A Fish Story -Bucket List

In 2006, I crossed ocean fishing off the BUCKET list -it was a riot of fun -but I do not think I want to EVER do this again. I had fish blood and fish puke - all over from head to sneaker and jumped in the shower after -with my glasses and sun glasses still on!

I fished in the 2006 Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament off of Atlantic City , NJ

My best friends sister was Vice President at the time (she is now President) and she helped me with all the arrangements and even set me up in a boat. I had no idea what I was getting myself into -i just knew I always wanted to go deep sea fishing.

The Blues fought like crazy -our heaviest one was 11.6 lbs and I don't think I caught it. The boat and the OCEAN never stopped moving all day except for a 20 min. lunch break!!!!!!!

I Started the day at 3am, met my (3) boat ‘TEAM” ladies at 5am/ Met the Captain ( FV Sea Gold?) at 6 am and we were fishing by 7 or 8 am-whenever the Tournament started. I sort of lost track because it took about an hour to get to the spot(?) in the Ocean that a thingie on the boat said some fish were under the boat. My team had been watching the local fishing reports and talking to locals and said the big fish were to the North of us and wanted to go there -but the Captain would not listen to them. Mutiny already? Turns out those ladies were right and the winning fish were caught right were they said the big blues were running.

I got to steer the boat twice and then I tangled the lines so badly the Captain had to cut them all and I was banned from driving.

The other three ladies and the captain had fished before and lots of stuff didn't make any sense -but who am I to question stuff -well ok I am robin and I question everything -but I was good -ok I was stoned on Dramamine but hey I was excited inside -it just never reached my facial expressions. But, I never got sick.

Because it was a tournament -no one can help you bring the fish ‘in’. My first blue hooked and I thought a whale was on my line and I almost went over the side of the boat! Man, are those little things strong. You wear this belt around your waist with a leather thing that holds the bottom of the rod in a little circle of leather-about at your ah lower tummy -below your navel.

Everyone was shouting directions -no one said don't fall out of the boat -but I picked up quick on that and the captain said don't loose my rod it costs over $500.00 . OH. We took turns -so every fourth time it was my turn to strap on the leather belt and pick up a rod (that I swear got heavier each time) and stand on the little rocking boat and try to catch a Blue. Have you ever seen a bluefish? they have a set of teeth like a four year old and by the end of the day I was slinging them in and out of the ice chest bins, in the bottom of the boat, by their gills -it was such a weird feeling. I touched a living thing’s gills. So by the third time up, I just wanted to go home and gave my turn away -a couple of times. Mostly to rest but once to go to the bathroom -oh “head“.

Now that was a riot -I am sitting down and now finished -so I try to get up -there are no bars to hang onto and the ‘head’ is very, very small -so every time I try to stand up the boat bounces down or up -anyway I was laughing in the head and in there so long -they were getting worried. I finally pushed myself up using the toilet and the walls.

Then tournament ended and I fell asleep on the way back. I was exhausted. I could never have done this if I hadn't been going to the gym for 2 years. What would it have been like to fish where the ‘big’ Blues were running? I was happy to learn that the fish were sold at a fish market in Philadelphia and the proceeds were donated back to the Charity Tournament Fund Raiser. I also heard that some of the Blues went to a local Kitchen that feeds the homeless.

I fought 5 fish and brought 3 into the boat. I lost two back to the ocean - after a good fight at the very end when I let my rod drop. I thought that was pretty good for the first time I ever went fishing. Some of the guys from the gym said I should have started with flounders in the back bays or on a party boat -but then, honestly, I probably NEVER would have gone on this adventure! LOL
Anyway, it was for a good cause and I am so very proud of myself for actually doing this very scary but very fun thing.

Curious about the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Fishing Tournament? http://www.fishlibt.com

This is a cut and paste from a 2006 article -I did not write this:“An interview in the AC Press, a local paper, with the then president B. Gates reported :The Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament event benefits the AtlantiCare Ruth Newman Shapiro Mobile Mammography Assistance Fund. In 2006 a record $60,000 was donated to the fund. The Bluefish Tournament raises money in a variety of ways for the Mobile Mammography Fund — from entry fees, corporate sponsors, raffle tickets throughout the year and donations. Helped by good weather, the tournament in 2006, attracted a record 69 boats and 315 women anglers. It helps women without insurance to receive a free mammogram, or get them on a sliding scale. No woman is turned away. The money really stays in Atlantic (and) Cape May (counties) and southern Ocean County, the route of the (the Mobile Mammography Unit).
The boat that caught the biggest single bluefish in weight, The Odds Maker, was the 2006 tournament winner and received the first prize of $1,600. The Odds Maker was captained by John Hartnett, and the anglers were Carole Goss, Carole Connelly, Jackie Moss and Marilyn Abrahms. The boat's top bluefish was 16.02 pounds. The Odds Maker also won the second prize of $1,100 with the day's second-heaviest bluefish, a 14.84- pounder. The top seven bluefish in weight received a cash prize.
The tournament was headquartered at the Sen. Frank S. Farley State Marina in Atlantic City, and at Seaview Harbor Marina in Great Egg Harbor Inlet in Longport. Fishing was within a 40-mile radius from the 1A Buoy in the Absecon Inlet.”