Water Temps heat up and so does the fishing
The White Marlin and Tuna Tournament was a great success. We managed to put some nice yellowfin tuna in the boat and the seas were calm and beautiful. We did not win any money but I proved to myself that this new Regulator boat is a fishing machine and is capable of fishing the canyons side by side with the big boys. We made it home from seventy miles offshore in 2 hours and 15 minutes which is very impressive. We trolled nine lines with no problem and the fishing cockpit was roomy and comfortable for the crew of four guys. I will defiantly be doing some more offshore trips this season just as soon as fluke season closes.
Fluke fishing has improved dramatically over the the last two weeks. This is a direct result of the increase in water temperatures. Temperatures have finally risen to their seasonal norm of the low to mid seventies. The fluke were always there, they just needed a little nudge from mother nature to tell them it was time to start eating-and she gave them that order this weekend.
Fridays trip was with Dave Wertheim and his family from Hillsdale, NJ. They had a great day of catching everything from keeper fluke to the electric stargazer. We fished off the Holgate tower in 35 feet of water and the kids arms got tired from reeling in everything from sharks, fluke, skates, and sea robbbins.
Saturday's open boat trip to the Garden State South Reef saw the best fluke fishing of the year. We caught 30 to 40 fluke all within a two hour span and bite turned off as quickly as it started. We kept making short drifts over a spot which I had marked on the GPS. Every time we drifted over the spot we hooked into nice size fluke. We ended th day with 10 keepers up to 22 inches and most of the throwbacks were in the 16 to 17 inch range. Jim Addleshein from Boston was the pool winner and Bob O'Deans from Ohio was high hook.
Sunday morning was another beautiful day before the thunderstorms rolled in and I took John Richardson from Clarks Summit, PA and his Grandson, Sean, back to the same spot on the GSS. We landed two keepers before Sean felt ill and we decided to call it an early day. All fish were again caught on Gulp Minnows and Peanut Bunker.
