Well I finally got out for some fishing after a two week hiatus as Charlie, Scrubby, Chris and I hit up the Raritan Bay for some winter flounder.
Predicted weather was nice and sunny with temps expected to rise into the mid 70s. In reality with an early breeze increasing to a stiff 15mph steady all afternoon I don't think it ever felt above 60 all day...but very nice nonetheless and certainly better than being at work! :)
Fishing was tough, we found an early bite around the last bit of incoming and slack tide in the morning and managed 7 keepers over the first couple hours, but then the bite died off and we opted to relocate to try another area. We fished the new spot for about an hour without even a tap, so we pulled anchor and headed back to the morning's area to try in a little deeper water. Things again were pretty slow, but we managed to pick up a fish here and there over the next few hours until the winds and seas started getting a little snotty, so we packed it up and headed back in.
Scrubby was the hot hand, as usual inducing the most bites and WHIFFING! Hehe, but he managed high hook of 4 keepers, adding another on his chum pot (only chum pot fish all day). I managed 3 keepers on the only 3 discernable hits I had. Charlie pulled in 2 keeps, and Chris rounding it off with his 1 from earlier in the morning. Bites came on a mix of clams and worms, but I think most hits were on the worms over the clams. Seemed Pablo's Not-So-Secret winter flounder bait helped out again as well, as Scrubby lead the way with the most hits and was using it all day.
We ended the day with 11 keepers, not bad but not really good either...just a tough day as we couldn't seem to locate a good batch of fish.
But as always, a great time with good friends! ;)
Let's get to some pics from the day!
Ah, my morning started with a drive to Charlie's place. Along the NJ Turnpike, I came across an upcoming ploom of smoke, so I grabbed my camera just in time to catch this van on fire.
Blurry drive-by pic at 70mph! :)
Unfortunately Charlie's morning picture can't be posted, so I'll move on to a Newman series! :)
The trademark THH (Two-Handed Hi):
Newman!!!
Crazy Newman!
RARE PIC! Charlie smiling...one of two on the day!
Scrubby on the Spot!
Ahhhhhhhhhh more coffee!
Charlie's buddy Chris, getting ready!
Charlie, getting ready to drop his new ride in! ;)
In the meantime, I observed this spectacle. Note the wooden dog aimed at dissuading geese from visiting the area.
Funny, they added black silhouettes at my train station to do the same, and geese learned in about 2 days...they pose no threat.
Hilarious.
BTW, does that dog in the pic have a jetpack on?
Boat's in the water...nice!
SCRUB!!!!!!
So pretty!
Some morning shots...
Nice, hazy sunrise...
Super hazy...
Sun peering over the houses.
Ah, the infamous winter flounder hot-spot!
See, this guy knows about it!!!
Hazy fireball!
Alright, finally on the fishing grounds...we have a hatless Scrub!
Shortly later, with his first fish!
Chris in the stern, picking one up on the dead-stick!
Nice!
Charlie is into one!
Two smiles in one day!!!
And another one!
Then I landed my first...blurry pic, but a nice flounder...biggest of the day!
Newman with another one!
Then things slowed down so we relocated and saw a familiar face!
After an hour...fishing kinda looked like this, so we relocated! :)
New spot, Chris enjoying the company of ducks!
Charlie was too!
Scrub, on the chum pot like a mad man...well until he went to drop it back in and the rope broke! Whoops!
Well, we headed back in a short while later and ran into some antics at the dock...had to tow a guy in who kept losing power to his engine.
Then the guy went to get his trailer...see anything wrong with this picture?
Ahhh, no problem...he just pulled her right up on there anyway! LOL
OK, final fish pic!
Well that's all folks, long and tough day of fishing but great to be back on the water again!
Until next time...
2 comments:
Nice day on the water! Just wondering where the launch ramp is in the picture?
It's a ramp in Edison, pretty sure it's a season permit-based one.
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