Go ahead and ask me how long it takes to idle back to West Neck Creek on the gas motor from Marker 32 on the North Landing. The answer is about 42 minutes.
I didn't set out this morning to make that determination--let's just say it more or less got dumped on me.
With the high water, I was headed to the back of Albright's. I was cruising along at about 4,200 rpm and just had made my turn for the cut-through at Marker 32 when my boat started slowing at the same time the engine began revving. A phone call to my buddy and boat mechanic, Wayne, quickly ensued. When he had heard the symptoms, his first response was, "It's probably a spun hub, but I won't know 'til I can look at it. Just turn around and start idling back to West Neck. Let me know if you have any more problems en route."
My only concern as I began the trek back to West Neck was how many big boats I was going to meet along the way. As Pocaty came into sight, I thought maybe I was going to dodge that bullet, but alas, it was not to be. Here came two in a row, both putting up pretty good wakes. I never felt so helpless in all my life. I knew I was going to take water over the bow--it was just a matter of how much. When all was said and done, I personally somehow managed to stay dry, even though I did take a couple of rollers over the side that started the bilge pump running. After flipping a 3rd-finger salute to both of the a...hole helmsmen, I continued to the turn into West Neck without any further problems.
Knowing I couldn't meet Wayne until about 4 o'clock, I wasn't going to waste the day sitting at home nursing my wounds. I quickly hopped on the front pedestal and started casting an assortment of spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, shallow crankbaits, and worms, all to no avail. Given the stiff breeze I was facing, I decided to break out a Whopper Plopper (desperate conditions call for desperate measures, I figured) and, about 15 minutes later, finally hit a dink bass. "Ah, maybe things will pick up now!" I thought, but that didn't happen. I fished until 2:30 and only could muster a couple more non-hookups on the WP, with absolutely no action at all on anything else.
When I arrived at the ramp, it thankfully was clear, so I donned my boots, guided my boat onto the trailer with the launch rope, hooked up the winch strap, and winched it up to the nose stop--no harm, no foul.
It definitely was not the kind of day I had hoped for, but, at least, I didn't get skunked, and I made it back to the ramp none the worse for wear. For that, I'm grateful.
After tying the boat down and putting my gear away, I headed to Wayne's house, where he quickly ascertained I indeed had spun the hub. He replaced the prop with my spare, and in no time, I was on my way back to West Neck to tuck the boat away in its shed and head home for dinner.
Tonight's email from Ron indicated he opted for Milldam Creek this evening, since the river gauge was falling. He fished for more than two hours, with only three short strikes to show for it.
Finally, near sunset, he found two takers on a Whopper Plopper: a 1-7 and the 2-4 pictured here. However, he found no panfish, despite the fact they were his target. His beetlespin and XTS minnow just weren't working.
The two bass Ron found were near the main creek; feeders weren't producing any hits whatever--the same pattern he's had to deal with for the past few outings.
No comments:
Post a Comment