What a great time Tablerockbass! I really enjoyed the pome until those last few lines...cause I was fearing the worst...then relief came at the closing lines that you avoided those big hooks!

I think we have all had that happen now and then, so your advice is a good reminder of what can happen...whether it's getting dark or still light out...

Nice photo series!

Terrific evening out Ivey! I completely understand what you mean about fishing after dark...it's a unique experience!

Glad you found some chunky smallies!

Great photos Outcast! My wife and I tried to view them last night but missed the best part of the show by an hour...arrived too late but there was still some "green" to be seen.

All the local favored viewing sites looked like an old fashioned drive in theater...cars and trucks by the hundreds!

Nice catch and photo spread on a good day out with the frog! Hopefully the warmth of Summer will arrive and stick around as the season marches on!

A full day of fun fishing action NJ219! Those carp give an especially solid tug, and I'm glad that you could hook up with a few other species as well!

It probably takes as much patience to fish as it does to drive in what sounds like extremely busy traffic!

What a terrific plan...and successful catch as well! Enjoy Mother's Day!

Definitely a fun day for you in the kayak! Enough "catching" to reward your efforts as the local wildlife bystanders accompanied you on the outing for an enhanced experience!

A nice variety of fish and a pleasant morning on the water for you guys! Sounds like a great beginning to the Summer season ahead!

Thank you Mauwehu! I completely agree about how spectacular that region is. It's only a 2 day drive to reach that area for us so it is becoming a favorite place to go for a late Winter break. We have been spending the majority of our time between Navarre, FL and Gulf Shores, AL...with Orange Beach being the place we stay.

The drive and exploration of the Mobile Bay area has been fun too...including Dauphin Island.

I should add that we have visited numerous other coastal, as well as inland places over the years, and have always enjoyed the trips. Within reason, I think if you have the right mindset there is good to be found no matter where you are in terms of travel destinations!

Looks like a great idea! I see that done on a lot of Great Lakes boats around our region...so it is probably a definite solid approach to put your mind at ease!

Best of luck when you get to use them next time!

Very cool 40GRIT! I assume the fillets get "flash frozen" for you and then you take them home on ice? Did you guys drive their in vehicles...or was a flight required?

Thank you hueyy! So far all I have done was to do a fresh water soak without taking it apart yet. Luckily it was a brand new reel, so most of the original lube may have helped shed some salt...but your suggestion is a wise one.

It is supposedly a salt water version (Penn) and some bearings might be sealed...but that does not mean much after a half hour bath in the ocean! Salt is sooo corrosive!

About 40 years ago I was making a surf landing in huge waves across from Homer, AK and my kayak flipped next to shore. My film styled Canon AE-1 camera went overboard for just a quick dip. I cleaned it up by dab drying with fresh water but the body was "toast". The lens held up great, and I used it for 2 more decades before going digital with cameras. The film was interesting...I decided to send it to my usual Kodak lab for processing (Kodachrome 64 ASA) and the pictures turned out pretty neat, and I still have them in my collection. The salt reacted with the film emulsion in a not so horrible way...

Thank you OldBassGuy! I appreciate that folks read thru the long story! I tried to paraphrase as much as possible since I know many use a cell phone on this site so photos are better than words!

Thank you kandydisbar! There was always plenty to keep busy with. Actually, there were many days that I did not even bother to fish at all, and we still found the daylight zipping by in a flash.

I consider it a miracle that I got the rod back. The fish that struck must have dragged it quite a distance before breaking off. As a fellow fisherman brought the line in hand over hand while I was landing the snapper, the lost rod started to show up after about 100' of line had been retrieved!

I am very pleased to see such a pleasant series of successful days on the water for your group! Awesome! The food prep at days end is spectacular too!