# big pilchards



## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

(***poached from my post on the other board)

After a turbo-frustrating day Saturday I decided to try something different today. I went ~55 miles up the coastline from where I usually fish (after heading ~61 miles south teh day before).

I spent the morning looking for fish. By noon I was low on gas, about to call it a day, and head in for my 3 hour drive home.

I told the wife I'd be getting off the water by ~ noon, but it was really pi*sing me off that I was gonna scratch 2 days in a row.

At 1 p.m. I called her to tell her I was out in the Gulf and ask for a couple more hours of playtime. She knows what's in her long-term best interest and happily agreed.

A few minutes later I found a school cruising the beach and got set up for a shot. Made the first cast of the day and the fish gobbled it. I had forgotten to change the jack leader out for a tarpon leader and the fish was hooked on 16/40 lb. I was worried about the fish chewing through quickly so I leaned on him pretty good to try to get him in for a few pictures.

Sorry the pictures suck, I was by myself and getting pitched around in that little skiff. Some of you know that trying to land a fish this size by yourself is a good way to break a rod and hurt the fish, so i didn't even try. I just leadered both fish and broke them off. I wouldn't have lifted the fish into the boat, but it would have been cool to have some shots of it in-hand.







After leadering the fish I picked up the camera again to try to get some shots of the fish closer up. I pulled a little too hard and the 16 lb. broke before I could get better pictures.

While I was preoccupied with this fish, I forgot about the one thing I should have been paying the most attention too. At one point I looked up and saw the breakers about 10 yards behind me, so I scrambled to get the boat further out while fighting the fish. It looked like this (shot taken once I was out to safer water):



Re-tied with a 16/60 (old FL leaders I had in the boat) and picked out a second fish.





After 2 fish I was worn (I knew I should have brought the 12 weight) and even lower on gas. I didn't want to push my luck in those conditions, so I decided to call it day.

And it was hot too.



Stopped here to do some shopping on the way back.



Normally they'll give you a 10% discount, but I'm so good looking I get 40% off.

p.s. - sorry there were no shots of the fish in the air (would've been a whole lot cooler), but it was hard enough fighting the fish, taking pictures, and driving the skiff by myself!


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## jbenge (Dec 18, 2007)

You suck dude! Big congrats.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

*Cool story Ish.*

Cool story and pictures. And all that on a solo trip.

Can you give a junior a heads up on your presentation and how you get close to the fish? Trolling motor, big motor, drift into the school, etc.

Are you using a 12wt?

Thanks for sharing.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

"At 1 p.m. I called her to tell her I was out in the Gulf and ask for a couple more hours of playtime. *She knows what's in her long-term best interest* and happily agreed."

You are so full of it.

Great report otherwise.

I like the pictures. :wink:


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

bslittle79 said:


> Cool story and pictures. And all that on a solo trip.
> 
> Can you give a junior a heads up on your presentation and how you get close to the fish? Trolling motor, big motor, drift into the school, etc.
> 
> ...


Just depends on the situation. All of that can work depending on the situation, although yesterday would have been too rough for a troller. The toughest part is finding them, then knowing what to do once you find them. Fortunately I had experience with the FL fish so I knew what to do.

There were 2 kids out there in a small boat trying to do the same thing. I watched them for a bit and they weren't doing it (presenting) right. They ended up quitting after about an hour of no luck. (I kinda felt bad jumping 2 fish right in front of them. ehhh...no i don't!)

I could be sitting here for days typing shuff up to completely answer your questions, but someone already wrote a good book about what to do in different situations. It's call "Tarpon on Fly" by Rob Fordyce.

Caught those fish on a 10 wt. Had one to the boat in about 10 minutes and the bigger one took about 25 minutes.



Stuart said:


> You are so full of it.


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## workn2huntnfish (Aug 1, 2008)

Hey, great story. Now, ISH, this is how you should be on this site, not like the other day with that **** you were spewing out on SSP's thread.
And, see, the pics didn't add to the story, did they? Well, good luck on your next trip.


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## bslittle79 (May 24, 2004)

*gotcha*



Ish said:


> Just depends on the situation. All of that can work depending on the situation, although yesterday would have been too rough for a troller. The toughest part is finding them, then knowing what to do once you find them. Fortunately I had experience with the FL fish so I knew what to do.


I was just curious how you did it by yourself. I figured it could be a lot of work getting a good position and then getting the right cast off solo.

Thanks for the reply.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

workn2huntnfish said:


> Hey, great story. Now, ISH, this is how you should be on this site, not like the other day with that **** you were spewing out on SSP's thread.
> And, see, the pics didn't add to the story, did they? Well, good luck on your next trip.


and who are you to tell me how I "should be?"


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## workn2huntnfish (Aug 1, 2008)

Okay, lil Erkel, if you want to be a dikhead, then I give you my permission. I saw your goofy message you left on SSP's thread and you just can't help yourself, can you? Maybe that's why you fish by yourself and your wife needed the extra time to get Sanchez out the backdoor. LOL.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

tee hee hee!


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## houfinchaser (Oct 10, 2008)

workn2huntnfish said:


> Okay, lil Erkel, if you want to be a dikhead, then I give you my permission. I saw your goofy message you left on SSP's thread and you just can't help yourself, can you? Maybe that's why you fish by yourself and your wife needed the extra time to get Sanchez out the backdoor. LOL.


There is nothing more pathetic than a grown man being tough behind a computer. You said you had a problem with talking about SSP fishing report then you open up your mouth to be an *** on this one. Your whine and botch is clogging up the fly fishing section. Do me a huge favor and shut the **** up.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

yeah jackie, and what about the promise you made us?



workn2huntnfish said:


> Ish is an Erkel wannebe. I will ignore his stupid, smartass comments henceforth. I bet he was the crybaby that kids teased at school and now he has great courage since his mama bought him a keyboard. LOL.


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## flynut (Jun 30, 2009)

*tarpon*

Nice job ish! Keep em comin !


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## Gigabite285 (Oct 16, 2006)

"Hey, you need some help?"

"Nah, I just got my leader caught in the prop."

Sound familiar???


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## Gigabite285 (Oct 16, 2006)

(In case you haven't figured it out, that was me)

And if I wasn't presenting right, how come I hooked a fish? 

Good to see you stuck a few fish, I was cheering for you when you hooked up.

It was funny though, I said to my friend, "There's this dude on 2cool that never shows his face and has a boat just like that."

Your identity has been revealed, and you should make sure you know who you're trashing before you do.


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## Gigabite285 (Oct 16, 2006)

And I didn't have to try to be nice and ask if you needed help.


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## Gigabite285 (Oct 16, 2006)

(for those who were not there)

Some dude in a blue Maverick (who turned out to be Ish) was drifting in the middle of Pass Cavallo bent over working on his motor. My friend and I, who are in my Maverick and have no where near the experience of running a boat/fishing as Ish, pull up next to him and ask if he needs any help (as we are responsible boaters) and were promptly told "No, I just got my line stuck in my prop," and were then given a look to go away. We then ran out the pass and started fishing (and were apparently doing it wrong) and watched Ish hook up. I then proceeded to hook and lose my first tarpon on the fly, which is a major accomplishment for me. 

Ish, I've been a lot nicer to you than most people on this board (which I can understand) and I was nice to you on the water. If it makes you feel good to trash a 17-year-old who was out fly fishing for tarpon and went out of his way to make sure you weren't in any danger, you've got a problem.


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

Some kids did ask if I needed help. That's what you should do when you see someone you think needs aid.

If it was you, thanks, and I told you thanks when you approached. The "go away" look was hardly that&#8230;it was a "I better hurry the **** up" look, as being motorless in the channel is not a good situation to be in. I could have cut it and been done with it quickly, but I didn't want to damage/cut the leader. 

And c'mon, you're being a little dramatic here&#8230;is it really going that much out of your way to come off plane as you drive by? I was preoccupied with what I was doing and thought "thanks for checking" would suffice. I didn't realize I needed to give you a great big warm smile. I'm sorry your feelings got hurt.

How did I trash you? I didn't even know it was you, and I made no mention of you in the post. What got your panties so wadded up it took 4 consecutive posts to settle down? Help me understand that one.

What I saw didn't look right, but whatever. If it worked for you, great. Good on ya for hooking your first fish.

If you knew it was me, why didn't you introduce yourself?


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

I like beer :brew:


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## Ish (Oct 30, 2008)

wah da tah, my damie....


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## jbenge (Dec 18, 2007)

*beer*



Stuart said:


> I like beer :brew:


X2


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