I began
using the aluminum boat in the spring just before the end of
crab season and used it two or three times. Winter storms wash
up large logs and gravel each year, and the old aluminum boat
was easy to carry over to the water when the launching ramp was
blocked with debris. I pulled crab pots with a neighbor, although
I made sure he knew to be careful when moving about in the boat.
A couple of times I was so stern with him about keeping the boat
safely on an even keel, that I fear I hurt his feelings. After
the crab season was over, I decided to fish for flounder. I considered
getting out the inflatable, but the old aluminum boat was already
on the trailer, so I headed to the beach with it. Although the
logs had been removed from the ramp, a bank of gravel, three
or four feet deep, remained. Jeanelle helped me carry the motor,
then the boat, up and over the gravel to the water’s
edge. I carried a small two-way radio and told Jeanelle that I
would call her soon to check in.
The day
was cool, only 55˚F, but the sun was bright. The water was calm, with a slight chop pushing to the south. As I headed south, running with the chop, the boat rode well and felt smooth and stable. I headed a mile or so south of the launch, intending to fish at a depth of around 140 feet, offshore from a huge landslide that had occurred a few years ago. I found the area where I’d caught flounder before, shut down the motor and tossed a bell anchor with a long rode overboard. Although I had no depth finder, I figured I was probably too shallow because the anchor didn’t take enough of the line. Nonetheless, I decided to bait up and try fishing. As it turned out, the anchor didn’t
hold fully. The boat slowly drifted south, bobbing along with
the wind and the chop. The anchor was probably in sand and
was being dragged at a slow rate. Perfect! I could let the
boat drift slowly and cover the whole bar.
A man and a woman in single sea kayaks paddled south up the bay toward me. They paused near me, and we drifted along together. They said they were new to the area, and the man wanted to know what I was fishing for and what I used for bait. I welcomed them to the community and asked about their boats. While I had only paddled a kayak a few times, they have always interested me, and I enjoyed seeing them on Discovery Bay. We spoke a little more, and I told them to have a good paddle. They continued on their way south. I fished and watched them as they paddled a mile or so past me and out of sight.
About 45 minutes later, I called Jeanelle on the radio and told
her everything was OK. I drifted across the entire bar without
a bite. I pulled the anchor, started the motor and headed back
north to the beginning of the bar. I also went farther out to find
deeper water. When I was between 100 and 200 yards offshore, I
dropped anchor again, and found that it took more line. I figured
I had found the roughly 140 feet of water I was looking for. I
began fishing again.
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