[LA Fly Guy]

I drove back after my previous engagement with my daughters and got back to the camp after everyone had fallen asleep. It's funny how little flies were tied, and how early everyone went to bed this trip. Typically with clouds, rain, and fierce wind from a winter front, lots of time is spent at the camp waiting out weather. I think 3 or flies were tied all trip. Long hours were not spent downstairs around a campfire. Such is a price to pay for actually having sunshine and fishing at the crack of 7:00 am.

Sunday, I fished with Ruddy and Fatman. With what looked like the "best" day, we made a run to a place we don't usually get to fish because of weather or wind direction.

When we got there, we realized we were low-marshed by a fellow angler.

PB171474.JPG (142.31 KiB) Viewed 431 times

PB171485.JPG (113.23 KiB) Viewed 431 times

As we searched for redfish, we were accompanied by something a little furrier.

PB171498.JPG (217.95 KiB) Viewed 431 times

I fished first and the made a few attempts but the fish seemed unwilling to eat.

Next Kevin was up to bat. Kevin made some good casts, caught a sheepshead, and few reds

After that we pushed Ruddy on the casting platform and he showed us how it was done.

PB171502.JPG (173.7 KiB) Viewed 431 times

PB171504.JPG (145.98 KiB) Viewed 431 times

We left the area with all of the raccoons and went to try and get Kevin a black drum to round out his "slam"

PB171518.JPG (185.18 KiB) Viewed 431 times

As sunlight faded, it became more and more difficult and no black drum were caught.

We parted ways with Ruddy at the launch and I dropped Kevin off at the camp.

Another Gumbopsicle was in the books. I'm glad that after fighting weather for the past few years, we lucked up and had sunshine and were able to make it happen.

[LA Fly Guy]

If nobody's mentioned it to you today Suck It Corey

As a matter of fact no. Thanks Ron.

[Fishwater]

Another great time. This year brought redfish to boot.
I took very few photos. Here they are.

About an hour after I left the sun started to come up.

thumbnail_IMG_0245.jpg (20.37 KiB) Viewed 404 times

Stopped on the way to pick up lunch for the next few days. This guy got to the restaurant at 6:30 so we could have fried chicken. Solid dude.

thumbnail_IMG_0249.jpg (50.65 KiB) Viewed 404 times

Several hours later, Redchaser and Lurgee picked me up at the boat launch.
It was cold, windy and overcast.

thumbnail_IMG_0253.jpg (50.36 KiB) Viewed 404 times

The next day was worse. Fished with Willi and Lurker Mike. No fish brought to hand but Willi managed a hook up and long distance release.

thumbnail_59544665895__672796E4-C559-471F-9FFA-D36184CAC4A6.jpg (47.51 KiB) Viewed 404 times

We saw Fatman and Red.

thumbnail_IMG_0264.jpg (29.46 KiB) Viewed 404 times

The next day was windy and cold but not a cloud in the sky. Fished with Ruddy. It was silly.
I took one photo of Ruddy casting to a fish he later hooked and I broke off trying to land it.

thumbnail_IMG_0269.jpg (44.03 KiB) Viewed 404 times

Here's the same fish busting the surface before Ruddy hooked it. Shitty cell phone pic.

thumbnail_IMG_0311.jpg (35.43 KiB) Viewed 404 times

Left the next morning while everyone else headed to the boat launch.
Made it all the way home before I noticed this.

thumbnail_59563013639__9BA7DAD0-F61C-4C0A-A989-C110AC62AEDD.jpg (51.44 KiB) Viewed 404 times

[Transylwader]

You maddah fahkaz! Righteous

[fishskibum]

Thanks for reminding me why I hang out with the old dead guys of suk rather than farming likes and followers
Well that and one of these years somebody gonna salt life invite me to be in the huge movie bidsness

[fly-chucker]

Did you guys feed a redfish or two to those raccoons?

[LA Fly Guy]

Did you guys feed a redfish or two to those raccoons?

Nah, Some hotspotter lady did that already.

They were taking care of themselves munching on some stuff among the oysters.

Lurker Mike and I fed one of them leftover fried chicken bones a few years back in this same location.

[fatman]

not really a fan of the tiny-ass photos, but here goes...

Always enjoy meeting up with the crew for this shindig. The weather dogs followed me down, but left soon enough, and we got in some fishings:

g00.JPG (76.76 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g0.JPG (136.98 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g000.JPG (86.55 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g1.JPG (61.62 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g2.JPG (104.95 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g3.JPG (95.46 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g4.JPG (56.57 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g5.JPG (95.29 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g6.JPG (102.63 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g7.JPG (118.86 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g8.JPG (103.98 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g9.JPG (105.11 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g90.JPG (84.57 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g91.JPG (100.76 KiB) Viewed 287 times

g92.JPG (95.64 KiB) Viewed 287 times

more fishings, along with some stories...

[fatman]

Day three saw me heading out with Ruddy and Willi. The sky was clear, and as soon as we pulled into the first pond, we saw tails. Willi said "dere dey are" and we were in bidness:

g98.JPG (82.05 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g99.JPG (74.54 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g990.JPG (161.56 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g94.JPG (104.98 KiB) Viewed 283 times

soon enough, I was hooked up to a fish of my own. Unfortunately, all parties on the bote were not communicating, and about the time Willi went to the rail, I made the decision to step down off the casting platform. All of the weight to starboard, and the gunwale went clear to the water. My fat ass started to lean precariously, and I reached back to grab the lean bar; unfortunately, my hands were slick and I ended up on my ass in 18 inches of water (and three feet of mud). As I reached down to try to push/swim myself back to the skiff, I felt my rod in the mud - and when I raised it above the waterline, the fish was still on. Once Ruddy poled the boat over, I handed the rod to Willi, and he and Ruddy grabbed me like a sack o' shit and tried to pull me aboard. About that time, the fish decided to make a run, and my rod shot of the deck, and I shot back off after the rod. Handing it again to those on board, I was drug into the cockpit, along with about half the marsh. We then proceeded to land the fish:

g95.jpg (58.9 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g96.JPG (144.32 KiB) Viewed 283 times

Having fallen in a couple of years back, Ruddy now carries a drybag with a change of clothes and a towel. While I was buckass nekkid changing clothes, Willi kept fishing

g992.JPG (149.01 KiB) Viewed 283 times

I finished the day dressed as Walmart #brostaff, and I was lucky enough to catch my first blek:

g994.JPG (131.61 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g995.JPG (132.18 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g996.JPG (165.06 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g993.JPG (156.8 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g997.JPG (126.68 KiB) Viewed 283 times

g998.JPG (155.51 KiB) Viewed 283 times

As the cc says, "it ain't over until the fatman swims"

[fatman]

...but it wasn't quite over. I rode out with Ruddy and LAflyguy on the last day. Calm seas allowed us to run to some new territory in search of bigger fish. The fish weren't bigger but still a fine day

g999.JPG (125.66 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9990.JPG (96.67 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9991.JPG (114.23 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9992.JPG (194.28 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9993.JPG (130.69 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9994.JPG (85.63 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9995.JPG (95.5 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9996.JPG (124.68 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9997.JPG (76.39 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9998.JPG (89.34 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g9999.JPG (93.38 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99990.JPG (124.49 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99991.JPG (117.61 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99992.JPG (107.59 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99993.JPG (113.83 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99994.JPG (131.13 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99995.JPG (113.67 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99996.JPG (95.15 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99997.JPG (97.54 KiB) Viewed 273 times

g99998.JPG (68.45 KiB) Viewed 273 times

cheers, fukkos

[Redchaser]

Kevin, as always it was great to see you and have you in my boat again (even though the weather sucked that day). Thanks for the Opus X, it was sublime, lets do taht west side thing we talked about.

[Lurgee]

Hi.

It’s been a while since we last spoke. I hope you and your families are doing well. I know we have all been busy, but I have been neglectful. My apologies.

This thing, has been a good thing. I missed last year and it made me sad. I made it this year and I’m glad.

Great people, fishings, food, cooler beer, fried chicken and daiquiris are ingredients of a weekend to strive for. This year’s Gumbopsicle Squad crushed it. Thank you.

Most of the pics I had have already been posted but here are a few remnants.

J