Didn't get on the the boat until 6:45 this AM because of low water, but the thick fog helped allay the issue of too much daylight. Picked up two fish on the way to the secluded cove I was heading for. When I got outside the cove, I saw fish breaking deep inside so I took the boat into "Bottom Cleaning Mode" with the engine tilted as far up that still allowed water intake and nosed the boat into the cove over the mudflats with only 3' of water.
I killed the power a bit too far from the breaking fish, figuring the incoming water would get me there eventually. As I tried to reach them, while cursing at myself, "Dumb F%CK, you could have motored for 5 more seconds!!", a fish broke at the very edge of my casting range. I launched the best cast I could, ending up within 10 ft of the last break, popped the popper twice and BAM, I was on. The internal size meter thought it was a 25"ish fish, as it didn't make too much of a fuss and never took off on a long run, which surprised me as there wasn't much water there. As I kept playing the fish, my guesstimate grew instead of the normal shrinking, but still didn't think it was going to be a keepah, so I didn't get the net ready.
When I finally got her alongside it was a "HOLY CRAP, that's the biggest fish I've hooked this year!!" moment, and I grabbed the net, which got caught on my pump switch, eliciting extreme panic and many expletives. Finally cleared the net, netted the fish, and brought her on board, Slot Fish #20 for the season, almost 33" long!! I figured I'd treat our weekend guests to a nice fresh stripeah dinner tonight, so I bled her out and brought her home.
I killed the power a bit too far from the breaking fish, figuring the incoming water would get me there eventually. As I tried to reach them, while cursing at myself, "Dumb F%CK, you could have motored for 5 more seconds!!", a fish broke at the very edge of my casting range. I launched the best cast I could, ending up within 10 ft of the last break, popped the popper twice and BAM, I was on. The internal size meter thought it was a 25"ish fish, as it didn't make too much of a fuss and never took off on a long run, which surprised me as there wasn't much water there. As I kept playing the fish, my guesstimate grew instead of the normal shrinking, but still didn't think it was going to be a keepah, so I didn't get the net ready.
When I finally got her alongside it was a "HOLY CRAP, that's the biggest fish I've hooked this year!!" moment, and I grabbed the net, which got caught on my pump switch, eliciting extreme panic and many expletives. Finally cleared the net, netted the fish, and brought her on board, Slot Fish #20 for the season, almost 33" long!! I figured I'd treat our weekend guests to a nice fresh stripeah dinner tonight, so I bled her out and brought her home.
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