Saturday, April 16, 2011

Sail Away

Well, we've started seeing lots of king mackerel, sharks, and other species including sailfish.  Take a look at the picture below.  I haven't had the opportunity to meet the fisherman so I don't know his name.  Sorry.

This sailfish seemed to have been attacked by a large predator.  It was also sick and very slim for a sailfish this large.  I heard that it was approximately 7-feet long and only weighed around 35lbs.

It was caught in the skinny water (shallow water) on Navarre Beach at the pier.  A day later we saw a healthy happy one swimming near enough to the end of the pier that many of us got a couple of casts at it.  No bites though.  Maybe next time.

Photo courtesy of Navarre Beach Pier at http://www.fishnavarre.com/.

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This morning (04/16/2011), the wind almost kept me from staying more than 15 minutes.  As usual, I made one more cast and BAM!  Spanish mackerel.  I fought him a few moments and my line went slack.  Crap, I thought.  I slowly retrieved my line and BAM AGAIN!  This time I set the hook hard.  Suddenly my line went slack again.  Really!?!  I felt something like my lure was fouled up, just not pulling through the water right.  As I reeled in, I saw that I indeed had a Spanish mackerel, or part of one.  It would have went 14-16 inches, but something big came along and bit him off, cleanly I might add, right behind the gills.  All I pulled up was his head.  Can you belee dat?!

I cast a few more times and BAM-BIGGITY-BAM-BAM!!  The biggest fish I had ever hooked so far.

I swear to God on the Holy Bible.

I fought whatever it was for a good 15 minutes or so.  Two of us saw the fish and could not tell if it was a small king or a humongous Spanish.  Either way, ten pound line and a six foot Ugly Stik was no match.  The fish came to the surface a few times, caught a glimpse of the big ugly mug at the other end of the line (me) and hauled ass each time.  The last time, it darted around a pylon and SNAP!  Line broke, Ugly Stik still intact (you can't break them things).

Yes sir-ree, Bob.  That is my "big-fish-that-got-away" story this week.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Queen of Kings

This is Ms. Pat - the woman, the myth, the legend.  She caught two fish on her first three casts today.  One is this 20+lb. king mackerel.  I heard stories about Ms. Pat being a king catchin' pro.  Watchin' her put the heat on this fella, I know the stories are true.  Time for some of Ms. Pat's Mack Salad.

Ms. Pat - The Queen of Kings

Friday, April 8, 2011

Penn 850

They say the pen is mightier than the sword.  My Penn 850.
I wonder if it is mightier than a swordfish.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Stranded


“Jeeezuuus.  Is anyone there?  Heeellp!”
In the near distance, he heard voices amid the popping sounds of burning.  “Hey.  I hear someone over there.  Keep hollerin.  We’re comin.”
“Please help me.  I can’t move.”
Daylight poured inside the remnants of the cockpit as the roof lifted away.  A huge silhouette reached in, touching, probing.  Pain shot through his leg.
“Stop.  Please stop.”  He saw a man’s face.
“Hold on.  We gotta get that outta there.”  The big guy pointed somewhere underneath the pain.
“Oh my.  That’s...oh my,” said a female.
“OK, buddy.  This is gone hurt.  Just get ready.”
The big guy leaned in and POW!  The pain before that moment was nothing.  Now it was vicious.
“Help me get’m out,” he said.
A few yards out of the wreckage, pilot Todd Garrison finally saw the damage.  A older woman kneeled next to his head.
“Young man, I’m a nurse.  You are going to be alright, but you must stay awake.  We don’t want you succumbing to shock.”
“Stay here.  I’m gone see what I can find,” said the big guy.
“Hurry.  He is losing blood fast,” she said.
“I can’t feel my legs.  How bad is it?”
She tallied the damage and said, “It’s not good.  If we don’t get you patched up, you’re going to lose your leg.”
“Jesus.  How many more are alive?”  Endorphins started kicking in.
“Just you, me, and Carl so far.  I’m Susan.”
“I don’t know what happened.  I lost all my gauges, then no power.  I tried.  I really tried.”
“Don’t upset yourself now.  Save your strength.”
She began wrapping torn fabric around Todd’s leg.  Carl walked up.
“I found these.”  He held scissors, a computer keyboard, and a watch, maybe a stopwatch.  “How is he?”
“Better than he was.  I need the cord off that keyboard.”
Carl jerked the cord out of the keyboard and handed it to Susan.  She tied it around Todd’s upper leg.  He winced each time she tugged.
“As long as we don’t move him, he should be fine.”
“Hey, buddy.  Names Carl.  You gone be fine.”
“I can hear her, and my names not buddy.  It’s Todd.”
“My bad.  Didn’t mean nothin by it.”
“Gentlemen, please.  We need to stick together to get through this.”
“Sorry, Carl.  I didn’t mean to snap.  The pain...”
“It’s all good.  We gone make it.  Right, Ms. Sue?”
“We made it this far.  I don’t intend to quit now.”
“Hey, Carl.  Did you happen to see a bright orange box?  It’s got a cylinder on one end.  The flight recorder.  It should send out a signal so they can find us.”
“Naw.  I’ll go look again.  How big?”
“Couple of feet long.”
Carl took off.  Susan looked at Todd and smiled.
“Do you think they’ll come?”
“If the flight recorder is intact, they should.  Those things don’t always make it though.”
Her smile faded.
Minutes passed.  Carl yelled in the distance.
“I think I found it.”
As he approached, Susan’s stomach tightened.  Carl was carrying what she thought was the box, but in two pieces.
“Oh my,” she said.
“Is this it?” asked Carl
Todd looked it over.  It was definitely smashed.  His training kicked in.
“OK.  You need to do exactly what I say.”
Carl nodded.
“See if you can get that cover off that piece.”
Carl took the scissors out of his pocket and began turning screws.  In moments, the cover was off.
“Good.  Now bring it down so I can see.  Hmmm.  You see that there?”
“The blue thang?”
“Yeah, the blue thing.  If we can energize the blue thing, it should start signaling again.”
Carl thought for a moment.  He picked up the keyboard and smashed it against the ground.
“Carl!  What are you...?”
“It’s alright, Ms. Sue.  I’m gettin some wire.”
Then he removed the battery from the stopwatch.  He connected the battery to the blue thing with a short length of wire.
“Who are you, MacGyver?  Good thinking, Carl,” Todd said.
In no time, the blue capacitor energized and a small red LED began flashing inside the box.
“Is that right?” Carl looked at Todd.
“That’s exactly right....buddy.”
Carl smiled at the joke.
Susan let out a huge breath. “Thank God.  Now what?”
“Now we wait.”

Monday, April 4, 2011

Pole Breaker

The large Spanish mackerel on the end went right at 24" long and over 3 lbs.  This guy (or gal) fought like hell.  So hard indeed  that he, or she, broke the tip of my Penn rod.

I shall get my revenge by way of the dinner table.  Oh yes.