A wild day at the VINE 3/12/13

[JoshR88]

Finally got some time to take me and 4 buddy's out to my favorite lake. We got to the lake around 845. My friends were laggin really hard all morning but their all new to fishing. They don't know the early bird gets the worm haha. So when we get there I try and rent a pontoon boat but their all sold out for the day. I feel pretty dumb for not calling in advance. So we have to rent 2 motor boats, I'm thinking to myself this probably isn't the best idea. Considering I'm the only one in the group that knows how to drive a boat or fish but we do it anyways. I get both of our boats situated up, I let my two friends in the other boat go out first. When he was trying to take off, he put the boat in drive and ran back in to the dock, then into my boat. Super embarrassing! But he finally made it out, then I followed. When we get out to mid lake, I pull up close to them and killed my engine. I was trying to teach them how to set there lines out to troll. After I give them the 411, I try starting my boat, after one pull of the string the line gets stuck and won't feed back into the engine. So I call up to the tackle and let them know we're stranded out in the lake. The patrol boat comes out and takes us to the dock. On the way into the dock, I look back for the other boat and realize they've drifted from mid lake to about 30 yards from shore. I get them on the phone and start yelling at them to get back to the dock. Which I felt really bad about because none of them knew anything about driving a boat, they were just clueless. So they get back to the dock. The guy looks at my boat and realizes the safety clip popped off the kill switch. I didn't no a boat had one of those. Worst start of a fishing morning ever lol. So I make the other two people with me get off so I can take the other two people with me on a quick run around the lake to show them what to do. As soon as we get my lines set for the first time of the day. The patrol boat comes around and says we have to get off the lake, the swells are to high. I was kind of upset because I haven't fished at all yet. I go to the tackle shop to see if I can get a reimbursed. The lady up front didn't seem like she was having to great of a day. I told her our situation and she tells me that if I can go to the dock and have one of the dock workers radio in that we haven't had use of one of the boats that she could reimburse me but she couldn't reimburse both because we had the boats for two hours. So I drive down to the dock again and let the dock workers know what she said. They were very helpful like always. One of them radios in and tells her what happened. She then said I was lying and that she said the only way they'd reimburse me is if the boat never left the dock. I don't think she thinks I was listening or I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have said I was lying. I didn't want things to get out of hand because the vines definitely my favorite lake to fish, staffs always been great and the fishing is phenomenal! So I drive back up to the tackle shop. I ask for the name of her manager and when would be the best time to get a hold of him. She told me he'd be in at 2. So I figured why not wait a couple more hours to try to get my friends on some fish. I've always told them how good irvine is. Didn't want them to leave with a bad taste in their mouth. So we try the bait and wait for a few hours and everyone around me told me that nobody has caught anything all day. I was starting feel bummed out. Then at 130 they start letting boats back on the water. I got excited again, drive back down to the boat dock. I can't wake two of my friends up. So I leave them in the car set up pole holders and off we go in just one boat. About 10 minutes into the troll, we get out first hook up of the day. I'm trying to pass the rod to one of them but their both telling me you catch it. I think they just wanted to see a fish haha. We get that one landed it was about a pound, maybe pound and a half. Set the lines out and were off trolling again. About 45 minutes go by and my pool with 2 pound test on it gets slammed! I hand it to my buddy and he was just way to excited. He kept cranking it and cranking, I'm telling him he's got to let the fish run but then it snaps off. He was so excited, I felt bad for him haha. We keep fishing, about 3:20pm the patrol boat comes and says we have to be off the water at 3:45pm on our way in. We hook up one more time. I pass it to my other friend. He's reeling it in, he's excited! The fish was jumping all over the place. It was fun to watch! He gets it almost all the way to the boat and then he points the rod tip down. I'm telling him he's got to pick the rod tip up or he'll lose the fish. Then guess what happens? He loses the fish lol. So we head in, I gave my fish to a person who didn't catch anything, he was happy. I thought about stopping by the tackle shop and talking with the manager, I was still a little angry that she made me go on a goose chase for nothing, then called me liar. I figured she was just having a bad day and I was looking a little thuggish ruggish with me beanie on. She probably thought I was some punk kid trying to work the system. So I just left it a lone. I don't want to burn any bridges at this lake. Best lake I've ever fished! All in all I had a great day! As for my friends, 2 of them are hooked! The other 2 never want to go again lol. Some people just aren't cut out for fishing. I told them if they would of got their butts back in the boats they wouldn't feel the same way. They don't agree. I have a pic of the one I caught but I don't know how to post it from the phone. I tried trolling a bunch a different baits but only had luck with the sc shiners. Good luck everyone! Can't wait to get back out again!

[MandK]

There is no way I can read that. It makes my head hurt. paragraphs, my friend.....paragraphs.

[JoshR88]

Lol sorry about that. The only type of writing I do now are incident reports at my work and those are maybe a paragraph at most. My next report will be more proper. Haha

[Rooster]

I could read it just fine. Great report. Ya might want to use 4-6lb test next time while trolling. :Envious:

[JoshR88]

Thanks Rooster! We tried using 2,4 and 6 pound P-line. We got no love off the 6 pound test, one strike off the 4 pound test and one landed and one farmed off the 2 pound test. We probably would of got bit if we stuck with the 6 pound test but the person that thought me troll tolled me to keep switching it up tell I figure out what's working. That's what I was trying to do. If we got there early I'm sure we would we would've put a few more in the boat. I've still never been skunked at the vine, that place is awesome! Always a good time there.

[casting call]

Where is your time machine (today is the 11th) lol. That was a fun read, aside from your incident report format :EyePop:. Thanks!

[Askwhy]

There is no way I can read that. It makes my head hurt. paragraphs, my friend.....paragraphs.

This guy gives you a more than detailed report of his day and all you can say is that you can't read it , wow I didn't see that one comming , thanks for the great detailed report and I'm almost sure when management from irvine lake reads this they will be more than willing to hook you up on a future rental.
Again great report and your report was easy for me to read.

[JoshR88]

Well this thread is a fail, sorry lol. It was Sunday 3/10/13. Thanks askwhy! Good luck to you out there.

[geedavell]

Where is your time machine (today is the 11th) lol. That was a fun read, aside from your incident report format :EyePop:. Thanks!

Thats the first thing i did.......look at watch to see what day today was. Hahaha
I was there on Saturday. High clouds but perfect weather. No wind at all

[JoshR88]

The weather wasn't to bad Sunday either. It got real windy for a couple hours, then died down.

[Fishing Grizzly]

Josh, that was one hell of an aggravating day for you and your buddy's. You are not the only one that has been treated like sh*t at the vine though, the guys at the boat dock are awesome but there are some other people there that have no idea how to deal with the public, either that or they just act like as**oles to everyone. When i wake up on the wrong side of the bed i try even harder to be a good person that day, so i dont spread my crappy attitude to anyone else, some people just want others to be miserable too. To have been called a liar is unacceptable. Good luck to you and friends in the future.

[JoshR88]

Thanks Fishing Grizzly! Good luck to you also! I was a little mad about the situation but I also understand that their running a business. If they gave a refund to everyone with a sob story, I'm sure there business would go out pretty quick. It sucks to be called a liar but I think it would suck even more to get kicked out of that lake, that's why I left it a lone. In the end we did get use of one of the boats and I got to show my buddy's a little bit about the troll. Their faces were priceless seeing that rod bend over for the first time. Now I got 2 friends that can't wait to go back. The other 2 ill have to take them on a ocean trip, I'm sure they'll be hooked after that.

[fishinone]

They don't know the early bird gets the worm haha.

But then you're not after worms, are you?

That was an interesting report but paragraphs and pictures would be nice.

[reelgurlzfish]

I haven't had much luck with the behind the countet staff myself... Guys at dock to are always helpful. Sorry that was your friends' first experience but nice on the catches! ;)

[JoshR88]

Thanks fishinone and reelgurlzfish! I have pics of the one I caught and some really cool views of the lake but I don't know how to post them from my iPhone. The staff at that lake are awesome! I've always graded them an A+++ but this time ill have to say A- haha. They've always helped put me on fish if I can't find them. Other pay lakes I don't want to name, will just tell you the fish are swimming in the lake, got to find them. I can't stand that! That's why I've always had high praise for the Vine and still do. I won't let one minor issue change my mind about how great that lake and the staff are. Thanks for the comments!

[5150fishn]

Sorry about the rough day but it happens sometimes. Your positive attitude speaks volumes about you. Sometimes things get messed up and misunderstandings happen but you didn't let it ruin the day. Your report is just fine. This isn't a journalism forum this is a fishing forum and you gave up the info. Thanks for the report!

[casting call]

Your positive attitude speaks volumes about you
^^^
I agree..

Josh, download the pics from your phone to your PC? or you can email the pics to yourself from your iphone and then download from your email.

[JoshR88]

Thanks 5150fishin and casting call! If I get some free time at work tonight, ill try uploading the pics. My computer at home is a dinosaur. Haven't used it all sense I got my iPhone and I don't even use my iPhone that much. I'm more of an outdoors person, not to great with technology lol. Thanks again for the comments, much appreciated!

[Shewillbemine]

It's tough to get other adults into fishing if they've never been exposed to it--hence, I fish alone most of the time (enjoy the silence too).

Great job catching something to end a weird day. Glad none of your buds fell in the water.

[JoshR88]

I do enjoy fishing by my self sometimes but I'd rather have at least one buddy with me when I go to the pay lakes or out in the ocean. There's nothing I enjoy more then having a couple brews, puttin a few fish in the boat and BSn with my buds on the water. Ill be back out Monday, taking my friend for his Bday. Hopefully we can get get a good slay day in. Haven't had a real good day at the vine this trout season. I need to change that! Ill try and post a more proper report this time haha. Thanks for the comments guys and gals!