The last several days the weather guessers have literally been all over the map when it comes to forecasting. It seems, not two reports agreed with one another. To mix it up even more, the reports diametrically disagreed, day to day. One set of reports said Monday, 12/28 would be nice. I generally look at 4 or 5 reporting systems to attempt to figure out if I may conduct commerce. This morning when I woke up, it was one of those "Yikes!" The HMB buoy was blowing 14, gusting to 19. Point and click said if I went a little south, I would have 7 to 9 kts. Decision made to try a different and new area. The trip out was non-remarkable. This is something you really can't appreciate until you have had lots of episodes with tales to tell.
Stopped on nothing special in just under 600 feet. Sea state indicated it was about 9 knots of breeze. Hook Up! Fresh one! Three Hanging! It seems like about the moment the first squid hit the deck, white caps were more prevalent. Virtually everyone was hooked up, squid were coming in about as fast as three people could gaff them at a time. Mother Nature's wind machine was winding up. When most all were too tired to put a jig down, the Bonar was full, the fish box was full and there were a few on the deck, it was a challenge to stand. Some mightly big swells would come up with combined with wind waves for interesting moments. I called time out, so we could run for the crab pots - or rather crawl. I left the squid grounds at 6 knots, rather than the usual 13 to 15 knots. HMB buoy was clocked at 17 gusting to 23 kts. 12 to 14 foot swell, but a nice long period. Wind was from the NE. It was blowing that big sillouette of a vessel hard. Here is the unusual part. 17 to 23 knots, wind in our face, current was ripping so bad our plot on the GPS was WNW! We were still climbing uphill with a hard North wind. I have witnessed some unusual days, this one was up there.
115 squid for 11 anglers, 84 crabs for anglers and crew. Had to cut it off early for a 4pm scattering. And to try and put back what Mother Nature had re-arranged. I thought I needed relatively calm water for squid. Perhaps that needs to be re-evaluated. One truism, it is certainly more comfortable to fish when the wind is under 10 knots!