Thank You For Visiting

Texas Bob's World

 

Listen with Windows Media Player Plug-in

 

 

FISHING FOR A KING

                                                                   

 

                                                        

 

WHEN THE WARFCAT LEFT THE DOCK WE WERE SITTING INSIDE THE CABIN IN ONE OF THE BOOTHS.  WE WERE ON THE 8:00 AM TO NOON RUN.  AS THE WARFCAT CLEARED THE END OF THE JETTY THE OCEAN SWELLS STARTED ROCKING THE BOAT.  WAYNE, MY BROTHER, AND I WERE GOING KING FISHING.  I HAD BEEN OUT ON THE WARFCAT MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT THIS WAS WAYNE’S FIRST TRIP.  THE WARFCAT IS A 60 FOOT CATAMERAN TYPE BOAT THAT CHARTER FISHES OUT OF PORT ARANSAS, TEXAS.  COUNTING WAYNE AND I, THERE WERE 42 FISHERMEN ON BOARD FOR THIS TRIP.  IT IS THE CUSTOM FOR ONE OF THE DECK HANDS TO COME AROUND ON THE WAY OUT AND COLLECT A DOLLAR FROM EACH FISHERMAN FOR A POT FOR THE BIGGEST FISH CAUGHT ON THIS RUN.  WHEN THE DECK HAND CAME TO THE BOOTH WHERE WE WERE SITTING, EACH OF US GAVE HIM OUR DOLLAR.  I TOLD WAYNE HE WAS WASTING HIS DOLLAR BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO CATCH THE BIGGEST FISH AND WIN THE POT.  HE TOLD ME WE WOULD JUST SEE ABOUT THAT.

 

WHEN THE CAPTAIN GOT TO THE AREA WE WERE GOING TO FISH, HE TURNED THE BOAT SIDE WAYS SO AS WE DRIFTED OUR LINES WOULD STRETCH OUT SOME 40 OR 50 YARDS WITHOUT TANGLING WITH EACH OTHER.  ORDINARILY THE WIND AND CURRENT WOULD MOVE THE BOAT ALONG FAST ENOUGH FOR OUR BAIT TO DRIFT ABOUT 8 TO 10 FEET UNDER THE SURFACE.  THIS IS WHERE KINGFISH SWIM WHEN FEEDING.  BUT ON THIS DAY THERE WAS NO WIND WHAT SO EVER AND THE CURRENT WAS WEAK.  OUR BAITS WERE DRAGGING ALONG THE BOTTOM 60 FEET DOWN.  NO ONE WAS CATCHING ANYTHING.  I TOLD WAYNE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING IF WE WERE GOING TO CATCH A FISH.  HE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WE COULD TO.  SO I TOLD HIM TO REEL IN AND I DID THE SAME.  WHEN WE GOT OUR HOOKS IN I TOLD HIM TO CUT HIS LINE OFF THE WIRE LEADER AND TAKE THE SLIP WEIGHT OFF HIS LINE.  THEN TIE THE WIRE LEADER BACK TO HIS LINE WITHOUT ANY WEIGHT ON HIS LINE.  I DID THE SAME WITH MY RIG.

 

IT TOOK US ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO GET OUR BAITED HOOKS BACK OUT BECAUSE THE BOAT WAS MOVING SO SLOW BUT NOW OUR BAIT WAS FLOATING ABOUT 10 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE.  THE FEEDING ZONE FOR KINGFISH.  BY THIS TIME WE ONLY HAD 30 MINUTES TO FISH BEFORE THE BOAT HEADED BACK TO SHORE.  ALL OF A SUDDEN WAYNE’S REEL STARTED SINGING AS A FISH HIT HIS BAIT AND STARTED STRIPPING LINE OFF HIS REEL.  THE DRAG WAS SET PRETTY HEAVY SO WE KNEW IT WAS A GOOD SIZE FISH TO STRIP LINE LIKE THAT.  WAYNE WAS LEANING BACK ON HIS ROD AND HOLLERING “FISH ON.” 

 

HE HAD A CRAZY GRIN ON HIS FACE AS IF TO SAY, SEE I TOLD YOU I WOULD CATCH THE BIGGEST FISH.  HE FOUGHT THE FISH FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE HE GOT IT UP ALONG SIDE THE BOAT AND A DECK HAND GAFFED IT FOR HIM.  HE HAD A NICE KING, THE ONLY FISH THAT HAD BEEN CAUGHT SO FAR.  YOU COULD JUST SEE THOSE DOLLAR SIGNS IN HIS EYES.  HE THOUGHT HE HAD A CINCH AT WINNING THE POT.  JUST THEN MY REEL STARTED SINGING AND I SHOUTED “FISH ON” AND LOOKED AT WAYNE.  HE WAS STANDING THERE GRINNING AT ME.  AFTER ANOTHER LONG FIGHT THE DECK HAND GAFFED MY FISH AND PUT IT IN THE FISH BOX WITH WAYNE’S.  THE DECK HAND ALWAYS TIES A TAG WITH YOUR NAME ON IT TO THE TAIL OF THE FISH SO YOU KNOW WHICH ONE IS YOURS.  BEFORE WAYNE AND I COULD REBAIT AND GET OUR LINES BACK IN THE WATER, THE CAPTAIN BLEW THE BOAT’S HORN SIGNALING EVERYONE TO WIND IN.  IT WAS TIME TO START BACK IN.  AS THE BOAT TURNED BACK TOWARD SHORE EVERY ONE WANTED TO WATCH THE WEIGH IN OF THE TWO FISH TO DETERMINE WHO WON THE POT.

 

THE DECK HAND TOOK WAYNE’S FISH OUT OF THE BOX FIRST AND PUT IT ON THE SCALES.  IT WEIGHED 42 POUNDS EVEN, A VERY NICE SIZE KINGFISH.  NEXT HE TOOK MY FISH OUT OF THE BOX AND PUT IT ON THE SCALES.  THE SCALES SHOWED 42 POUNDS EVEN!  WAYNE SAID WEIGH MY FISH AGAIN.  THE DECK HAND PUT MY FISH BACK IN THE BOX AND GOT WAYNE’S FISH OUT AGAIN.  HE PUT IT BACK ON THE SCALES AND EVERYONE WAS WATCHING VERY CLOSELY AS THE SCALES SWUNG BACK AND FORTH A COUPLE OF TIMES AND SETTLED ON 42 POUNDS EVEN.  HE DECLARED THE CONTEST A TIE AND SPLIT THE POT BETWEEN WAYNE AND I.  WHEN EVERYONE HEARD THAT WE WERE BROTHERS, THEY ALL CHEERED.  ON THE WAY BACK IN EVERYONE WANTED TO KNOW OUR SECRET OF CATCHING FISH WHEN NO ONE ELSE DID.  WAYNE TOLD THEM YOU HAVE TO SPIT ON YOUR BAIT FOR LUCK.  WE LET IT GO AT THAT AND NEVER DID TELL THEM ANY DIFFERENT.

 

THE NEXT TIME WE WENT OUT, THE DECK HAND REMEMBERED US AND HE ASKED US WHAT WE DID TO CATCH THOSE TWO BEAUTIFUL KING FISH WHEN NO ONE ELSE COULD CATCH A FISH.  WHAT WE TOLD HIM IS A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.

 

THE END

 

  BY LOREN MOORE

COPYRIGHT 2000

 

 

LOREN

 SEE YA

 

LIKE TO JOIN OUR FREE MAILING LIST?, CLICK ON THE HEART BELOW

 

.

I would love to hear your comments on the pages we prepare  and recommend, we enjoy doing it for your pleasure, our pleasure is receiving your comments.

Page design By: Texas Bob

Visitors to the site since 7-12-03

free web counter