Joys of trolling

Although I'm mostly a fresh water fisherman I like fishing in the salt, and once a year or so I find myself on a boat trolling.  It's not my favorite way of fishing, but it has its charms.  On a good boat with a good captain and among pleasant companions, it can be great.

Yesterday was one such day.  It was the second time this year I've fished with Capt. Billy Pipkin out of Ingram Bay Marina on Virginia's Northern Neck.  His boat, Liquid Assets, is big enough at 43 feet to handle the sometimes rough waters of the Chesapeake Bay, and he's a skilled captain.

While you're waiting for a fish to hit it's very social, so good companionship is important.  My friend Joe drove down with me from Maryland, and my friend Capt. Dave was assisting as mate.  I had met some of the rest of our group on a trip earlier this summer and a couple were new to me but were friends of Capt Dave, and all were good guys to hang out with.

And I came back with a good supply of filets from the bluefish and Spanish mackerel we caught.