I finally got some time to drag the boat down and hit the salt. Drove down on Wednesday and crashed at my buddy’s house so we could be on the water bright and early Thursday morning. We got to Remley’s in the dark and pulled into a parking space to begin prepping the boat. As we’re doing this, a small car and a truck pulling a larger rig (maybe a 27’er but couldn’t tell the type) pull in and BOTH park in the ramp access lane (the lane where you pull up into to back down the ramp). A lady gets out of the car and begins unloading stuff from her car to a guy in the boat. All the while, two other guys are prepping the boat. Again, all of this is going on in the back down lane. With one guy in the truck, one in the boat, and one walking behind the boat as they backed down, all three are yelling “directions” at each other at the same time so no one was hearing anything the others were saying. We were already prepared to back down while this was going on but because the truck/boat was pulled diagonal into the lane AND the car was still sitting in the lane, we couldn’t back down so we decided to watch the show. After a lot of yelling, they finally got the boat within the rails on the ramp (with his headlights on) so we could finally get into the back down lane…even though the lady in the car is STILL sitting in the lane. My buddy backed the boat down, I backed the boat off of the trailer, my buddy parked the truck while I tied off to the outside of the dock and we loaded up and left the ramp before they got the boat off the trailer. FINALLY we’re going fishing.
We head to our first spot to get in on the last couple of hours of outgoing and could tell we were going to be greeted by a beautiful sunrise as the topwater baits splashed out their cadences attempting to trick a hungry red or trout into sharing that sunrise with us. It didn’t take long and my buddy coaxed a nice over-slot (27") red into biting (more like choking down) his Spook jr. After the C.P.R. (catch, photo, release) we began extending more invitations
Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the read. Glad you got to get down and on the water. Sounds like it was well worth the trip.
Thanks MK.
Sorry I got wordy. Lol!
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
Heck of a day. You’ve done better than me lately and I live here! Nice work 
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
quote:
Originally posted by Optiker
Heck of a day. You’ve done better than me lately and I live here! Nice work
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
I have no doubt that’s merely a temporary thing for you, Optiker. If I caught half as many fish, and gator trout, as you (and Ralph) I’d consider that a great career. Lol!!
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
Best post I’ve read in a while, thanks for sharing!
“Lil Mudslinger” - Lowe 160 W/50hp Yammie
Awesome post ! Thanks for sharing.
2003 Key West 1720 Sportsman
2016 Ocean Kayak BG2
As great as this post is, I feel like you may or may not have left out another first for you…
quote:
Originally posted by Juice15
As great as this post is, I feel like you may or may not have left out another first for you…
Where’s your OPSEC!!!
So…I may or may not have literally thrown my Quantum Smoke spinning reel and ALX BOKU spinning rod into the water while making a cast and, despite my cat-like reflexes, was not able to get a hand on it as is sank out of sight. Definitely a first for me and hopefully the last.
Thanks “buddy.”
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
LOL. I once flung my $400 combo in the water when my backcast hooked an eyelet. With no time to think, I dove in after it. Yeah, I got it, but my iPhone was in my pocket. That spot is now known to a couple individuals as “Dave’s swimmin hole”
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
quote:
Originally posted by bangstick
quote:
Originally posted by Juice15
As great as this post is, I feel like you may or may not have left out another first for you…
Where’s your OPSEC!!!
So…I may or may not have literally thrown my Quantum Smoke spinning reel and ALX BOKU spinning rod into the water while making a cast and, despite my cat-like reflexes, was not able to get a hand on it as is sank out of sight. Definitely a first for me and hopefully the last.
Thanks “buddy.”
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
What’d I say? It was really the climax of your whole story.
It always makes me feel better when someone of Dave’s stature can admit to having bad days. Good post!!
“Apathy is the Glove into Which Evil Slips It’s Hand”, but really, who cares?
quote:
Originally posted by Optiker
LOL. I once flung my $400 combo in the water when my backcast hooked an eyelet. With no time to think, I dove in after it. Yeah, I got it, but my iPhone was in my pocket. That spot is now known to a couple individuals as “Dave’s swimmin hole”
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com
Yep, that was my $400 donation to the fishing gods. When it happened, I hesitated and thought to myself “WTF???” before I tried to grab it. By the time I went after it, it was out of reach. I have no doubt my “buddy,” juice15, will come up with a suitable name for that spot.
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
This is one reason I like this forum so much. Really enjoyed reading about your trip. I’m going to be high and dry with a new baby in a few days but can still feel a little action reading stuff like this.
2002 17’SeaHunt
Thanks BG!! Congrats on the new addition to the family. Be patient, the “high and dry” status with a newborn is merely temporary, if you know what I mean. LOL!!!
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
If you have never lost a rod/reel to the sea you arent fishing enough
Look at where Jesus went to pick people. He didn’t go to the colleges; he got guys off the fishing docks.
Nice read. Do you or should I say did you, like that pairing of the Quantum Smoke and the ALX. I have the Smoke PT30’s on the HSX70 rods currently and really have no complaints, just hear great things about the ALX rods.
quote:
Originally posted by Apickett
Nice read. Do you or should I say did you, like that pairing of the Quantum Smoke and the ALX. I have the Smoke PT30’s on the HSX70 rods currently and really have no complaints, just hear great things about the ALX rods.
AP, I’ve been using Quantum for 30+ years. It was the first baitcaster I learned to use and my love for their product only grew from there. Literally, EVERY SINGLE reel I use, freshwater or saltwater, is a Quantum. For spinning reels, I use Smoke 25’s and 30’s and absolutely love them. Smooth and ample drags, I love the titanium bail wire Quantum uses, easy to work on, smooth handles. I do have two spinning reels that have drags that don’t make the “drag noise” when line goes out. Don’t know why they do that but aside from the lack of sound, they still work smoothly. I bought two of the Smoke inshore models for S&G’s and to be honest, aside from the cool looking blue accents, I can’t tell any difference between the standard Smokes and the inshore models. The 25’s have 18lbs of drag and the 30’s have 20lbs on both the inshore and the regular models. I give everything a freshwater wash down EVERY TIME I fish in the saltwater so I’m one of those guys that don’t see the “benefits” of the slightly more expensive “inshore” models.
As far as the ALX rods, I had a friend turn me on to them years ago and I haven’t looked back since. I have a garage wall full of fishing rods and it’s easier to count the ones that aren’t ALX versus actually counting my ALX rods. I’ve met the owner and have been to their new facility in Aiken. Aside from the fact that Alex (the owner) is a good guy, I’ve seen first hand the focus and effort they put into their product. He takes it personal that his name is on every rod that leaves his facility. He’s a fisherman at heart but he’
Thanks for the reply. Two of my Smokes do not make any noise when drag is pulled as well. I have six, got all of them at the same time in the same shipment and two do that, but like you said the drag is still smooth so it does not bother me. I just acquired two Penn Slammer III’s and will look at the ALX rods for sure. Thanks again.
Anytime, AP!
Here’s the link to their website…
http://www.alxrods.com/
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.