Black Fishing with a Lead Hand
Nancy Ann - Orient Point
October 26, 1999
Every fishing man and woman has that day they couldn't hook a fish to save their lives. Is it the fishing god getting back at them for eating a bit too much at the dinner table? Rubber hooks? Didn't do the Irish jig before putting my rod out? I needed a shotgun or dynamite that day to bring those blackfish up. Frustrated and confused and saying to myself golf may be a good idea right about now! Okay, okay you've heard enough of my whining.
Laurie, Al and the crew were out in Orient Point on our first official blackfish trip. I was bugging Al since early September about going. I love those sneaky two-bit crab robbers who can steal your crabs in a blink of an eye. Everybody around me was hauling up some gorgeous blackfish, I mean up to 10 lbs...shoot me someone please! Laurie had a pig and I mean a bruser, right at the top of the water. Just about to be netted and bing-batta-boom, her line snapped and the rod snapped back and popped the captain in the nose. A definite Merrick Long Island cheap nose job if I ever saw one! Ouch with a capital O! And then Laurie drops it right back down and gets Mr. One-eyed blackfish again and this time, he's seeing the frying pan.
As for me, swing and a miss. Al is popping away at some nice plump, juicy blackfish, to 6 lbs. I'm just staring at him like okay, do it again....and he does! I've had enough abuse, I go to the other side. I bounce a little, wait, bounce a little, wait and Laurie's husband nails a brute. He tells me "thanks", for jigging it to his bait. All righty now, where's the dynamite! I go have a cigarette and a cup of coffee and the crew is on a good bite...all nice fish. It was a sad day for yours truly...I caught one fish...that's right one fish all day. I am not in the mood to say it was a gorgeous day or a great ride out there. No way! Over 60 blackfish came on board and I had only one. I'm going back Friday. I have a mystery date with a certain blackfish. This is principal, this is fisherman war! I, Dave, hereby today have declared war on blackfish... I will not give in until I have one over ten pounds. Out of my way mister, psychotic fisherman coming by (So da pickin mada Fickin ahhhhh)?
