High Tide in Alligator Alley

[Flaptail]

Well at 4 this morning me, LaFleur and Stiffy headed out into the blowing wind and pouring rain. Somewhere on the south Chatham shore we found schools of bass moving along the beach in a stiff north wind and rain.

That lasted an hour and a half. Then we went north to fish the low tide at the Race where we were quite alone ( the sane people who know better avoid the place when it's blowing near 40 and sand is removing paint from your truck, frosting your glass and stinging your face) but of course we figured, "why not"?

Needless to say, although I did have one school fish follow and take a swipe at the last moment only to miss, we struck out.

So,by then it was noon, it was off to the RedBarn for pizza slices to soothe our weary souls.

Satiated as we were we decided to go back to the south side and prospect the incoming where as luck would have it we found a bunch of bass to small legal size as the tide rose.

Then it happened. Lafleur hooked up first and I seconds after and the reeal started screaming ( ten pound braid on 8 ft. St. Croix Tide master spinning rod and 4000 series reels with Poppers on 20 lb test fluorocarbon leaders.

Our first Bluefish of the year were bigger than anything (Bluefish wise) we had caught for first fish of the year ever in water less than five feet deep for several hundred yards. Mean while Stiffy snoozed away in the back of LaFleurs Titan.

We caught several between us along with a mix of small bass and a couple legals ( Stiffy awoke to join us by then).

When youyr wading in waist deep water ( neck deep for someone like Numbskull) with no gaff, far from shore these things can be scary, but fun!