Well, that was a surprise. I might have known with Hurricane Murray aboard. Dog…

2021-06-16 20:23:28
Monty Hawkins

Well, that was a surprise.
I might have known with Hurricane Murray aboard. Dogone NE wind stiffened to mid-teens all morning. Wind blowing dead into the current, it got a tad sloppy — built a lot more sea than I figured we’d have today.
Forecast had a flat calm summer day coming.
Not so much.
Wind finally let up just before lunch. Grew calmer the rest of our trip. Strangely, today’s seasick roster grew too as wind speed declined.
Thoughts on that below. Not pleasant meal-time reading..
Our guest reef builder was Vasi Hallas of Potomac MD (and that’s a fair piece from New Wuhan, MD.) He dropped 20 blocks and 2 pyramids before we pressed on.
Cathy looked to be our first limit. Sea bass bite wasn’t what it has been. Weren’t awful either. Boxed our first limit well into overtime. It wasn’t Cathy – David Murphy of Elkton MD carried the ball across today. I’d seen Murray messing with candles and chicken bones atop Cathy’s cooler.
Scoundrel.
Must have worked.
A few more anglers crossed the line before we left. Really had to work for it today..
We won’t talk about how many the president of Rotund Anglers United had.
Just shameful.
John Murphy’s sea bass sure wasn’t. Swept the pool.

Speaking of consistency, our most unusual catch today was on the first stop. When I said “In they go – down & away” fellow next to Hurricane Murray thought I meant rod, reel, rig – all of it.
Was a custom stick too.
Like the tugboat skipper said, “If you ain’t been aground, you ain’t been nowhere.”
Gonna fish a lot, your day will come.
Ah well.
Gone.
I’ve been there.
Have plenty of spares aboard.
But, Hurricane Murray, being good at what he does, seeing an opportunity to tangle with spectra braided fishing line was irresistible. An unusually welcome tangle, he fouled the lost rod and brought it up giving Murray a singularly bright spot in his day – a catch worth talking about.
Don’t know if the fellow bought Murray a steak at Outback or not. Might have to do “dinner for two” gift card (wink wink..) Sure was a sweet stick.

Sea sicknesses ain’t sweet.
Ever.
Prevention best – chewable bonine makes mighty cheap insurance.
I don’t understand the “Oh, it will just make me sleepy” thinking. Sleep’s worse than reverse digestive disorder? A nap is what to avoid?

Sue Foster used to take two bonine when she woke before fishing. She’d take two more if it was rough. I never saw her too sleepy to catch. Shoot, I doubt I ever saw her outfished by anyone, and if I did it dern sure wasn’t by someone seasick.
Clients can nap underway. Have more than a few regulars who actually look forward to it.
No one looks forward to squandering an opportunity to fish while getting a sore throat & chest from vomiting all day.
I have seen fresh & candied ginger work to prevent motion sickness too; never the ginger pill Dramamine sells though.
I’ve not seen pressure point bracelets work either. What in the world has your wrist got to do with the vestibular canals that give us balance?
The patch? Gold Standard. Scopolamine works. Have to have a script though.
If you wait till you’re about to toss your breakfast before trying a remedy – you’re too late. You’re gonna make a mess somewhere and then, I guarantee, blame it on whatever you took to fix it. “The ginger/dramamine/bracelet/bonine/fried eggs/boiled eggs/pancakes/homefries/last night’s sweet & sour bat, that’s what made me sick.”
A-Yup.
Nope. Inner ear. Balance.
If you can take benadryl, I’m told by a physician, you can take seasick meds.

Too late? Here’s where chewable bonine really shines. Crunch em up good, one and a half pills, then treat it like a cowboy treats his chaw – tuck it between cheek and gum. I’ve seen anglers bounce back in as little as 20 minutes. Have seen this with ginger too – hundreds of times with candied ginger on the old OC Princess where TT Cook would do about anything to keep someone from making a mess in his galley.
I worked deck 6 or 7 years. On a rough day with unmedicated anglers it’s good to be captain.
Cheers!
Monty

Capt Monty Hawkins
Mhawkins@morningstarfishing.com
Info@ocreefs.org

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