RJ
11-19-2003, 08:22 AM
I fished on the Celtic Quest of Mt. Sinai with a small group we put together from our message & forum boards. I sailed with Cathy Polcari, (foots), Steve (gradywhite) and Nick Febrizio (basssman) along with 15 others for a blackfish trip. We also ran into and met Big Dave Royce of Moriches who you've seen many times in the Silly Lily fishing reports.
The day was cloudy and cool, with a light NE/E winds and slight, little chop, which turned to sunshine and warm and back to november...perfect blackfishing weather. We spent a lot of time driving and Capt. Desmond took some time to get over his pieces, but it was well worth the wait of his perfectionist personality as he put us on the meat this day.
I was amazed at how some people can catch fish with one hand while talking, enjoying refreshments and smoking cigarettes, but some did...so Capt. Desi really put us on the pieces and even basssman out did himself and brought home some fish...for change...with a limit of blackfish with one over 8 pounds!
Steve (Gradywhite) learned his lesson about fishing with a rod too light for the tackle busting tog of the Celtic Quest but did finish with seven tog to 6 or so pounds and the action was at some points like porgy fishing! We had a great trip and the boat probably averaged six or seven blackfish per person for the 19 person crew.
I finished with a limit of fish to 8 pounds, gave away a few keepers to the folks in the bow how were not experienced in catching blackfish and I threw back several (a dozen) keepers and others that were borderline or short. I must have caught 30 blackfish for the day or so. I even called for and caught the whitsle fish, a 6 pounder...Grady as my witness...and on this last drop I caught five or six of them, al keepers and gave them away, while the rest of the boat did little to nothing...this WAS because of the hermits.
What a great crew with Chad and Steve as the mates and Capt. Desi is an excellent young captain with a long future in front of him in this business.
If you sail with Desi & the Celtic Quest, and you should be prepared to scale down the amount of tackle and coolers you bring on the boat. It is tight with minimal room to move around as this 45 footer only handles 26 anglers max (by law) and the more you bring on the less room you have to move around, sit or dance as you lift giant blackfish over the rails.
Also, unlike most larger party boats, the electronics favor the rear middle to back of either side, not the bow or stern, although the stern did see some action as it was the NE winds laying the boat in certain way.
Pics should be coming!...right Grady?:D
The day was cloudy and cool, with a light NE/E winds and slight, little chop, which turned to sunshine and warm and back to november...perfect blackfishing weather. We spent a lot of time driving and Capt. Desmond took some time to get over his pieces, but it was well worth the wait of his perfectionist personality as he put us on the meat this day.
I was amazed at how some people can catch fish with one hand while talking, enjoying refreshments and smoking cigarettes, but some did...so Capt. Desi really put us on the pieces and even basssman out did himself and brought home some fish...for change...with a limit of blackfish with one over 8 pounds!
Steve (Gradywhite) learned his lesson about fishing with a rod too light for the tackle busting tog of the Celtic Quest but did finish with seven tog to 6 or so pounds and the action was at some points like porgy fishing! We had a great trip and the boat probably averaged six or seven blackfish per person for the 19 person crew.
I finished with a limit of fish to 8 pounds, gave away a few keepers to the folks in the bow how were not experienced in catching blackfish and I threw back several (a dozen) keepers and others that were borderline or short. I must have caught 30 blackfish for the day or so. I even called for and caught the whitsle fish, a 6 pounder...Grady as my witness...and on this last drop I caught five or six of them, al keepers and gave them away, while the rest of the boat did little to nothing...this WAS because of the hermits.
What a great crew with Chad and Steve as the mates and Capt. Desi is an excellent young captain with a long future in front of him in this business.
If you sail with Desi & the Celtic Quest, and you should be prepared to scale down the amount of tackle and coolers you bring on the boat. It is tight with minimal room to move around as this 45 footer only handles 26 anglers max (by law) and the more you bring on the less room you have to move around, sit or dance as you lift giant blackfish over the rails.
Also, unlike most larger party boats, the electronics favor the rear middle to back of either side, not the bow or stern, although the stern did see some action as it was the NE winds laying the boat in certain way.
Pics should be coming!...right Grady?:D