fish 2, us 0

abercrombie · 09-20-2002, 10:23 AM

got a great start on the wednesday fishing trip... I thought... got to the launch at Gerhart Garden about 5AM.. boat ready and away we went.. managed to get to the spot in the Columbia that had fish just trailing through on the finder, right depth and all... dropped anchor, it was too short... pulled it and moved forward and... the engine stopped, the rope had sucked up into the intake on the jet drive... and wrapped about 40' of anchor line around the shaft, thus hanging the anchor under the boat. Ok, this isn't going to work, so used the kicker to get to shore where I found out that 66 degree water isn't really that bad when your trying to free your anchor... and the harder you pull the further your feet sink into the ash/sand... anyway, managed to get it out and away we went, kicker pushing hard against the tide going out and the river current... took the boat home, disassembled as necessary and got all the rope out.. no damage, except our ego's, really amazed.... decided to try again thursday morning 5AM, got everything ready, launched, my buddy took the truck to park while two of us warmed the boat up and proceeded to try to sink... "we" had forgotten the plug... dove for the bilge switch, found out how hard the metal frame is around the window, gashed my head a good one, blood running down my face and dripping everywhere, jumped into the Cowlitz 55 degree water... a bit chillier than the Columbia... dropped the plug... back into the boat, take the one out of the live well, and back in the water.... woman in the boat next to us just about to freak out, and wa-la, plug in... the bilge pump that I had always wondered about, well it worked great, pumping more water out faster than it was coming in... so, gash on head, blood slowed to a trickle, we headed out finally... caught nothing, but... they always say, "a day fishing is better than any day working"... man that hurts... ha and, I bought a new plug, it floats...

abercrombie · 09-20-2002, 12:15 PM

ah yes... if it were only true, I would have an excuse... as it is, I think the one lesson I learned, is that there is no substitute for paying attention... aww, those senior moments... I just love them, if they don't kill me...

TundraIII · 09-20-2002, 12:23 PM

I dont get the frustration....sounds like a normal day to me

Dan Christopher · 09-20-2002, 03:00 PM

i did that plug thing about 13 years ago,,,never again,,now i pull the plug hold it tell the waters out and put it back in.

oh well it was a great day for a swim wasnt it. :tongue:

NAUTI-NOTIONS · 09-20-2002, 11:47 PM

my only thought is maybe you should stop drinking a little earlier on the nights before a fishing trip.
only a thought.

abercrombie · 09-23-2002, 08:49 AM

nothing like a cold dip in the Cowlitz at 5 in the morning... oh yeah... I got a floating plug from Hi-School Pharmacy, put a small strand rubber coated cable through the handle and pop riveted it to the swim step arm near the hole... at least it will be near by...

[ 09-23-2002, 09:52 AM: Message edited by: abercrombie ]