Being Stormed Out Early Doesn't Count As a Skunk

That's the stance Ron is taking after being chased off Back Bay last evening without a single fish to show for his efforts. He only had been there about a half-hour when a thunderstorm cell suddenly formed.

"It seemed to form all around us with darkening skies, not just from one direction," he said. "I think it was a matter of westward weather meeting Back Bay moisture."

With Wednesday's skunk still fresh in his memory, Ron was hell-bent on catching something during yesterday's trip after work. The storm cell, though, changed his mind. "I decided to hightail it to safety, and I'm glad I made that choice," he explained.

Ron arrived home, only to learn that NOAA had issued a warning for Back Bay and Munden. The warning called for local flooding, with 2 to 4 inches of rain possible. Sitting there in the relative calm of his home, though, soon had Ron tempted to try somewhere AWAY from the thunderstorm, but he quickly realized it was too late at this point.

He also remembered a conversation he once had had with an ol' timer who kayaks the inlets around Eastern Shore, as well as the "shoals" just below Cape Charles, off Fisherman's Island, during bull-red drum season (May). His comment was, "I ain't risking my life for a fish I can't even eat!"

UPDATE

A man who believes in getting in as many licks as he can, especially when he's trying to get back on track from a skunk, Ron hit Milldam last evening. There he found low water, as well as lots of weeds and grass.

"Lost a nice bowfin yak-side and caught one measly white perch," he said, "Also had several big wakes following the Whopper Plopper but no action whatsoever from flukes, Senkos or hollow-body frogs."

On the positive side, Ron was quick to add that the otherwise uneventful evening at least was pleasantly cool. "First time in a while I wasn't sweating," he noted. "Also got to witness a gorgeous sunset (see the two accompanying photos)."