What difference a day or too makes

[Hunter704]

Headed out with Frank P and my buddy Anthony. We got out at 5 Am hand lines in by 5.30. The winds were SW and good blow but definitely fishable. Hooked up right away what appeared to be a good fish, only to drop him halfway up. Then nothing but a ton of weeds, mixed with slipgut can not troll rigs like that. We stayed at it till the tide fell, constantly bringing up the rigs and cleaning them off. Made one more pass and hooked up with fish only to be a 26” fish. Today was Anthony’s first day of retirement, so a quick photo and released. He said let’s go home I’m good I caught a fish. That’s it for a few days as weather is going to nasty.

 

[longcast]

You stuck with it! Weather looks bleak the next couple of days.

 

[Pangaroo]

You stuck with it! Weather looks bleak the next couple of days.

I went down to Wantagh Park to buy my annual boat launching pass for $82 and there wasn't a single boat/trailer there and it's opening day Fluke Season. Looked out into the bay and whitecaps. There were even white caps in the protected harbor. It's suppose to blow even harder tomorrow or the next day. Forget about trying to drift in that.
Next couple of days I'm getting all my fishing tackle in order and I'm thinking about trolling over the flats after the blow using minnow plugs about 4 or 5 inch's long and see if I get any Fluke that way. You'd be surprised how high off the bottom that Fluke will swim up to grab a bait or lure. I saw in the NY Aquarium years ago a tank of Fluke, Porgies, Seabass and the Fluke swam up about 15 feet to the surface to feed. Got a perfect flat bottomed Panga to fish the flats.

 

[Pangaroo]

And I wouldn't rush out to Peconic Bay for Porgies right away . The vast majority of the reports said it was slow Porgy fishing out there .