10+ to 1 keeper ratio - but great day on the ocean

[JHbowhunter]

Long ass day.   Got up 3:30.  My cousin-in-law and  I picked up @Bucksnbows 4:30. Met @TroutandBucks at SR launch 6am. 

The mission was simple. 

1) Have fun

2) Catch fish

3) Get @Bucksnbows something on the 9 weight (any type of forktail fish or blues)

4) Do the impossible- a 4 man fluke limit

 While we accomplished the first two, it was still an amazing day on the ocean in the mighty 19' Carolina Skiff.  Sloppy disorganized sea dispite hard NW winds overnight and yesterday, still blowing 10mph out of NW.  Was able to make 22mph and got up by Asbury but first fished the inlet for the many jumping spanish mackerel.     We lost a few blues and Bucksnbows had two big swirls by the boat stripping his fly.      

Saw more birds working of Asbury so stopped there to get a flyrod catch or something on light spin tackle - struck out but decided to test the fluking there and it was pretty good despite being in pretty close.      We put our first keeper in the box there but it petered out.   Then ran more N and again had some decent action but not what I was looking for just getting shorts.  Ran a bit more N to a famous mark in my GPS known as "Puke Rock" where my cousin in law caught a big fluke last year when fishing with @Buck154 and I,  and he then proceeded to chum the spot thoroughly.   Hence the name in my Helix "Puke Rock" which has been one of my better spots last two seasons.    

Once we got there, it was pretty darn good action.   Lots of shorts but quality shorts.   a few 15" seabass too to give an ice bath to.   We would start at puke rock then drift SE from there until one of us got hung up then would reverse to get unstuck and start again.  There were 200 boats 2 miles offshore of us but we stayed there with steady action, quality fish and by noon had 8 in the box plus 2 seabass.     We also chased a blues blitz and I jigged one up about 3lbs.  

Had a great crew - Troutand bucks was first to hit his limit then I got to 2 as did my cousin and law  - we thought it would happen the action was very good.   But then - you guessed it, tide fell off, wind fell off, and the bite died.   Ran offshore - dead. By this time we are 8 keepers out of 80+ fluke landed but last hour dead.  It's 1:30pm, decided to run 14 miles South to SG reef but as we started somebody flipped the S wind switch. It started to crank.  One thing a skiff does NOT do well is take on steep close 3 - 4 footers on the nose.   Aborted that we crawled our way back to inlet at 9mph and now it's 3PM. 

Did 45 minutes of drifts in 33' right near inlet and we probably got another 2 dozen fluke to 17.5"....   Great action but just could not break "8" and do the impossible and put 12 in the box.   Nothing over 21.5", but lots of chewing most of the day so great action great crew great fun. 

I think the other crew members have pics if they wish to share...     I got fish cleaned, motor flushed and rods rinsed and a shower...   Will clean boat in morning...    I am a little bit tired. 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2021 by JHbowhunter

[Tarhunt]

A good day had by all. Good stuff. 

[Live to Hunt]

Good stuff fellas. Great day 

[TroutandBucks]

Awesome day out on the water with @Bucksnbows and a big thank you to our captain Jack! The boat rides great and fish were coming over all day


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[bushden]

Great day for you guys !!

[JHbowhunter]

ocean is stuffed with Rainfish.   The Spanish were chasing, as were blues.  The fluke and seabass spitting them up. The filet table was finding them too.  When  left the inlet the bait was stacked top to bottom.    Surprisingly, unlike last year this time - zero bunker anywhere. 

[hammer4reel]

9 minutes ago, JHbowhunter said:

ocean is stuffed with Rainfish.   The Spanish were chasing, as were blues.  The fluke and seabass spitting them up. The filet table was finding them too.  When  left the inlet the bait was stacked top to bottom.    Surprisingly, unlike last year this time - zero bunker anywhere. 

Sounds like a fun day .

bunker has been around in big numbers the last few weeks .

and we the cleaner water there actually have been quite a few cobia caught under them .

hoping to see some around tomorrow ., as work git in the way of fishing today 

[Farmshine]

Great day!   

[JHbowhunter]

10 minutes ago, hammer4reel said:

Sounds like a fun day .

bunker has been around in big numbers the last few weeks .

and we the cleaner water there actually have been quite a few cobia caught under them .

hoping to see some around tomorrow ., as work git in the way of fishing today 

No bunker, no cobia - cownose rays, jumping spanish, occasional blues, rainfish up and down the coast and lots of fluke just not 2021 limit-worthy.   2010 perhaps. Water clarity was "ok" not brown, leaning toward clearer green but not blue at all.  Maybe 15' visibility.   A lot of dime size or smaller jelly fish or jelly like things EVERYWHERE including clogging the launch.   

[Relocator]

We went looking for brown sharks under bunker schools this afternoon like we did last Saturday (did great last Sat).  Zero bunker seen in the ocean today. (Raritan bay is loaded with them.)

Plan B- pot hopping for mahi. Buddies of mine have been catching a few. Pit stop at the mud bouy for some sea bass 1st, then after 2 dozen+ pots- no mahi.

Crazy bluefish action on topwater at Shrewsbury Rocks saved the day.

Didn't really try fluking. South wind really blew up after 4:00, so we stuck with playing with blues.

Sounds like you guys had good fluke action!

[Farmshine]

Ole lady and I had a half hearted couple hours outside the hook today.  Only managed a few robins.  It was busy and I couldn’t set up in a good drift.  I did see some very big rays and had porpoises breaking water really close to boat which was cool. I hope to get back down again this week on a more fishing dedicated trip.  Sounds like there’s plenty of action!

[Buck154]

8 hours ago, JHbowhunter said:

No bunker, no cobia - cownose rays, jumping spanish, occasional blues, rainfish up and down the coast and lots of fluke just not 2021 limit-worthy.   2010 perhaps. Water clarity was "ok" not brown, leaning toward clearer green but not blue at all.  Maybe 15' visibility.   A lot of dime size or smaller jelly fish or jelly like things EVERYWHERE including clogging the launch.   

Great day guys. Wish I was able to fish yesterday instead of Friday in the wind. The bunker were there but not up top. Hanging deep. Guess nothing chasing them. I read a lot and snagged one on a jig on the marks. Surprised Brian couldn't get a Spanish mackerel on the fly rod. they been jumping all over. 

[MGHunter66]

Nice boys, was good action yesterday. Was out of Pt Pleasant myself, off the water by 11am 

Edited August 1, 2021 by MGHunter66

[Bucksnbows]

Some pix from yesterday. 

[JHbowhunter]

forgot about @TroutandBucks "monster" seabass... lol