Cadiz, Kentucky Surf Fishing Club

I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long.  I will officially declare an end to my blog fast (from surf fishing … that is).

Let me do so with a brief report from our Crossroads Fellowship  spring fishing retreat.

We had a great time.  But conditions were tough.  Our best day, by far, was the first day.  It was hot and steamy, and the fish were biting.  Everyone caught fish.  I caught the biggest redfish of my surf fishing career … a monster 43-inch-long, 32-pound bull red.  I only have a “hard copy” picture.  I’ll try to scan ASAP.

Surf fishing “rookie” Jeff Hunter (this was his first day to ever “wet a hook” in the surf), caught this sweet 41-inch, 26 1/2-pound red.  I couldn’t believe it!  It took me two years to hook my first red!

So, day one was awesome … then the weather changed.  We woke up early on day two to blustery winds and temps in the 40’s!  We called home and found that we had a hard, killing freeze … which took out all of the fruit crop for this year.  It even killed trees … almost unheard of in Western Kentucky.

So, we could only fish in the afternoon for the remainder of the week because of the horribly cold temperatures and wind each morning.

We still had our tournament on Friday, as well as our ongoing “big fish” contests throughout the week.

Tournament / Big Fish Results

• 1st Place (Total Weight) – Geoff Baggett
• 2nd Place (Total Weight) – Tony Dothsuk
• Big Fish (43-inch, 32-lb Red Drum) – Geoff Baggett
• Big Shark (Tie) – James Shelton / Stan Rogers

And Just For Fun… 

• Rookie of the Year – Jeff Hunter
• Best “Chalupa” – Brad Claussen
• Most Afraid of the “Naked Man Chant” – Brad Claussen
• Most Depressed when the Ski Soft Drinks Ran Out – Jeff Hunter
• Texas Hold-Em Champion – James Shelton
• Biggest Cart – Tony Dothsuk
• Best Quote – James Shelton – “I’ve never worked so hard to catch a stupid half-pound fish.”
• Biggest Appetite – Stan Rogers
• Weakest Stomach – Jeff Hunter
• Best Catch of Non-Fish – Stan Rogers (Geoff’s costly Penn rig that a shark was pulling out to sea.)
• Most Likely to Be Struck By Lightning on the Beach – Tony Dothsuk (15-Foot Pole)
• Longest Span of Time Without Changing Bait (Approx. 3 Hours) – Terry Brown
• Iron Stomach Award / Most Likely to Catch Vibrio Vulnificus From Raw Seafood – Mark Hughes (For eating a raw oyster that he hooked and reeled in … within 10 seconds of taking it out of the water.)
• Biggest Target for Bugs (Especially No-See-Ums) – Geoff Baggett
• Most Prolific Snorer – Terry Brown

Obviously, a good time was had by all.  I think we’ll be planning another outing for the Spring of 2009!

Look for new “inductees” into the Kentucky Surf Fishing Club in coming days!