surfers who fish.

Your headed to the Ack?? My old stomping grounds, have fun LB. Probably not much for swell the next couple of days but the fishing should be good.

 

I got a good eating sized rockfish after work earlier in the week. This season has been strange for me. I've caught a ton of fish but nothing big. Lots of variety.

 

I love pickerel, prehistoric looking bastards with those teeth, and they can get pretty big. I use to fish a small pond years ago, I had a small kids rod one day with a worm on a hook. The good spot at the pond was taken so I had to cast it over a bunch of grass growing out of the pond by the side. I just let it sit with a bobber for about an hour drinking beers and listening to a little transistor radio, I glanced over and the bobber was gone. It was so heavy at the other end I thought I snagged some grass or a cat tail, but then it moved. It took me a while, I found a small gap between the grass and was able to reel him in through there. It was a monster, at least 30 inches and I can't guess the weight. Must have lived in that pond for years. I should have released him but gave him to one of the other guys fishing there. He probably took it to the bait shop and got some kind of state record, lol.

Nothing like watching your kid score a nice fish PJ, I'm sure you were as excited as she was.

 

I was told it was environmentally smart to keep Pike and Pickerel because if they become too prevalent they'll wipe everything else out, not just other fish species, they'll pressure frogs, turtles, ducks, snakes, etc.

 

I catch pickerel all the time in late winter/spring. Never keep them. Met a dude from Minnesota who said they eat them all the time up there. Siad they make some sort of fish stew with them. IDK. Seems like a lot of work.

 

Went down to my usual dive spot close to work on Monday, only to find 10... yes, TEN... rods in the sand, all of them wiggling with snapper blues. These guys where catching them one after another, chunking a few up for bait, and piling the rest up on the beach to take home. They were having a blast! I just sat and watched for 20 minutes, then left to go to another spot.

When I got there the visibility was great... about 10'... but the current was hellacious! Just could not stay in one spot, let along move around to dive. One other diver that was there literally got in and out. Smart. I, on the other hand, decided to just do a few loops. Walked up the beach, got in, drifted around the jetty with the current, got out on the other side and did it again. NO FISH. Either they were in deeper water to avoid the current, or just too much hunting pressure from the day before spooked them all off.

After a few loops and no fish, I made my way back to the first spot. The guys there were just packing up, so I jumped in. Visibility sucked. About 2'. Determined not to get skunked I dove anyway. I could hear tog munching on mussels, but couldn't see a thing. Dove for about a half hour hoping something would literally swim in front of my face. Caught a glimpse of one keeper tog bud didn't get off a decent shot and missed. Then, on my way out, I ran into a nice sized trigger. Stoned him with a head shot and went home feeling like it was the worst conditions I've ever dove in, but was luck enough to put at least something in the bag.

Dove the good spot yesterday, hoping for the clean water to still be there, but... not. Terrible viz at about 2'. What a difference a day makes! Dove for about a half hour in calm but dirty water and got nothing. Went home feeling defeated. I think I'll put the gear away for a few days until the weather pattern changes and the water starts to clean up.

 

Man, this reminds me of growing up on the Chesapeake in Maryland. My folks had a pier in front of their house and they let all the retirees around us fish off of it. I learned how to fish from them and we caught hundreds, maybe thousands, of fish off that dock.

My next-door neighbor, Mr. Carter, would save up his catch for a few weeks in the summer and throw a big fish fry for the neighborhood. He made South Carolina style cole-slaw, with a mustardy vinegar base that I'm still trying to replicate, and all the fried fish filets and "hillbilly style" fried white perch you could eat.

Hillbilly style were the fish too small to filet. We just scaled em, cut the head off, and removed the guts, so you had to pull the dorsal and the ribs out as you ate it. I even ate the crispy fried tails. I was a lucky kid.

 

I've been hitting the bay for rockfish. Swim baits and top water. Did go tuna fishing a couple weeks ago. Caught a bunch of medium sized yellow fin and some peanut mahi. Sharks, whales and all kinds of sea life out there. One white marlin came in the spread but he no bitey

 

Monday dove Block Island. Was misty, cloudy, bad viz, and a big pile of seals resting on the beach 1000 yards from where we were diving. The sharks are there for the same reason we were. Filled the box with Bass, Tog, Trigs, BSB, Fluke, Porgy...even speared a giant Skate.

 

Dove my local in good viz... saw a ton of short fluke and schoolie bass. Some croakers hanging out, too. Didn't shoot anything... but enjoyed the warm water and views.