Well here's the story.... Donnie and I were talking about getting together during the week and it looked like today was the going to be the day. Our plan.... make bait, bag 'em, salt 'em, and ice them right quick. We met at Keyport at 6:30 and the boys had the merc purring like a kitten anxious to see if the nutz were around. We weren't alone. Several boats had the same thing in mind and the reliable spots were either devoid of activity or the traffic kept them dispersed in water than was less than ideal for cast netting. Out just under the bridge in the middle of the channel, hawkeye's got a bead on some bait. Motors powered off and a slow deliberate drift to what we thought was the mother load. Screen was looking full of life but the net told a different story. 2 stinkin bunker
This is not a good start to the morning. Miyagi is filling buckets full of fresh seawater in anticipation. I'm straining my eyes wishing to see some life. Nada! Donnie says he's got a reliable spot off the beaten trail that he's used last year so off we go. Sure enough on arrival there's bait working the surface. There's a few old salts that now this area. You know it's tough goin when the Capt Sal is hunting alongside you. Old Bett'sy is loaded up. We have one decent shot and a netful is hauled over the gunwale. Sweet 3-4.5" inchers littered the deck like the last race tickets on the floor at the paramutual window at Monmouth Park. This time we had no losers and we planned on collecting on a long shot
The traffic came our way and some guy who is hunting for bait fails to shut down his motor and the nutz sounded just a quickly as they had surfaced.
An hour and a half well spent.... and we are off to east reach to see if anyone is home. We did the North West bounce and in the meantime got our house in order. Miyagi's got the right number of bunker in the buckets. Fresh ones stayed real perky today.
The fleet was concentrated out in front of the ammo pier. We stayed out of harms way for a decent drift but couldn't produce but one bite. SHORT! Oh yea, a couple of LR's showed their ugly face too. My calcutta decides to take a crap. The trigger release ain't releasing. Almost left the other rod home today. Good thing I didn't. I take the other Calc 400 off the St.Croix and thread her through the that Sweet Lamiglass courtesy of NJSWF dinner. Back in business. In the meantime, Miyagi is all over it working oil and lube throughout the gearing and it seems to be in shape to see another fish. Still going to bring into the shop for an overhaul.
The bay was rockin. It felt like someone put the Maytag on agitate with the current ripping and boats criss-crossing across bow and stern. Damn this ain't the way fishin is supposed to be. Give me the gentle cycle.
Donnie makes a move into the heart of the fleet and our bait is freshened up. We're holding OK with 4 and then 6OZ on braided line. As the drift picks up my line begins to skip. I've got to change this out. Considered moving to the 10 oz but only went up 2. I put my hand in the bucket and pull out a Nut. This one looked like it had red lipstick painted across it's snout
I make the comment that this one is going down for a kiss.
I hit it right on the head
The Lami is doubled over. Geez this is a heavy weight! "She's running on me" "yea, I think you have a Doggie" "I don't know, she's peelin line" Making a couple of cranks here and there. 45ft of water doesn't seem like much but this puppy was making it feel like 90! Miyaggi grabs the net, Donnie clears his line.... 6ft below surface "that's a big ass fluke" Gain the last bit of 5ft nets readied.... one swipe and this thing is hoisted like a chevy big block off it's motor mounts. Needless to say, there was a hole lot of floppin on the deck. I make it over to the GPS to hit the MOB. I'm like a nervous school kid seeing his first piece of tail in the school stairwell. Fumbling around, Donnie says I looked like Jerry Lewis. I guess that as good a name as any!! I'm still jacked up from today's event.
We never gave up on the spot hoping to find a relative. But as you'd expect, on the first date, you always remember the one with the red lipstick and that first kiss.
Guys, another awesome day. Capt Don Sr I tried the shadow art... Came out pretty cool.
