[dsafety]

I went out on 7/24 for the first time in over a month. Always hopeful, I did not come home with a prize...again. That does not mean that the trip was a disappointment, however.

At 6:30, the launch was pretty busy but it was low tide so there was plenty of room. My wing-man Mark was riding his new Solo skiff. I had not seen one of these in person previously. It is a great option if your fishing style is to cover a lot of water and get to your spot quickly. This thing has plenty of room and appears to be easy to launch and land. Mark looked like he was enjoying himself.

As for the launch itself, the tiny surf made everything very easy. It took a while to find bait but when we did, there were plenty of nice-sized greenies. The day started out overcast but there was no wind and the air was warm. By about 11:00 the sun was taking over.

There were a good number of kayaks and a few PBs one the water this day. I did not see much in the way of action, however. I saw one guy hook a small barracuda. Another guy told me he got a calico. The jackpot fish of the day was a 12-15 lb YT. The rest of us could only brag about making bait. I did get close to hooking something worth taking home a few times. My bait was attacked and killed multiple times but there were no hookups.

Some might wonder why I do not consider my latest skunking a disappointment. Peddling around for 5 hours in what could be described as nearly perfect conditions gives one plenty of time to think. I realized that while catching fish is the ultimate goal, just spending a beautiful day on the water is a pleasurable experience that one should treasure. From that perspective, I count this trip as a blessing.

Until next time.