El Rojo
FNG
First off I am brand new to the forum. From doing a little cruising around it looks like a bunch of great folks over here; so thank you for letting me be a part of your .com world. In my FNG intro I got to chatting with another member about a part of Texas down on the coast that I am familiar with. I told him I'd write this story when I had time and share with y'all.
Circa 2002 Sabine Pass, Tx
I was fresh out of high school and decided I was going to work for someone besides my dad for the summer while I decided if I was going to try and walk on at the local community college and play baseball or if I was going to go on and pursue the work force. I'd scored a job as a laborer for a local pile driving company. I mostly greased equipment, did some welding, eventually learned how to run a crane and various other pieces of equipment.
Anyways, we were building the bulk heads for the boat ramp at what is now Sea Rim Park, or used to be... I understand that one of the hurricanes got it. We were right on the water and it was torture for me. I'm 33 now ands still not very good at adulting. I'd rather spend my days fishing and hunting than working. I found myself staring at the water most afternoons. Everytime the tide went down there was a HUGE black drum that would cruise the oyster reefs up and down the bulk head. My wheels turned for days on how I could catch this sucker, he was EASILY 50+lbs. Finally one day I was in the welding shop and a master plan formed its self in front of me! I'd cut a piece of #4 rebar, grind a barb in it, drill a hole in the end, tie a piece of nylon string through it and gig that sucker!
So that evening the tide was dropping and I had my spear. I was standing on the up current side of a big oyster reef and he came "Ol Moe". I get me a good grip in the rebar spear and get ready. Ol Moe swims around only inches from me and comes through the perfect spot and I gave it to him!
I'm not a small guy... In fact I'm rather large and pretty tough. I'd been in my fair share of fist fights coming up through school, won some, lost some, worked construction for my dad etc... Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING could have prepared me for the beating I was about to take. I was tethered to a 7' long piece of steel and on the other end was 50lbs of very unhappy fish and every time it flipped it's tail (which was often and repetitious) the bar would smack in and around my head! It's a beating I won't soon forget.
Gotta get back to work, y'all have a good one!
-El Rojo
Circa 2002 Sabine Pass, Tx
I was fresh out of high school and decided I was going to work for someone besides my dad for the summer while I decided if I was going to try and walk on at the local community college and play baseball or if I was going to go on and pursue the work force. I'd scored a job as a laborer for a local pile driving company. I mostly greased equipment, did some welding, eventually learned how to run a crane and various other pieces of equipment.
Anyways, we were building the bulk heads for the boat ramp at what is now Sea Rim Park, or used to be... I understand that one of the hurricanes got it. We were right on the water and it was torture for me. I'm 33 now ands still not very good at adulting. I'd rather spend my days fishing and hunting than working. I found myself staring at the water most afternoons. Everytime the tide went down there was a HUGE black drum that would cruise the oyster reefs up and down the bulk head. My wheels turned for days on how I could catch this sucker, he was EASILY 50+lbs. Finally one day I was in the welding shop and a master plan formed its self in front of me! I'd cut a piece of #4 rebar, grind a barb in it, drill a hole in the end, tie a piece of nylon string through it and gig that sucker!
So that evening the tide was dropping and I had my spear. I was standing on the up current side of a big oyster reef and he came "Ol Moe". I get me a good grip in the rebar spear and get ready. Ol Moe swims around only inches from me and comes through the perfect spot and I gave it to him!
I'm not a small guy... In fact I'm rather large and pretty tough. I'd been in my fair share of fist fights coming up through school, won some, lost some, worked construction for my dad etc... Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING could have prepared me for the beating I was about to take. I was tethered to a 7' long piece of steel and on the other end was 50lbs of very unhappy fish and every time it flipped it's tail (which was often and repetitious) the bar would smack in and around my head! It's a beating I won't soon forget.
Gotta get back to work, y'all have a good one!
-El Rojo
