Labor Day Anniversaries

Star Log:
Thursday, August 29
Columbia, SC Five Points, oddly enough 'group therapy' my old college stomping grounds,
scene: 15 year anniversary of Loose Lucys Columbia, SC
moved indoors due to weather, a block party city inspired, was moved in to local hangout. Hundreds of folks arrived, to see all Lucy girls adorning new T's, and hippie dancin' to Jen Mac's awesome bluegrassy jam band, outside, with a room,
a terrium of sweaty giggly lucy folks, local business people, old and new customers, friends and family from as far as one of the origninal Lucy employee/hippie/lawyer now, Andrew Kaminsky from L.A., that's california you fishing folks, not Venice!
Crazy lucy inductee, Jan Chase's flight from Michigan got cancelled in Newark NY,
so she will hook up with us via raleigh nc to fish this weekend.
Music was awesome, family and friends and laughter prevailed.
Quite an accomplishment for my crew and customers.
My 'family' of Lucy people is as close to me as my blood relatives,
they have been there in thick and thin, happy and sad.
It was a good happy day.

Friday, August 30
scene: 7 am came too early, as we rallied at the hotel sports bar, till, well, late, or very early, depending on your particular view. Red Bull and Vodka has a tendancy to keep you awake till late, but I bounced out of bed at 6:15 am, ready for some breakfast and a day adventure.
When I finally got to myrtle beach to get my borrowed boat, and the three diet mountains dews and 4 excedrin were still not keeping me up, I hit Prossers Diner for some of the best chicken I have ever eatin! The bbq chicken melted off the bone, filling my vodka filled stomach with some greasy protein, don't get no better than that, till you tried the southern fried chicken, the green beans, and the peach cobbler, load that up with a vat of homemade southern sweet t-I was ready now!
C'mon fish!
Loaded the boat in the heat, sweating out the beer and booze from the night before in the stagnant hot air, drove north to carolina beach and found young nicholas chase, Jan Chase from michigan, and Senor Chase, from now on referred to as 'Pops'
we loaded the boat with chris chase water (that miller lite folks!) and we headed on a yellowfin adventure up the water way to morehead city nc. It was an unbeleivably beautiful ride, amazing houses, yard giraffe's the size of Texas, and sun, cold beer, and friends. We arrived, tried to catch some live bluefish as the sun faded in the north carolina skies, the smell of fall and fun and fishing dominating the crisp humid free air. We then quickly checked in our abode, as morehead city rolls up the sidewalks at dusk, we hurry to our rooms, drop our gear and head on foot, to the closest yummy steakhouse. We hurry down the street, and oddly enough, a big black cat crosses our path as we are walking down the middle of the desolate road, of cute little history homes admiring their likeness to old key west, and huh, there's a cat, and he's black, young nicholas pointed it out, as I tried to hush him as capt mike is very supersticious, but too late, we all saw it, and gloom covered us. Gloom was quickly covered by laughter as we met with Forest Taylor and his super cool young'in Josh, and as we drank beer and capt morgan and mike the margarita man enjoyed not running car or boat for a few hours, THEY drank Royal Flushes, a mean drink even I would not attempt, but young'in Josh is just out of college and has those belushi animal house ways still, poor Forest did not stand a chance. RUN FOREST - - RUN ! !
We ate some sushi sashimi and steaks and burgers, and told every knock knock joke i know, too many that's for sure, and then We sent them an order of banana bread for luck (ha ha ha ha ah )KNOCK KNOCK? who's there? SUE ! sue-who? SUE-PRISE ITS ME!
and we watched them stumble to the Cab for the 2 block walk that forest could not walk, and Jan, Nicholas, and I set forth to catch some live bait, we sat at the dock and rigged little hooks with finger mullet and put on the portable ipod and sat with Josh, as Forest had passed out in the room, and told stories and dirty jokes, and laughed and drank beer till the night became the next day.

Saturday, Sept 1
Scene:
2 hours after we laid down our heads, the alarm went off to get up and go fishing-how can that be, it was only 4:20 am ! We were all wicked tired, but excited, we knew the fishing would be nothing short of excellent today, so we were going to go out before sunrise and catch some live bluefish, live bluefish + determination = big fish! We were ready, effort equals results would be our motto of the day!
Less than an hour into the run through the nc outer banks creeks in the dark, we ran aground, following other boats,
we quickly dumped fresh water on our live bait, and ran the engines out till we came out of the mud, and got back in good water, the many hurricanes have messed up the waterways, silted them up to the point, even GPS, the most accurate navigational equipment, (global positioning satellite) could not pick the perfect 10 yard path through these cuts, whhheeeewwwww, we were nervous, but we got out of it quickly, and as we ran of of the last of the many bends through the back creeks, we followed too closely to the boat ahead, and when he yelled on the radio, don't follow me, go right, we did not hear, and we hit, we hit hard, as the engines all stopped at 40 mph, to the sound of sand and mud and skeges, we went sailing into a sand bar just below the sea floor, and buried the giant 36' deep hull yellowfin, tim chase jumped out to see how deep it was (or wasn't!) and when he landed in the murky water,
he was only ankle deep!
We were high and dry with an incoming tide, we would have to sit:
12,000 pounds of boat plus fuel, livewells, and passengers, adding up to a mountain of weight on the sand, we would sit till at least noon when the tide hopefully comes up enough to break us free.
The crew, though, was of course, disappointed but knowing this stuff happens, laughed and joked about it, and we all conjured up ideas of how to get out sooner.
Our buddy Big Bird came to rescue, it was still only 6 am and we had not left the inlet, so we could acquire outside help without being disqualified, so he attached ropes to the boat and Tim swam them over to his boat, and we tried to yank us off the sand bar,
it sounded like stretching metal but the cleets heldfast and the ropes extended to the yank of 900 horsepower, and then like a rifle shooting as the ropes exploded in the stress and came flying back in pieces to both boats. The boat itself tipped up so far in the spin as he pulled up, we all had to run, and fall, to one side, as we were nearly sideways with the small seas, up on one side. It was Mr Toads wild ride at Disney, but reality style, and Nicholas just kept laughing sayiing, wow, that was so scary and so cool!!!!! and it was both~!
Finally, the clock rang 6:30 am and we sent the Big Bird flying, and we decided to wait it out for the good water.
We are not patient people.
We waited, and then figured, its only 12,000 pounds plus,
and everything is lighter in water,
we could maybe rock it and push it the 30 yards we needed to get to deep water,
captain skeptical was all that, but still willing to try, and oddly,
not killing any of us yet.
we all stripped to swimmies and jumped in the water,
and started rocking in a pirate yelling 'arg' theme,
back and forth, left rock arg, right rock arg,
and rocked again, then 1/2/3/ PUSH !
and we moved it about an inch,
so we continued this for 30 minutes, moving the giant ride inches at a time,
then when the water got deep enough that I and Jan could not push anymore without sinking,
we climbed back up to the boat, and powered the Big Beast out of the sand.
WOW-we felt strong !
we then caught bait right away, and went out to sea to fish,
but in reality,
really all we did was 'sea a fish'we were trolling around lots of bait,
and then, from the steering of the boat, I saw a shadow,
and then Mike did the same,
we started yelling, there's a big fish,
he fed back the short bait,
the same bait Tim had just commented that was acting 'nervous'
we could all SEA the Fish,
he just layed there, looking at the beautiful north carolina double
giant pogey rig,
and not eating it.
WHY ?
WHY ?
WHY ?
we tried everything, this fish just treaded water for many minutes,
licking the bait, but not eating it.
How does that happen, this was the most lazy, slackest predatory fish
any of us had ever seen! They are supposed to ATTACK !
But certainly, it was only about 8 am by now, we had all day to get a fish,
any weight,
YEP.
all day.
we weighted.
we ran everywhere, trying, looking, fishing, hoping.........
rough seas prevailed, with positive attitudes aboard,
and the boat ran like a champion,
but no win,
no fish.
we did tell more jokes, and laugh, and talk seriously about life and such.
and then we ran the waterway home.
disappointed is an understatement.
we needed any fish to proceed, to continue our lead in this small division,
but it was not meant to be.
I think I wanted it too much, for Nicholas junior angler,
for Pops, senior angler, dad to Tim, and gramps to Nicholas,
and of course for Tim, Captain Chase,
the other Chase, but just as lovable, and a true family man.
I felt so at home with this family,
and on a weekend where I was remembering my own dad,
as I watched Nicholas and Tim, and Tim and Pops,
interact,
they really enjoy each others company, and fishing together.
It was heartwarming and real, and though we did not catch the fish we
needed,
family bonds were created that will last a lifetime,
and beyond.
I remember my dad loved coming to tournaments,
and always of course, smiling,
no matter how I did, he smiled and said,
'Runt, you did great'
and he meant it,
great meant living life, enjoying life, and trying your best,
but still smiling when things did not work out to your
expectations.
I love and miss my dad, and every Labor Day weekend,
I remember him, no one labored more than he to take care of his family,
it is ironic that he would die on the same day,
and no one smiled more, no matter what, and stayed positive.

I see him in many of my family members,
as well as my Lucy family of friends,
and many other close friends in my life,
in every smile, he is here.


peace, love, and family.
susanK
P.S. Stay away from black cats!