I know I tied all the tactics. Throwing on ones flipping, in the shallowest water, while drifting into them with the wind, motor off, and never caught even one. The astounding thing was, I was not alone.
Everyone was amazed at how fast they were. So, they must have been on the small side, being so speedy to run from out under the nets being thrown at them.
I of course was severely handicapped, from the start. The day before I hurt my back, in between my shoulder blades so bad it was effecting my ribs. I couldn't even take a deep breath. My mobility all day was very limited. I re-injured a month ago muscle problem, because I spent the whole day under my boat trailer, under my truck even on the driveway concrete tracing down a problem with my trailer lights. So I was no where near 100%.....and it got worse as I pulled anchor, and moved around the boat, plus fished with my single crew member Ernest, from VA. Which was one hell of a patient, and wonderful guy to have aboard the Jettywolf!
To make a long story short. I ALWAYS CARRY A BIG CONTAINER OF DEAD SHRIMP!
So we used the shrimp to drift the beach and catch Whiting. We took the Whiting back to the Jetties and anchored up and used "cut chuncks" for bait for Redbass and whatever else.
Right away it was Seabass bites galore on the cut bait. Then nothing. I learned from previous charters this past week, when using cut bait, it's not always what "everyone" down below wants. We switched over to the dead shrimp and that's all she wrote.
D-E-A-D shrimp.....preferred over fresh cut Whiting baits!!
We hooked up 2 more Redbass, that came off. One was such a stud, it ripped "me" straight into the structure below that we were fishing and broke me off. The other came off the hook.
We also had BIG Whiting, Croakers, and Yellowmouth Trout. Filling up the fish box!
Went from complete ZERO's to HERO's, in just a few hours.
Back right at the beginning of the morning before the "Pogie fiasco". We fished Slab spoons on the north Jetty, before the seas and winds got too bad. And I caught a Pompano on a Slab Spoon and a piece of Fishbites (HINT: to Pier fisherman, Pompano love these, and Fishbites)
It was short of being a keeper. But that's now numerous Pompano taken on my Slab Spoon tipped with Fishbites, so far this spring.
By the end of the day. I was in such hurt that I could barely move, or take a breath. I don't even know how I got home. It was all a blurr.
Thanks to Mom being a "Home Pharmacist" I'm now feeling better after a good sleep and Hyrocodene Pain killer pills she brought over my house with a good hot meal. (Thanks Mom!)
