8/20 decent day on the fluke grounds

[JHbowhunter]

Hammer4reel graciously invited myself and my son to join he and Tracy for a day on the water aboard his speed boat aka "32 Contender". I prepped my son with "the boat is fast" and it did not disapoint. Speed gives you options and we hit them all looking for a big fish.

The day started with 20-25mph N winds which was not the 8mph W-NW as predicted. Tried fishing north, could not even hold bottom with 8 ounces, and bucktailing was tough... Wind started to back off a little, so we headed out to deeper waters and the fish were still there and somewhat cooperative. Dan and Tracy both stuck wth 6-8 oz bucktails while I dabbled with bait but mostly bucktailing. My son stuck with bait all day and we each put a keeper in box and 3 seabass. Dan must have caught at least 9 keepers and Tracy at least 6, and we all caught shorts. They were releasing 19" fluke trying to keep an open slot for a doormat. Near end of day we went to some heavy structure looking for that one big fish, right after Dan dropped a big one, the boat near us had a woman land a 10.5lb fluke. It was her first fluke ever - and bigger than anything her husband ever caught as she was quick to remind him. That's fishing!


Although I just couldn't get my bucktailing mojo going this week (caught 4 keepers last week), I still had a great day on the water. I will get that doormat someday - I figure it's the equivalent of shooting a 170" NJ buck with the bow.

I will be upgrading equipment this winter in preparation for next year... Time to start at least attempting to focus on Bow season!

Edited August 21, 2017 by JHbowhunter

[rgw]

nice, better wait to see if there will be a season next year before upgrading

[Zipper]

Congratulations on a great day on the water. Flukefishing with family and friends, it doesn't get any better!

[BowhunterNJ]

Another nice day out there

[Buck154]

Always a good day when you boat a limit but that's the norm with Dan   

[LPJR]

  Nice Jack! 

[SPEARFISH]

Not bad. Too bad the limit is only 3 now.

[JHbowhunter]

Not bad. Too bad the limit is only 3 now.

 

Even if it were "1", would not have impacted me today!  LOL   Always good to have "back up". 

[Rusty]

Nice catch Jack.    

[Gobblengrunt]

Great fishing, good times with friends and family

[hammer4reel]

Day started off with me thinking I would be going home with an ear ache. Both from the wind,, and figuring Tracey would soon be asking what the hell we were doing out there.

Luckily the rest of the forcast held and the winds died down enough to let us fish.

Weird bite, but as its been for weeks now, as long as you were marking sand eels, the bites under them were pretty good.

Then it comes down to luck getting that hook to stick .

 

And I always said I would rather be lucky than good.

Proof of that was the boat seeing us reach for the net when I hooked up. Dropping the fish 10 foot up

Then watching that woman reel a spinning reel upside down BACKWARDS, and catch the door mat behind us

 

really thought we would get a great pick of better fish on the rubble once we got those nice drifting conditions, but the bite def ended with the incoming tide .

 

Nice to meet Jake, and it was greatly appreciated how eager he was to help REALLY clean the boat with Tracey.

I know she also appreciated the help,

 

.few more weeks of the season, hope to get some better days out there before it closes.

 

.

[mightyhunter]

Nice catch!

[Fishman]

Nice catch!   

[NorthNJHunter]

Awesome!