. It just would have been nice. I stared across at the 2 sea-gulls and smiled. I knew they were there for the same reason. It almost looked like they were smiling back. 3 idiots on the river bank hoping to see fish. Being that I was there already, I looked around and examined the run. I thought I'd look to see if any fallen or broken trees had obstructed or damaged the ladder in any way. Everything looked as it should so I headed a little further down stream. It didn't take long to start seeing debris scattered along the shoreline. From coffee cups to fast-food wrappers, ocean debris that made its way up stream to last year's blue-crab lines still tied to branches. Herring run areas always seem to draw trash. I was lucky on this particular day because along with the debris, was a good sized plastic bag...damaged, but worthy enough to stuff with as much garbage as possible.
Getting back to the truck, it was a happy day. Sniffing low-tide in a brackish water environment always reminds me of cheap intimate dates back in my teenage days. Feeling good about picking up some trash, sharing a moment with a couple of friends (yes, when they're not chasing a surface lure, I consider seagulls...friends) after all, we're both after the same thing, FISH. Knowing that we were all fooled by the same thing helped wash away my own embarrassment, so things were right in the world again. As I drove away and thought of the date, a little excitement started to grow as I know it will soon be here and I won't be ready. I'm not one of those guys who is ready in January. That's like foreplay for an evening 2 months later, I just don't like it. Reel and rod maintenance is one thing, but getting plug-bags ready etc..., nah....we all know, no matter how ready you think your bag is...on that first night you head out....it will be open with plugs trading places.

Has anyone else peeked into a run lately or childishly entertained the thoughts of it? I'm not sure I have that late March early April schoolie-searching fever yet...hopefully it will come soon.
God Bless, everyone ~