surfers who fish.

No surf to be had so I've been fishing. Having a great spring. Freezer getting stocked with bass. Took 2 home already this week. If this flat spell continues I'll hit the bays looking for weakfish and I hear of fluke are around too.

Anyway to stay salted....

 

Looks fishy to me. Best bet is to look for bait birds etc and match the hatch. In the back bay try throwing a casting egg with a real light buck tail on a 3 ft leader. Sometimes by itself, sometimes with a gulp bait on it. Cast up current, keep in contact with the egg and let it work it way with the current. The egg will bob the buck tail around and if something is there it would hit it.

Start with small presentations to see what's around.

My 2 cents

 

Fish love shrimp! Google D.O.A deadly combo. It's a rubber shrimp on a snapper popper. You can do that with live shrimp or Gulp! Shrimp. Gulp! stuff is crazy the minnow and worms work too. Look for nuclear chicken color. Don't know why but fish dig it.

 

Hey as the surf has been down I'm still keeping to an on the beach before dawn attitude and go almost everyday. Continue to catch with a couple of days where it was Bass after Bass at 1st light on plugs or a teaser before the big blow.

Had a skunk streak during and after the storm but this week started to get them again. Some Bass with one in the slot and some long blues at an inlet on bucktails. I say long cause they were skinny. Fished into a heavy wind and a full moon ripping tide so used a fast action stiffer rod with a heavy 8500 to horse fish in against the rip. Still have some Uncle Josh trailers. That 8500 is no joke. Heavy duty for sure.

 

I got the skunk this morning but didn't try very hard. Ride was ripping into low and I just couldn't get a bucktail working how I like it. Went up to 3 oz but it still ripped across and there were guys around so I couldn't let it swing too wide. Plus it was low tide and the beach was drained out.
Saw an osprey pull a bunker out and the dolphin were out. Heck of a morning so I surfed some and while out I saw swirls and such. Just too far from shore. Was thinking it's time to change up tactics or a new spot or both. But where ever I go I'll be thinking about what is going on where I've been. It's a primo surf and fish spot for me. Maybe just switch to dusk instead.

I like blues too. Only reason I didn't bring the any home when I caught the other day was I like to eat em same day. Usually a weekend works for me. This time of year any size will do even the gorillas. They not as gamey in spring. Breaded and fried in a old black frying pan for me. Great sandwich fair.

Water quality got good up here LB. Maybe it will make its way to you.

 

Those friggin shad jump just like tarpon! Seems they've split from here though.

So I used Saturday for some fish recon in the bay to avoid the crowd. No luck but definitely potential. Rolled up to the inlet later and saw a few guys get some blues. I got nothing, got frustrated, went surfing, felt better, then went back with the rod, caught nothing and got frustrated again(lost my Hopkins too). Fishing and surfing are funny things. They are not hobbies. They are not recreation. They are Passions. Something that you live for, gives you joy, but can also drain you. You know it is draining you. yet you can't live without it. Missing waves destroys me. But seriously, I'm like "I can't do stuff there is fish in the water". There are not always waves but there is always fish in the ocean! I know this. Yet when I don't fish I'm dying inside.

So of course I went on Sunday morning too. Took my Daughter and we casted the back side of the inlet. I wanted her to get on a blue. She is about to be 9. She can cast man! I was nervous she might hook up to one! I was bouncing a bucktail with the rip and we walked down to the inlet while turning over horse shoe crabs. Wasn't catching but I told my girl this is big game fishing. We may skunk, but if we find the birds, we'll find them. If we can reach them we'll hook up and it will be a beast. At the tip of the inlet we found a few guys getting into cocktails and a few bass. Even a couple just in the slot. But it was mobbed in the good spot. We walked down a little further. I threw the bucktail as far as I could get it. Close to the seam in the rip. Bounced it twice and BAM! We were in business big time. Drag screaming. My little bird had no fear. Got right on the rod with me holding on to both rod and daughter. We worked together. If we got a yard it took two but after a long time we landed a 35" blue! A good dude filmed us and let us use his scale. I'm telling you if I didn't see the scale I would be telling you it was 20 lbs. It was 12. We got a bunch of pics and the vid. Bled the thing and dragged it back to the rig. Picked up the rest of the Fam and had a late breakfast on the beach. When we got home I filleted the beast, cut out all bad parts and soaked the meat in milk. Cut into big chunks and a flour, egg, breadcrumbs dredge to fry in a cast iron pan. It was so good with a few crisp beers. There still is so much. I had some for breakfast and lunch today. It's for dinner too and we'll have guests. I just didn't want to freeze it.

This is a long story. So of course I'm on the beach today at dawn. Cause maybe I have a problem. A hard north wind had me almost skip but I figured maybe a little wave to surf. Little was right so I took a walk to the inlet. Cast a few times with the wind to reach the seam in the rip without joy and then went to a spot and casted a few into the wind. Short casts though so tried to swing it into the rip and bounced around it. Felt the tickle and set the hook with the drag screaming again! My thinking always goes to "I don't have my drag set and need to tighten it". The 1st thought is never "Hey this may be a big one." But I know this reel and where the drag knob should be so I let this one scream. Walked it down a bit and turned it out of the rip and into calmer deeper water. After a bit of the back and forth I had a 35" bass on the beach. This was a 20 pounder. I try and practice a fish to the keeper philosophy so that was all folks and walked back easy. Dragging and feeling good. I'm getting pretty good with the fillet knife.

Of course I'll be back tomorrow but hey, this is kinda a good problem to have. Until I skunk again.....

tight lines.

 

No waves today but happy to say that there was no skunk today. if you fished you were catching. Absolute monster blues for the most part. Saw one Bass caught like I got yesterday. Same spot too. Caught about a dozen in an hour. Took a quick pic of the 1st one but was quick on the release. The Top of the but is 30" about. It was the biggest I caught today.

 

The fish crowd was nutty yesterday. Lots a blues of differing size pulled out. Found an uncrowded hole and plugged a couple demons out mid morning. One beast. Didn't keep as I had weekend plans and they don't freeze well.

Just changed the hooks out of a new plug. They were already rusting and one of the trebles on the tail hook was bent! Switched to bigger and stronger hooks.

I rinse my gear every time. Do you guys find hooks rust fast?

 

Vey good LB. Very good.

Blue Fish have been in thick here. Mostly around the 6 to 10lb class. I'm pulling a few out every time I go with one more bass right in the middle of the slot for the fridge. Been trying plugs cause the blues are taking their toll on bucktails but lost a few fish using them. Seems they just go to chop the tail and I'm getting a cheap hook set. They have been inhaling the bucktails but chopping the hair off.

I'm out most mornings but haven't seen too many bass which is the primary target. Going to try to switch up after this swell to dusk to evening. Or I just might target fluke. I was at the gym today and when the sweat came on I smelled like bluefish. Not complaining. But If I'm not planning on keeping them during the week cause they don't freeze well. Why not switch up targets and tactics Monday thru Thursday?

I did ake one home Saturday. We were having a garden party and serving Bass. It was a smaller fish and I made ceviche for an appetizer. Everyone that tried it liked it but some people just can't get passed fish not cooked by fire let alone blue fish cooked any way.

 

Not a bad idea. Could target the rocks for porgy and see if one comes around. Heard there in thick too. Only place I've seen sheepshead is Fla.