07/21/2007 - Fluking Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook
Alright, another day out fluking with the boys! This trip featured a great crew...we have Captain Clamshell (aka Charlie), Captain Temper (Tom), Captain Scrubbin It (Craig), and your's truly Captain Impatient! A whole lot of captains and non stop busting chops all day makes for some serious fun!
A little background on the nicknames:
Captain Clamshell is because Charlie is the MAN when it comes to catching clamshells while fluking! Seriously, if they were alive, he could probably make a living as a clam fisherman...and not even need to waste his time draggin for em! Of course, he could start an ashtray business...
Captain Temper was given to Tom by Captain Scrub It for some unknown reason...I think Tom said something about moving the knife away from him during some cooler maneuvering, before he got filleted himself...or some other "warning" in a rare, stern voice...usually Tom is a jokester, so seriousness is pretty rare...and Craig after all the busting, was in full retaliation mode, quite funny!
Captain Scrub It was given to Craig by the rest of us because well...his nickname is Scrubby, and in spirit of his nickname and uncanny ability to either create a stiff breeze all on his own or add to the existing one with the swings of his fishing rod, coming up empty handed...we have now coined the term, "Scrubbin It!" for those times you whiff and miss a fish. On this trip, I think we counted somewhere in the upper 40s...it's hard to keep track as once we started counting outloud, he started going into silent hookset mode...so we can probably safely double our rough count for a more accurate number!
Captain Impatient, because well...this is accurate...I'm an impatient mofo...I think primarily with trying to acquire bait (see story below) and for wanting to move back over fish once the catching slows down...like nearly immediately even if we're only 3 minutes into the drift! I know I'm a pain in the arse...but we catch fish most times! Haha
OK, so back to the story...we all agree to meet up at Charlie's at 5:00AM to pack up and shove off. Craig got to Charlie's sometime around 9:00PM the night before and was waiting on the boat with fishing rod in hand, baited and ready to go...meanwhile the rest of us were sleeping...well some of us...I got a whole 2 hours of sleep the night before...but I was on time...unlike Tommy Boy! Sure, OK...he got pulled over for following his GPS and making an illegal turn...the cop thought he was drunk, when in fact...he was really just late for fishing...UNACCEPTABLE (hah, like I should talk). We felt bad for him due to the ticket, cop was a momo, so we didn't hassle him too much on it. Tom always takes thing great though, he was a little POed, but he didn't let it ruin his day of fishing!
We head over to the ramp, slip the boat in the water and head on out of the river. It's a cool morning with a little NE breeze to start on the way out...we try to net some bait but have trouble locating them (only some large bunker, no peanuts or snappers). We abandon the effort and head out to the bay.
We hit the Reach to start off and it's a fair drift...pretty much ideal for covering ground. Fishing was...slowwwwwwwww to start. Craig caught the first fish, keeper to boot...then I landed a keeper shortly afterwards...which felt like it just came out of a microwave to me...maybe it was the chill in the air, but the fish felt WARM. Shortly after, Charlie hooks into something that takes him for a ride...only to find out it's a bluefish! And that was it...for like an hour and a half...hardly any bites at all...not even sea robins. We fished through the Reach a little and then out by the tip of the hook...but it was like devoid of fluke it seemed...never seen anything like it.
So we move off down the beach, and finally hit some shorts...couple fish here and there, Craig was Scrubbin It hard...whiffing fish and starting to get a little worked up...we added some fuel to the fire with the incessant reminders and LOUD acknowledgements whenever we saw him swing for the fences! I finally get a hit and land another keeper in the area, just a nice little high spot we found, but the rest of the drift was slow and fishless all around.
We went further down, hit some spots where we've been picking fish up regularly the last few weeks, but they were all virtually lifeless as well. Handful of shorts between the four of us left us scratching out heads over the next two hours. We hit a few different spots in the area but absolutely nothing...we couldn't believe it. Just tough, tough fishing. We fished a variety of Gulp and baits: strip bait, herring, snappers, etc...but couldn't seem to find any fish biting any of it.
The NE wind is picking up and the drift is quickening, but we decide to try some deeper water structure and take a ride out. We find the spot, another boat or two in the vicinity, and we setup a drift. Feels like great bottom, couple small hits (sea bassish), and then Captain Scrub It hooks into something big...and drops it. Rebaits, drops down, and BAM hooks into something else that doubles his rod over...and...it breaks off! At this point, Charlie and I are breaking out conventional bait rods and want to tap into the Herring supply...Craig is a little dejected because we're absolutely incessant and ruthless with busting his chops over the drops...it's totally brutal and hilarious...well to us!
He combats by sitting on the bait cooler and retying. We ask him to pass us two herring while we're on the fish still...he says, "Ohhh hold on a minute, I'm retying...". In a minute, we'll be off the spot...haha. OK, so he gets us back, I give up and go back to Gulp before we're off the spot, Charlie forces Craig off the cooler and grabs a herring. Everyone's back in the water...and Craig continues whiffing like a champ again...while we're not even getting hits. It's miserable all around, and the only remedy is to continue busting the balls of the only guy actually getting hits. Poor Scrub...man he was a nonstop target!Eventually the tide starts picking up some more...it's about 12:30 now, and we only have 3 keepers in the box...and we're all getting a little frustrated with the fishing, can't seem to figure it out. We head out into the channel some, and I bucktail back a keeper from the edge...OK 4 in the box now...finally! We are picking at sporadic shorts and sea robins, but just can't seem to locate a patch of keepers. We move out more into the channel for a drift and pick up some more shorts...at least the bite is getting better.
Eventually we abandon the area and head up to where Tom, Stephan and I caught a good number of keepers last week. Turned out the be the saving grace of the day...as we finally started hooking up some fluke and putting keepers in the box. Craig was still whiffing like it's his job, but he was also landing a couple here and there too to even it out a bit! The truth of the matter is...we all wish we could just get as many hits as he does...so we're all just jealous!
So the fishing finally picked up, and we commenced with drifts over the same area for the next 2-3 hours and picked up 16 more keepers, giving us a grand total of 20 keepers in the box before it was time to head back on in. We still can't figure out why everything was so lifeless early on, but calls to other buddies all had similar reports. Seems like when the tide changed from high to outgoing, things started picking up some. We figured to expect the same with dead low to incoming when we first got out there...but it seemed like all of incoming was pretty much dead.
We take a bumpy ride back home, hit the dock, snap a few funny pics...and head back to Charlie's to clean up the fish. Lou (aka wingshooter) is at Charlie's by the time Tom and I return with a little pizza...and the slush coolers get started up! The coolest part of the trip was Charlie, Craig and Tom were all excited to fillet the fluke when we got back! That was awesome, they all picked up the tail side filleting like experts and banged out the fluke fillets...good stuff! Skinned em and bagged em...and packed em on ice for our rides home. Then Lou (Woodruff) arrives with some more beer and ice to keep the party going. We hang at Charlies for a few more hours, get to try some INSANELY GOOD "Coffee Brandy"...which seriously tastes just like coffee but with a slow, creeping punch to knock you on your butt (so I'm told, knowing I had to drive, I opted to drink lightly). Eventually things slow down, and we all head out after a great day fishing and a nice, relaxing time afterwards!
OK, onto some pics!
Captain Clamshell ready to go!
Captain Scrubbin It...wondering where Captain Temper is...he's been waiting to go for awhile now!
Captain Temper finally arrives...he Tommy...what time is it buddy?
Backin the boat in...still early...
Scrub!!!
Captain Clamshell, aka Trailer Squirrel!
Tom and his Red Bull...breakfast of champions!
Little flag in the foreground pic...
Not quite glass...little breeze
The captain...takin us for a ride!
Tom, going crazy...I heard something about a turtle popping out of its shell early or something...maybe this face is a result?
Nice sky...
The Parkway bridge in sight...
OK...finally some fishing, right?
Craig with the first fish and keeper in the box!
Charlie's ON!!!
GET THE GAFF!!! CrabHunter in effect!!!
Ohhh this one is lookin a little serious...
Ahhhh yellow eyed devil!!!
Tom also caught this star gazer early in the trip...little far of a shot...we told him to kiss it on the forehead for good luck, but Tom was too smart for that...actually we warned him, we didn't have jumper cables on the boat to restart his heart! Haha
The Big Fish Magnet is on the fish praying "Stay on the hook, stay on the hook!"
No such luck, back to fishing...there was an "in between photo here", but it involves an odd numbered finger pointed toward the sky, so we'll just go on to this pic of the line back in the water!
Charlie on the fish...show em how it's done buddy!
Alright...Craig back on the fish! Charlie with the net, waiting!
Wooohooo!!! In the net!!! One landed for 35 whiffed aint bad there Scrub!
Tom's on!
Two on!
And the fish coming back to the stern for a measurement...
Fishin's gettin a little better!
Scrub with the, "It's a fluke, no wait a minute...I think it's a robin, no it's definitely a fluke...wait...it's definitely a robin!"
Hehe, it's definitely BOTH!
And the man into more fish...he was warming up in the second half for sure!
Back at the dock, the battle worn SCRUB!!!
I don't know what Scrub is reaching for here...but Tom seems to like it...
Craig, what are you doing/looking at here buddy?
Tom, coppin a feel!
The trailer squirrel...I'm waiting...one of these day's he'll take a swim!
The epitomy of a redneck! Haha
Niiiiiiiiiceeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Scrub primpin his hair for the camera
Kind of a cross between Emo and Mrs. Doubtfire...
He reminds of of Todd from Wedding Crashers!
The day's catch!
Then the man Lou arrived with some cooler reloads!
The most classic picture of Tom ever...with his impression of Craig as Mrs. Doubtfire after a little drinking!
Dude, Tom is F'in hilarious!
Oh, Tommy, I couldn't resist a rough Photoshopping...I love ya man!
Craig is pretty beat...time to end the day and head on home...
Well that's the end of the day and night! Normally I'd end this tale with the quote of the day from Charlie...but I'd probably get banned for it. Although, I'm sure Charlie is still wondering "What that guy's..." HAHAHAHAHAHA, inside joke...HILARIOUS and NEVER to be forgotten!
Alright, that's all folks...just another awesome day out there with some good friends. Tough fishing to start out, but everything evened out in the end as we got to put some fish in the box. Craig took the ball busting fairly well, we were just brutal. Tom seemed to have a great time despite his start to the morning. Craig and he were fishing in the bow, so we didn't get as much convo going as normal...although I heard all kinds of bodily noises coming from up there and was happy there was a stiff crosswind!
Charlie, as always, great time bud, I was looking forward to some "HELP ME!"s and some "Back her down"s, but alas we didn't have any of those! Thanks for for taking us all out man, can't wait to do it again!
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