By LOREN BROOKS
One thing to remember about boat restoration is down time. When the fish are biting and the catch is good, walk away from that boat project and go fishing.
Bryce, Bill, Dave, and Lamar got into some nice Stripers on March 1 and caught 19 nice fish up on the north end of the Overton Arm. They were using anchovies for bait, trolling at about 1.8 to 2 mph, using leaded line. The fish averaged about 2 pounds each.
When I called Bryce at 1:00 pm, I was sitting in a 1969 HydroSwift in the front yard. Bryce said the weather was perfect, and at that time they had eleven in the boat. He called me back later and said they came home with 36 filets. Now that’s an indication the fish are starting to bite.
Bryce said it was a very active. They had lots of additional strikes, which is good news.
In addition to baking bread and catching fish, I got hooked on restoring boats.
On that note, on my birthday a few years ago, my son, Karsten, who is now 60 years old, wrote me a poem. It goes like this:
Restoration
There’s a ship in that wreck-
A boat built from dreams
Of lovers of visions of beauty it seems
A moment ago that she cut through the waves
And carried the hope for fish in her staves.
We’ll refinish her deck
And brighten the past
Of sanding andv arnish and chines held with brass
And hands meant for feeling the mem’ries beyond
Her dry-dock estate in this tired old lawn.
She’ll stand proud and erect.
We’ll put out to sea
For wind and for swell and for good company
We’ll gather new fishes and bring them aboard
Her soul and our joy — a precious reward.
