Gr8ful Fish
07-02-2007, 02:21 PM
I fished alone aboard my "Bertha" on Sunday, 7/1/07.
I started the day in severe wind-against tide conditions in SH channel which combined with the heavy boat traffic made fishing pretty unenjoyable. Ran down the beach in the afternoon to try to find better conditions and to get away from the crowds.
Just S of the Rocks, I started drifting along the beach in 18-25 feet of water where there was non-stop action with shorts, bats & birds. However, I did find 7 keepers from 17-18.5 inches which I released along with a few over 20" that I boxed.
I decided to run back to the bay for the late afternoon incoming, and when passing the Cedars, I spotted the only pod of bunkers I saw from the hook down to N. Long Branch. I wasn't expecting much in the 69 degree waters, but I quickly snagged a few and sent them down just to see what was around.
After 2 big bluefish and a chewed-off circle hook, l had a 31-pound bass take a livie as soon as I tossed it into the school. Unfortunately, as I was reviving the bass at boatside, a few pleasure boaters ran right over top the school which brought my bassin' to a screaching halt almost as soon as it started. :mad:
Back in the bay, I finished the day with 22 keepers to 25.5"/6.5 lbs. I kept my 8 and released all the others. Most of my bigger fluke came from the deep water portions of SH channel from the knoll to the Bug Light, but I did get a few good ones just South of the Rocks in depths from 18 - 25 feet.
4 of my fluke ranged from 22-25.5 inches and the other 4 were 18.5-20 inchers that were hooked deeply. I released at least 10 other keepers from 18-19 inches along with a few that just eclipsed the 17 inch mark.
Back at the dock, one of my dock neighbors gave me the only 18.5" keeper that he and his 2-man crew could muster. They almost crapped when they looked in my cooler to see the 8 I brought back myself. :eek: Although they fished many of the same areas, they just couldn;t get the hang of probing those depths with such tough wind-against-tide conditions.
Water temps were 69.5 degrees out front and 70.7 degrees in the bay. Winds were from the north at 5-20 knots; they never switched to the S as predicted by NOAA.
All of my fluke came on loooong squid strips sweetened with GIANT smelts. The wind-against-tide conditions actually helped to move me diagonally across the channel slopes which was where I found the most and biggest fish in the bay.;)
- Gr8ful
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/Gr8ful_Fish/BerthaFluke7-1-07.jpg
I started the day in severe wind-against tide conditions in SH channel which combined with the heavy boat traffic made fishing pretty unenjoyable. Ran down the beach in the afternoon to try to find better conditions and to get away from the crowds.
Just S of the Rocks, I started drifting along the beach in 18-25 feet of water where there was non-stop action with shorts, bats & birds. However, I did find 7 keepers from 17-18.5 inches which I released along with a few over 20" that I boxed.
I decided to run back to the bay for the late afternoon incoming, and when passing the Cedars, I spotted the only pod of bunkers I saw from the hook down to N. Long Branch. I wasn't expecting much in the 69 degree waters, but I quickly snagged a few and sent them down just to see what was around.
After 2 big bluefish and a chewed-off circle hook, l had a 31-pound bass take a livie as soon as I tossed it into the school. Unfortunately, as I was reviving the bass at boatside, a few pleasure boaters ran right over top the school which brought my bassin' to a screaching halt almost as soon as it started. :mad:
Back in the bay, I finished the day with 22 keepers to 25.5"/6.5 lbs. I kept my 8 and released all the others. Most of my bigger fluke came from the deep water portions of SH channel from the knoll to the Bug Light, but I did get a few good ones just South of the Rocks in depths from 18 - 25 feet.
4 of my fluke ranged from 22-25.5 inches and the other 4 were 18.5-20 inchers that were hooked deeply. I released at least 10 other keepers from 18-19 inches along with a few that just eclipsed the 17 inch mark.
Back at the dock, one of my dock neighbors gave me the only 18.5" keeper that he and his 2-man crew could muster. They almost crapped when they looked in my cooler to see the 8 I brought back myself. :eek: Although they fished many of the same areas, they just couldn;t get the hang of probing those depths with such tough wind-against-tide conditions.
Water temps were 69.5 degrees out front and 70.7 degrees in the bay. Winds were from the north at 5-20 knots; they never switched to the S as predicted by NOAA.
All of my fluke came on loooong squid strips sweetened with GIANT smelts. The wind-against-tide conditions actually helped to move me diagonally across the channel slopes which was where I found the most and biggest fish in the bay.;)
- Gr8ful
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/Gr8ful_Fish/BerthaFluke7-1-07.jpg