Went out yesterday for a "business trip"
with some clients for the Shore Builders Association fluke tournament. Left the dock around 7:30 and was off of Pier Village in Long Branch by 8:30. As soon as I set up for a drift in 60-65 feet of water bunker erupted all around us. Ran down below and grabbed some spinners with snags on them and showed the guys how to snag the bunker. Caught about a dozen and dropped some quick lines below the pods. Nothing was interested. The 3 guys with me had never seen the boils before and were thrilled just with snagging the bunker.
Set up some fluke rigs and went to work. A funny thing happened there were two party boats working about 3 miles apart and a couple away from me. We started to pull in a few shorts and skates and weren't paying much attention. Next thing I realized both of the other boats had set up near me. We weren't getting any good action so I called for the lines in and we moved about a mile, further out and further north. Within 10 minutes both head boats were back set up near me. I turned to my regular fishing buddy and said, aren't I supposed to be following them? We pulled up a few more skates and made another move. In jest I blew my horn for lines in and I swear a couple of guys on the boat next to us started to reel their line in (probably thinking their captain had blown the horn). When we got to the next drift I blew my horn for lines in and to work we went.
Within about 5 minutes caught a brown shark about 4 feet. Brought it to the boat got the hook and off it went. A few minutes later we got another one about 2-3 feet. This one wouldn't give up the hook so we sent him back as a rock star with a lip piercing. Pulled in a few short bass and decided to rework that drift. For the final time one of the other boats came up (the other headed much further out) and set up near us. We never laughed so hard then when we were blowing our horn for lines in and out. I am sure they weren't following me but boy it was funny.
Ended up getting two very nice size keeper bass in that drift. Set up again and brought in 3 short bass and another two keeper bass. All day all around us the bunker pods would erupt, we take one we had bagged earlier in the day and send it down for a shot. The pods would disappear and we pull in the bass. I believe we caught one of the sharks on one of those bunkers. Water out there was practically flat with a small wind.
All in all was a perfect day, we didn't get to keep any of the target fish (fluke) but did end up with 6 nice bass that we cleaned and sent home with the clients. (the fillet table is a 24 inch wide to give you a perspective of size of bass).
Great Day. There were hardly any other pleasure boats out there, and only those 2 head boats that I saw. Sorry I didn't see Joe out there, had the radio on but wasn't working it.
