Wanted to share this story about a preety cool sight I seen two summers ago while flounder fishing in the back waterways in that first big sound just north of the two mile bridge. The water was really clear that day, could see down 4 to 5ft. Was fishing on that flat right on the left as you are heading north away from the bridge. Could see everything on the bottom, the grass, sand , shells and my bucktail with a strip of mackeral bouncing off the bottom as I jigged it up and down. could also see the mackeral strip flutter as the bucktail went up and down. All of a sudden this big flounder came out of the grass with it's mouth wide open and its' gills open and grabbed the bucktail. I t was the first time I could actually witness a flounder actually attacking the bait and watch it. Very cool sight! Unfortunetly for me I jumped the gun and try to set the hook too soon and lost it. Normally I would have waited and drop back my line and then set the hook but seeing the big flounder I got excited and forgot. The big fish just hauled *** to the bottom somewhere and dissapeared. Love flounder fishing in the back!
Flounder in the shallows
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Sea Hunt, Great story. The water is very clear @ that time of year, and watching a flounder attack your bait is definately a cool sight... I can totally understand why you jumped the gun....we have a saying around here..."Let 'em eat..."
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Wow Sea Hunt. They same thing happend to me, but with a small sea bass. It was so cool watching the fish take the bait. I had never seen anything like it before and havent since that day. I too love flounder fishing in the back!
Sea Hunt- I know you fish NW, and so do I. I have probibly seen you out there. Do you have a name on your boat. I see alot of Sea Hunts out there.
Sea Hunt- I know you fish NW, and so do I. I have probibly seen you out there. Do you have a name on your boat. I see alot of Sea Hunts out there.
I have a similiar story to share.
I was fishing in my 14' Grunman on the "bay" side of the Stone Harbor free bridge. The water was very clear. There is a sand bar in the middle of the bridge and I was jigging a small grub with a diamond tail on a 1/4 ounce jighead. I watched a fluke come up behind it, stopping a few times, then whacking it. I was so amazed that at first I forgot to reel. I did land him though. It was a throwback but cool to see.
I was fishing in my 14' Grunman on the "bay" side of the Stone Harbor free bridge. The water was very clear. There is a sand bar in the middle of the bridge and I was jigging a small grub with a diamond tail on a 1/4 ounce jighead. I watched a fluke come up behind it, stopping a few times, then whacking it. I was so amazed that at first I forgot to reel. I did land him though. It was a throwback but cool to see.
Sort of similar story: I was fishing in shark river and using a great big ol minnow bait. It was big and really fat. I reeled in to make a move and there was a very small fluke, (I didn't even feel a bite) with just the head of the big minnow sticking out of its mouth trying to get it down. He reluctantly let go after I watched him for maybe 15-20 seconds. The minnow was still alive. That fluke was so small, it was the kind you could almost read the newspaper through.
Our back bays are lined with those large shallow sounds. If you are quiet and fish light tackle you can have a blast.
One day we were taping a crabbing show. Had four traps and hand lines over but I can't just crab. I baited up two rods and drifted them out on floats. The bunker in the traps was acting like chum and while we did catch a few dozen crabs the fish were more fun. Boated a few keeper flounder, a keeper weakie and a 27 inch striper. All these came in about four feet of water.
Did another tape in the same area but just on fishing. Hung a chum pot about two feet over the side and again drifted baits on floats. Boated about a dozen spike weakies and one that was six pounds. Chummed with clam and caught on clam.
Early season is the best time. The shallow waters warm up and draws the fish in. Just anchor up and start some chum. In minutes you will have thousands of shiners behind you on the surface. Grass shrimp and crabs will be on the bottom. Flounder, weakies, blues and stripers will hang all day.
If the water is four feet deep I just set the float to keep the bait about a foot off the bottom. Drop it behind your boat and feed out line so the float drifts back into the chum line. Let it go about a hundred feet then reel in and do it again.
These shallows are perfect areas for these fish to gather. Warm water and lots of food. All you do is congregate the bait and the predators will follow.
Take a few baits when you try this. One day they seem to prefer live bait. The next day it's cut bait. Fished one time with minnow on one hook and slices of bunker on the other. All fish came on the bunker. Whatever I have for chum I make sure I have that on the hook.
A great way to chum is to purchase cans of Jack Mackerel from your local supermarket. Open about two cans and place in a bucket. I mix in instant potatoes to soak up the juice. Just throw some in every few minutes and the baitfish will come on at high speed. The rest will follow.
It's a great way to start kids on saltwater fishing. Just watch the float then set the hook. You can teach them about drifting after you get them hooked.
One day we were taping a crabbing show. Had four traps and hand lines over but I can't just crab. I baited up two rods and drifted them out on floats. The bunker in the traps was acting like chum and while we did catch a few dozen crabs the fish were more fun. Boated a few keeper flounder, a keeper weakie and a 27 inch striper. All these came in about four feet of water.
Did another tape in the same area but just on fishing. Hung a chum pot about two feet over the side and again drifted baits on floats. Boated about a dozen spike weakies and one that was six pounds. Chummed with clam and caught on clam.
Early season is the best time. The shallow waters warm up and draws the fish in. Just anchor up and start some chum. In minutes you will have thousands of shiners behind you on the surface. Grass shrimp and crabs will be on the bottom. Flounder, weakies, blues and stripers will hang all day.
If the water is four feet deep I just set the float to keep the bait about a foot off the bottom. Drop it behind your boat and feed out line so the float drifts back into the chum line. Let it go about a hundred feet then reel in and do it again.
These shallows are perfect areas for these fish to gather. Warm water and lots of food. All you do is congregate the bait and the predators will follow.
Take a few baits when you try this. One day they seem to prefer live bait. The next day it's cut bait. Fished one time with minnow on one hook and slices of bunker on the other. All fish came on the bunker. Whatever I have for chum I make sure I have that on the hook.
A great way to chum is to purchase cans of Jack Mackerel from your local supermarket. Open about two cans and place in a bucket. I mix in instant potatoes to soak up the juice. Just throw some in every few minutes and the baitfish will come on at high speed. The rest will follow.
It's a great way to start kids on saltwater fishing. Just watch the float then set the hook. You can teach them about drifting after you get them hooked.
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Another story for ya...Me and 3 buddies we out about about 95 miles off cape may (I know this topic was back water but thought it went along anyways) and we were trolling for tuna. I was watching and a 85lb yellowfin tuna took the bait. It was great. I had just glaced over at the bait then WAMM this huge tuna takes it and ran. Unbelievable. we fought it for about 20min the brought it in. Great fish. Great times. However nothing beats the back waters in the shallows!
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YOU MADE ME STUTTER
[ 02-22-2005, 07:31 AM: Message edited by: BIGGESTJACK ]
[ 02-22-2005, 07:31 AM: Message edited by: BIGGESTJACK ]
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slander is against the law old man.someone get me an attorney.
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I will keep an eye out for you.
Captain Phil, biggest Jack, Im in a 20 ft. sea hunt cc with a blue t- top and have a green prehistoric looking fish decal on the front of my electronics box in the front of the boat up by the top. I fish from the cm harbor to the north wildwood bridge and you will almost always see me out on fridays and sometimes saturdays in the spring and early summer, if anybody reads this and sees me come over and say hello, would like to meet some barners face to face. H ave waved to fred and rip monster before in the backwaters, seen them on tv so I reconized them.
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Sea hunt, I do believe I have seen you out fishing back in the NW ICW. Nex time I see you ill stop by and say hello. Im in a 17' Lucraft.
When the water is really clear, it's pretty neat what you can see. I've been able to watch my minnow sailing along what looked like a baron bottom to all of a sudden see the bottom explode and my minnow disappear and a fluke take it's place, pretty neat scene. I've even seen that in 12 to 16ft of water, but not very often. I like that Jack Mackerel and instant mashed potatoes, have to try that one.
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Just thought i'd share my story. OK one night at my marina's fuel dock, at about 1-1:30ish, it was dead low tide. Now my marina doesnt have the deepest water, to say the least. So i was fishing for blues and stripers on ultra light tackle in about two foot of water. Same as many of you i had a peanut bunker on swimming around on a red 2/0 Gami ocutopus hook when all of a sudden I saw the bottom move? Now i thought i was just real real tired because i have never seen anything like that before. About 1 min. later i had a nice 19" flattie on the dock flopping around.
Note- i did release all of the fish that night(even the peanut bunker that were still alive)
Just thought i'd share that moment with everyone. thanks.
Snags.
Note- i did release all of the fish that night(even the peanut bunker that were still alive)
Just thought i'd share that moment with everyone. thanks.
Snags.
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hmm mashed potatoes and cans of jack mackeral=good idea
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