Quote from: jrodda on January 24, 2026, 08:46:33 PMIt is pretty hilarious that you would rather just let a fish get off than let them see you catch it.

Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.

Quote from: sasquatch on January 23, 2026, 05:54:35 AMIt was funny as hell walking up on Verne, asking him all the questions. He didn't even turn his head. Then I said Hi Verne.

I swear that's what I do also.  My boat couldn't have a better name.  LOL

Quote from: Tim524 on January 23, 2026, 07:17:06 AMThat shoulder is going to drive you crazy until you just bite the bullet

Rolling into an interview in a sling and saying you can't work for a few months during the peak hiring season is more like "taking" the bullet.  I might just do what you did and postpone it until the end of the year and hopefully, I'll be employed by then.  That and maybe the out of pocket will be much lower.

I've been going crazy what to do with my shoulder as there are 3 options... The PRP is less invasive but won't totally heal the tendon and I would still risk a total tear which would put me in for surgery for sure!  I'm losing my mind because I also don't want to be incapacitated if a position opens up somewhere, so I needed to give my mid a break.

Unfortunately, I've been hounded by a few people to take them out fishing but I just want some solitude.  On social media, I mentioned I was out on a buddy's boat just to bypass the drama, but we all know that was a little white lie.  I also needed to burn off some old gas since it's been sitting for a few weeks in the driveway.

Plan was to look for gamefish, then potentially look for bass or anything that might come home to visit my freezer.  I'm not making a paycheck, but I need to at least put food on the table.

Headed out to fog... Visibility about 1/2 to 1 mile.  It was much worse on the drive down to the ramp.



I was heading out the inlet and there were perfect arches everywhere on the sonar. 



I was hoping they were bass or bonito, but after throwing a little iron quickly found out there are a ton of macks in the bay!  I kept a few in the live well just in case....

I saw where everyone was heading and fishing for the bones, but I went out to where I was getting them the last time I was out.  I was metering bait balls and definite fish boomerangs, so I started casting the 43-gram colt sniper with custom willow blade hook I put on.  Well, the bones were there!



The problem is they were really spread out and only in small groups.  There were a ton of BIG macks though and I caught quite a few for lobster bait.  I kept plucking away on the small jig.



I switched to casting the Yozuri troller since it was a fast sinker, casted well and had a great wobble at any speed.  Ironically, it worked the best for jigging!  I would cast out to meter marks on the sonar about 50' down and rip it in 10' and let it drop 10 feet.  Ended up getting my limit that way!



After that I ran closer to home and went to try some of the structure near the inlet.  I couldn't get bit to save my life at any reef on the way back until I found a cloud of Whitefish!



I wanted to get my limit really fast and was making short work of it.



I was just about there... but other stuff was getting in the way like a few CPR sheepheads.





Funb stuff on the spinner!



Then Jackass made a 90-degree turn and ran full steam at me.  I had a fish on but did the rod down and acting like I didn't have a fish.  The guy didn't catch sh!t all day and asked how I was doing.  Told him I didn't catch sh!t all day either.  I hate when joe shmoes just come over to have some conversation about how sh!tty they were doing.  No one ever comes over to tell me what a great bite they are on, so I won't give them anything for coming over hot and trying to jump into any bite that I'm on.  (I know, just a rant but really... really pisses me off)

Well, the fish magically disappeared for some reason.  Not sure that guy actually scared them away, but whatever happened, they were gone.  I made a small move and caught a few calico before calling it quits and heading in.



Not a bad day overall and I now have fish for the freezer and carcasses for the bugs. 

I'm definitely going to come up with a shirt for these clowns.  When I think it might only be me, I'm reminded of when Squatch rolled up on Verne out fishing and Verne gave him the cold shoulder until he realized it was Steve.  So I'm not alone... or I actually may be.

Thanks for reading!

Yeah, Lobster fishing isn't for the faint of heart the last 15 years.  Before that, hardly anyone did it and it was no problem.  The internet knows how to ruin a good thing.

Quote from: jrodda on January 19, 2026, 07:28:51 PMAnother day in the Prehistoric Joints forum...hope the best with whatever you do! Timmy's idea sounds pretty dang clever.

Funny guy!  lol

Yeah, I would just have the surgery now, but I know as soon as I get it an offer would probably come through. I'm probably going to try the Platelet injections.  It's not covered by insurance, but it heals rather than mask the pain and my next-door neighbor (who is older than me had it) said it was the best decision he's had over surgery.

 

But I might chicken out.  I'm still looking for work (This sucks) and I really don't want to be in a sling and recovering for 6 months.  Being older already is a problem looking for work but being crippled and old is worse.

I set my surgery date (mid-Feb) but I don't want to miss the hiring part of the year when everyone gets their funds approved for the year.  I might do the PRP shot and physical therapy until I get work and just postpone surgery until a later time.... 

What would you guys do?

I decided to get out for a bit since I wasn't sure if I was going to see my granddaughter or not in the afternoon.  Getting to the Lakes at 6:00 am was tough only because I had no idea where I was going to fish...  I had 4 spots in mind but having that many spots to choose from, makes it difficult to pick.

I decided to do what I did the other day.

Fishing was tough but I did get a little guy pretty quickly.  Probably the smallest one I caught this entire trout season.



I then get picked up 2 more times and felt a bite, but they didn't hook up.  I was using a small treble also so I couldn't figure it out.  The worm was also coming back looking good, but I totally felt the bite.  I noticed that the Red Ear bite has been picking up so possibly small ones?

Then I see a trout running the shoreline in front of me.  It would swim out of sight but always come back and I almost had him hit my spinner but I pulled it away by accident when he finally went to hit it.  Then some dude parks right next to me and parks himself right next to me totally blocking any chance of casting to that trout.  I like the quiet but he was all chatty so I just sat in my car to get some peace.

I saw him hook up with a nicer trout but almost broke his rod in the process.  Long story short, he never landed it.  I was about done and had to run home so I could get things done and wait for my granddaughter to arrive.  Our plan was to take her to Chucky-Cheese... but the kids decided they didn't want to come down, so we didn't get to see her.

That means one thing... Head back to the lakes!

The lakes were packed!  I headed to a different lake and noticed I almost used up all of the crawlers.  The few that remained were in great shape! 

 

I kept getting hits, but it was the same thing... Bite and let go over and over.  There were no Pond Chickens around, and the baits reeled in looking good so I don't know what was going on.

I was talking with Dave and got a real hit but it didn't stick!  I was ready to rip that tiny treble off!

Then with 30 minutes before closing... I saw a really good bite and it was ON!  I could tell it was a really big fish and suspected a big cat... but hoped for a big trout.

I tried to just take my time and get it to shore since he hit my 2# rod.  Man, I still can't believe I could catch these things on such little line and gear.  The 2# test to be fair is Berkley and probably realistically breaks at 4#.

Well Damn... In the net she went!



It looked pretty fresh over a really gnarly ones that stay in the lakes for years and my old neighbor asked for any catfish if I caught them, so I stashed her in the cooler.  The fillets were huge and I'm going to use the carcass for lobster bait.  The last lobster trip we got 2 legals on the catfish carcass.  LOL

Well, back home I went to hang with the wifey.

Thanks for reading and is anyone doing any fishing?

The crows and I have an agreement in place....

I'm not pulling hoops, my buddy is.  I'm just the driver.  lol

I'll make this one short since it's just another bug hunt.

Went to the SD bay for the first time in a long time!  There's a lot of hazards moving in and out of that inlet!



We're used to seeing 12-50 bugs in every net and having to weed out the one or two legals.  The SD Bay is different.  Mostly blanks with a couple of keepers.



SO MANY WRIGGLING ROUND RAYS!!!!



A lot of Sheeps Crab along with a good amount of Rock Crab were also in the nets.

We picked away at the lobster.  Not many but the ones that were there were big!



The f@cking dogs were unbearable!



We should have made one more set drop, but we decided to pull and call it, only 3 short of double limits.





The livewell was looking good!



Funny.  We usually have 200-350 bugs on the white board a night with maybe double limits... but in the SD bay, we only had 21 lobster for the night with 11 legals.  What a difference 7 miles of separation are....



Thanks for reading!

My shoulder is starting to really hurt and getting the boat out would be tough.  I'm still looking for work, but need to get my fix in somehow.... enter Santee Lakes.

$10 and a half a mile away fit my current budget.

The Plan... 

-Fish in the morning
-Run home to job hunt and meet with career coach
-Grab lunch
-Job hunt more
-Fish in the afternoon

I get to the Lakes at opening.  Somehow there were people already fishing where I wanted to be, so I made a move  to another decent spot.  It wasn't long before the "bombs away" went off! 

A Beautiful "Steelhead"!  Biggest of the season for me so far.



Just then, my second rod gets bit and I run over to only lose it since I was fumbling with my other fish.  Well, that was it.  They passed by and I had my 2 opportunities.  I also had another one swimming along the shoreline trying to escape the cormorants, but he wouldn't go for my spinner.  He was too freaked out from the birds trying to eat him.

I saw one other guy catch a decent trout on the other side of the lake, but that was it.  Time to go home and get something accomplished.


PM Session

I move to my old go to spot since the lake is PACKED by this point!  Confidence was low here since this lake only had 2 stockings the last 3 months.  I was in my truck when I saw the strike indicator shoot straight up!  That only means catfish, but I was trying to wish it to be a big trout!

Nope, Big Cat instead!   Still super fun on the ultralight gear.



I only have about 30 minutes left before they close when I get another big bendo!  This one came up to the surface so I envisioned a big trout!  Nope, but a big fat Cat!  I could barely get my hands under its belly!



As I was trying to get the hook out and a picture so I could release him, I hear splashing!  I look up to see a trout splashing around on my other rod!  I drop the cat and run to fight the trout!  I get it in half way and the hook pulls.  I should have used a treble according to Dave....

I get the pics of the big cat and release it.  Now I only have 10 minutes before I'm pushed out.  I decided not to use the strike indicators but just watch the rods instead.  As the Rangers came by on their final pass, I reel up to leave and notice my line was slack in the water!  I reeled up almost all of my line before getting to the hook right at my feet!  Friggin had one on the entire time and lost it because I didn't notice my strike indicator!  Ugh!  Damn trout!

Well, no worries.  I'll try again soon.  In the meantime, I'm taking the morning off fishing so I can update my resume and call the surgeon to work on my shoulder.  I might try again this afternoon....

I wanted to nourish the garden but also keep some of the crab and lobster shells for the museum.  I figured I would peel off the shell whole and just plant the bottom half and let the worms eat the guts below.  The hot wire hopefully would prevent the critters from getting in.



So far so good... I'll keep you posted....

With my most recent lobster trip under my belt, I have a lot more lobster.  This means the wife would have to deal with an all lobster and crab dinner.

The hard part was getting all the leg and body meat out of the crab and lobster for the "side dishes".

I was sure to eat lunch before doing this so I wouldn't eat everything as I was plucking the meat out.



I was working on lobster bisque and used the shells to make a great bisque!  I even threw in some chuncks of lobster meat to bring it over the top!



I then made a "white Lobster Mac-n-cheese" as the side.... I actually used half and half lobster to crab meat for this and it was unbelievable! 



The wife didn't want extra dishes, so I decided to try something.  I took the meat swords for kabobs and threaded them up the lobster tails. 



I didn't want the lobster tails to curl when the cook and this was the perfect solution!



The damn lobster tails were huge all coming off 2.5-3 pound lobsters!  Damn, it smelled great on the grill!



Well, I actually was stuffed.  I'm not sure I've ever been stuffed with crab and lobster before, but it sure hit the spot!  I actually had a garden salad also, but there was no room for greens.  LOL



Now I just have to put the actual lobster post up.  LOL

Quote from: jrodda on January 08, 2026, 08:45:15 PMYou really filled that thing out!

Wind looks like it's gonna rip tonight. Glad we got all that rain to so we don't have another perfect storm like last year.

That wind sucked by me, but it was nice not having to worry about fire!