Not Your Average Fishing Report!

I finally got to have my day on the water with "Captain Collins" and I couldn't have asked for a better day!

I Swear to God I'm Wearing a Top!

As I was scrolling through our pictures at the end of the day, happily showing Ryan's parents all the pretty scenery and big fish, this gem of a picture showed up...

To my dismay, his parents couldn't stop laughing and neither could anyone else who saw the picture, so I thought, why not start my very first fishing report with that picture?!

But seriously, there is a top behind that fish, as you can clearly see below!

This was quite the day, let me tell you.  Beginning with delicious iced coffees and ending with a hair raising journey through some serious mud (I'll explain that later). It was a memorable trip to say the least.

But first I think I'll begin my very first fishing report with a few important pieces of information for those of you, who like me, are not quite "in tune" with striper fishing.

1. A full moon low tide is extreme, and that is what we would end up experiencing first hand during this trip.  When you need to get towed into one of the Cape's tidal estuaries on a full moon low tide, you better hold your breath because its not always pretty.
2. When I pack for things, I always pack more than I need.  Whether its clothing or food, I always pack for triple the days I am away.  People think it's ridiculous, so this time around I only packed for a five hour trip, all spent in the last rays of hot summer sunshine.  I will never make that mistake again! (once again I'll explain later)
3. Ryan Collins, the creator of MFCC, makes grace under pressure look like a walk in the park.
4. Fish like to pee on people.  I can't argue with them after the torture they get put through.  Lesson learned?  Pack wet wipes.
5. I need to go lift some weights, maybe some bicep curls?  Those fish are strong!

So now that we have that out of the way, I'll paint you a picture of my first Cape Cod boat fishing trip since 2013.

"A 3 Hour Tour"...

It started like any typical day.  I awoke in a frenzy, excited about the day, while Ryan pretended to ignore me so he could sleep just a little longer.

After getting our much needed iced coffees, we set off for the marina.  The day was perfect!  Glassy water, perfect sun to cloud ratio, just perfect.

We met up with Ryan's cousin Kevin (who often helps produce MFCC podcasts) and his girlfriend Chantel.  A few years back we ended our summer the same way, so I'd like to think we are making a tradition out of this...minus a few parts of our day.

The whole ride out was smooth sailing - calm, warm waters, the sun shining, the sea spray hitting me as we went - it's all things that make me love being out on the water.

Naturally this entire trip was all about fishing first, then relaxing on a beach second.  So the minute we got out, we were on the hunt.

I will remind you again that this is not the kind of fishing report you will use for tips and tricks - I don't know what the heck Ryan is talking about most of the time.  It's the same as if I took him to the barn and asked him to go jump one of the horses - he wouldn't have a clue!

I'm always baffled by terms like green deadly dicks and pink daddy macks - they sound like something I want no part of.  So I will remind you again, this is not going to be a useful fishing report, at least in the usual sense.

Anyways, getting back to things, we finally hooked up...

You like that bend in the rod?

That's nice, I particularly love that perfectly blue water.  But to each their own, right?

As you can see, Ryan and Kevin were both on some really nice fish!

Even for a non-fishing lady like myself, it's still pretty cool to see these magnificent animals up close.

We ended up encountering many schools of fish as they patrolled the shoreline - hundreds of them in each school, and all I know is that it was deep enough for a shark to possibly be lurking under our boat the whole time.

So after Ryan and Kevin caught their fill, it was time for the women of this trip to flex some muscle - and boy did we ever!

Almost Time to Relax on the Beach

The second my fish was on, it was instantly a fight to the finish.  He was clearly a seasoned fish and knew exactly what to do, so by the end of it my biceps were burning and my hand and wrist were permanently fused in the position of the reel.

So naturally I was so elated that I kissed him - much to the dismay of the fish, as you can clearly see.

So after fishing for a few hours, it was finally time to get some well deserved beach time.

But first, the boys had to figure out how to anchor the boat, in an unexpectedly swift current...

After trying three different ways to Sunday, the boys decided the best thing to do would be to get out and pull the boat in together.

Our sailor friend here below, thought that was just great.  He watched with binoculars as he sailed by with a nice big grin on his face.

Maybe you had to be there, but Chantal and I thought it was pretty funny.

The beauty of having a Monday off from work is that when you go to a place like this, you don't have to share your space with many people.  There were more seagulls than beachgoers...

The water was warm - maybe around 78 or so, with crystal clear, island-style waters.

The only difficult aspect to being on the beach during a weekday evening, is knowing you need to be at work the very next morning.

So we packed up our stuff, ready to head home.  We pulled anchor, then went to turn the boat on...

Engine Trouble...

Nothing. The engine wasn't starting.

So Ryan tried again.

Nothing.

All I could think was "This is why I always over pack!"  Of course this time I didn't, lesson learned.

Poor Ryan tried everything - even Google failed to help him sort out this dilemma.

We were miles from the harbor and the sun was about to set. With a tow back, then the drive home, I was looking at a 1am bedtime.  Mind you my bedtime is generally 10:30pm at the latest!

I will tell you one thing though, the founder of this site, Mr. Ryan Collins, handled this situation like the pro he is.  Not once did he show any frustration.  I may have heard a crack in his voice at one point and possibly a watery eye, but that quickly disappeared.

Thank Goodness for Tow Boat USA!

Our Tow Boat USA captain (pictured below) came within the hour, hooked us up and off we went.  We were taking a gamble with the full moon low tide by attempting to enter a nearer by tidal estuary, but it was worth the risk.

If all went well, we could utilize this closer boat ramp, instead of being towed miles upon miles back to our original harbor. For me this meant I might get to bed before 1am.

The trip back to the harbor was intense.  On either side of us was essentially mud with a film of water over it, and we were sitting on maybe 2 feet of water.  The whole time we all watched intently as we were taken into the estuary, going slower than a snail, all the while attached to a tow boat.  Yikes!

Fortunately our tow boat captain did a phenomenal job, meandering through a skinny channel where there was no room for error. The boat ramp had a few gallons of water available, and we were able to get the boat out with no major issues!

If you don't have a membership to Tow Boat USA, I would highly suggest that you do.  Our captain who came to save us was wonderful - and the best part?  We didn't pay some ridiculous amount of money for our tow - which would of cost at least $900 had Ryan not been a Tow Boat USA member.

Thankfully, all the engine needed was a new starter, which after labor cost Ryan about $350.

We all arrived home safe, a bit tired but still with smiles on our faces.  When you can keep a stressful situation as positive as possible, it makes life a whole lot easier.

Thankfully we had Captain Collins and Tow Boat USA by our side 🙂