# Good Grief!



## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

I never knew having fun could be so miserable.

My bikini-clad deckhand didn't show up - again, so I made a solo trip to the Tallapoosa to show the stripers who was still the boss. Like one of the epic Rocky Balboa boxing matches, we beat each other's ass pretty bad.

Without a deckhand, the old man had to throw the castnet himself, but after lots of pissing and moaning, and shooting a BIG moccasin that tried to climb the trolling motor shaft, I managed a dozen beautiful big gizzard shad. I cranked up to make the run from the 90 degree water to the 64 degree water where the stripers be stayin'. At 35 mph, I was drying out pretty quick and enjoying the breeze when my box of kosher salt (used to condition the shad) fell on the floor of the boat, followed quickly by my full Diet Pepsi. Cuss, cuss! Made a nice sticky paste on the floor of the boat. Where's my deckhand?

The stripers were on fire! I released a two-footer, and rebaited with a big gizzard. BOOM! It's a monster! This fish scared me. Before I could get to the rod through all the cola/salt paste, he had nearly dumped the spool. I quickly gave chase with the trolling motor, and when I thought I might be gaining control of the fight, ... he gone. Line cut on his gill plates. I felt like an amatuer. Rod tip high makes little difference when he's 100+ yards away and smoking straight away.

I'm sweating profusely. Dog flies have found my ankles. No bug spray. It's September. Amatuer.

I fetch my giant flyswatter and flail away. As I'm putting a new bait out I get thumped and hook another ten pounder. Dog flies. Fight the fish - swat the ankles. Repeat. The fish gets boatside, and he has triple wrapped my other line. Dog flies. Deckhand?

Despite the ever-increasing numbers of dog flies, I land two more energetic stripers. The sun isn't down yet, so I put out two more frisky baits and BOOM, BOOM, I've got a double on! With a rod in each hand, I'm trying to determine which is the biggest when the dog flies release their shock-and-awe attack. Small fish goes in the rodholder while I swat ankles with the swatter. Big, big fish on the other rod. Fight, swat, repeat. Take a few turns on the rod in the holder. Swat. Adjust the drag on the big fish. Swat. Cuss. Swat some more. I'm melting. Swat and cuss.

Got em both. Released them both after a quick photo op. Big boy was well over 20 pounds. Then I did something this old fisherman never does...

I quit.

Stripers chewing the prop off the outboard and frisky shad in the tank and I quit. You wait til I see my bikini-clad deckhand.


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

That has got the be the best post I've read in a long time. Had me on the edge of my seat.

Awesome report, that top fish is fat, what's with the broken lines? mixed breed?


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## skiff89_jr (Apr 1, 2011)

Always enjoy your reports Bodupp...keep it up. Maybe one day I'll get into striper fishing. For now Crappie and Flats...occasional Blue.


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## ChileRelleno (Jul 7, 2012)

Great report, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Need pics of those fly bitten ankles with those fish, make Jason's Foot thread.


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## GallantReflex (Mar 22, 2008)

Great post! Love a good story


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

barefoot said:


> That has got the be the best post I've read in a long time. Had me on the edge of my seat.
> 
> Awesome report, that top fish is fat, what's with the broken lines? mixed breed?


The broken line ID on stripers is a common misconception. Rarely do I catch one that doesn't have broken lines somewhere. These are all true striped bass, but they're stocked by the state. Maybe that has something to do with it.


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## Donut slayer (Jan 16, 2009)

I'll come be your new deckhand, but I aint wearing no bikini. You'll have to settle for my G string.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

ChileRelleno said:


> Great report, the good, the bad and the ugly.
> Need pics of those fly bitten ankles with those fish, make Jason's Foot thread.



Dat's right!!!!

Heck I got into some flies like that one day and actually broke some buttons off one of my ugly shirts using it as a fly swatter!!! Luckily there were those wonderful replacements at the bottom.!!!!


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

You're a striper catching machine ! Nice post !


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## jcoss15 (Oct 11, 2010)

Nice, that striper looks like he's going to bust.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Donut slayer said:


> I'll come be your new deckhand, but I aint wearing no bikini. You'll have to settle for my G string.


Slayer, if you're a woman, it's possible. But a guy... mmm, NO! I start puking when I see guys in Speedos, especially if they put the potato in the back. :no:


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## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Wirelessly posted

LMAO

Funniest post I've read in quite a while. 

Can't wait for photos of bikini-clad deckhand.


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## Mac1528 (Mar 24, 2012)

+2^^^^


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## NLytle (May 13, 2014)

Stripper catching machine. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## barefoot (Nov 3, 2011)

Donut slayer said:


> I'll come be your new deckhand, but I aint wearing no bikini. You'll have to settle for my G string.


 I want in on this action...How about if I BRING a bikini clad eyepiece, I just want to catch one of those babies. :thumbup:


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

barefoot said:


> I want in on this action...How about if I BRING a bikini clad eyepiece, I just want to catch one of those babies. :thumbup:


You're getting my attention, especially if she shows up with a case of bug spray.

I must be getting old. I can't EVER remember leaving fish while I still have bait left, much less putting the boat on the trailer while it's still daylight. I'm thinking of hiring one of those C-47's to come and spray the dogflies before I try this again.


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