So the day starts at 445 am at the Wawa in Jackson. "20 gallons premium please", just like I was told. Added the Sea-Bil and ring free and grabbed a coffee before letting the fuel slosh around the tank. Yesterday got some good intel from Mike and Laura. In late 2016 Jin had the boat down in Harkers. The engine was giving him some trouble. When he got back to took it to a mechanic in Great Bay who pumped the tank, cleaned it and inspected it and did a full filter and service on the engine. That was good news.
So while down there I had to hit the beach before dropping off the boat. Got there in the dark and fished for 90 minutes without a tap. No bait, no birds, great looking water...nada. Leif was down there and had the same luck I had, this is getting very interesting. My prediction, late fish on sand eels, mostly boat fish. Forget "the bait is in the back", it came out and split. Think outside of the normal box, and think cold and late this year. Just my prediction.
As I was walking up from the beach I was checking out how the ass end of my truck was looking with the trailer on the ball. This truck has a load "adjuster", that is supposed to raise the back end when you tow. Might be something I have to look into sooner than later. Any suggestions?
So I met Steve of Steve's Mobile Marine down in the Highlands and we got to business. I gave him little history, a quick tour of the batteries and shut offs, and left a few filters that I purchased. Twenty minutes later I got the call, 'Have you bought this boat yet?", oh, shit, here we go again I thought. He went on tell me 'I don't want to married to this boat", 'There's wires everywhere, nothing but trouble". He's a buddy off a buddy, so said it with concern and experience. We ended with me getting the concerned advice, and he getting the good-to-go to check the fuel, change the filters, and fire it up.
A half and hour later I got another call from Steve. "Well, the fuel, the fuels good, no water. I changed the filters and the looked good, and fired it up and the engine ran and sounded good". Whew....thanks be to Jesus. Finally some good news. He did add "that the decks shot", and then a little more about the wiring. I called Paul Eidman who happened to have Capt Terry Sullivan on board as the fished the river. Terry hooked me up when I put new electronics on my old Jones, 'I'm retired now, he said in the background". No Terry, you're semi retired, wait until you get a load of this ship!
After I dropped off the boat, and some time spared before work, I hit the Hook. Maybe if the fish weren't south they'd be north.....forget it. No bait, birds or fish. Had the place to myself for about an hour. No boats on the horizon, I have a feeling they are all jammed up in the New York Bay and Hudson, feeling away on the outgoing tide.
Speaking of eels, that catch big fish, there are some big fish around and its that time of year where I shake my head and wonder "What are you thinking?'. Its like "Death by 1,000 cuts", I recently heard that rhyme. Makes me sick, don't want to here about have many guys are on the boat, guys have to make a living, they're all legal fish. What is it going to take for guys to get the memo?
And then there's yesterday. I felt guilty and evil doing it but I did. Out came the heat gun and I easily removed the Brine Fly stickers Jim had on either side of the boat. I took a good picture of the logo and will have it reprinted and put back somewhere on the boat, mostly like forward of the center console.
