Left the dock at 8am with four aboard. Lou, Ron, Bob and myself. Went to the red church as planned. Made over a dozen drifts looking for the sweet spot for the seabass and porgies. Only managed two very, very small (a little bigger than the ten ounce sinkers we had to use) seabass. They, of course, went back to the ocean nursery to grow up.
Put out some trolling gear and headed north to the Shrewsbury Rocks. Got to the rocks without a single knockdown. Found a fleet of party and charter boats drifting the northern most section of the rocks. Did not see a fish caught. We didn't catch anything either. Was fishing both bottom for seabass and jigging for blues. NOTHING.
Went back on the troll. Trolled a small structure near the inside buoy at the rocks. Got a twelve pound blue fish on a chartreuse stretch 30. Trolled the area a bit longer with no other hits. Trolled back toward the red church. Found a ton of birds working some bait. Trolled the outskirts...NOTHING. Stopped and drifted into the birds. Had all small (barely past snapper size) bluefish following our metal. Ron had one hook up and released it unharmed. Two other boats showed up and they got the skunk too.
Picked up and ran back to the dock. Boat cleaned, one blue fish cleaned, ready for another try tomorrow.
