HUDSON RIVER 09 TRIP II

[ray koziatek]

Ok with a call to the river baitshop finding out a 50 lbr and several 30lb class caught won and placed in a local derby ,and a threat from the owner that if i didnt go on 5/20 he would drive to corning and drag my butt down there.So i give Musky a big 5 hr notice "their in" and we pull out at 1am after 2 hrs off sleep.Musky arrived early and parked next to some hot babe in her car (at 4am) and was making eyes at her till she pulled her .45 cal at point blank informed him she was security and to park else where .After the 4 hr drive and another HOT tip from the bait shop we started hunting and did well during the incoming tide and had some hot action during the cool morn. Then the only hot thing for the next 5 hrs was musky getting (a tiny bit) irrated at me for looking in my 200 hot spots tring to find THE SCHOOL it never happened in 80 temps with no wind.(or beer). After a nice boat ride for a few pics of West Point we returned to our spot to ride the incomming tide and fill our cooler (released all the keepers from morning bite). Well being confident in my skills and 11 years fishing the Hudson we continued to release "keepers" till the last pass. With a clicking sound coming from muskies eyelids,my friends son sleeping sitting up ,and my son snoring in the cabin I put out the "spread"in 15 mph and growing winds. The fish cooperaped and we hooked up with several smaller keepers 18" min. length , still holding out for the BIG ONE to fill out limit 1 per day.then i give the order to exicute any fish over 18 " so we dont come home empty handed. It happened the next fish was a 22"er and my friend son gets it abord and we sigh with relief. of knowing 1 to go at 8:15 pm.Now if you ever striped bass you know prespawing males have saved up for a year for the big event and after the "fight" they tend to loose control of ALL of there muscles including there prostrate gland proudly leaving a stream of milk on every surface you hold them over including feet and legs ,as he held up the last fish it saw Musky in his stripped shirt and eureka it let loose and the fish quickly deposited the years savings all over him and the boat and Nick (not doublehaul we actually landed this fish). Then nick held the fish over the side of the boat as we leaped for the stringer to exicute him. Being of higher intelligence than nick(not doublehaul we actually landed this fish) the fish saw his last chance for freedom and with a flip of its powerful (not like walleyes) body it said see ya and swam all the way to the ocean with the relief and story to his friends of knowing it just spawned the biggest stripper in history. so with a skeepish look on nicks face (just like doublehaul tripping a dypsy) we redeploy but with growing seas and darkness shortining our 15 hr day on the water we pull rods and head for home. Now Musky with visions of a refridigerator full of left overs dancing in his head makes his trip hiome in record time . And after a night of peacefull rest sitting up in my van I arrive home at 8am after our 1 day trip 31hrs later. Never do a day trip in 85 deg. day and try to drive with a boat in tow (the state has special double vision lane markers). So musky got his bucket list day of stripped basswith one to take home,nick (not the one that tripped the dypsy) had one too. And my son and I arrived home fishless and vowed NEVER to do a 450mile day trip again.PS.we did land 34 fish so a good time was had by all and We look foward to another HUdson trip or two in the future.

[Guppy35]

Another great story Ray! Glad everyone had a good time.

[bottom-feeder]

sounds like a good time.... thanks for the detailed report

todd

[skipper19]

Ray, you can't get good sleep stopping at a truckstop. The coin operated beavers prolly saw yer hot buffy mode and kept bangin yer door. How are ya gonna get more fish next time if ya keep gettin them excited and droppin their load before they get to do their thing? Coitus interuptus Good story though, sounds like you had fun between the winks.

Mark

[muskybob]

West Point

MMmm, dinner