In a slump/BB's first trip out for 2014 at HRBT.

After the disaster of my first trip out at the HRBT I completely revamped the layout of my kayak, built a better crate, and replaced some of my fishing tackle I decided to head back out.
The Norfolk side looked windy so me and BB drove across the tunnel to the Hampton side and launched at Fort Monroe.
We quickly found the croaker using fish bites but the water was very cloudy and there was alot of grass and floating debris on the surface of the water. The outgoing tide was stronger around the island so we began searching for flatter and tastier fish up and down the pilings. For the majority of the day we only managed croaker and spot, but I did manage a small grey trout (weakfish) on a vudu shrimp and shortly after followed it up with a small dink flounder.

Small grey trout.

Croaker

Small flounder.

BB was havin fun paddling around catching fish and I had moved down around the island since the tide current slacked off. I managed a few more 12 inch croaker. BB came paddling towards me and she was really excited because she had caught "a fish with a tooth." She had caught another small grey trout.

BBs small grey all the excitement.

BB likes to catch any fish even croakers.

We never managed any keepers but we did have a good day on the water. I even managed to not get sun burned.

I headed back out two days later and it seemed I have fallen back down into a slump. I was very excited earlier this year to have broken what appeared to be my saltwater fishing slump. I managed to get out on the water when the redfish spring frenzy was at its hottest and even managed to catch some other species I was after like flounder, bluefish and speckled trout. Unfortunately as the weather has warmed up and now the unstable weather, and increased training schedule at work has caused my time on the water to be cut to one trip out a week if im lucky.
I started using bucktail jigs with PTL trailer and casting out fishbites just to keep myself occupied while searching for flounder. After a few hours and catchin nothin but spot and croaker around the pilings and between the bridges I paddled around the island to the tunnel. I switched over to just using a PTL hammer shad in pearl with the tail spiked in orange. I would jig it across the bottom slow with a few sharp jerks every now and then. The croaker I was catching got bigger and less frequent and then I got hit by something that immediately started taking drag. I fought the fish for a few minutes and then got it closer to the kayak and I see a monster of a grey trout. Unfortunately he seen the kayak and started running again and as I pulled my rod to turn his head my lure came flying out of the water past my head. I reeled in and sure enough my owner jig head had a hook like a needle. I had lost the biggest grey trout I had ever seen. I tied on a new jig head and drifted down the side of the island. I was once told that fishing is as much a mental activity as physical and I was feeling pretty low about losing the grey so I decided to head back in, atleast I didnt lose any fishing gear!

He wasnt even hooked, I dont know how he got tied up.

Small spot.

Fat ugly oyster toad, thought he was a flounder.

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Flipper, Flipper

So far this spring has been very kind to me fishing wise. I hoped the weather was going to be nice at the start of summer so I was able to get out stay in the groove and continue catching some quality fish. Unfortunately Mother Nature, my work schedule, and all around bad luck had other plans. Several nice warm days I had a reverse work schedule and was only able to look on with envy at the catches and read the reports of fish being caught. When I finally got a day off, the wind decided to flare up and lower temperatures turned the bite off.

My first trip out at the HRBT proved to be successful and it wasnt long before I was  hooked into a monster fish. It doubled over my fishing rod and went on several hard runs pulling drag. As I got it closer to the boat I was amazed to see a flounder that had to be atleast 25 inches long and as wide as a door mat. I grabbed for my fish grips thinking I had him beat and as I pulled his head up he started head shaking. After a few shakes and another splash of his tail and then my line went slack and I looked on as he quickly disappeared under the water. All I was left with was a twisted mangled straightened out stainless swivel snap that was suppose to be rated at 50 pounds. Thinking this would be my 'bad luck' moment of the day I kept fishing hoping to find a good flounder to put on the stringer.
I continued jigging lookin for flounder and managed to bring in several bluefish and then the bite died so I decided to move further down the bridge. I had pulled my anchor up and left it in my lap since I had only planned to move 20 yards or so, put my rod in a rod holder behind my seat and started paddling. Suddenly my Shimano Curado/Abu Garcia Volitale combo decided to come out of the flush mounted rod holder. Seeing my combo fall into the water, I panicked  and lunged for the rod. This would be my biggest mistake. As I lunged for the rod my legs still on the kayak and the momentum of my body weight shifting was enough to pull my kayak over and flip it. I couldnt believe it happened and for a second I was in the water just looking at all of my fishing tackle sink to the bottom. Two of my rods I wasnt using had rod leashes on them but my tackleboxes were just sitting in my crate and quickly sank to the bottom. I was still trying to get my shimano back and as I tried to gather up my stuff my legs became tangled in the rod leashes and the anchor rope. I couldnt flip the kayak back over because the anchor/rod leashes were dragging and pulling the side of the kayak back down. About this time the lure from one of the rods got hooked into my leg and the line was wrapped around and pulling tighter. I decided to cut my losses, literally and using my knife on my PFD I cut the rod leashes, anchor rope, and line freeing my legs. A Jetskier came by and offered to assist in gathering what possessions of my were still floating and I righted the kayak and climbed on top. I managed to save just one fishing rod, a 30$ bass pro shops combo I was using to catch croaker. Total losses including 3 tackle trays full of various lures, Garmin hand held gps, "waterproof" Cobra VHF, Yak Attack Visicarbon Pro, Penn Battle combo, Shimano Curado/Abu Garcia Volitale combo, anchor, rod leashes, hawg trough, and various other untied items was over 900$. Luckily I was uninjured (save pulling the hooks out of my leg) and thankfully the warmer water I was in no fear of hypothermia. I paddled back to the ramp with alot less equipment and a very expensive learning experience.

First croaker of the year.

Blues are fun on light tackle, last known picture of my Curado/Volitale.

50 pound stainless swivel snap twisted.

I have since built a lid for my crate (out of the bottom of another milk crate), I will no longer use rod leashes, and I have resetup the kayak to be easier should I ever flip it again. Hopefully I keep finding the fish and I have yet another flounder that got away story.