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Wednesday, May 22, 2019

2019- a new year

Oh man, it's been 5+ months since I've updated this blog.  There hasn't been much to write about except unfulfilled outings.  Well, let's start out with turkey hunting.  I did hunt 2 days during the winter turkey season in January. And while it was great to NOT be at work, I should have just stayed home- as I didn't see anything.  Moving on to Spring gobbler season, I got into the woods a few days in April, and this was more productive.  I hunted 4/25 and 4/26, saw turkeys both days.  Both encounters were in the woods, not in the field, which had been freshly plowed.  The first day I had two toms run past me, about 60-70 yards away, and I could not draw them any closer to save my life.  Second day was a closer encounter but a lone hen.   And then on 4/30, my Dad passed away.  Having just turned 85 on the 25th, I knew he would have wanted me to be out in the woods on his birthday in stead of at the nursing home.  I snuck out one more day on May 3 just before we buried Dad on the 4th, with full military honors.  There was a lot of gobbling at sunrise and again at 9:15, but no sighting.  I got one more shot on May 17, but this was a bluebird day and a total bust.  I did take my new hen decoy into the woods on the last day, suspecting I could have drawn in the huge tom using her on 4/25.  So bummed I will have to wait until next year to try again.  I also bought a mouth call, but that isn't going as well as I had hoped.

I finally got my boat in the water on 5/18.  The spring was dominated with never-ending chores, including my work trying to establish electric at the camp, which has been 3 steps forward, 2 steps back all the way.  I have the conduit buried and the pedestal built, now waiting on the electrician.  So, launched from Wenona on the 18th, first time fishing with my buddy Mark, while has become my catfish fillet hook-up.  Blue catfish have dominated the spring catch throughout the bay, as the bay has been inundated with an influx of fresh water.  Things seem to be just starting to return to normal.  Based on some local intel, we decided to try the rock piles lining the NW side of Smith Island, just north of Ewell.  We tried a number of areas along the rock pile casting lures and with soft crab, and nothing.  It was incoming tide and between 10AM-noon.  Next, we found a new spot to which I'll return-a small funnel creek which drains much of the wildlife preserve.  It is a neat little ditch running about 15 feet deep, and I know at the right time and tide must dump baitfish out into the sound.  Mark caught a nice 19-inch rock (using soft crab), while I caught a small one and a turtle at the same time (yay!). 



And then out of nowhere, the calm wind flipped to 20-25mph, so as the captain I decided to take us to Tylerton for lunch.  I've been dreaming about returning to Drum Point Market for quite sometime, as they make one of the best and freshest crabcakes I've ever had.  We had a great lunch, tried a few places on our way back home (out through the east end of the island), and called it a day.  Boat ran great, and I'd finally finished waxing it the day before.  Hoping to get back out onto the water soon.Until next time.  #dealislandrandy

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