Yep, so I'm still pretty new to fishing...and there is this nice guy on the site who goes by "Carp." Not sure where it started, but he began to help me with questions and things here.
Anyway, he mentioned heading out to Waterford a few weeks back. It's a big place. It's not a little secret fishing spot...but he was willing to give me some basic instruction through this site.
So Ive been waiting for the weather, winds and tides to be just right...I wanted to sleep in until 9 am also. (I like to sleep in which is why I missed the get together at Lake Williams/what can I say)
So looking at the weather a week in advance, today was the only day where I had no risk of a thunderstorm for the entire week, or very little. And since I have a small inflatable, and I'm always cautious about new locations..this was the day.
I arrive at the boat launch to see both sides are completely open.
I take a leak and take a peak at the launch again. All looks good. I am not being a prick by speeding into the launch in a hurry and ignoring the goings awn.
I pull into a spot and back my car in....some old folks in yaks are coming in on my right...and I notice a guy eye balling me as I back up. Ah..not sure what that is about because the coast looked completely clear and then some.
So I pop the trunk and start pulling out my inflatable,when I see this shadow of a dude walking up to me...he is in sunglasses and looks pissed. He says "Do you think you can pull up because that's my kayak." I look behind us and sure enough there is a yak I didn't see. Now I feel like a douche. I'm like "Yeah, how long is it gunna take?" Dumb question, but it was an awkward moment.
Any way, this dude suddenly looks familiar...and he is scopin out my trunk...he's like "Are you "Brandon." (which is my sons name) I was like man, I recognize you, you're "Carp" from the fishing message board.... (only I used his real name)...
So we shake hands, he looks less pissed off..we start to talk..he gives me some good pieces of information...and we are startin to hold up the launch I think...so I'm trying to get my boat together wanting to chat but trying to do what I need to and still talk..
So with some generous info, and an offer of some nice strips of squid we parted ways and I headed out.
I snapped up a couple of small blues, one 14inches and one 18 inches. Damn they fight so well. So many boats come up to the outflow and do the "drift" so we all get a shot....but this prick comes in with 20 people on his boat and anchors right on the freaking rocks in the middle of both flows...
Now I'm cruising up and in for the drift and cast. I've got the freak'n monster of blues, my drag is screamin and Im runnin out of line quick...I hear "Quint" from Jaws in my head yellin "Put some water on the reel!" I put the boat in reverse and realize I'm snagged....my line is running out quickly....now I'm simply a trying to salvage as much line as possible and expect to lose the lure....suddenly one of these "chooches" in the boat yells "Hey, is this your's?" as he holds up my property! I'm like YES, it is...so he tosses it in the water....and I'm thankful to get it back..but seriously, these guys monopolized the entire outflow..
Once high tide hit at 3 pm...I wasn't getting any more hits and the jackoffs left...and I released both blue fish...just like Carp said, they were not easy to release with the treble hooks.
So now the tide is bouncin me all around and the it's hairy...plus the fish have left....and of course the douches have as well...hmm, now what to do....My arm was tired after all that casting...I decided I would shut the motor off and drift out while I had lunch.
My fishing sandwich is five thin slices of ham and turkey, with Sargento Provolone on home pride wheat with a little mayo. Delicish. And of course some spring water.
Now I'm thinking "What a freakin gorgeous day...I will troll around with a lure and kind of wander off...(after that report of a kayak being attacked by a shark a couple weeks ago, I admit to being on alert....Now I was kind of hazy on the direction of the boat launch, but I brought along two huge batteries just in case....but after 20 minutes I realized something wasn't right......I was heading just like I left, opposite the direction of the antenna and close to seeing the red house that I mentally noted as a land mark prior to my departure. Now there were several red beach houses but obviously not the one I was looking for....I could see a way to cross from the ocean to the houses..It didn't look that far...So I was heading east....But after 40 minutes, those houses were not getting and larger..Bingo, you dummy, You fugged up...I'm going the wrong way..alright don't worry bout it..head opposite and hug the shoreline in case you have a problem...well out in that big water, using that antenna as a landmark, knowing I needed to head starboard of it...it was taking bloody forever...Holy Chinese hooters..you dummy...no boats in site BTW. I was feelin pretty stupid and then my motor simply shut off. This never happened before and I was pretty sure why...hopefully it was just my battery...so a little flip floppin around and I swapped my emergency battery for the drained one...back in business...now I'm thinkin, I better have no failures or I'm up shits creak...so I'm gettin serious about gettin back....It's takin forever...but things are looking familiar...okay, got it....Ive located the boat launch...I was saying to myself out in the ocean, okay as soon as I see the launch, Imma going to get my ass back in the car and head out...but I decided...lemme try a little bit of fishin not too far from the launch..so I anchored...and put a sand worm on...Immediately I was getting bites...hard ones...oh excitement what could this be...I lost a few..damn it...then I finally set the hook properly..and what I found was the equivalent of a bluegill in a bass pond, only in salt water...damn..should I use this as bait?
Time to change tactics...I released it and it was now aprox 6pm..three hours after high tide...I thought, let me try some of Carp's strips...and so I did...I was gettin plenty of interest from somethin...lost several..and Bango! Ive got one on and I know it's not a blue fish and it is not a "shitfish"...As I carefully tried to tire him out since I had light tackle, eventually I saw a nice pancake rising to the top and I swooped up under him with the Walmart giant net...in the boat he goes.....SWEET...that is the first nice fish I have caught after going to Old Saybrook/CT river bout 5 times this season...and all the other fresh water places....probably 12 days and 400 dollars in tackle, bait and gas at least.
Anyway, let me see if I can post some pics...Thank you Carp, I am so happy I ran into you today..that was a really a freaky coincidence!
Anyway, he mentioned heading out to Waterford a few weeks back. It's a big place. It's not a little secret fishing spot...but he was willing to give me some basic instruction through this site.
So Ive been waiting for the weather, winds and tides to be just right...I wanted to sleep in until 9 am also. (I like to sleep in which is why I missed the get together at Lake Williams/what can I say)
So looking at the weather a week in advance, today was the only day where I had no risk of a thunderstorm for the entire week, or very little. And since I have a small inflatable, and I'm always cautious about new locations..this was the day.
I arrive at the boat launch to see both sides are completely open.
I take a leak and take a peak at the launch again. All looks good. I am not being a prick by speeding into the launch in a hurry and ignoring the goings awn.
I pull into a spot and back my car in....some old folks in yaks are coming in on my right...and I notice a guy eye balling me as I back up. Ah..not sure what that is about because the coast looked completely clear and then some.
So I pop the trunk and start pulling out my inflatable,when I see this shadow of a dude walking up to me...he is in sunglasses and looks pissed. He says "Do you think you can pull up because that's my kayak." I look behind us and sure enough there is a yak I didn't see. Now I feel like a douche. I'm like "Yeah, how long is it gunna take?" Dumb question, but it was an awkward moment.
Any way, this dude suddenly looks familiar...and he is scopin out my trunk...he's like "Are you "Brandon." (which is my sons name) I was like man, I recognize you, you're "Carp" from the fishing message board.... (only I used his real name)...
So we shake hands, he looks less pissed off..we start to talk..he gives me some good pieces of information...and we are startin to hold up the launch I think...so I'm trying to get my boat together wanting to chat but trying to do what I need to and still talk..
So with some generous info, and an offer of some nice strips of squid we parted ways and I headed out.
I snapped up a couple of small blues, one 14inches and one 18 inches. Damn they fight so well. So many boats come up to the outflow and do the "drift" so we all get a shot....but this prick comes in with 20 people on his boat and anchors right on the freaking rocks in the middle of both flows...
Now I'm cruising up and in for the drift and cast. I've got the freak'n monster of blues, my drag is screamin and Im runnin out of line quick...I hear "Quint" from Jaws in my head yellin "Put some water on the reel!" I put the boat in reverse and realize I'm snagged....my line is running out quickly....now I'm simply a trying to salvage as much line as possible and expect to lose the lure....suddenly one of these "chooches" in the boat yells "Hey, is this your's?" as he holds up my property! I'm like YES, it is...so he tosses it in the water....and I'm thankful to get it back..but seriously, these guys monopolized the entire outflow..
Once high tide hit at 3 pm...I wasn't getting any more hits and the jackoffs left...and I released both blue fish...just like Carp said, they were not easy to release with the treble hooks.
So now the tide is bouncin me all around and the it's hairy...plus the fish have left....and of course the douches have as well...hmm, now what to do....My arm was tired after all that casting...I decided I would shut the motor off and drift out while I had lunch.
My fishing sandwich is five thin slices of ham and turkey, with Sargento Provolone on home pride wheat with a little mayo. Delicish. And of course some spring water.
Now I'm thinking "What a freakin gorgeous day...I will troll around with a lure and kind of wander off...(after that report of a kayak being attacked by a shark a couple weeks ago, I admit to being on alert....Now I was kind of hazy on the direction of the boat launch, but I brought along two huge batteries just in case....but after 20 minutes I realized something wasn't right......I was heading just like I left, opposite the direction of the antenna and close to seeing the red house that I mentally noted as a land mark prior to my departure. Now there were several red beach houses but obviously not the one I was looking for....I could see a way to cross from the ocean to the houses..It didn't look that far...So I was heading east....But after 40 minutes, those houses were not getting and larger..Bingo, you dummy, You fugged up...I'm going the wrong way..alright don't worry bout it..head opposite and hug the shoreline in case you have a problem...well out in that big water, using that antenna as a landmark, knowing I needed to head starboard of it...it was taking bloody forever...Holy Chinese hooters..you dummy...no boats in site BTW. I was feelin pretty stupid and then my motor simply shut off. This never happened before and I was pretty sure why...hopefully it was just my battery...so a little flip floppin around and I swapped my emergency battery for the drained one...back in business...now I'm thinkin, I better have no failures or I'm up shits creak...so I'm gettin serious about gettin back....It's takin forever...but things are looking familiar...okay, got it....Ive located the boat launch...I was saying to myself out in the ocean, okay as soon as I see the launch, Imma going to get my ass back in the car and head out...but I decided...lemme try a little bit of fishin not too far from the launch..so I anchored...and put a sand worm on...Immediately I was getting bites...hard ones...oh excitement what could this be...I lost a few..damn it...then I finally set the hook properly..and what I found was the equivalent of a bluegill in a bass pond, only in salt water...damn..should I use this as bait?
Time to change tactics...I released it and it was now aprox 6pm..three hours after high tide...I thought, let me try some of Carp's strips...and so I did...I was gettin plenty of interest from somethin...lost several..and Bango! Ive got one on and I know it's not a blue fish and it is not a "shitfish"...As I carefully tried to tire him out since I had light tackle, eventually I saw a nice pancake rising to the top and I swooped up under him with the Walmart giant net...in the boat he goes.....SWEET...that is the first nice fish I have caught after going to Old Saybrook/CT river bout 5 times this season...and all the other fresh water places....probably 12 days and 400 dollars in tackle, bait and gas at least.
Anyway, let me see if I can post some pics...Thank you Carp, I am so happy I ran into you today..that was a really a freaky coincidence!
yeah so I walk to my car after a full days fishing,I'm ready to back down the ramp to go get my yak and this guy is coming from my left so I wait for him to go by,next thing you know he's backing down the ramp,no boat trailer,no yak on the roof,"what the hell his this douche bag doing" I say to myself,he's got the trunk popped and I see the raft.........oh.....
..........that was a coincidence huh?............pretty cool meeting ya man.............but yeah,not a secret spot that's why you gotta get up early, had them blues all to myself just after sunrise,go early on a weekday you could have just about any spot you want all to yourself....................some a-hole ALWAYS anchors between the flows there,that's the main spot where fish like to hang,better to cast into it than park on top of it..............the "bluegill equivalent you caught was a baby black sea bass,there are thousands of those around this year,one of the reasons I use squid as opposed to sand worms,bait-stealers,squid stays on the hook much better and cheaper too.................you could have dropped a jig down further out in front of the outflow after the blues cooled down,jigging anywhere in that general area will produce fluke and scup..............sounds like you had a decent time and I'm glad I could help.....................now all you gotta do is keep that big toe out of all your photos and you'll be good............hate to say it but I tend to agree with the ex............put some damned shoes on! 
..........that was a coincidence huh?............pretty cool meeting ya man.............but yeah,not a secret spot that's why you gotta get up early, had them blues all to myself just after sunrise,go early on a weekday you could have just about any spot you want all to yourself....................some a-hole ALWAYS anchors between the flows there,that's the main spot where fish like to hang,better to cast into it than park on top of it..............the "bluegill equivalent you caught was a baby black sea bass,there are thousands of those around this year,one of the reasons I use squid as opposed to sand worms,bait-stealers,squid stays on the hook much better and cheaper too.................you could have dropped a jig down further out in front of the outflow after the blues cooled down,jigging anywhere in that general area will produce fluke and scup..............sounds like you had a decent time and I'm glad I could help.....................now all you gotta do is keep that big toe out of all your photos and you'll be good............hate to say it but I tend to agree with the ex............put some damned shoes on! 
Wow! I got mentally lost trying to figure out where you were going. It sound like you were trying to cross the Niantic Bay??? Did you launch from Jordan's Cove? Nice fluke, fugly toe. In a few weeks the albies should start coming in and they will often run right up off the jetties from Harkness up Two Tree channel. Easy access for your boat and yakers. If you ever got a 2hp motor for that thing you could run it all day on a 2gal tank.
Wow! I got mentally lost trying to figure out where you were going. It sound like you were trying to cross the Niantic Bay??? Did you launch from Jordan's Cove? Nice fluke, fugly toe. In a few weeks the albies should start coming in and they will often run right up off the jetties from Harkness up Two Tree channel. Easy access for your boat and yakers. If you ever got a 2hp motor for that thing you could run it all day on a 2gal tank.
Yeah man..I launched out of dock road....If I wrap it all up to make it easier to understand, I would have hung a sharp left out of the launch and kept going for an hour. (I didn't do that...I did my fishing at the stacks but then ventured out to look for other spots...that's where I got a little confused...there was a lot of sun that day and I should have been more hydrated.
I'm itching to buy an engine for it, but I'm really thinking it may be pointless to keep putting money into this thing instead of investing in a real boat for next year. The kids are getting bigger and they are not going to want to keep squeezing on that thing.
I really want an older 17 foot Yamaha jet boat. Only problems to over come, money, a vehicle to tow, and a place to store....lol. So, I might give into the engine idea..but then again..I may only use the boat this year another six times...So then I need to winterize an engine that I might not use next year.
my dad always told me that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into. I have my nucanoe and it was not cheap, but seems as though boats always need something. If the kids are getting bigger, get a row boat, and make them paddle. Keeps them out of the tackle bag, and there ready for bed by the time you get home. My son gets tired just watching me paddle. He is a little young yet to use as propulsion, but his time is coming!!!!!