On Aug 13, 8:07 am, "Don White" wrote:
Power boaters should have to take a special 'common sense' test.
Too many yahoos think they can operate a boat simply because they somehow
passed an automobile drivers exam.

Looks like you guys will just have to smoke a little more.. Oh,
nevermind..

Anyway, Took the future son in law fishing to the mouth of the CT
river yesterday. Launching at the state launch at the Baldwin bridge.
Pulled up and it was pandamonium, or so I thought. There were trucks
and trailers up and down the road, and the parking lot must hold 60
rigs alone. My first thought was holy crap, I will never get in, much
less park. Fortunately, it was around 3pm and a lot of full trailers
were coming out so there were spaces. I got up to just before the que,
and as I always do, pulled aside to get the stuff in the boat. The
ramp is 4 wide and paved, plenty of dockage to tie to so it was not
bad. One guy in a huge trailer boat was in the que, getting all his
suff loaded but otherwise others were moving pretty fast. Once I got
my boat ready I pulled in the que and waited about 4 minutes to back
in. One guy had slipped past me while getting ready, don't know if he
had his stuff ready to launch or not. The biggest thing that ****es me
off it those guys who back in, then start loading the boat, setting up
fuel lines, getting the kids and dog set up (yes, my dog has it's
leash on before I even start to back in). I really hate being the one
to hold folks up at the launch, n If you are one of those people who
jump in line, just to set up in front of someone you are an a**hole,
period. Anyway, the launch went well.

Out, to the channel, my sil is not a boater at all but he is "up to
it" for most challenges. When I left the house the weather indicated
winds from the north at 5, which would mean the winds would be coming
of shore, into long island sound for us,. Brockways (http://
www.yaimkool.com) were built for this water, but with flat sides, and
little rake, they can get a lot of spray in. No problem though, it was
warm. Headed for just south of the RR Bridge and set in some chunks of
bait, sat back, and waited. Something big hooked up on one of the boat
poles so I grabbed it and hooked it up and handed it to my sil, he was
amazed at the pull, and started to bring it in as I pulled the other
lines in. Unfortunately, the thing ran straight to the boat, took off
to the right, and snapped off 40 pound mono, so I didn't even see it,
but it was enough for him, he wants to go back. I don't know what he
got around, maybe the engine foot, maybe a rock but there is not many
there, but the line was frayed pretty good a few inches above the
break. My daughter has of course been telling him about blue and bass
for years, now at least he felt one, sort of.

Sat there another hour and decided to motor out to Hatchetts Point.
Worked my way through the flats by Old Lyme and over to sound view,
then straight out to the bouy. Hung around there for a while, but had
to go back cause I could see we were going to be out late. I am pretty
equipt for night fishing but he had to be up early this morning so we
wanted to pull by 9pm. It was a cool ride, the first time I have had
the Brockway out to the sound, and of course it was a great weather
day. No surf at all basically, I would say waves 0 feet.

All in all it was a cool day, maybe would have gotten some more
strikes if we stayed in the river, that was always a hot spot for me
when I had even smaller boats and used to watch my buds run out wild
crazy in the rentals, heading to the shoals. I usually did better than
them The only thing that sucks now is the hour drive just to get
there, our other place is a 10 minute drive from there, and about 3
from the Essex launch. I was pretty tired driving home,

All in all, it was a good day on the water, not ruined by any idiots
at the launch. although the guy in the big boat would have been a
problem if there was not 4 stalls. Everyone else pretty much was ready
when they backed in.