Alright, after last Sunday's insane trip aboard the Angela Rose II, we decided to head on back out for some more fluking this past Sunday!
There were two cancellations...so we cruised on out with Craig, Steve, Rob, Captain Anthony, Captain Wayne, mate Kevin, and myself.
With last week's weather...pretty much since our trip last Sunday, the ocean has been heaving and fishing has been very slow. A few guys we know fished Saturday and the heave was still present, but seas were calming. We were greeted with Westerly winds in the morning, a very promising sign, and as we broke the inlet, the ocean was very clam with a slight heave...which left the current below questionable.
We headed to a new area Captain Anthony had on his mind and set up for a few drifts. The drifts were pretty slow, as was the fishing. We did manage to catch a few fish, and put a couple keeper fluke in the box and a couple seabass as well. We fished the area for a couple hours, working the bottom on various lines, but the fish just weren't cooperating...other than the fierce juvenile seabass which were ripping the tails off our Gulp mullets constantly!
After a short while, we headed up to fish the reef and see if the action was any better. A super slow drift seemed perfect to bucktail those deep, rough bottoms but the fluke just weren't in feed mode. Seabass were pretty active though with weight and bait being the ticket, as Wayne was beating on them while Rob picked at a few as well. In the meantime, Craig, Steve, and I continued to bucktail for fluke and picked up an occasional seabass with only a handful of shorts. We started thinking maybe the outgoing tide, opposite of what we fished last Sunday, was the reason. So, we did the only thing we could...headed back up to the area we fished last week in time to catch the change in tide.
We arrive to the same area with renewed anticipation of better fishing. It's about 1:30PM when we drop down and are on fish right away. We land a few shorts, and then a keeper or two. Then Craig hooks into a good fish and lands a nice 5lb 8oz fluke. Some more shorts as we go on subsequent drifts with a few seabass mixed in. Then Wayne starts bailing some nicer seabass, one after another with two back to back 2lb 4oz and 2lb 2oz seabass...which we find out are his two best ever! Sweet!
Things are finally looking up when the most classic of events occurs! Craig...the SCRUB...hooks into a nice fish and then DROPS it...on any other day, this is completely typical...except he goes into this complete devastation act and nearly collapses on the stern gunnel...hunched over on the rail, he's climb into fetal position if he could haha...rod dropped to the water in total disgust with his head hanging low. Well, dipping the rod from vertically fighting to in the water naturally put a lot of slack in the line...the bucktail dropped back down and WHAM...he hooks back up halfway off the bottom! Same fish? Different fish? Who knows...but it was meant to be to catch a fish that way! Craig fought the fish for awhile, knew it was a good one, and eventually worked him into the net...finally landing his personal best fish scaling out at exactly 7lb 0oz!!! Nice buddy!
Well we continued to comb the area for another hour or two...but the bite slowed and we couldn't seem to locate another patch of fish. So, we made the decision to head further north on the reef and hit our second spot from last Sunday, again with high hopes of big fish. We arrive and it's already late and beyond our planned fishing time...but Captain Anthony is determined to find the fish! We get to the spot and are in our first or second drift picking up at a keeper or two with some shorts mixed in...when we hear all kinds of hooting and hollering about 80 yards off our starboard stern. I look over to catch a glimpse of a really big fluke in a net being hauled over the side of a private boat. The guys are high fiving, going crazy...and eventually Boga it up and we shout for a weight...they yell back 11# and change. Nice fish! We know they are there, and shortly after I hook into a pretty nice 3lb 11oz fluke. As we swing by the guys with the big fluke, we asked if they have any other big ones and they said that was their only fish. So the fishing is slow, all around and still no major bite up at this final stop...so we eventually call it a day.
Although the fishing was slow, all around from what we heard from friends on the water, we still had a great time. Captain Anthony busted his butt running us all around trying to find em, and we managed 9 keeper fluke to 7#, 15 keeper seabass, and 1 keeper porgy! Definitely a tough day on the water, one of the toughest I've had all summer...conditions were beautiful above the water but it seemed like things weren't quite so below. No lack of effort on our part, everyone fished hard...the fish just didn't want to cooperate. Alas, we did have two people with personal bests: Craig with his 7lb 0oz fluke, and Captain Wayne with his 2lb 2oz and 2lb 4oz seabass! Nice job guys!
OK, let's move on to some pics!
Ant, hangin out...waiting to roll on out
Craig with the TWO handed morning "Hi!"
Kevin...giving the thumbs up...he's ready for a Sunday repeat!
The Angela Rose II
Some morning scenery while we wait for the last fisherman to arrive...
Another...makings of a nice morning...
Well, while we waited, I did a little fluking off the bow in the slip while Ant did some casting with the net.
Ant came up BIG with this guy!
Look at that proud look of accomplishment and the fruit of his undying determination!!! Watch out Monica, Ant is coming for you!!!
Craig is breaking out ALL the stops today...sporting the superhero cape!!!
Taking off on the way out!
It's a bird, it's a plane...it's...it's...Super Scrubby! Haha
Cruising out of the inlet...
Breaking the inlet in the AM...conditions look nice.
Hauling...
Kevin, Craig..haha classic expression, and Steve
Wayne and Ant...talkin strategy!
Then Captain Incognito came out...
He's from WESTSIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
And if you give away his spots...he has a finger gun...serious fisherman!
Alright...it's fishing time! Craig at the ready!
Captain Wayne rigging up!
Steve's hookin up the Gulp!
New fisherman (to us), Rob joined in on the fun!
Steve didn't take long to get the first keeper in the box!
Hell, before the first beer was tapped into.
Here Rob does the honors...it's early, but Rob didn't forget his no spill beer neck harness! Nice!
Rob, let's see an example of how that thing secures your beer while you fight a fish!
Atta boy!!!
Scrub's on a fish...Ant's head is in the way!
Wayne puttin the hook to one!
Steve didn't want us to bust his chops over tapping into the first beer.
He was so gunshy, he was drinking this to start off...WHAT?!?!?!
Man it was calm out there...
So, the fishing slowed down...so you start observing things...like Craig's knee for example.
Now, I didn't want to ask why he was on his knees so much that they were all dirty...picture says a thousand words they say! Haha
Alright...finally...Steve back into the fish!
Bringin him in!
Ant's into a fish!
Then I got distracted as I hooked up an awesome double header sea robin! I'm awesome! Totally intentional...no seriously! Hah
Here we have Captain Gets Tangled Around His Own Reel
And Captain Socks makes another appearance! Funny, he hasn't worn socks the last two times out...but his Socks But Not area isn't getting any tanner! Steve's the man either way!
Alright, some final fish pics...here's Wayne with his two biggest seabass on the day.
Craig with his two big ones on the day!
Craig's biggest to date...7lb 0oz fluke!
Craig forgot his lunch, so he decided to naw on the tail a little bit before we weighed it up!
Final fish pic on the boat before heading in...
Twon from the upper deck...
Craig...back at the dock...quickly collecting pool money before anyone steps off!
Steve diggin into the pockets!
Final fish pic back at the dock
Nice fish Craig!
Ant, knifing away!
Wayne doin the skinning!
And after all is said and done...we kick back and relax with the best post fishing treat on the planet!
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooood, vanilla with chocolate crunch!
Well, that's all folks! As always, great job Captain Anthony and mate Kevin...big thanks for having us out and busting your butts, battling the tough fishing! Was great to have Captain Wayne out on board fishing with us as well...wish he was on board last Sunday! Was good meeting and fishing with Rob, and with the usual suspects Craig and Steve as well! This trip is probably my last fluke trip of the year as the season closes on September 10th...but we'll see, I might sneak out one more time! Right now...it's on to whitetails with the bow, with an offshore tuna trip coming up in a few weeks, then some fall stripers mixed in...then onto blackfishing later in the winter...can't wait!
Until next time...
