Brother Jay (aka Shay Shay), Capt Don Jr, Kooz and I got an early start before first light to beat the traffic. Rounded the tip to fairly nice seas. Wind blowing 10 from the N. Slivers of sunlight illuminated the way to the scene of our 2 hr crime spree during thursdays honk. The boyz were stoked. Immediately walls of birds towered into the sky appearing to be NYC skyline if your bearings weren't oriented properly. No. They really were that many birds!
Only a handful of boats had the same game plan sketched for the early arrival.
Motored toward the comotion and shut down with enough momentum to put us within range. The sounder light up again. Sand eels thick on the bottom with boomerang shaped torpedoes doing death patrol. Awesome sight! Gets me jazzed thinking about and I just got in. Shay Shay insisted on working the bunker colored storm paddle shad he had success on during his last outing even though balance of us thought we had these fish figured out. We were jiggin diamonds, ava and deadly dicks. First cast and bro has his trout fishing technique executed without a flaw. He hooks up right away. Fish makes it to the boat but it's a rat but a rat with stripes none the less. Not worth measuring. Swim off and find your daddy!
I'm next at bat with the light tackle. This one is bending TIKKI pretty good. Nice runs here and there. Line is peeling. Drag doing it's job. Don breaks out the net and hoists the first boxer measuring 33". We're feeling like it is going to be an in and out day with the quick strikes. Kooz is working metal and jiggin like a pro. He's providing the entertainment today (and every day when your with him) telling stories of the lady who had her face ripped off by the chimp because of a Tickle-me-Elmo. This thing was supposed to be a present to the chimp. He says the drugs that chimp was doing was enough to make Timothy Leary look like an amatuer. "If you had an Elmo doll stuffed in your face while halucinating you bight someone's hands and face off too!"
Sorry for digressing.... but Kooz had us laughing from the minute we picked him up. Don is working his stuff with a Nordic eel. Funny sidebar..... He made a best friend with Jimmy down at Julians. Jimmy hasn't had anyone ask for a Nordic eel for about two decades. Donnie was treated like a celebrity because of his request. Jimmy had customers waiting at the check line while he fixed one up for Don. The guy was beside himself that Donnie actually knew what one was. I don't think anyone on the boat knew what it was until he brought on board. Looks like a friggin sand eel with a weighted head. Looked damn inviting.
Just as quick as the action started, the son of a guns decided to have lock jaw. We moved out of our spot. No secrets here... middle of the channels, 28-30ft of water 3/4 - 1 mile south of the candlesticks on nearer side to sandy hook channel. The reality is.... there's fish every where. If you throw a rock your going to hit one in the head but getting them to impale them selves on a razor sharp hook with some metal or plastic attached is another story.
Wind started to kick up.
We were thinking it was over. Headed a little further south toward working birds and toward the beach somewhat. Bird life, marks and no takers. We noodled around a bit killing some time. Assessing next move. Heck. Get back on those marks. And we did. The challenge was just staying with the bait. The fish were there too. Donnie began swinging at them. Blue fish showed their interest. Kooz was still working, had some bumps but no returns. Shay Shay is knockin on the cooler door after his second short and put a 28.5" in the coleman coffin. Redrifting this run was the ticket and we stayed on these marks the rest of the morning. At the end of it all, not a banner but we managed to scratch a catch... We went 3 (keep bass) , 7 (short bass) and 3 bluefish (2 we kept, 1 returned). Jay with the high hook on the bass 5 of the 10. I guess takin that 10 yr hiatus didn't hurt you a bit. Nice job brother
Donnie, Kooz.... great day as usual. Next trip TOG
