Team Jefe
09-08-2003, 07:01 AM
This was supposed to be my first all girl trip (except for me, of course, I'm ALL Man and don't you forget it...but I digress). Anyway, It didn't work out quite like we planned. The instigator of this trip, Jessica Kolb, had to cancel since she did not want the leave her baby home alone for 14 hours. No being a parent myself, I guess that's the proper thing to do; sure messes up your fishing though. Her crew lost another "Player to be named later" so the remaining ladies, Pam Ford and Charlinda Hebert, had to enlist some male mates. Pam drafted her husband and computer graphic guru, D.R. while Charlinda wrangled Dwight Williams from Cameron Willis. We were set, then Thursday evening I get a call from Pam with some concerns. First, is there a potty on the boat? Sure, the whole rail is a potty, just hang over the side and run the bilge...just kidding, yes there is a potty. Are you serious about the 0300 thing? (this was from Dwight) Yes, NOT kidding. We need to wet up about 0530 to get in front of the crowd at the boat ramp. Dwight was concerned about having to miss Friday Night Happy Hour. So, I told him to close the bars at 0200, get a 6-pack of Red Bull, and a bacon ultimate cheeseburger from Jack-in-the-box and push on through the rest of the day. He would be the first to do that (Benny Savois). Finally everyone was OK, Bonine was purchased, Licenses in hand, the forecast is....decent, let's go.
Saturday, I got up at 0245. Oh yeah, baby over an hour more sleep for Jefe. Since I'm living in Pearland now, I made that 40 minute trip Friday night and got to sleep late Saturday. Now I'm only 5 minutes from Hwy 6 & Hwy 288 (where we normally meet up and fuel up after the Freeport trips). I had plenty of time to get things ready, I went to the Shell station, got a Mountain dew and some Red Zingers, you know the one's with the coconut on them. I had all day. At 0420, the crew shows up, ready to go....but where's Dwight. Looks like somebody had too much "Wine, Women and Song" on Friday Night. I'm telling you D, Red Bull. We hit the road, and Charlinda and I start speaking in Cajun. I felt Like I was in Grand Isle. We got to Freeport, into my routine: Buc-ees- bait, kolaches, drinks, ice, load the rod & reels and other stuff, hit the head, and we're off the Beach Bait to wet up. Not much activity today, looks like the full moon and Tropical Weather are keep folks home today, or it could be that I'm always among the first boats in the water.
As we break the jetties, the seas aren't as bad as I thought they'd be. Its a good 2-3 foot sea, but rollers with a pretty long period. So, what are we waiting for? let's go. I throttle up and start jumping waves, when all this screaming starts happening. What the...Its Charlinda, I'm not sure if she's scared or having a good time, but I put her in the bolster beside me and keep on going, screaming the whole way. We got to Anadarko and the water was not nice. Not really bad, but not great. So, we cut a drift..nothing, second drift...nothing, third drift........nothing. Forget this, we're heading to the Tennecos (G.A.393) to find some blue water. On the way out, more screaming, then I jumped a wave, and buried the bow in the next one. I'm sure the sport boat near us had a good show. Big screams and now everybody's soaked, it was totally cool. The down side was, our hair got wet, and no one had a brush.
When we got out to 393, the water was a little better, but not much, we cut some more drifts and Pam caught a really nice Remora while D.R. started not feeling so good. I think the combination of wavy seas and sleep deprivation (thanks Todd & Carl) finally got to him. No chumming, but he did get some horizontal time not eh sun pad. On the next drift, the Port motor wouldn't start, even my jump across the solenoid trick didn't work. What now, 30 miles back at 5 MPH will suck. Finally, after a long time and some technical assistance by God, we got the motor started. Looks like I'm not going to be able to make it until the end of the season before putting it in the shop, that will happen on Tuesday. So, now we try the idle near the rig and go deep for snappers trick. Pam caught a small Trigger fish and was like a one-armed paper hanger trying to get the fish off the hook and keep the boat away from the rig, no good.. this ain't gonna work. SO, we start trolling. Halco Trembler and a Rapala. This goes on for about an hour and......nothing, nada. Finally about 1100, Pam says let's spool it up and head for the beach.
So, now you know why I rambling about the other stuff, 'cause the fishing, well catching, was no good at all. I guess I'm paying for the great days I had last month. Still a gung-ho crew. They never complained, even when soaking wet, and were a pleasure on the boat. I did learn, that when I have a inexperienced crew, I will need a deck hand. Corley you listening.
Tight Lines
JEFE
Saturday, I got up at 0245. Oh yeah, baby over an hour more sleep for Jefe. Since I'm living in Pearland now, I made that 40 minute trip Friday night and got to sleep late Saturday. Now I'm only 5 minutes from Hwy 6 & Hwy 288 (where we normally meet up and fuel up after the Freeport trips). I had plenty of time to get things ready, I went to the Shell station, got a Mountain dew and some Red Zingers, you know the one's with the coconut on them. I had all day. At 0420, the crew shows up, ready to go....but where's Dwight. Looks like somebody had too much "Wine, Women and Song" on Friday Night. I'm telling you D, Red Bull. We hit the road, and Charlinda and I start speaking in Cajun. I felt Like I was in Grand Isle. We got to Freeport, into my routine: Buc-ees- bait, kolaches, drinks, ice, load the rod & reels and other stuff, hit the head, and we're off the Beach Bait to wet up. Not much activity today, looks like the full moon and Tropical Weather are keep folks home today, or it could be that I'm always among the first boats in the water.
As we break the jetties, the seas aren't as bad as I thought they'd be. Its a good 2-3 foot sea, but rollers with a pretty long period. So, what are we waiting for? let's go. I throttle up and start jumping waves, when all this screaming starts happening. What the...Its Charlinda, I'm not sure if she's scared or having a good time, but I put her in the bolster beside me and keep on going, screaming the whole way. We got to Anadarko and the water was not nice. Not really bad, but not great. So, we cut a drift..nothing, second drift...nothing, third drift........nothing. Forget this, we're heading to the Tennecos (G.A.393) to find some blue water. On the way out, more screaming, then I jumped a wave, and buried the bow in the next one. I'm sure the sport boat near us had a good show. Big screams and now everybody's soaked, it was totally cool. The down side was, our hair got wet, and no one had a brush.
When we got out to 393, the water was a little better, but not much, we cut some more drifts and Pam caught a really nice Remora while D.R. started not feeling so good. I think the combination of wavy seas and sleep deprivation (thanks Todd & Carl) finally got to him. No chumming, but he did get some horizontal time not eh sun pad. On the next drift, the Port motor wouldn't start, even my jump across the solenoid trick didn't work. What now, 30 miles back at 5 MPH will suck. Finally, after a long time and some technical assistance by God, we got the motor started. Looks like I'm not going to be able to make it until the end of the season before putting it in the shop, that will happen on Tuesday. So, now we try the idle near the rig and go deep for snappers trick. Pam caught a small Trigger fish and was like a one-armed paper hanger trying to get the fish off the hook and keep the boat away from the rig, no good.. this ain't gonna work. SO, we start trolling. Halco Trembler and a Rapala. This goes on for about an hour and......nothing, nada. Finally about 1100, Pam says let's spool it up and head for the beach.
So, now you know why I rambling about the other stuff, 'cause the fishing, well catching, was no good at all. I guess I'm paying for the great days I had last month. Still a gung-ho crew. They never complained, even when soaking wet, and were a pleasure on the boat. I did learn, that when I have a inexperienced crew, I will need a deck hand. Corley you listening.
Tight Lines
JEFE