My Awesome Day In Pictures

[Nobody]

For the first time in a while yesterday, we decided we were long overdue for having a day as a family to just chill and do whatever. We got up early and decided we were going up to Cape Charles to play on the beach and do some fishing.

The kids definitely approved. My daughter wasn't thrilled about having her picture taken, but my son was more than game, and thought this beach was the coolest thing in the world.

[media]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a167/nomoreyuppies/Dillon.jpg[/media]

Within 10 minutes of being out there, I am jigging for Flounder when a local laughs at me and tells me there are none out there. Almost immediately after those words leave his mouth, I catch this beauty. It was 20 inches and just over 4 pounds.

After I get him in the cooler, I go right back to the same spot, where another local tells me jigging doesn't work. As he walks away shaking his head, I hook this one. He was 22 inches and almost exactly 5 lbs.

I had to have fun and joke around with both guys. I told them I was gonna catch a bigger one just for added effect, and 15 minutes later, I landed my biggest. 25 inches and 6 pounds. Easily the biggest Flounder I have ever caught.

For her part, my wife decided she wouldn't be outdone, so she landed what could quite possibly be the world's smallest Flounder.

After about an hour of no bites, my wife said she wanted to crab, but we didn't bring any traps. Not to worry, within minutes I hooked one of these while jigging. It was my first of 3 that I caught throughout the day. I also caught a Hannah Montana rod that the guy next to me said his granddaughter accidentally lost a hold of the day before. He gave her a call, and she acted like she won the lottery

[media]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a167/nomoreyuppies/Crabtrap.jpg[/media]

After 4 hours of crabbing, we had more than enough to make a meal. After dead loss, we ended up with 47.

One of the most interesting points in the day was when a boat came out of the water and flew by. I decided immediately I wanted one, until I was informed they run about $20,000.

The day wasn't completely perfect though. My daughter got stung by whatever the hell this is.

My wife broke her big toe on a rock in the water (she won't let me get a picture, but it's gross) and I ended up with a bit of a sunburn that will be a sweet farmer's tan

But dinner tonight made it worth it. I was too tired to mess with it when we got home yesterday, but it was worth the wait. I stuffed the Flounder with crab, panko and Old Bay. For sides, I steamed asparagus and put some sauteed portabella mushrooms and lemon juice on it, and I made some new potatoes with garlic, butter and dill. Good eats, and an awesome end to an awesome time.

 

[Jugband McGillicuddy]

Insanely jealous doesn't even begin to describe it. Glad you had such a great day. Thanks for sharing it with us.

BTW, I read the Extreme-family injury report just now.

Extreme: probable, sunburn
Extreme Jr.: probable, bee sting
Mrs. Extreme: questionable, toe

 

[Nobody]

Insanely jealous doesn't even begin to describe it. Glad you had such a great day. Thanks for sharing it with us.

BTW, I read the Extreme-family injury report just now.

Extreme: probable, sunburn
Extreme Jr.: probable, bee sting
Mrs. Extreme: questionable, toe

Lol, loving the injury report.

 

[Boone]

Love it

I'd say that qualifies as one helluva day. And I love when folks relax and share something truly personal here. It reminds us that there are real, wonderful people behind the posts they make, and that maybe we should try just a little bit harder to be nice to one another.

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a great meal btw!

 

[Nobody]

Thank you for that Boone. The meal was awesome. I cook every day, but this was my first attempt at stuffed flounder. It turned out so much better than I expected, I can't wait to do it again.

 

[Boone]

My brother Jim has caught many a flounder, but I'll confess I've never caught one. When you say you were 'jigging' for them, what does that mean?

 

[Burgundy Burner]

Very nice indeed. Love me some Cape Charles - just wish the tolls on the CBBT were a bit lower.

Glad that you had a lot of fun today.

 

[Nobody]

My brother Jim has caught many a flounder, but I'll confess I've never caught one. When you say you were 'jigging' for them, what does that mean?

Don't feel bad Boone. Before the ones in the pictures, I had only caught a few in my life, none legal.

As for jigging, the way we do it is we take a skate wing or flounder belly, and fillet the white side off and cut it into triangle pieces about an inch wide, and a few inches long, and hook two pieces on a flounder jig rig. It's basically a rig with two hooks and almost no weight hanging down a couple of inches a part. Then you lower your line into the water until you feel the lower part of the rig hit bottom. Since the bottom part weighs slightly more, you can feel it hit bottom most of the time. After you do that, you walk slowly as far as the pier will let you, and every couple of feet, you bob the rod up a little, and let the rig bounce. What happens is the bottom piece basically drags the sand, and the top piece bounces around and catches their attention. They think it's a live fish, and they go after it hard. They almost always set the hook themselves, but you always want a large net in arm's reach, because the big ones will break the line right above the water if you don't net them.

Very nice indeed. Love me some Cape Charles - just wish the tolls on the CBBT were a bit lower.

Glad that you had a lot of fun today.

You and me both. The $17 round trip plus gas is definitely a deterrent, but we have a blast every time we go up there. We used to go up to Cherrystone a lot too, but haven't been there in a few years. If I could move there tomorrow, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

[Miles Monroe]

Looks like an outstanding day, good for you and yours.

 

[riggins44]

My son and I went fishing recently with a good friend of mine. We tried bottom fishing at York Spit and Buoy 22, but all we got was some small croaker.

Finally we decided to troll for Spanish Mackerel. We wound up with 10 ranging from 18-19 1/2 inches long. Caught them all in the Poquoson River.

 

[Nobody]

My son and I went fishing recently with a good friend of mine. We tried bottom fishing at York Spit and Buoy 22, but all we got was some small croaker.

Finally we decided to troll for Spanish Mackerel. We wound up with 10 ranging from 18-19 1/2 inches long. Caught them all in the Poquoson River.

Nice. I love Mackerel, but without a boat it's been about 15 years since I caught one, and that was in NC.

 

[riggins44]

Anytime you take another trip to the Eastern Shore and catch too much flounder...give me a call and will come take them off your hands.

My son leaves for school in just over a week, so we will try to squeeze in one more fishing trip. Weather and or smoke permitting.

 

[Nobody]

Anytime you take another trip to the Eastern Shore and catch too much flounder...give me a call and will come take them off your hands.

My son leaves for school in just over a week, so we will try to squeeze in one more fishing trip. Weather and or smoke permitting.

I wish I could see a day where I have so many flounder that I have to give them away

The smoke is definitely getting to be quite a pain. It really cuts down the amount of time we can spend outside. I don't know how bad it's been up there, but it's been ridiculous here the past couple of weeks.

 

[riggins44]

I am sure you get the smoke worse than we do. All depends on wind direction how much it impacts us.

If weather looks good think will try for Spanish Mackerel or whatever we can catch this weekend.