Headed out Sunday with Dad looking for some keeper fluke. A secret spot was recommended by a fellow member so we figured we’d start there.We arrived at the spot about 7AM and there were 2 other boats there. Tried a few drifts with not to much to show for it. The drift was more south than the west we had hoped for so you had to set up ahead and drift back. We let one drift go long and both Dad and I hooked into and landed some cocktail blues (?!) We stripped one up for bait and reset the drift, then the fleet showed up. Saw a few shorts pulled up on the Prowler as we drifted near him. Not much happening for us so we moved.
Got away from it all to some fishy bottom that produced well last year on the NY side. Couple drifts, couple fluke, all cookie cutter 17.75”- 18”. Two were legit 18”s but being in NY we did the right thing. Fillet & release. J/K. Fish were hitting the bluefish strips, as well as spearing/squid combos. I was bucktailing with gulp New Penny Shrimps and got a few too. We repeated a couple times, then moved over closer to Ambrose channel edges where we had 2 fish each on 1 drift within like 50 yd from each other. All right @ 18”. Repeated that drift but the tide was dying and so was the bite.
Oh well getting late, headed back near the Keyport 1 during the slack tide. Made a few more drifts there as the tide started moving again and caught more fluke. All the same size.
Headed back around 2. We kissed a lot of fish today as we released them with a hearty “GROW UP!!”
I really gotta get into some keepers soon; it feels like I’m doing something wrong when I log in and read all the stellar reports. Dad had fun and (I keep telling myself) that’s what matters…
