I know! I know! I'm a week late with this report. My schedule just hasn't left me with time to do reports, etc. As I sit here at the screen writing this it's raining out, with the passing of another front. Tomorrow promises hard north winds, cool temps, a hight barometer, and fish with lockjaw, so I moved my party to the only open date I have on my calendar. So, hopefully, I can get caught up on the unscheduled day off.

My customer for Monday was Scott Schuh, of Laurel Springs, New Jersey. You could have guessed it was the first day of March with a northwest wind blowing at 25 knots as we sat under the influence of a big high pressure waiting on the approach of another front. I figured it would be a tough day, and I was right. We managed to get good bait at 58 and 59 of the third span of the causeway, but had a hell of a time trying to find something interested in eating it.

Scott and I fished hard all day long with only a few trout to show for our efforts. The last stop of the day proved to be the charm for us. The spot can be really good for snook and reds on a good high tide, but the tide was far from high, and I really didn't expect much there, either. But, nothing else had been working, so I decided to stop. We tried shrimp and shiners, and shrimp won the day. By the time we ended the day we had caught 6 redfish, a couple of snook to 26 inches, and a dozen or more trout, most of which came from that last stop. Scott was happy, and you can bet I was happy.

Scott was back again the next morning for a half day trip. We had much better weather conditions, with the wind light and variable, and the high to be around 77. We didn't realize it then, but it was the calm before the storm. Bait wasn't a problem, except that it was, and has been, too big. It's OK for snook, but just too big for reds and trout. I can't believe I'm complaining about bait being too big. It's usually just the opposite. We're complaining that it's not big enough!

Well, Scott and I fished hard for half the day and finished up on one of my most productive redfish holes. We had caught a few trout to that point, but no reds or snook. Scott missed no less that 5 reds for one reason or another, but finally put 2 redfish in the boat at 26 inches, plus a dozen or more big speckled trout to 4 pounds.

Scott was a lot of fun, and although the fishing wasn't stellar for those two days, we made the best of it and had a great time. Hopefully, Scott learned a lot, too.

Wednesday morning on the way to the ramp, I realized the forecoast for scattered afternoon was bogus when I saw the western sky light up with lightning from an approaching storm. It continued as I drove to the ramp, and by the time I arrived as the sun was rising, I knew fishing wasn't going to happen to day. When I pulled into the ramp, several of our guides were standing around talking, and their boats were on their trailers.

My party for the next two days, Greg Persbacker, from Valley Falls, New York, was waiting when I arrived. He was dressed for full battle, but knew the reality of the situation. We agreed that we didn't mind being wet or cold, but not wet and cold, and I sure wasn't about to leave the dock when there was lightning about. We called the trip and agreed to try again on Thursday. I hung around talking with some of my friends until the rain started, and once it started it really stormed hard. It didn't quit until after noon. I headed to Smith Marine to have a lifetime fuel filter/water seperator and transom support installed. Both were much needed.

Thursday, Greg and I were ready to try it again. Greg wanted to fly fish, but it was pretty obvious to both of us that it was going to be a poor day to try to fly fish, as the wind was now out of the north at 15 to 20 with the passing of the big front. He brought his flyrod, and I suggested that we fish artificials and shrimp, and not even worry about trying to catch bait, since there hadn't been much interested in eating the big shiners, anyway. I also knew that our best bet to put fish in the boat would be trout, so with Greg's agreement we went to one of my favorite trout spots and tried shrimp and Bass Assassin swimtail baits, white body with a red tail. The trout loved those Bass Assassins! We had a blast with them.

We interrupted our fun with a long lunch at the Waterfront Restaurant in St. James City. Greg loved it! Then we went back at it for a couple of hours of the outgoing tide. We ended the day with at least 40 trout to 4 pounds. We caught a lot of nice fish, including 2 flounder and a lizardfish. Don't let anyone tell you you trout fishing isn't fun. These trout are bigger and more aggressive than I can remember in my lifetime, and they're fun. Especially when they're hitting on every cast.

Greg was a great guy to spend the day with, and had a great time. I hope he'll be able to come back again at a different time of year when things are more favorable for snook and redfishing.

I was really looking forward to Friday. Greg Brodsky and his good friend Joe were back down, this time with Joe's father Greg. They are all doctors from Russia. In fact, Joe's dad retired from the Russian Navy as a Colonel, I believe. I fished with Greg and Joe a little over a year ago on a miserable day, but these guys were so much fun I went home with sore ribs from all the laughing I did. Greg and Joe told me joke after joke all day, and I was hoping it would be more of the same.

I told the boys that I thought we ought to go trout fishing this time, and forget catching bait. I had about 75 nice shrimp on board, as well as a box of those Assassins. They agreed, and we were off to the trout grounds. We arrived on the slack tide, and the fish didn't want to eat. Joe had promised me that they would tell me a joke every time they caught a fish. That worked out OK until the tide started moving and the fish began eating. Then there was no more time for jokes.

Greg, Joe and Greg were wanting to take some meat home, and meat they did take home. They missed and caught trout all morning long, and we filled a cooler with their limit of 15 big trout, and they missed two times as many. These were fish running to 4 pounds! It was a test of wills between Col. Greg and I! You see, he kept trying to turn the open face Shimano upside down (reel on top of rod) and turn the handle backwards. I told him he wasn't going to do that on my boat. He kept trying to sneek it up there, but I kept a watchful eye on him, and kept catching him at it. He had spend most of his 74 years fishing with push-button closed face spinners like Zebco's. But, by the end of the day he was getting the hang of it, and catching his share of the trout.

It was a great way to end the week. We'd had a blast. Joe and Greg had bombarded me with lots of new jokes, all funny as hell. They, of course, went right on my favorites list the first time I took them out. I hope that fishing with these guys will be an annual even. Laughter is so good for the soul.