A Walk Through the Yard.

Spent about an hour in the yard looking for things to shoot.

The link is to your right.

Fishing Report... and some Birds....

It feels good to post a fishing report after a long winter. I’ve been working too much I think and I haven’t been out this spring except for a boat ride.

I didn’t make it out Sunday as I had hoped for, but today was perfect. I had spent the night in Norfolk last night so that I could deliver Karen to the airport at 510AM…. Ouch… not only was it outrageously early but it cut into turkey hunting. I got a couple more hours sleep after dropping her off (she went to NJ for a conference) and then on the way home stopped in at Chris’s Bait and Tackle for some chowders and hooks for drum and some 3 ½ inch 12 gauge 2 ounce #5’s for the turkey I hope to shoot in the next couple of days.

I’m not sure what time I left Willis Wharf other than “close” to 3. Low tide was listed as 440 at the Machipongo Inlet. I had a pleasant ride out to the fishing spot.

There were one or two boats there when I arrived and I dropped anchor and had the stern in 15 feet of water. I started rigging some rods that had last seen striper action in December. One by one I got 3 lines out.

I had picked up several sharks during the next hour and broke off a couple of leaders that shouldn’t have broken. Turns out I was using some dry rotted 80lb leader material that had probably died a slow death in the sun. I retied all my hooks with some fresher material. I’m glad I did.

About the time the water was starting to flood around 540 I had a run and set the hook. At first I thought it was a big shark the way it was running and shaking its head. But…it wanted to stay down. That rod was on the light side and I had 30 lb mono and a questionable leader so I didn’t want to muscle it. I finally saw brown!

I got it in the net on the first scoop and boated my first Black Drum of the year. It measured 38 inches. It had swallowed the hook so it was my fish for the day. If I had lip hooked it I might have thrown it back and fished for a bigger one but all in all I was very happy. I had plenty of time to stop and take some pictures and get back home to hose the boat down in daylight.

From the looks of things this is just the beginning. There should be some big ones on the way.

I know... I'm not posting enough....

I've been away from home since April 11th and won't be home till the 26th. I hope to bring everything up to date then.

I'll get some more pictures of added to the Nashville, Asheville and points in between.....

Later,

Richard