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reports 8/28-9/3

2K views 17 replies 7 participants last post by  CapeMayRay 
#1 ·
Full moon tonight. Don't know if some of you like that or not. I plan on launching this PM. Hoping to read some good reports this week. Ron
 
#2 ·
Spent a couple of hours on a dock in Margate this AM. Incoming tide, lots of bait, nothing but SMALL bluefish. Lots of fun, all on small teaser (thanks Johnny G), no evidence of bass. Ron
 
#3 ·
With electric motor down and being repaired I had to cancel a fly charter due to the wind and the area I wanted to fish. and had another cancelled due to sickness. Just as well the action has really slowed again. Went out with a pluging charter tonight and the striper action was slow. Had perfect tide with more wind than I would of liked. Enought to put a good chop on the flats I was fishing. Water ranged from 71 near the inland waterway to 78 in the wayback, where it is real shallow. Small blues were around in good numbers, the water looked brown and the moon was pretty bright. Ended up with one bass, one that broke off and one missed one. Even tried a bobber with peanut bunker for a change of pace, with only blues wacking it. 22 incher was the only bass of the night.
Guess it it a combination of the warm dirty water and wind, but the bass seem to be not comming on the flats to feed at night like they usually do and the winds have been limiting other areas to fish. It has been awhile since I have had a chance to use the flyrod and with the action being slow I need something to perk up the fishing other wise it could be awhile. We worked a large area very hard tonight and even put in some extra time. If the fish were there we would of found them. Hope others are have better action. Seems like it is slow everywhere right now.
 
#4 ·
Talked with Chris last night. He has made a couple successful tuna trips & had some small bass in the evening along sod banks. Deceivers-what are the odds? Ron
 
#5 ·
I was out for most of the afternoon yesterday. We started in the ICW on the north end of LBI and worked our way out to LE inlet. Water was between 70 and 76 degrees (depending on where we were) and was generally pretty dirty. I had the fly rod with me, but there was too much wind for me to cast effectively. I improvised for a little while by drifting and dragging my sinking line on the bottom. I did manage a few small sea bass that way before I went to my conventional gear and bait.

Once I made the switch to bait I had a ton of hook ups. They were mostly small sharks, sea bass, and sea robins. I did have 2 throw back fluke hit the deceiver that I was using as a teaser. They were all small junk fish, but we were busy hooking and reeling them in all afternoon.

On the way home we went up Tuckerton creek for fuel. There were tons of peanuts all over. I?ve never fished in there, but there are some nice looking points and a lot of docks and structure that I imagine would hold nice fish with less boat traffic.
 
#6 ·
Ray,

I agree with your comment regarding the lack of bass in the shallows. They were there during the past few weeks, with the best bite in the early morning before the sun came up.

This weekend, the bait was still around but I didn't see any signs of the striped ones.

I hope things pick up before I start my vacation next week.

If the bite turns on, I'll give you and Dave a call to see if you guys want to come down to try the "secret flats" for a relaxing evening or early morning.

By the way, the needlefish were all over, hitting both flies and lures but with their small toothy mouth they were impossible to hook.
 
#7 ·
Steve, Bass might be keyed in in some other source of food. Perhaps bigger stuff like peanut bunker, baby fluke and crabs and probably in much cooler deeper locations. None of the early morning and evening guys down here are doing very much either. Just have to wait it out. Good things come to those that wait. So I have been told.
 
#8 ·
Had a chance to take some freinds from PA out Frid and Sat nights and had good action both nights. The guys got to catch some 20 to 23" bass and over 100 small blues. These guys have never caught stripers, so when I was up on the Juanta river last week I invited them to come down and fish. Three people in my boat is too many to throw the fly rod so we just spin fished. Tried some different water because there was several boats in the gereral location I fish. Fish bit on the top of the incoming and the outgoing. Moon was only a factor Sat night, we had to go through the box to find something they would eat. Fish caught on plugs and plastics. Only one keeper 301/2"s Fri and straightened the hook on a fish Sat night. Ray I saw some bait being chased and we caught fish under them but it only lasted 10 minutes. Sept usually isn't very good for me I hope this year is different. Bill
 
#9 ·
Bill,
How was fishing on the river (I'm guessing you mean the Juanita in PA?)? I've never fished out there in PA; I've seen some of the central rivers though and they look awesome.

Steve:
Let me know when the fish are back. I haven't been fishing down there in a while :D .

[ 08-30-2004, 01:05 PM: Message edited by: Fly Ty R ]
 
#10 ·
Fly Ty R, I was fishing on the Juanita, sorry about the spelling. We had a great time we go up every year for a four day smallmouth trip. The water was perfect the day we arrived but then started coming up. It didn't get dirty though. I fished the first two days with the fly rod only and caught about a dozen both days. That is very poor for that area but like I said the water was rising the whole time. The last day we fished I switched to spinning gear and caught about 50 bass between the am and pm. Fish were small but fun.
 
#11 ·
Thought I would give it a try from land tonight with the weather being unsettled. Was hoping to get a repeat, like I did on the new moon. Got out at the top of the tide, put my inflatalbe vest on an went out on the sodbanks. It was very hairy. Full moon had the water way over the banks and had to use the flashlight to make sure I was walking on land. Water got 1 to 1/2 feet deep and the only way you could see land was with the light. Worked out to the area where I usually catch and was extra careful not to get too close to the edge. Was way to windy for the flyrod, so I used topwater plug. Fished for hour and half. Got two small blues and no other decent strikes. With the wind and the tide all the crap was comming off the banks, making life difficult and a thunderstorm came along to make quitting an easy decision. It would of been interesting to see what would of happen if I hooked up with a nice bass. Probably would of had to walk him all the way back to the car to unhook him. Lots of baitfish at my feet, way up on the top of the banks. Out going would of been the time, but it is still thundering.
 
#12 ·
Bill,
I haven't caught many smallies on the fly. Mostly small ones with spinners on spinning gear in the Delaware. My biggest has only been about 2lbs. I'd like to get some big hawgs on the fly though. Even the small ones put up a great fight!

Ray,
You gotta watch out for that sodbank edge. The first step's a doozy!! :D
 
#13 ·
Negative fly report from the Canyon. Went to the Baltimore Canyon yesterday. Water was warm but greenish blue. Primarily looking for marlin. We hit a mess of pots looking for dophin for me to to use the fly rod. All the pots were empty. Did troll up two loners as we headed south, down wind to poormans. Hooked and fought a small blue Marlin, about a 200 lber for about 20 minutes and hook pulled about 30 feet from getting the leader to make it an offical catch. Wind was blowing about 25 mph all day and with an 84 mile run home into a head sea we left early. Lucked out as we got in closer, the seas and wind eased up. About 45 miles out we could cruise at full speed. Can't remember two trips in a row where I wasn't able to get dolphin on a flyrod. They just don't seem to be around in numbers this year. Hope to get out again on friday if the weather permits.

Did get my electric bowmounted motor back, but the tides are getting ugly this week for prime time fishing. Just have to sit and wait it out like everyone else.
 
#14 ·
Broke the bass on the fly drought. Went out to a local play with my wife last night and when we got back at 10:00 my tide clock said 1/2 hour till high tide. Wind was blowing pretty good but with rain and bad tides for the weekend I thought I would give it a shot. Started out at the lighted bridge and it was wall to wall small blues feeding on bay anchoives. I thought I would warm up alittle in the lee of the bridge and catch some, before heading to the flats. After about 15 and two destroyed jiggies later I put a steroid jiggie on. A couple of blues later I hooked into a really nice bass. Caught me alittle off guard and almost loss it due to a line foul up around my foot. Turned out to be a 27 1/2 incher. Boat was looking a mess. The little blues were bleed and an spitting up little fish all over.

After some more blues I headed to the flats. Way too much wind for the fly rod. I stuck with it for awhile and changed over to all black popping plug. Worked a couple of shallow little areas somewhat protected. Ended up with 2 more bass 22, 21 inches and a couple of misses. Water was still very murky and called it a night around 2:00 a.m. Water temps were 71 to 74.
 
#16 ·
Nice job Ray. Give a call sometime. I went to a local dock around 330AM. Tons of small bluefish & then I heard a bass. Had him on for awhile, large deceiver, but with all the boats I could not contain the fish. Did manage one later that co-operated a little better. Ron
 
#17 ·
Ray,

Nice fish. Way to keep tryin'.

I'll touch base with Dave if the fish show up behind my place during my vacation, if so we'll get in touch.

Doyle and I will be trying Thursday night, weather permitting.
 
#18 ·
Ron, Our marina is loaded with peanut bunker. I netted some more for later in the season and was talking to a guy who said he caught two bass off the front of his boat on little jig with plastic. Said he saw them popping on bait. Maybe some fish right under my nose. My marina is really shallow. 6ft. at high 1ft at low. Uusully just little snappers.

Getting alittle cooler. last night felt good to have sweat pants on and a jacket. I want the fall fishing but don't like to give up the shorts. Would like to see a couple of calm nights, wind wise. Can't remember when I saw the last one.
 
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