longcast
Well-Known Angler
I had a good week workwise and was able to squeeze a trip on Friday morning. My 21 year old and almost 18 year old were supposed to fish with me but both had other commitments (very last minute) and were not in favor of fishing so early in the morning. Plus they follow the weather reports and I would agree it did not look the greatest. Fog was minimal but that light rain definitely put a bone chill on the body. So, ended up fishing alone, as who do you call at 330 in the morning?
I was on the water by 515. Started out looking for bass in all the usual haunts and came up empty. Even dragged some live bait for zero takes. Found some bait and settled in for fluke for one sea robin and one short fluke along with a sundial. Been a bit of time since I have seen one of those guys. Getting wet, mist constant and that wind did not make for any fun in a small skiff.
Fluke where are you? Still can't put a good bag together. Head back for maybe one more shot at getting a bass, or frankly, even a bluefish and start my drift casting a bucktail. Dragged off the rocky lip and bang! Good solid hookup. Ends up being a slot fish at 33 inches and he is heading to the cooler. I ended up with 2 smaller bass at 25-26 inch and a bunch of bluefish.
So in trying to figure where the bass are setting up, I venture further out to get a different angle on the bar and I look east to see a great big black spot in the water and bunker are now in the air! So I cautiously motor outside as the swell was bigger than I like to push outside. I find a very big pod getting hammered but now notice porpoises on the hunt. So bass on bunker in tight, porpoises on the hunt on the outside. Surfcasters would have had a 10 minute shot at these fish, they were in the wash!
Bunker pod finally breaks up. Porpoises follow one group out, the other pod stays shallow but now moves off the beach. I am ok, but head on a swivel watching the water and the fish. Better than any workout for the heart. I get a bunker and the game is on! It taped at 44 inches, and really stocky. As excited as I am I now have nobody to take a picture, so what I have included do not do any justice. Big fish went back quickly, needed a bit of revival time, but swam off strong.
I stayed on this pod for awhile but could not get another. Super tight and not happy splashing, very, very nervous. Once the tide fizzled, I could only get follows to the boat. No takers. That's why they were so nervous. Let's leave it at this. There are some big fish around!!
Oh, and if you notice the blood on the deck in the background of the Garmin, that's mine. A very aggressive bluefish took pieces of two knuckle with him!! The only downside of the morning.
I was on the water by 515. Started out looking for bass in all the usual haunts and came up empty. Even dragged some live bait for zero takes. Found some bait and settled in for fluke for one sea robin and one short fluke along with a sundial. Been a bit of time since I have seen one of those guys. Getting wet, mist constant and that wind did not make for any fun in a small skiff.
Fluke where are you? Still can't put a good bag together. Head back for maybe one more shot at getting a bass, or frankly, even a bluefish and start my drift casting a bucktail. Dragged off the rocky lip and bang! Good solid hookup. Ends up being a slot fish at 33 inches and he is heading to the cooler. I ended up with 2 smaller bass at 25-26 inch and a bunch of bluefish.
So in trying to figure where the bass are setting up, I venture further out to get a different angle on the bar and I look east to see a great big black spot in the water and bunker are now in the air! So I cautiously motor outside as the swell was bigger than I like to push outside. I find a very big pod getting hammered but now notice porpoises on the hunt. So bass on bunker in tight, porpoises on the hunt on the outside. Surfcasters would have had a 10 minute shot at these fish, they were in the wash!
Bunker pod finally breaks up. Porpoises follow one group out, the other pod stays shallow but now moves off the beach. I am ok, but head on a swivel watching the water and the fish. Better than any workout for the heart. I get a bunker and the game is on! It taped at 44 inches, and really stocky. As excited as I am I now have nobody to take a picture, so what I have included do not do any justice. Big fish went back quickly, needed a bit of revival time, but swam off strong.
I stayed on this pod for awhile but could not get another. Super tight and not happy splashing, very, very nervous. Once the tide fizzled, I could only get follows to the boat. No takers. That's why they were so nervous. Let's leave it at this. There are some big fish around!!
Oh, and if you notice the blood on the deck in the background of the Garmin, that's mine. A very aggressive bluefish took pieces of two knuckle with him!! The only downside of the morning.
