The day had started off slow with a few nibbles on the bait now and then.All in all the spring of 2003 was not as great as we had expected. Bass were being caught but not to the regularity of the previous year. But this day was turning out to be one of the better ones weather wise with abundant sunshine, comfortable air temperature a very little wind. Compared to some in May it ranked in the top ten. We had four on board; Fred senior and his children, Katie, Joel and Fred Jr. A family day of fishing. All the "kids" were adults and loved to fish (which turns out to be a real asset later in the day).
Leaving the dock from Certified Marine around 6:30 in the morning we slowly cruised the Rondout Creek towards the Hudson. It is second nature to me by now but for my customers it is a new view of Kingston. Many changes for the better have taken place over the years. The Strand with its' numerous shops and restaurants present a view of restoration that the city can be proud of. Further on down the creek automobile carcasses dot the landscape - a sign of times past when we used waterfront property as a catch all for discarded items. I imagine some day this also will be transformed into restaurants, hotels or perhaps a marina.
Approaching the river the Kingston lighthouse is seen on the left and Fred points out a bald eagle nesting in a tree on the foundation of the original lighthouse to our right. The water is like glass with a slight mist arising from it wafting away in the morning sun. We turn to starboard, increase our speed and head south to one of my favorite spots. It does not take long before the Esopus light is on our right (currently being restored to its' original splendor). Slowing the engines and making a turn or two puts us in position to set anchor and begin our designated task - catching fish. Tackle is set, hooks are baited with chunks of menhaden and four lines are in the water. We pass the time chatting about things we all have in common (fishing included) and every now and then get a bit excited as a fish will pick up the bait but drop it. As often happens, all of a sudden a fish is hooked and as the rod bends and line starts to run off the reel I begin coaching to minimize the chances of losing the quarry. Sometimes, I get a bit more enthusiastic than I should and end up apologizing afterwards. "Sorry I was a bit intense in telling you what to do. I tend to get that way when we have a fish on. I would hate to see you lose it", is my typical retort. This fish was netted after a short battle and turned out to be a nice catch of around twenty pounds. After the "photo op", it was released and swam away.
Fred senior broke out the lunch as we snacked our way through another thirty minutes or so chatting and anticipating. Katie was in charge of the video camera and she was filming anything and everything! The joke of the day was to constantly inform Katie she had better save some space on the tape for the "big one".
Joel was sitting on the gunwale with rod in hand when I noticed a look on his face that beamed of a fish running with the bait. Nothing was said as he let the line run off the reel for about three or four seconds. With great gusto he lifts the rod and sets the hook. No one else new what was happening except the two of us and when the fish was hooked everyone jumped. "Did you get him?" "Katie get the camera!" "Don't lose that one" was the chorus emitting from the cockpit. I watched as the rod bent and line spooled off the reel. And it kept running. This was a nice fish and I was concerned that it might strip the reel of all line. I have had customers in the past tighten the drag thinking they can prevent this from happening but experience has shown me that most of the time the line will break. I set drags to match the line strength and then a bit less just to be sure.
Finally the run stopped and that fish just layed there like a log. Every time Joel lifted the rod to gain some line back it would tug the same amount back out. This sequence repeated itself for about ten minutes or so but slowly he was able to gain on it. I should note that this guy is one hell of a fisherman! I never said a word as I knew he was well aware of what he was doing.
As the fish approached the boat it made a run towards the bow. "See what you can do to keep it away from the anchor line!" I bellowed. "This fish has a mind of its' own, I can't do any more that just gain line when he rests", replied Joel. Now comes the tricky part. Normally I do not want customers walking up to the bow as it is risky and the last thing I want is someone going overboard. However, a few factors came into play here when making this split second decision. Joel and his brother are strong young men and I am a strong old man. So, between the three of us and the fact that I really thought this could be a record fish we got Joel up to the bow. The fish finally surfaced about four feet down from the deck and as Fred held me by the belt I reached over the bow rail with the net and collected the prize. What a beauty! At first sight I thought it could very well be a record. I called to Fred Sr. to hand us a line so when carrying it back to the stern I could tie it to my wrist to avoid perhaps dropping it in the water. If I slipped and fell in I would be attached to it and they could retrieve us both!
We took photos, shook hands,toasted the day. It was 48" long and weighed 47.5 lbs. Short of a record but a personal best for both Joel and Osprey. We called a local taxidermist from the boat and made arrangements to have it mounted. Today that fish hangs on Joels' wall somewhere in Ohio.
As I often tell my customers you never know what the day will bring. It may produce numerous fish or it may be a slow one like that day on the river with the Gerkin family when all of a sudden there is a "fish on!"