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Re:Somebody Tell a Fishin' Story


From: FishHog
Date: 1/17/2020
Time: 12:12:23 PM

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This was my sixth year (counting the 2003 Isabel cancellation) as DIFF Tournament Director. I arrived on the island Monday afternoon. The weather forecast was for high winds and high water all week. Tuesday morning, I worked my way to the point. Scot, Vickie, Ed and Steven were already there. They had parked just west of the point, near where the FishHog was named the previous year. There was plenty of space for me to slide in between them. I called Mike on my CB to tell the FishHog was in position and he should park just east of Scot and Vickie. Mike and Linda soon arrived and took their assigned spot. Everybody was fishing hard, waiting for the enviable success. The wind was out of the North at 15 to 20 mph. Fishing was slow and I was being skunked.

My mind wanders when fishing is slow. I began thinking about Roho Barefoot who had just recently died. Roho was known to be one of the best fishermen to ever set foot on Davis Island. The last time I saw him was November 2007. He was fishing alone about half way between the point and the rock jetty, catching Black Drum. He said he was sick. I thought he just had a cold. I guess it is human nature to wish we would have spent more time with the ones that have passed on. Roho had so much fishing knowledge to pass on. His widow Patti said he tried to tell her about his knowledge of fishing, but there was so much that she did not absorb it all. One of Roho’s rules was to fish facing the wind.

I kept looking at the north side of the point. Nobody was fishing there. The stiff mid-day wind was churning up the surf. I kept thinking that’s where Roho would be fishing. I drove my truck there and parked in front of the deep water. I heaved two chunks of mullet into the wind. It landed in the choppy water adjacent to the deep-water hole. Soon I got a tug and a fish ran to the right toward the point. After a brief fight I landed a nice Puppy Drum. It measured almost 27” length, perfect for the Tournament slot Drum category! The only problem is today is Tuesday and the Tournament does not begin until Thursday. I put it in my bucket and drove across the point to show my friends. After releasing the fish, I returned to the north side to get another one. By then the tide was nearing high tide, the wind was stronger and the surf was even rougher. I tried several times, but could not get another bite.

The remainder of the week was dominated by high wind and high water. Ferry boats could not run on schedule. The bay came up to the trash bins. The ocean spilled over the road in the camp. The back road near the lighthouse looked like a canal