Tried as we did to sleep early and wake in the dead of night to make it to the beach, our bodies just wouldn't agree. Kate managed to get a couple hours, I just tossed and turned. When the alarm tried to roust us at 1am, we both looked at each other, said "forget it", and went back to bed. We woke again at the normal 4:45am, and went on patrol.
Since Kate had already packed gear into the truck we decided to use it. She went to the north beaches, as I took the Mule south. We had to stop at the shop to inflate her tires, and for me to get a couple gallons of gas for the ATV. Kate followed me down the main road, until we hit Hell Hole and went our separate ways.
I buzzed passed the University of Tennessee campers around 6am. I only saw two of them awake. Then I saw a blooming century plant off the road, so I stopped to take some pictures. I kept the camera out in hopes to see the bald eagle that hangs out at the inlet there, but he never showed. In fact today, nothing much at all showed. Including the turtles.
Storms threatened all evening but never came. This morning was overcast until after noon. Maybe that is the reason for the inactivity from the local wildlife. Maybe they're just taking a rest. I rode South Beach hoping for something, but only turned up one false crawl. I radioed Kate from the southernmost tip, she reported the same - no nests. We were now relieved that we slept through the night, it would have been a waste.
When I was finished with South, I drove up to the kayak, said "Hi" to a couple of the UT people and paddled out to the ATV. I filled it with gas when I got there, and that seemed to alleviate the problems I encountered yesterday. I guess it was just low fuel after all, though I saw fuel in the tank when I checked. We'll have to fill it more regularly than we have been.
My entire South Middle drive produced nothing, not even a false crawl. Since I had the camera with me though, I was able to snag some shots of baby Wilson's Plovers with their parents. They're awful cute. I have to be extremely careful driving on the beach now, as they are hard to spot, and the ATV has no brakes.
When I was done checking all my nests, I kayaked back to the Mule, and drove north to meet Kate on Bradley beach. I'd brought my fishing gear today, and it was early, so I thought we'd hang out there awhile. On the way there, I stopped off at the casting dock on High Causeway. It's the same small wood dock on the main road where we keep our crab trap. I had hung the minnow trap we purchased, baited with old potatoes, there yesterday. It seems to have worked, bringing me a few minnows, and a bunch of little shrimp.
With bait in bucket, I arrived at the beach looking for Kate. She was still across on North Middle, but soon arrived at the inlet. She yelled across to me, asking if I'd come help her. She'd found a nest and was having trouble locating the eggs. The two of us got in the single person kayak together, almost sinking, then almost capsizing, but just making it across. We walked down to her nest, luckily not too far, and went to work. It was indeed a tricky one, but eventually we turned up an egg. Then I walked up to a false crawl that Kate had yesterday but wasn't 100 percent on. I worked it over for a little while, then assured her, there's no nest there.
This time I swam the inlet, Kate still behind screening off the nest. Then it was time to break out the fishing poles. I baited one with a minnow and one with a shrimp. I tried for 15 minutes without a bite. Kate was getting bored with fishing. She spotted a raccoon in the marsh, and took a few pictures. I switched things up, setting one rod with a sinking rig, the other floating...still nothing. Kate took the truck and left. I decided to give it a whole hour. My efforts were fruitless. I packed up and headed home.
Along the way I stopped back at the minnow trap to check on it. Nothing new in there. I think it needs to sit out a day before it really fills up at all. I saw a few fish jumping in the marsh there and decided I'd give this spot a try - I did still have a bunch of bait. After only a few minutes, I was getting bites. Time and again they were stealing my bait. It took me awhile to figure out why they kept getting away - my hooks were too small. I put on something bigger and then Bang!, I hooked one. I reeled him in slow, having lost plenty of fish during my days in Mississippi. I got the net, reached down, and pulled him up. He was the biggest fish I've caught since being a child. I think he was a Croaker, because he made croaking sounds. I put him in a bucket, and kept on fishing.
I stayed baking in the sun there for another hour. I had a few more bites, and caught 2 more fish, only small ones though. I also lost one bobber and sinker to what I now know was a blue crab. Luckily, I was able to retrieve it. I caught a (I think that very same) blue crab. He latched on to my lure, but was smart enough to let go before I could bring him all the way up. Finally out of bait, I headed home with my catch. Of course I filleted them right away, and ate them for lunch. It was 2pm now, and I hadn't eaten since 5am breakfast.
Then we took a nap. Again trying to get extra sleep for a night patrol, which Kate is presently preparing for, and rushing me to finish writing so we can go. Once again, wish us luck, maybe tonight's the night!
No comments:
Post a Comment