Well...my wide load permit for my 10'6 fatass beam did not arrive so I made the call to leave from Rudee Inlet this morning at 3AM Sharp....onboard were Billable Ours Dave, Skinnys Kid Don, JSuperjeff (Jeff) and Steady....the weather was definately not light and variable for the 105 mile run south to where the water had pushed out to...we ran to where the last good shot was and the water was nasty Green and cold....so we picked up and headed directly into the SW wind at 20Kts and ended up finding the edge at around the 500 line south of the point...we proceeded to catch a bunch fo peanut and finally get a nice 17 pound Bull on the line which the crew made short work of....called lines in around 1PM cause we had a long run back and I was frankly worried about gas.....ended up back at Fishing center around 4PM for a total round trip of 275 miles today !...wow....awesome day but bumpy and long....here's a couple of pics...Bob

The crew less the Captain...Bob

damn Bob, never thought a permit would of held ya back!! nice try man, were on for next weekend outta hatteras

275 Miles for one gaffer??? What, you got to love it. I got to say you got off the dock to give it a good try. More than I did

Bob you guys got it bad .....

You need to do what I did, just move on down to the OBX. There's some good deals on real estate right now.

Thats a heck of a run!

Nice job Bob, That is one hell of a run in that Southport.

You for sure out did our run together on my boat last year going 95 miles each way. That's a tough day for sure.

I'm not typing this report. I'm using my Jedi Mind tricks to strike the keys to make words since...I CAN"T MOVE A MUSCLE!!!! What a ride man!! This was the best builup for the offshore season though, as every other trip we take will feel like a walk in the park. 5 Bailers and 17 Bull...not totally worth it, but pretty darn close!! Great fishing with Bob, Steady, Dave and of course the on board entertainment...Capt Fatbeard!!

I think my testicles finally dropped back down to where they belong. Thanks for taking me along, I feel like it is a a make a wish foundation trip everytime i get to fish with you guys. And remember..." Nothing says fishing like saxaphone"

How To Build Charater...
Stay up late and drink with friends.
Get up 2 1/2 hours later.
Cut 2 hours off your normal leave to fish time.
Jump aboard a yellow Southport rocketship and the turn the corner South, OUT OF RUDEE.
Take your turn as the whipping boy of jokes by professionals Jeff, Steady, Don and Bob.
Feel the predicted SW breeze turn to a howling 20-25 and the seas confuse and stack to 5-7.
Jackhammer your spine, internal and external organs, and central nervous system for 3 hours, then realize you still have to return.
Take an extra turn as whipping boy of jokes.
Take a little more jackhammering on the more sensitive external organs.
Then....
Realize there is probably nothing better in the world than to be able to do this again with Still Think'n!!!!!
Thanks Bob and Crew!

speechless! Welcome Home!

you are the man
man what a ride
275 Miles thats 3 trips for me
glad you got something
Buddy

That run would have cost me $ 2894 at 4/gal in my BD glad you guys had fun.

Glad you caught some fish. Guess you deserved fish after your beating going out! Calling off my flounder trip today. I don't mind rain and even some rough weather, but I don't like lightning. Judy has me baby shopping for our September grandson-to-be since I'm not fishing. Hope the store has baby rod & reels.

Great job! At least you brought home the fish! I figure that was about $475.00 in fuel, so that fish was $28.00 a pound.
But you got to love it! No place I would rather be!

So, I am glad I am not the only one who thinks weatherman missed the forecast. We were out of HI and it definitely was not the 5-10 mph predicted. We wound up with 2 bailer dolphin. Heard Babby Ruth and his gps problems. Interestingly, we had the same problems in the same general area. Cleared up when we got close to home. Our trip was 126 miles and we used 45 gals gas. Did not get wet, but did get bounced around a bit. For a first trip, it was a success for us.
david Looks Fishy

$475 in fuel? Considerably more.

For the first trip of the season, it was an absolute backbreaker. I am still exhausted as I write this.

After fishing with Bob for 3+ years I have come to know one thing is for sure. When he makes up his mind on a gameplan, whether right or wrong, thats the gameplan we are going with. So fishing Morehead via Rudee was the gameplan.

Perfect example of this is yesterday. With Tuna on the mind, the few Mahi we were playing with were hardly worth the trip. Don and I have a spread out, we are trolling a nice break, and Bob sees two tones up front. Fatbeard is battling a decent for the day mahi, but Bob wants tuna. What happens? Bob takes off toward the two tones. Fatbeard yells "I am still fighting this fish Bob!" Bob replies "I don't give a &%#$ bout your mahi." Spread is everywhere now, we get to the two tones and Bob snarls at Don and I...."why the hell aren't any lines out?" CLASSIC.

For those of you that have fished with Bob you know that there have only been 3 cd's on the boat for the past 3 years. Seger greatest hits, kid rock, and gnr. Right as a seger songs ends for the 30th time, Fatbeard looks at me and says "Nothing says fishing like a saxophone." Funniest thing I have ever heard.

I peed myself reading that! There were no punches held. I kinda had a complex after that trip. Yes there is a mahi out there that needs dentures, Being that Bob sped up to 20 knots when he saw the 2-tones and i ripped his mouth out. We did laugh though at the expense of everyone, and i mean everyone ! I ripped on my captain, supermate, my fishing idol and veto holder steady, and a a Marine who could kill me with silly puddy, a toothpick, and a piece of corn. And they all yelled at me until i almost cried. But i wouldn't have it any other way. Epic !

You guys definately take the trophy for top honors in the effort department yesterday. I thought we had it bad when I saw that the original warm water off OI broke up and pushed offshore, I cancelled the original gameplan since it was kind of pointless with no water and opted to just follow the fleet. What do you know, put boat in at OI and run to Hatteras. With the agreed upon miss in weather forecast, would have been much nicer run down on back of trailer. Oh well, long run, 1 knockdown all day, shortage of beer but good friends and good company despite Mikes gas issues!

mine cleared up also after we got up with Phil (thank you again ) all but my TD lines that is was your screen jumping like one min. it said go this way then the next scond it should you nee to go the other way I was looking at the diomd tower and it showed it be hind me in auto course or north up
sorry

sound like a blast !!

You guys are awesome....thanks for putting up with me.....Bob

New Brass Balls Awarded to you guys. Stupidity has left my boat and has now been officially transfered !
Glad your back safe, lets drink some beer.
Todd

All I can say is "Wow".

Now thats a trip!!!

The fun continues!! I love it!! That why is graet fishing on Still Think'n!

One thing I did see this weekend that I have never seen before...Bob is usually as cool as ice on the boat...even after having an 80W Bent-butt go over the side, or loosing an outrigger every now and then. But this weekend...the retired USN Chief came out for a short time...talk about scary!!!

yea...I was pretty agitated that I made that call to make that long ass run....but like Steady says...I usually make up my mind and go for it...right or wrong....the fact that the winds were 20plus, seas were a mess and the water moved way south added to the fuel....but I've never laughed as hard as I did Saturday either......that trip was one for the archives for sure !....can't wait for the next adventure !>....who's in ??????????....Bob

Wow. I'm having my crew read this. We thought we were tough.

Bob...I'm in for a crossing!!! Bermuda here we come!!!

you can count me in for one time

I have passed more than 20 cops and state troopers on my two trips to Hatteras this year not one even looked my direction. I think all the hype from that big accident has passed. If you have double brake axles and a diesel truck you should be fine.....then again someone will probably prove me wrong.

Lets take a left out of rudee next time and just go the long way around to hatteras.

You boys should have stopped in for lunch. Sounds like you were right off the beach here in Wilmington! While there's cetainly not a more entertaining group on the seven seas, and probably no group I'd rather fish with, I'll wait for the book to come out on the Hatteras via Cape Horn trip. Not sure these old bones could handle that....LOL!

Bob,
I'd do it again with you anytime if invited...I'd just prepare myself a little differently. We NEVER felt unsafe, just a wee bit uncomfortable. By the way, who gets the vote for the smallest bladder in all of the world?

Jeff..."Bob I've gotta Pee!" We would have been there in 3 hours, BUT we had to keep stopping for Jeff. No coffee pre-boarding!!

What can i say... I got a big weiner and a small bladder !

And George...Me and Steady were gonna crash at your pad and take a flight home !

i'm a big wiener small bladder guy too. I agree with everything you guys said about a day out with Capn' Bob.

My experience with the "Old Salt" - After leaving Rudy at sometime in the middle of the night - and fishin' off - I think, the coast of Africa - I really didn't mind drinking a 50-50 beer (half salt water half beer) because we were finally approaching US waters (at 60 knots) on the way home after a very long day.

But, I have to come to Capn' Bob's defense, he really does his research and goes for big fish in the box. I've fished with the old Capn' from Maryland to the Keys. He's a "go big or go home" kinda guy - you have to respect that...

Doug...what are you doing here ? Shouldn't you be designing something ?....lol.....

FYI..Doug has fished with me in the keys with my Pop on probably the best Sailfishing trip I've ever been on !.....not to mention getting his ass beat on the old Aquasport !....bob

You guys should call ESPN and have your own "Reality Fishing" show. It would be better than most of the shows they have on now. I'd watch for sure just to see Bob speed-trolling with live Mahi.

Nice work on kicking off the season. Can't catch 'em at the dock.

See ya!