Capt. Mike - Howard Beach
Sunday, March 22, 1998
DAY 1
Look they're hardcore..."the insane"...not too many candles lit in the brain...one shoe less and a penny short...those are the ones who attempt to fish the first two days of flounder season. Opening day winds howling, or shall we say SCREAMING, down the road...waves crashing over the boat to the pilot house. Oh yes, perfect conditions, great for eating a full meal in the galley...for those with a sensitive palette. Eight hours of this for a chance at Mister Flatty!
DAY 2 - "Catch Any?"
Second day...get this one...no snow all year...not a flake....45 degrees all winter long. But nooooooooooooooo, not on Sunday...try a 5 AM snow storm...that's right, below freezing temperatures. Driving to Captain Mike's in Howard Beach was insane or may I say driving 1 mile an hour saying the rosaries over and over, throwing holy water over the car. Trucks sliding sideways into the railings...no, not a pretty sight. But the snow was a trip, it made me keep going like a kid with his new sled down the hill. The snow got worse...it was hard to see.
Finally it comes to me...(great delay in thinking here boys) who the hell is going to be there...the Captain is going to roll over I his bed...look over the window...kiss his wife and say I'm staying home. Yeah right! Good concept! I turn into the parking lot and there are about 14 cars of psychos like myself. Poor Captain, the mates called him and down he came. The boat was blanketted in 6 inches of snow. The mate made a snowman infront of the boat.
Well, out we went...you gotta love it! We caught a few...Conditions, my boys, Conditions. Look, this is not the norm by far. Captain Mike's boat will be sailing to Raritan Bay for jumbo flounder...and hopefully, Mother Nature has had her last winter joke on us. So hang in there, the fishing has just begun for spring...what else could happen...tornados?
Sincerely, Dave
P.S. I'm out of here for my 40th birthday...Las Vegas...no spring breakers there!
