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They built a bridge connecting MD and Virginia. Im not sure that I would want a bridge named after me. A bar, a restaurant. Maybe even a library. But a bridge? Eh, Woodrow Wilson has to live with a bridge.
I was wet as hell before I even left my driveway. Loading the gear and the kayak on to the car handled that for me. I convinced myself that 55 was damn near 70, and 70 degrees means spring. So, rain or not, I declared wintertime over. A quick stop for coffee and donuts I didnt need preceded a trip to HMart for chicken breast and mackerel.
Its about an hour drive from home to the bridge....Joe Rogan's podcast helped pass the time.
I show at the bridge and get the usual comments and questions about fishing from a piece of yellow plastic. The posts from metroman and others help as i drag the yellow beast down to floating dock. Its been a while since Ive taken the Hobie out. In fact, its been close to a year. Last year, I left my peddle drive at the Susqy flats and havent been out since. Life happens that way sometimes, I guess. A baby and a bigger boat helped. I ordered a replacement drive (ouch) from Austin Kayak. The listing said the drive fit all Mirage Drive kayaks. I should have tested that before leaving home. There are two small plastic tabs on the side that prove them wrong. I was damn determined to get out today, however. I guess its going to be a paddle not peddle kind of day.
Floating docks always feel a little like a crap shoot. Is today the day that I embarrass myself? Is today the day that I stand on the dock and nervously try to retrieve things floating in the wrong direction? Or worse, am I wet, and pulling myself back on to the dock after falling in?
Today wasn't that day.
Paddled (damn, I haven't paddled in a long time) out to the second set of ridged "pilings". Reading the reports from the past year (am i the only one that obsessively scours the internet before a trip?), this should be like shooting fish in a barrel. The first ten minutes proved that theory wrong.
Im better than this I kept repeating. Positive self-talk aside, I am quickly realizing that: 1. I am wet, 2. my mirage drive doesnt fit, 3. the current is ripping and, 4. im not catching fish. I can ignore the first few problems but this no catching fish thing is starting to get to me. I mean, I should be rewarded for this kind of dedication Fishing Gods. Right?
Ten minutes in, first fish. Okay, now we are talking. A chilly blue cat. I would estimate 5 or 6 pounds. I have no interest in eating Potomac River PCBs so, after grabbing the dehooker, off he goes. I'm sure I've found the groove now.
Or not.
Ten more minutes and I am remembering that I am wet and that National Harbor Water Taxi scared me. Big yet strangely quiet kayak destroying boats can do that to you. Oh, and its damn foggy. And its still raining.
Paddle over closer to the launch site and I really start to miss the peddles. I made the right choice to move though. For the next 40 minutes it becomes stupid fishing. You know what I mean. The fishing you see on (edited) TV. They fish for two days and piece every hookup together to make it look like it was nonstop fishing. In this instance, I didnt need editing. It became nonstop catching. One blue cat after another. I lost count. After about an hour, I called it quits.
Lost count but caught several (maybe 20?) 5-10 lb blue cats. All on chicken breast. 3 oz flat sinker. Braid with mono leader on a st. croix. 2/0 gammy octopus hook.
The bad? The fish didnt fight worth a darn. No big runs or anything similar. A tog of the same size would have me jumping out of the kayak. The cats were chilly and less than excited.
You've seen pictures of WW Bridge catfish before. Imagine five or six kind of blurry photos of them here. It was wet out and dropping something electronic in the water today seemed like the kind of thing to ruin my day.
Traffic on 95 on the way back home but Im home. And dry. The kayak can sit on top of the car until it stops raining (tomorrow, i hope).
Spring is here. If only because I said so.
Jason
I was wet as hell before I even left my driveway. Loading the gear and the kayak on to the car handled that for me. I convinced myself that 55 was damn near 70, and 70 degrees means spring. So, rain or not, I declared wintertime over. A quick stop for coffee and donuts I didnt need preceded a trip to HMart for chicken breast and mackerel.
Its about an hour drive from home to the bridge....Joe Rogan's podcast helped pass the time.
I show at the bridge and get the usual comments and questions about fishing from a piece of yellow plastic. The posts from metroman and others help as i drag the yellow beast down to floating dock. Its been a while since Ive taken the Hobie out. In fact, its been close to a year. Last year, I left my peddle drive at the Susqy flats and havent been out since. Life happens that way sometimes, I guess. A baby and a bigger boat helped. I ordered a replacement drive (ouch) from Austin Kayak. The listing said the drive fit all Mirage Drive kayaks. I should have tested that before leaving home. There are two small plastic tabs on the side that prove them wrong. I was damn determined to get out today, however. I guess its going to be a paddle not peddle kind of day.
Floating docks always feel a little like a crap shoot. Is today the day that I embarrass myself? Is today the day that I stand on the dock and nervously try to retrieve things floating in the wrong direction? Or worse, am I wet, and pulling myself back on to the dock after falling in?
Today wasn't that day.
Paddled (damn, I haven't paddled in a long time) out to the second set of ridged "pilings". Reading the reports from the past year (am i the only one that obsessively scours the internet before a trip?), this should be like shooting fish in a barrel. The first ten minutes proved that theory wrong.
Im better than this I kept repeating. Positive self-talk aside, I am quickly realizing that: 1. I am wet, 2. my mirage drive doesnt fit, 3. the current is ripping and, 4. im not catching fish. I can ignore the first few problems but this no catching fish thing is starting to get to me. I mean, I should be rewarded for this kind of dedication Fishing Gods. Right?
Ten minutes in, first fish. Okay, now we are talking. A chilly blue cat. I would estimate 5 or 6 pounds. I have no interest in eating Potomac River PCBs so, after grabbing the dehooker, off he goes. I'm sure I've found the groove now.
Or not.
Ten more minutes and I am remembering that I am wet and that National Harbor Water Taxi scared me. Big yet strangely quiet kayak destroying boats can do that to you. Oh, and its damn foggy. And its still raining.
Paddle over closer to the launch site and I really start to miss the peddles. I made the right choice to move though. For the next 40 minutes it becomes stupid fishing. You know what I mean. The fishing you see on (edited) TV. They fish for two days and piece every hookup together to make it look like it was nonstop fishing. In this instance, I didnt need editing. It became nonstop catching. One blue cat after another. I lost count. After about an hour, I called it quits.
Lost count but caught several (maybe 20?) 5-10 lb blue cats. All on chicken breast. 3 oz flat sinker. Braid with mono leader on a st. croix. 2/0 gammy octopus hook.
The bad? The fish didnt fight worth a darn. No big runs or anything similar. A tog of the same size would have me jumping out of the kayak. The cats were chilly and less than excited.
You've seen pictures of WW Bridge catfish before. Imagine five or six kind of blurry photos of them here. It was wet out and dropping something electronic in the water today seemed like the kind of thing to ruin my day.
Traffic on 95 on the way back home but Im home. And dry. The kayak can sit on top of the car until it stops raining (tomorrow, i hope).
Spring is here. If only because I said so.
Jason
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