Alrighty...Finally a day where the East winds weren't the center of my world! The wind was there, a bit more N.E. and not as strong as it has been. We could actually F-I-S-H.
Can ya believe that?
Had returning customers Rod & Charles on board for a 7am departure..."suns up, let's GO!"
So we went hunting the Speckley T-routs, and caught some, all nice fish between 16-19", but still not as many as I wanted, where I wanted.
So we hit another creeky spot and the tide (incoming) wouldn't run...so off to the BIG ROCKS we went. "We ought to be able to bang some fatties out there", I said. But we only caught one 17 incher. The swell was big and the water disturbed and off color, but Charles got a nice Sheepshead, and then 2 minutes later had another, but it "crushed" his small hook and got off. The Bluefish are just aggravating enough to make ya wanna kill'em all, but we hung in there.
I even fished along with them on and off. I find I need too sometimes to get an idea of what the drift and to do some trial and error in varying depths. So my float slams under the water and I'm thinking another Trout, when line peels off the reel...IT'S THIS YEARS FIRST JACK!
Then, I get another slam dunk and have a huge fish hooked up, it runs towards the boat, under the boat, around the anchor line, and POW.....leader breaks! Monster Red, or maybe another Jack?? I bigger Jack?? I just didn't know.
But it's Charles to the rescue. He get's slam dunked next, and has a real runner on, heading out towards Lake Atlantic. He gets it under control, and it's a 30" Redbass.
We pack it in after that because we're out of good size Shrimp, and have maybe 3 tiny ones left.
IT'S SPRING FOR SURE, NOW. Here's the progression in a nut shell. It's Blues First...(although they seem to have been here all damn winter.) Then, the Jacks, then the Spanish Mackerel come next, then the C-O-B-S-L-O-B-S...the Cobia. Then Kingfish, then after that, it's Tarpon & Shark time. And it's Summer all over again. But never fear. I'm already gearing up for targeting Larger TROUT, and have another "Keep-Alive oxygen infuser", live well for the boat coming (I'll be carrying 2, 14 gallon tanks. one for shrimp the other for special baits), and have plans on using some different baits and tactics this spring and summer, because I want BIG Trout.
Ya' know....It's just my addiction. Some are into 7-striped Jetty Snappers. Some are into Flounder, mine are those pretty speckled types, that get me all excited. Especially really large ones.
It's apparently obvious, on my side of the fence that some thing is really backwards. The winds are lighter this weekend, the sun brighter, but I have no charters booked....."because the weather will be actually nice." I just had 6 trips in a row reserved of course, during some of the worst winds I've fished in 2007. So that's why I have a saying, "if its blowin' I'll be charter fishing, that's for sure." It's sort of a fishing guides joke, we all talk about amongst eachother.
So Monday morning at day break, I'll be out there somewhere hunting down some Trout. And ya know what? The weather will probably be great! (just another observation from the other-side, of the fishing business)
