posted by John on Sep 1
Monday – Labor Day September 1, 2008
The morning tide was low and dropping fast at the Pamet. I had to work quickly. Two boats were hightailing it out of the harbor as I dropped the boat. What proved to be a grounded boat gave guidance leaving the harbor. He was going to be a while as the low was still 45 minutes away. The Pamet has a really shallow red mark that bites a lot of boats. You must stay far right while exiting on low, hugging the greens almost. Today is the second day in a row a boat is hard aground, the Pamet is not forgiving of inattention. I noticed that all the local fishing captains were missing. here is a montage of recent Pamet Pics.
Today will be the last post for a while as it is time to leave tomorrow. It was worth staying one more day. Yesterday’s weather, much like today’s, was 25 knots from the north-northwest, seas 2-3 in CCB and 3-5 in the Atlantic ocean. It took a long time to get to the Race (11 knots) because the waves had a short period.
Once out on the Race Fishing Ledge, I bee-lined it right to where I was yesterday. On our GPS it is named the Bath House (but I found out that is not where the bath house is). The same pile of fish was still sitting there, this time I intended to throw the book at them. I set up my drifts and after a slow start, a few blues and a doggy on LT. Then, off to the races. I got a sweet pulldown from a diamond jig, the fish broke the line. I used a sluggo on a different rod and got another monster hit. Even as line was going out on the drag, the line broke. I put on the last new jig head with no steel leader (out), thinking I might be going home before 8:00 am.
Another monster hit and this one I got to the boat, a big blue, and he shook hard and popped the line taking the last jig head with him. The only jig heads I had left are used on the LT tuna rod. Large 10″ Ronzi tuna penetrators are really the only option. I figured that only blues and doggys would go for it. I was wrong. My first hit was just after I let it go to the bottom. This fish headed straight for the lobster pot bouy, got tangled, and with me being alone, I had to motor over there and try to retrieve line. Well it was a fiasco and the 50lb braid got cut by the engine. So after I re-rig up the tuna rod with new 60lb leader and Ronzi, I made two more passes over the fish.
I noticed the bouy I was previously hung up on and see it acting weird, king of wiggling. I moter over and my fish is still caught on the bouy. Not only did I get the fish, but I got my leader and ronzi back. This fish is 37″, he went in the box. He is pictured below. I proceeded to catch about 10 to 12 of these guys, one was clearly bigger than this one, about 40″-42″, the rest about the same as the picture. I would have done that for another hour, but some damn wireliner jigged his way through and scattered the fish. My arm was a little tired, and I did not immediately relocate the fish. So a nice end to the season anyway.
