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OCTOBER 13, 2008
What a treat this trip was as Shawn,
Richs’ good friend and Operations Manager, was going to join
us. Rudy and I only get to see Shawn maybe once a year. I
spend a lot of time talking to him, as he’s the one solely
responsible for creating and running this website. All I do
is type the reports. Ok enough said let’s get to fishing.
Bluefin was on the menu once again, so off to the Mudhole we
went. Drove around for almost an hour before setting the
hook after finally seeing a small amount of life. I was
wondering if Shawn was going to be the bad luck charm and
put an end to our successful bluefin run we have been on.
Well I quickly changed my mind after throwing some chunks as
Rudy was dropping the hook, and saw fish on the finder
immediately once again. Took at least an hour before we
managed our first bite and yes it was on the butterfly jig
Rich had been working. What do you know false albacore, and
hoped the bluefins would follow as in the past.
Rudy got a bite on the working line which usually works the
best and handed it off to Shawn. I won’t get into detail on
how long this took, but Shawn did a great job on the rod,
catching and releasing his first bluefin ever. The fished
probably was thirty some pounds. Rich got one on the
butterfly jig not long after Shawn’s release. Once again
the fish stayed under the boat all day as Rudy and I worked
hard for some bites. The tide was going to change soon so
we stuck it out hoping they would turn on.
Well they did not like mad dogs but we picked at them and
broke at least three off. Rich hooked a screamer on a
free-floating bait. This fish took us down half way into
the spool on a thirty. Well the fight was on, and after
twenty minutes, a fifty one pound hit the deck. It looked
like the fish was tail wrapped and managed to get out,
possibly having something to do with the long run. What
a beauty, this one went on ice, and Shawn and Rich fought
three more bluefins up to forty some pounds.
Well Shawn, you weren’t bad luck after all and it was great
to have you out with us. Thanks for the good times, laughs,
and for putting up with my late fishing reports.
OCTOBER 10, 2008
Rudy and I had the pleasure of taking
John Capra and his two sons, Michael and Jonathan, out for
some bluefin tuna action. These guys are regulars and don’t
need much in terms of instructions. Arriving at sun up
just a few miles from where we had been fishing in the
Mudhole, things were looking fishy.
As
we were setting anchor the chunks were flying from the
cockpit and once again before we were tight we had fish
under the boat. First fish to come over the side was a
dogfish. This isn’t what you want to see because we all
know what a nuisance dogfish can be, but the fish finder was
showing readings of tuna. John finally hooked a false
albacore on the butterfly jig and things were starting to
look good. Rudy got another jig in the water and we were
soon hooked up to a small bluefin. Jonathan made quick work
of this little guy and was set free. The day would continue
in this fashion - pick through the albies and get a bluefin
on.
Michael also fought a nice fish; he and his brother would do
this throughout the day with dad getting in on the action,
as well bringing five fish to boat side up to forty pounds.
You guys are a great pleasure to have onboard hope to see
you in the fall for Tautog and Stripers.
OCTOBER 5, 2008
Back out again for a try with the
bluefins. Rich’s friend, Donald, from Minnesota joined the
crew for the day. We set off for the Mudhole today as I got
reports from a few friends that this area was holding some
fish. It didn’t take long before we set up on the anchor
after driving over some good readings on the fish finder.
Before the anchor was tight we were marking fish on the
finder streaking up into the chunks. Within minutes we had
our first false albacore on, and it was quickly followed by
a bluefin. The butterfly jig proved to be deadly once
again as it was accounting for most of the fish. The fish
stayed under the boat all day and we tried everything to get
more bites. They didn’t respond to twenty pound test so we
just waited them out and kept working. Patience and hard
work paid off as Donald got his first bluefin. After a
short fight the fish was boated and released after a quick
photo.
We
ended the day with four bluefins up to forty pounds with one
on ice and released two dozen false albacores. Was nice to
only have to run twenty four miles back to the inlet.
OCTOBER
4, 2008
Finally we are back out after being
held in port due to weather. Rich, Rudy, and myself headed
out for bluefin in the area of the Glory Hole. We arrived
at sun up and spent a little time looking around. There was
a small fleet in the area and they weren’t doing much, so we
moved a little north and set up on the drift since
conditions were favorable for it. Wasn’t long before we
started catching false albacore. These are so much fun to
catch on light tackle. We even set one up on the kite
hoping for a big mako; however the wind just didn’t
cooperate.
Finally we had a fish that could take some drag. As Rich
got it up closer to the boat we could see color on a
thirty-some pound bluefin. We managed to pick two more
fish, one was on a butterfly jig and the others were all on
bait. The fish were thirty to fifty pounds in size. We
kept our one fish and released the others. For those of you
who don’t know the regulations on bluefin tuna our permit
only allows us to keep one bluefin between 27 and 47
inches. You are allowed another however it has to be over
47 inches and not greater than 73. Last but not least you
are allowed one more fish over 73 inches which classifies
that as a giant bluefin, and this falls under the trophy
division. This only allows you to catch a fish of this size
once and only once within one year.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2008
My brother Max made a trip with me for
bluefin as Rich and Rudy were tied up with other plans. We
fished on the Reg.26 and headed to a spot where some bigger
bluefins were being caught some 43 miles from the inlet.
After a bumpy ride out we arrived on the grounds along with
a large fleet of boats. From what we saw and heard on the
radio things were very quiet.
We
marked a few fish but they didn’t stick around. A few hours
later we got fish on which quickly turned into a double
header. I pulled the hook on mine and we chased Max’s fish
around the boat only to have the unimaginable happen - the
fish quickly changed direction and was heading towards the
surface. Next thing you know a basking shark jumps out of
the water right next to the boat with our line wrap around
him. The line broke as we stood in disbelief and wondered
what the chances were of that happening. Well, it was a
beautiful day and the seas laid down for a fast enjoyable
ride home.
SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2008
The annual Manasquan River Club
tournament was in full effect and Team Big Boy was ready for
the challenge. The tournament runs for 10 days and you have
your choice of 2 day trolls, or fishing 40 hours. We picked
to fish forty hours, and we for fished for 30 of the forty
hours. Our team was Rich, our good friend Cliff from
Connecticut, Rudy, and myself.
We
departed the inlet midnight, set on a course for the east
wall of the Hudson. Here I was hoping we could pick up an
eyeball (Big Eye Tuna). There was no doubt in my mind
that’s what would win the tuna division. Two or maybe three
weeks ago, this area had a good bite going on and has died
considerably since then.
On
the grounds by sun up we only had a few other boats working
the area and they didn’t have much to report. After a few
hours drilling the area, and no signs of any life, I decided
we would head up the shelf towards The Dip. The temp
charts showed a good break up that way. This was our plan
from the start if the 100 Square was dead. Trolled for a
few hours in the direction of our destination and soon
picked up and ran. The distance between the two canyons is
about 33 miles.
We
stopped short of the Dip and put the lines out as we came
across the temp break. Just inside the break we started to
see life. We were the only ones there and it was looking
fishy. We soon found mounds of bait and whales by the
dozens feeding on it along with some porpoise. After a few
hours of pulling my hair out we finally got bit. Three
lines go screaming off only to lose one right off the bat.
The first fish to hit the deck was a 60 lb. yellowfin which
Cliff made quick work of. The second, which Rich was
fighting, gave us quite a tussle and by judging the way it
was acting I thought for sure this was going to be a big
eye. About 10 minutes later we could just see color, and
the rod was still lapped over. As the tuna got closer we
soon realized it was no monster or a big eye. The hook
caught the tuna in the side making the battle harder than
usual. Another 60 lb. yellowfin on ice.
We
trolled right into dark pounding the area and dodging
whales, had a few shots at some white marlin but no luck.
Also got to see some huge Manta Rays sky rocketing out of
the water. Set up on the drift out off the shelf where the
bait was, hoping for a night bite and a shot at some
swordfish.
The
squid showed up, the porpoise showed up, the tuna didn’t nor
any swordfish. However for a split second after setting a
deep live squid with a glow light my spirits were lifted.
The bait wasn’t in the water for more than five minutes when
the rod started to lap over. I yelled to Cliff we were on a
big sword, but when it didn’t take a run I knew right away
we had a Manta Ray. Rich came out and fought the beast.
While that was going, another ray, which we saw jump out of
the water next to the boat with the line hanging out of its
mouth. Luckily the leader broke unfortunately I had to reel
back in three quarters of line. Got the ray up to the boat
and took a few picks of the 400 lb. ray and Rudy cut the
leader close for clean release.
In
the morning we were back on the troll in the dark with our
fingers crossed hoping for some big eyes. Well they came up
just an eight of a mile from us. The bad news is that
another boat from the tournament came out that night and
just happened to be in the right spot at the right time. He
called us over and we gave it hell until noon without a
single bite. Well I give our team an A plus for effort,
dedication, and stamina. Great job everyone as usual.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2008
Headed out on Labor Day with Rich, his father Jack, and
nephew Evan. Bluefin troll was on the schedule once again
and I was hoping the fishing improved overnight so we could
try and get Evan on his first tuna. It was a little bumpy
ride out and Evan was wondering if we were there yet - Oh
boy!
We
decided to stop a little short of our initial destination.
We marked some bait and had a few draggers working the area
as well. Then we marked some tuna, but they weren’t
interested at all. After putting in a few hours in this
area and not getting as much as a sniff from anything, we
slowly trolled out to the east. Talked to a couple guys on
the radio from our dock that were already out, but they
didn’t have much to report. Much of the day went on with no
action for us – although one of our buddies lost one at the
boat. Other than that, the crew was getting restless, and
Rich asked if we could find some bluefish on the way in for
Evan.
Stopped on a hump on the way back where I marked bait and
what I thought looked like tuna. So we put 4 lines out and
quickly found out they were bluefish - very large I might
add. They were so thick that we trolled 2 drone spoons with
wire leader and had Evan reeling one in after the other… in
until his arms feel off. Well… the day wasn’t a total loss
and Evan did get to drive the boat in once again.
AUGUST 31, 2008
Rich and Laurie were onboard again,
along with Richs’ very good friend Arthur and his wife
Andrea. We were headed back out to the Little Italy area
and the Slough. This is where we had the fish a couple of
days ago. With a late start we arrived around 11:00 am.
Its only about a 16 to 18 mile run from the inlet. There
was a small fleet of boats in the area and it sounded as if
the action was slow.
Once on the troll you could see that conditions were much
different then Thursday. No whales, no porpoise, and no
birds to really speak of and very little bait. However, for
some reason, I was marking a tuna every now and again and it
wasn’t long before we had our first fish. Andrea was on the
rod and did a tremendous job reeling in a 35 inch bluefin,
which probably weighed in the low to mid 20 pound class. We
all agreed to let this one go and try for a bigger one.
Well, that was the only fish we saw and with time running
out, the fishing was not looking so great so we called in an
early day. Everyone onboard had a great time. Arthur it
was good seeing you again and meeting Andrea. Looking
forward to another trip.
AUGUST 28, 2008
With the canyon fishing being so poor
offshore the only thing left was to get in on some of the
bluefin activity inshore. The bite has been hit or miss and
being in the right place at the right time is always nice
too. Well I thought for sure we were in the right place
Thursday morning. The amount of life was incredible. There
were fin-back whales, some porpoise, and tons of bird life.
The bait was the thickest I’ve seen in a very long time.
Mountains of sand eels were showing up on the fish finder,
but very few tuna.
We
trolled this area very hard, anxiously waiting for a bite.
Well one finally came on a cedar plug daisy chain right in
the wash, only not to get the hook in him. To make matters
worse my brother was fishing to the south with a friend of
ours on the “Billy the Kid” a 34’ Yellowfin - they were
having some luck. As the saying goes “why leave fish to
find fish”. Well I hate to leave the fish, especially with
what I saw there, but they were getting consistent action so
I slowly trolled down towards them. They were only two and
a half miles away.
About half way to their location I started marking more fish
but very little life. We had another bite which missed the
spreader bar in this area, so we stuck it out. We finally
got tight on a decent school bluefin. This fish was quite
the scrapper. Once up to the boat we got a good look at a
40 plus pound bluefin and figured we’d keep this one for the
table.
We
kept at it for the rest of the day. The biggest problem was
trying to stay away from the bluefish. I think we had 9
bluefish on at one time. Oh man! What a way to end the
day. It was a beautiful day and onboard were Rich, Laurie,
and Ross.
AUGUST 19, 2008
Hey
what do you know we are on our way back out to the Hudson
for a day troll. Onboard we have Rich, his father Jack for
his first canyon trip ever, Constantine and his Uncle John,
and Richs' friend Scott. We departed Hoffman’s at midnight
and had a full moon to enjoy for the entire ride. We set
course for the 100 Square where there was still an
on-and-off bite for bigeyes. This was really the only game
in town as we are still wondering when the yellowfins are
going to show up.
Arriving just before sunrise my thoughts of a big fleet came
true. To much disappointment a big fleet in one spot
doesn't fair well for fishing. Out of two dozen boats only
three fish were caught and by 1pm most of the boats had
left. We continued working the area hoping maybe they would
come up and feed. Well they didn't but we did manage to
find a hungry white marlin snapping at one of our custom
spreader bars.
We
were trolling four bars and four ballyhoo. This marlin
wanted the bar in the worst way but quickly changed his mind
when Rudy dropped the flat line with a ballyhoo on his
bill. The marlin quickly came for the bait, but missed it
and went back to the bar. So Rudy put the bait in his face
once again and got him to bite and stuck the hook on the
third try. John fought the fish to boat side where the
marlin then went crazy leaving a nice bill mark across
Rudy’s stomach. A few quick photos and the 65-70 lb. class
marlin were released. Great trip guys and congratulations
on your first canyon trip Jack you are amazing.
AUGUST
13, 2008
Headed
offshore to the Hudson with the Bill Heidt charter for a day
troll. Left the dock at 12:30 am and arrived in the Hudson
on the west wall before sunrise. The fishing reports were
still spotty with only a few boats putting together a catch
of just a couple fish. Well we hoped our luck would
continue after our last trip. Found an area that looked
fishy and stuck out there for a while producing one
undersized yellowfin tuna, which was released. A friend of
ours was working the same area with the same results, small
undersize tuna. At least the whales and dolphin were
keeping the charter occupied while I tried to find some
action. Well having three radios on the boat paid off. I
heard two guys talking back and forth, and then telling his
buddy to go to the other channel. Well I found them on
there secret channel and used the radio directional finder
to locate there approximate location. With the info I was
able to hear and a good idea where they were fishing I
steered the boat across the canyon to the east side. At
least I knew this guy had caught a few tunas and figured it
was better than where we were. His buddy had gone two for
three on bigeyes so we changed our spread and fished
strictly for bigeyes.
For
anyone who had seen or caught a bigeye they normally run
over a hundred pounds and are mean fish. Also when you get
hit by them it usually not just one fish but what we refer
to as a "wolf pack." Typically you can get a fish on ever
line however landed all is a task even for the most seasoned
crews.
We
weren't in the area for more than thirty minutes and had
located the two guys that were talking on the radio. Well
there was a third boat in the same area and he had just
encountered a wolf pack of bigeyes. So the weekend warrior
gets on the radio and gives his exact position to the
world. Well we were hoping to get a bite before a million
boats showed up, that didn't happen. Within minutes you
could see boats steaming towards our location on the
horizon. The reason I'm a bit salty about this is because
when you put a ton of boats on top of a school of feeding
fish it tends to automatically turn them off.
Well
ten boats isn't too bad and I was anxiously waiting for a
bite. My anxiety was through the roof and finally as Rudy
was standing next to me, I looked over at the screen on the
fish finder and there they were. That’s exactly what I
yelled out, followed by watch the lines. We had nine lines
in the water and just as I finished advising the charter, it
looked like some one was dropping bombs off behind our
boat. Every lure got hit multiple times and when the water
settled we had two drags screaming out. Nine would've been
nice but two is better than none.
We
cleared the lines and got ready to do business. The first
fish was subdued in rather short time, much because it was
on a bent butt 80W, a heavy rod and reel. The other fish
was on a 50w and I figured this fish would go through the
entire charter, well I was wrong. This one gentleman did a
fantastic job on the rod and we had a gaff in the fish in
thirty minutes. What a difference when you get someone who
actually listens to your instructions on how to fight a
fish. A job well done guys. The bigeyes weighed 117 lbs.
and 127 lbs.
AUGUST
9, 2008
Finally
our first canyon trip of the season and with the reports not
that good it was still great to get out to that blue water.
Rich, Pete, Doug, and Dougs son David were on board with us
for an overnight in the Hudson. Got to the grounds with a
few hours of daylight left and went on the troll. The water
was beautiful on the west wall where we found our first
pelagic specie of the year a white marlin. Rich fought the
fish and made quick work as Rudy wired and released the
sixty pounder. Back on the troll till dark produced nothing
until we were reeling in the lines. A forty pound yellowfin
just couldn't say no to one of our custom spreader bars.
The
night chunk was very slow. We had plenty of squid around
the boat all night. The only two bites were a small mahi
and a small yellowfin that was released. We went on the
troll before the sun was up and worked the area where we had
spent the night drifting. With all that bait around I hoped
we could find some tuna. It wasn't until 8:30 before we had
our second yellowfin of the trip on. What a beauty this
fish was going sixty plus pounds. I had great marks on the
machine and continued to work the area hard. It paid off
with another big yellowfin in the sixty pound class.
As the
action slowed I ventured off to the north a little where I
saw some life on the surface. As we were approaching the
school of pilot whales I had some great marks on the finder,
so I turned around and watched three yellowfin crush the
lures behind the boat one by one. The battle was on, Rich
and his friends did an excellent job fighting the fish and
staying untangled. The two fish were 72 lbs. and 76 lbs.
The third went 81 lbs. We worked the area with no action
and continued north towards the pilot whales and dolphin
frolicking on top. As we trolled in the mist of whales and
dolphin we were attacked by a school of white marlin.
The
first marlin was very big and jumped off right away. We
then had a second up, much smaller than the other and got
that one to bite a pitch bait. Had that fish bite us three
times on the ballyhoo only we didn't manage to get the hook
in. The third was hitting a spreader bar while Rudy was
trying to get a hook in his friends mouth. Oh well… that’s
the way it goes sometimes. What a great trip full of
action, calm seas, and great company.
AUGUST 8, 2008
We had
a bunch of friends and relatives of Richs' on the boat - Mark, Jonathan, Sara, and
Steven Higger, along with Mike. On our way out
towards the Axel Carlson Reef I spotted numerous large fish
breaking the surface. So we stopped and put out at the
spoons. It didn't take long before the drags were singing
out with a pair of big bluefish. We caught and released
numerous bluefish which the kids had a blast with. Switched
over to fluking on the Reef, fishing the out skirts of some
sticky bottom producing throwbacks and only a couple of
keepers.
AUGUST 5, 2008
Had
Rich and two friends of his, Stanley and Pete, on the boat
today for fluke. Was a nice day and good company despite
the south wind and outgoing tide. The fishing was slow with
no keepers and a bunch of throw backs. If the fishing
wasn't bad enough a severe thunderstorm was baring down on
us making a perfect ending to our day.
AUGUST 3, 2008
Had
the Jim Ramstaler charter out for an inshore day troll for
bluefins. We started the day fishing in and around the area
of the Resor, reading lots of bait just north we drilled the
area producing our first school bluefin. That fish was
quickly returned to the sea along we the bluefish that kept
plaguing us. Listening to the radio there wasn't much at
all going on and the day was getting late, so we made a move
up towards the Slough where we found some great looking
water along with some bait.
It
wasn't long up on the troll before I spotted a school of
fish out to the east. We weren't sure what they were until
we got right up on them. Sure enough they were bluefins and
they were hungry. We got six fish to jump on boating all
and keeping one for the table. They were twenty five to
thirty pound fish. With the school back up we made multiple
passes on them and different strategies only getting one
strike.
Was a
great way to end the day with a good bunch of guys. For
some it was there first tuna. Congratulations.
AUGUST 2, 2008
We fished a club
tournament on Saturday for fluke. We hit a few of our known
sticky bottom spots looking for just one big fluke. Well
these spots didn’t pay off and I’m hoping it was due to the
lousy fishing conditions of tide against wind. We ended the
day a little early as a severe thunderstorm was barreling
down on us. Rich, and his two friends Stan and Pete were
onboard for the day.
JULY
15-23, 2008
As we do yearly we
were on our way up to the Vineyard for the Monster Shark
Tournament once again. This is always a great trip to fish
and visit. Was a real treat to fish in calm seas this year
and not have to contend with any tropical storms, as we did
the past two years.
The first day we
fished a great temp. break with poor water clarity on the
one side. The blue sharks didn’t seem to mind one bit. At
times we had as many as four blues swimming around the
boat. On the second we tried a different area hoping to get
away from the blue sharks and find a thresher. Well as fate
would have it the blue sharks found us. We had one bite
from a mako on a whole dead bluefish but failed to get the
hook in the right spot. Had some great company on board;
Rich, his cousin Lou, friends of ours that we met three
years ago fishing this tournament, Cliff and his son Fred.
Fluke fishing was
great as usual. Rich, Rudy, and I put a great catch
together in just sixty minutes one day. We took Richs’
cousin and his wife along with Lori out one day as
well. Conditions were horrible but we managed a good
catch. Later that day we drove the boat down to Menemsha
Harbor for a lobster roll lunch. Yummmmm! Great lunch and
wonderful trip. Thanks everyone.
JULY
3, 2008
Had Rich, Laurie,
Ross, and Richs, nephew Josh out again for a go with some
bluefish. Had them going for a little while on the drift,
picking a fish here and there. The action then came to a
holt. We looked around for awhile looking for some reading
but the fish finder was blank. We did a lot of bunkers and
even some whales just east of the Farms.
JULY
1, 2008
Had Rich, Laurie,
and her son Ross out for a shot at some fluke. The fluke
didn’t really turn on. Had a couple keepers and some
throwbacks. We tried multiple spots all yielding the same
results.
JUNE
28, 2008
Took Rich and Doug
out for a day of sharking. We fished some ten to twelve
miles west of where we had been fishing. Here we found
some action with the blue sharks, a brown shark, and a small
mako that ate our live bluefish off the kite as we were
calling it a day.
JUNE
21, 2008
Had
our annual customers charter us again for the two
tournaments, but for just one day. Fishing was ok with
multiple blue shark releases through out the day and a small
mako. Was great having the guys back on the boat. Dominick
don’t be a stranger we missed you this year.
JUNE
20, 2008
Rudy and I fished
one day of the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers Tournament in the
Regulator. We ran out towards the Virginia Wreck some 55
miles and found some decent water to fish.
Had our first shark
on before I could even attach the float, which turned out to
be a blue shark. We released several blue sharks along with
some browns and a small mako. Had a mako on for a minute,
that jumped and spit the hook which had to be close to 300
lbs. Would have been nice to of boated that one.
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JUNE 17, 2008
Ran up to
the north and fished off Asbury in 60 feet of water with
a friend of ours who runs a sportfisherman named the
Bedrock. Here we put a hurting on the bass with
multiple triple hook ups. Most of the bites where on
top with the live bunkers. We probably caught twenty
five bass in an hour and a half. We released all the
fish that weighed up to 35 pounds.
JUNE 15,
2008
As we
usually do on Father’s Day weekend we went bass
fishing on the Regulator. On board were Rich and
his father Jack, my father Bill, and Rudy. We had a
beautiful morning and a full live well of bunkers
ready for some hungry bass.
Ran up
to the north and fished out in 60 feet of water just
south of were we had them good earlier in the week.
Marked some fish right away and got them to come up
on some free baits we through over to try and hold
them. We got one and weren’t able to hold them. So
back on the prowl we went. Went further up to the
north where there was a large fleet of boats, where
we would just turn around. I hate fishing in a
large fleet of boats your chances aren’t as good.
Back
where we started we went on the drift. It paid off
with some great surface action once again. Was
great to share the experience with Jack and my
father, its something they don’t get to see
everyday. By noon everyone had a bass and it was
time to head in. The fish ranged from the low
twenty pound class up to thirty three pounds. We
kept five.
JUNE 11,
2008
Had
John Capra and his two sons out Wednesday looking
for a repeat of yesterdays bass trip. Well it took
some time before we found some fish. For some
reason the fish weren’t where they were 24 hours
ago, and I hate telling people they should have been
here yesterday. Four hours past, before we finally
got into some action. The pods of bunker in along
the beach were holding some big fish.
As we
moved from pod to pod we could tell which were
holding fish and which were not. The first fish
was caught by Johns’ son Johnathan that weighed in
at 41 pounds. Soon followed by his brother Michael
that tipped the scales to 35 pounds. John finally
got in on the action with a 40 pound monster as
well. The fourth fish went 32 pounds.
Patience is a key in fishing to unlock what lies
below the ocean and Capra boys had it and paid off
in the long run. After putting in overtime with
these guys it still wasn’t enough so they did some
surf fishing with what little day light was left.
JUNE 10,
2008
Back
home and a few pounds heavier Rudy, Rich, and I went
out for a few hours early Tuesday morning. Netted
some bunkers first thing, through em in the well and
ran up to the north. The first few spots we checked
were horrible. Then I got a hunch to run out into
some deeper water were we caught some really nice
fish in years past.
It
paid off big time. We marked some fish and sent the
baits out and it was instant. The fish were all
large and most of the action was on the surface. If
you’ve never seen bass feed on live bunker on the
surface, you are really missing out. WOW. We kept
only three fish that went 31,36,and 42 pounds. A
great few hours of fishing.
JUNE 6,
2008
On
Thursday Rudy and I ran the Regulator up to
Stratford, Ct. We would eventually meet up with
Rich here to fish another one of the ASA bass
tournaments.
Well
as our luck would have it we hit a submerged log
just five miles from our destination. Tearing off
one of our blades on the propeller we had to come in
on one engine. The next morning we had a new
matching set of propellers and were on our way for a
half day of practice fishing.
New to
the area we looked at the GPS and found some spots
that looked would be productive. We hit a number of
spots that looked great, however we didn’t see any
fish. We even found some pods of bunker that only
had bluefish on them. Well at least we would have
some fresh bait for Saturday.
Well
Saturday morning brought us another treat, fog with
near zero visibility. Joy just what every captain
loves, especially when we had to run 49 miles to our
destination. Once we arrived we found other boats
from the tournament fishing the same spot. Through
out the day we marked fish and only saw one caught
out of thirty some boats. Hoping and waiting that
the tide change would trigger them to bite was a
waste of time, the fish never turned on. Well as
Rudy put it, “ even Tiger Woods doesn’t always
finish.”
We had
a great time exploring a new area and have a better
feel for it come next year. I also can’t wait to go
back for the pizza. Rich promised us the best pizza
we could ever have, well he was right. We ate
at Sally's in New Haven where we also met up with
Mike (aka; fisheye). This is a family run
restaurant that dates back into the late 30’s. All
they serve is pizza and boy I wish the bass ate like
I did that night.
JUNE 1,
2008
On
Sunday we took Rich out on the Regulator, in search
of some bass. Well with the water temperature
reading 49 – 53 degrees I had a feeling bass fishing
would be slow. Sure enough we covered some ground
south of the inlet without ever marking a single
fish. The bunkers were there in full force just no
bass.
MAY 25, 2008
As much as
I hate fishing on the weekends do to boat traffic,
they can have their moments later on in the day.
When most people are heading home, some of the best
fishing does occur in the late afternoon and early
evening when conditions are just right. As this is
what Rich, and his two nephews, Evan and Josh, would
soon encounter. One of those days you just never
forget.
We
departed Hoffman’s some where around two o’clock and
headed to the southeast where I could see a fleet
about two miles offshore. There were definitely
fish there, bluefish not what we wanted, well that
was up until I told Evan we had a chance of catching
some fish that may be as long as he is tall. With
that said Evan replied, “ I can reel in anything.”
So we continued our search for some bass.
There
was another fleet in towards the southwest just
about on the beach. These guys were either fluking
or fishing the pods of bunker we had heard news of
earlier in the week. They were in the bunkers and
man were they thick. The only thing wrong was
nobody out forty some boats were fighting a fish, so
I told Rich we would troll the spoons and keep an
eye open. It wasn’t long before we marked some fish
down away from the fleet and watched a guy releasing
a big bass along the side of his boat. After seeing
what I saw and the spoons not getting a hit after
going over some fish I knew it was time for the live
bait. Told Rich to reel em' up and that we were
switching over.
I put
Rich on the wheel as I got the cast net out and told
Evan and Josh to get ready. We slowly moved in on
the bunkers and with one swift throw of the net we
had thirty some baits flopping on the deck. As we
were putting the baits in the live well I informed
Josh that we were going to use these as bait to
catch the bass. I got this look of disbelief, it was
priceless.
As
Rich and I were dropping the baits down and trying
to explain to the kids on what to do, Rich yelled
out he had a nervous bait and Josh was up front
yelling that something was pulling his line out.
Wow I think we were 0 for 6 before Rich got a hook
to stay in, and before u knew it we had two fish on.
Rich helped Josh guide his first bass into the net,
man what a beauty 33 lbs. That would be the biggest
of the day but all the other fish were in the low to
mid twenty pound bracket. Evan’s biggest went 26
lbs. We kept only six fish and released well over a
dozen more. As we got down to our last few baits
the fish finder was lit up with marks, there had to
be twenty plus fish on the screen. We even had the
bass eating our baits on the surface a sight you
will never forget.
With
the live well empty, a tired and cold crew, and a
fabulous few hours of fishing we left em' biting for
another day. I think Evan talked Josh into a
conspiracy against me for my job, as the two of
them, took turns driving the boat back to the
inlet. I think I’m safe for a few more years at
least until one of them learns how to throw a cast
net. Enjoy the pics. I think they speak for
themselves. Oh yeah and about Evan reeling in
anything, well I’ll leave that up to him to explain.
MAY
24, 2008
I
heard
the bunkers were in the ocean, in great numbers
down to the south. With our time running out on
our slip in Highlands, I figured it was time to
head back to Hoffman’s Marina. Since Rudy and I
would be passing some of our favorite fishing
spots no trip would be complete with out wetting
a line.
After netting close to a hundred baits, in
Atlantic Highlands harbor we were on our way to
the Rocks. Arriving on the grounds we found a
small fleet working the area out towards the
bell buoy. So we looked around and dropped some
baits on a few marks. The bass were there and
showed very little interest in our live bait, as
they would just pick it up, run with it and drop
it. With the fish hanging in the middle of the
water column, the wind and tide working against
us it could only mean one thing. That’s right
time to drag the spoons out.
As
much as we love and prefer to fish live bait
there are days that the bunker spoons will out
fish them. It was only a matter of minutes as
we got the lines set before we had our first
bass on. For the next two hours we caught bass
that ranged from 15 lbs to 20 lbs. with the
heaviest going 25lbs. We called it an early day
and headed for home.
Rich - good luck in your 5k race today!
MAY 17,
2008
It was
that time of year again, just one week earlier than
usual. That’s right the ASA Bahr’s Landing
Tournament was in town and for only one day. We had
our usual crew; Rich, Rudy, and yours truly. This
is one of our favorite tournaments of the year to
fish. Your two heaviest fish would hold your fate at
the scales.
We
were up in the Navesink by 4:30 am looking for some
live bunker. We found them and made one throw
netting us 103 pieces. With the live well full we
were back at Bahr’s waiting for the 6:00 am start.
The only thing left now was making the decision on
where we were going to fish. I had two spots in
mind and just had to pick wondering if we would be
heroes or zeros.
Well
we were on our way and hoped this spot would pay
off. As we arrived and looked over the area, we set
up and started fishing. It wasn’t long before Rudy
had one on. It was a bass and a decent one too.
The boga grip showed 24 lbs. Great start and knew we
would need a similar size fish to place. Wasn’t
long till we had another fish in the boat, that went
18 lbs. Things were looking good and soon only to
look even better, as Rudy had yet another good fish
on. After a brief fight the bass was finally
netted. This beauty went 25 lbs. and left us with a
sigh of relief knowing we had two very respectful
fish to weigh in.
We
pounded this area all day and were able to catch and
release five more bass. The scales were open and it
was going to be a sloppy ride home as the winds were
gusting to 30 mph. Back at Bahrs we dried off and
watched the boats ahead of us off load their catch.
I was confident we would place top five yet nervous.
At the
scales our combined weight was 49.75 pounds placing
us third only ounces away from the second place
finisher and only 2 1\2 pounds from first. Job well
done by our crew. This is the third time we have
placed in the money, with an eighth place, a second
place, and now a third place finish. Not bad for
team big boy once again.
MAY 11, 2008
Had Rich and
his father Jack out for a few hours on Mother’s Day.
Rudy and I netted some live bait early in the morning up
in the Navesink before meeting up with the father son
duo. We left Bahr’s and headed out into the bay in
search of some bass.
As we were
approaching our destination we noticed a few bunkers
leaping out of the water in fear for there lives. With
that I pulled em back and we dropped down a few live
bunker. The fish finder was showing life and it was
only a matter of a few seconds before we had our first
fish of the day on. Unfortunately it was a bluefish
followed by yet another. I had heard the bluefish were
thick and bass were few and far between.
Well this
proved to be true as we moved from spot to spot the
bluefish were there and in great numbers. At one point
I advised that nobody fall in the water in regards to
being eaten alive by bluefish. Anyway, we did manage one
bass before headed home. THANKS MOM FOR LETTING ME GO
FISHING!
APRIL
24, 2008
Rich, his
brother Jeff and his son Evan, and I made a half day
trip out of the Highlands on the LBB. We were going to
give it one last shot at the flounders before they
departed. Ran up in the Navesink to find nothing, along
with a stop in the Shrewsbury also to find no flatties.
We then made a move out into the Sandy Hook Bay and
tried our luck near the Coast Guard Station. Upon our
arrival there was a small fleet fishing with a couple
head boats. We dropped the hook and started chumming
heavy. Saw one head boat pick a couple of fish and
another make multiple moves. With that said I figured
we would slip around the corner and try a few drifts in
the Rip for stripers.
As we
went over the Rip the fish finder was showing some small
scattered marks. On the first drift Evan wasn’t on the
bottom for more than a couple seconds when he yelled he
had one. To much of our surprise Evan reeled in a
whopper of a flounder that weighed 2 ½ lbs. That tells
me the fish are making there way out and we should’ve
been on the ocean side of the hook fishing for
flounders, oh well. Anyway the next drift Rich caught
the first bluefish of the season, about 2lbs., and his
brother was bitten off by another. Just before calling
it quits the first fluke of the season was caught, by
Evan. After a few pictures we let the estimated 2 ½
pounder go, since the season doesn’t open for some time
yet.
Just my
second trip of the year and I got some time off from
behind the wheel as Richs’ nephew Evan who is 10 years
old drove the boat back to port. He’s a natural, I hope
Rich doesn’t get any ideas?
The Reg.26 or the
LBB will be running out of Bahr’s Landing for the next
five or six weeks depending on the bass fishing. The
Big Boy should be in the water and running trips no
later than May 15th, CALL NOW AND BOOK YOUR
CHARTER.
APRIL 15, 2008
Well we’re back,
after three months off we made our first trip of the
season. Rudy and I ran the Reg. 26 aka: ( the Little Big
Boy) up to Bahr’s Landing in Highlands where we met up with
Rich. We set out for winter flounder fishing on a beautiful
spring day.
First stop was
off of Earle Naval Pier, fishing here was slow so we moved
off of the Sandy Hook Coast Guard Station. We found the
same results here as well. So I figured to go try back in
the Navesink River. Once again first stop revealed no life
so we moved even further back. After about a half hour and
a tide change the fish finally bite. We had a few double
headers and even a triple putting seventeen flatties in the
box with only one throwback. Most of the fish were of nice
size with Rich taking the pool winner at just over two lbs.
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