The fishing was OK, nothing great, but other events made it a memorable day.

Fishing on a Cape Cod pond, on any weekend between the Fourth of July and Labor Day can be "interesting".

I was going to fish a fairly small pond, a mile and a half long and a half mile wide.  The ramp is an unimproved hard sand beachlike ramp, requiring all four wheels of the truck to be in the water before the boat will float off.

It has a small parking area that can handle seven or eight boats with trailers, if they are parked fairly snug to each other.  Once a few rigs have parked, it becomes necessary to back into the area from the road since it is impossible to turn around in the area.

Got to the pond a half hour before daybreak.  Two fellows had already launched and were waiting for the rest of their buddies.  They were having a small tournament of six boats on the pond.

We chatted and made small talk while I was waiting for enough daylight to head out.

I got onto the pond as soon as I could see well enough to navigate, but before there was enough light to tie a knot.

Headed toward the north end of the pond and began fishing along the shore working my way to the north.

A fellow headed out in a double ended rowing dory, out for a morning row, or so I thought.

He was headed my way and as he rowed past, we exchanged good mornings.  No sooner had he gotten past me, he shipped oars, grabbed a rod and began casting.

He had to row a hundred yards or so to get to me.  I was somewhat surprised when he began to fish within casting distance of me, but this is Cape Cod in the summer.

I continued to fish as though he was not there and worked my way past him, without another word being exchanged.

I quit fishing just after noon.  When I got to the ramp, the area was packed with cars and people still trying to launch boats.  Several boats were parked on the side of the road, sporting flourescent orange parking tickets.  Parking is not allowed on the road, or the roadside.

I got to the ramp, dropped the anchor off the stern, let the wind drift me to the shallow water and tied the bow line to a small tree.  The boat was well clear of the ramp.

A boat was backed into the lot, and a jeep was parked behind it.   The fellow who owned the boat asked if I was leaving and how long it would take me to load and leave.

He was concerned about how long the process would take, telling me that the place had developed into a cluster****.

I laughed at him, and said I'd launched before five o'clock, and parked my rig, and that I was the third person to put in.  Also told him that the cluster**** was caused by people like him trying to put ten pounds of turd (I didn't say turd) into a five pound bag, not me.

He looked at me and said, "Yeah, you're right."

Oh, I almost forgot.  Someone had planned well ahead to secure their parking spot.  They had parked their rig with a big pontoon boat in the lot the night before. 

The guys who were there ahead of me told me the tow vehicle was locked and no one was in it.  Funny thing is, when I loaded at one in the afternoon, the rig was still there with the boat on the trailer.

They must have planned for an afternoon outing.  It is the only launch area I use in the area that does not have a "NO OVERNIGHT PARKING" regulation posted.

Definitely interesting. I can't believe the guy took it so well when you told him that people like him are why the place is backed up lol.

Fisshing nights is a bit easier on the traffic Tom, but not on the weekends...their busy too.

Big O

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