Sunday, February 5, 2012

MEMORIES & MIND BLOWING WINDS

Home in Port Charlotte
Low 61, high 82

On this Super Bowl Sunday I am taken back to my experience 4 years ago for SB 42.  That game also featured the Giants and the Patriots.  We all remember what a great game and a huge upset the Giant victory was.  My memories are of spending my first ever Super Bowl alone.  I had just moved to Florida.  Kathy was in Arizona trying to sell our house and I was living in a rented condo.  My Dad called me during the second half and said his satellite service was out and he couldn't see the game.  I ended up giving him play by play over the phone, while he naturally gave color commentary.  It was a great experience for both of us and I wish we'd had it recorded.

Yesterday I launched the boat from Matlacha, on Pine Island. The forecast called for east winds, 10-15mph and a "moderate" chop.  Subaru Jim was with me and we had high hopes of finding speckled trout.  Unfortunately, the only highs we experienced were high winds and high waves.  Winds exceeded 20 MPH and waves were 3-4' (moderate chop?).  We anchored down in 8' of water but the anchor kept getting pulled loose by the bouncing bow of the boat.  There were a ton of fish on the finder but we just couldn't risk getting grounded in these conditions.  There was a sand bar nearby that would have ruined our day if we got pushed onto it.  We tried a second spot in 5' of water, protected by the lee of the island.  Our anchor held here but all we caught were small pinfish (bait) and a few ladyfish (sport).  We were going to have to rough a few miles back to the trailer so we let discretion take the better part of valor and called it a day after just 2 hours on the water.  It's been a great few weeks of fishing action and I guess we were due for a letdown day.  With wave heights hitting 4' in-shore, I can't imagine what the conditions out in the Gulf must have been.

I have attached a couple of screen shots showing where in the world we were.  Click on pictures for full screen.
Positions recorded by my Satellite Locator, after I pushed the OK button.

Same position, zoomed in map; Matlacha Pass

The channel here is over a mile wide and the winds were whipping; near Bokeelia, at the northeast end of Pine Island

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