On Saturday August 9th, 2008, 36 members and guests of the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company set out to try their luck in the challenging waters of the Delaware Bay… It was a beautiful morning in Fortescue, New Jersey and the stage was all set.
The morning started out with coffee, breakfast sandwiches, bait, and light conversation at the dock. When the time came, Captain Joe gave us the go ahead to board his vessel, The Bonanza II. It was a sturdy craft, confidence inspiring, most definitely sea worthy. The anxious anglers began to take their places; some prefer the bow, some prefer the stern, some in the cabin near the beverages, it’s all superstition I say. Right on time, Captain Joe fired up the twin diesel powered boat and pushed off from the dock, we were on our way.
On the way out into the bay, the stories begin. “One time, I caught this. On my boat… blah blah blah” Then the money comes out; of course there has to be some incentive for being the most talented angler. Let me tell you, it’s not easy to drop a piece of squid to the bottom of a bay and wait for something to bite on it. You really have to know…wait, it’s all luck, and you don’t have to know anything. I think that’s the beauty of the trip, anyone can do it!
We didn’t have to go far to get started, in what seemed like about 15 minutes, we were ready to start fishing. I couldn’t tell you who caught the first fish, the last fish, the most fish, and it really doesn’t matter. If you want to know all that, they you should go on the next trip. Santa won the fish pool, he caught the biggest fish. There was a little controversy, but the Captain makes the rules. (Hey Joe, that Cobia was the clear winner.) Speaking of Cobia, Rick caught one, and they hadn’t been seen much in the bay up to that date due to the water being a little on the cool side. Nice fish Rick.
Special thanks to Lance Ravis and Jackie Evans for their hospitality and for setting up the trip. It was a great event that we hope to make a tradition. Also, thanks to Captain Joe and the crew of Bonanza II. Anyone looking for a great trip be sure to look them up in Fortescue.
www.bonanza2.com
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