# Dauphin Island report for 6/4/2011



## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

Well, yesterday was my birthday so I figured I was in for good luck of massive proportions! Started the day coaching my sons little league team in an elimination game in the playoffs against a team we'd beaten in the first round so it should've been a great kickoff at 9am to the day. Nope! We get slaughtered and worse yet (coach pitch and i'm the pitcher), a kid on the other team isn't paying attention and beans me in the head with a ball while I wasn't looking the other way talking to my 3rd base coach. Anyway, we lose and the season ends so we pile quickly in the car and race for home where we already have the boat hooked up. Change into our suits and race down to Billy Goat Hole, arrive about noon. Have to park a good mile and a half away so nothing like already being baked by the sun, tired from throwing 150 pitches, now walking a trek back to the dock. No biggie, we decide instead of going to Sand island East side to swim, we'd go to the west end past the Katrina Cut to do something new and check it out since i hadn't been there before. Beach the boat, get out, eat lunch all going well. Gets to be about 330 so we get back in boat only to find it is SWARMING with biting flies. Wife and two kids as well as me are not pleased. We quickly fight them as we get on plane and head to the bridge going about 35mph thinking we'd "shake them". We get to the bridge to our spot where we usually are a lock to catch a few flounder, reds, drum etc. Anchor up, start casting. Flies start to come back. The more we killed, the more that came back. At one point, I counted over 100 dead by myself! We tried to fish through it, only catching one small legal flattie, tons of stingrays, catfish, lady fish etc. Overwhelmed, we try to ditch the flies again by making a long run to the Exxon rig to try our luck. Tide is changing, birds everywhere, sun setting. Perfect conditions. However, we stop the boat to anchor and BAM! The flies are back! I gave up and headed straight to the launch. Get in and have the 1.5 mile walk to truck. Then when I'm wenching the boat up, my strap snaps! Holy hell could it get any worse? Tie her down and head for the house. On the way home we have to take a massive detour bc cops have a road block up for something. Now we decide we need to pick up dinner bc it's getting real late and our 5 and 7 year old are starving again. Decide to stop by the Boiling Pot in Tillmans corner. Guess, what? FRIGGING CLOSED at 8:30! Who the hell closes a dinner restaraunt at 8:30 on saturday night? So we settle for Taco Bell which near by only to find THEY OUR OUT OF MILD SAUCE! lol At this point I don't care. Head home, exhausted, frustrated. Clean the boat, unload the gear, freeze up $30 of bait, cut up the lady fish for later bait. Start putting the tarp on, got it on and realize, it's upside down! Have redo it. 

Needless to say, this was one of the worst strings of bad luck on a bday I've ever seen. Oh well, no time to pout as my wife's bday is today! I'm just knowing she's going to tell me she's pregnant with triplets or something!

Wish I had a better report for ya!

PS-Being swarmed by flies at the Katrina Cut, ever happen to you guys? Was this a freak thing or normal for that area? I've been to sand island east point and the bridge 1000 times with never a single problem like this.


----------



## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

They were ruthless yesterday. Ran us off to.


----------



## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

Happy Birthday. The present was a day with the family! The bad days are what make the good ones so much better.


----------



## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

Oh yeah, we've smoked them so many times we can't complain. Just hated the family had to put up with those ruthless flies. Going to definitely arm ourselves with a few weapons in case it happens again. Does a Thermo Cell work on those flies? Deet? Raid?


----------



## LAHossman (Oct 4, 2007)

Most people don't like the deet, but it does work. I work in the marsh a lot, and products that have 90 percent or more deet is the only thing that keeps the deer flies, black flies, and the most dreaded no-see-ums off of us. I use the stuff as stick-em for my plastic machete handles. It melts it down! But, I tell you, you'll use acid if it will keep those bastages off you.


----------



## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

I use that stuff during bowhunting to keep ticks off. I just never thought to carry it fishing! lol I'll definitely throw some in the boat.


----------



## todd in the bay (Oct 3, 2007)

It sounds like you were "due" for one of those kind of trips. We just have to grin and bear it. Happens to us like that all the time. That's boating for ya. Gotta love it!


----------



## AAR (Mar 15, 2011)

Get a Thermocell. They truly work. I used one last bow season and I never had any more problems with any type of bugs bothering me.


----------



## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

I have one and use it for bowhunting as well. Does great on mosquitoes. I tried it in the boat last summer to ward off sand gnats, but it didn't work so I didn't think it would work on these flies. I'll have to fire it up next time. Frankly, we were being swarmed so bad, I didn't even remember I had the thing on board as I store it in the center console out of sight. Thanks for reminding me, I'll have to give it a shot next time.


----------



## AAR (Mar 15, 2011)

I guess the thing about using it on a boat is that the wind could blow away the scent that the thermocell is producing. I know when I use it for bowhunting, it takes a minute to get the smoke all around you before it becomes effective.


----------



## Ruger7mmmag (Jun 3, 2011)

I tried using my natural thermo cell, but all it did was repel the wife and kids...


----------



## redeyes (Jan 14, 2008)

We keep a few cans of RAID flying insect spray on the boat just for those flies, works on wasps too.


----------

