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Had Ryan H, Pete, and Mark aboard today for a bluefish-bass jig and plug trip.
Ran south. Immediately found some alligator bluefish shredding pods of adult bunker in close off Bay Head. The guys put on swimming and popping plugs, and immediately got into 10-13# bluefish on light spinning tackle.
We then headed further south, working our way down to the upper end of IBSP, where a BIG fleet was found jigging and trolling. We got out away from the fleet, a bit offshore, and got into an OK pick of many gorilla bluefish and a few bass on krocodiles in 60' of water. Fish were spitting up sandeels, although one blue upchucked a 12" long sea herring.
As the traffic got nutsier, we moved north, stopped on some readings off Seaside, Ortley, and Mantoloking only to put a couple of cocktail blues in the boat. Tried to get back into those gators off Bay Head, no shakes, so we went further up and found a few more fish off Spring Lake/Belmar in deep water again on sandeels. A couple more alligator blues, and one nice bass by Mark (14#) on the kroc.
Called it a day at 2:30, boated thirty something bluefish in the 5-16# class and brought 3 nice bass to the boat topped by Mark's 14#. Pete also had a nice 11# fish as well. Good day, just a few too many bluefish around at this point.
