Still Some Around

The strange season continues. Deep water spots and the channels are a waste of time. We are finding our best fishing in shallow spots. Sunday we had a bunch of blues, some short bass and quality fluke on the local grounds. As long as the weather holds out, we should have some fluke until the season ends.

I'm Back

Skip and I went fishing out in the canyon aboard the Voyager. Lots of mahi- mahi on the pots. Skip lost a white marlin and the only tuna. Now that I got that out of my system, it's back to work, searching for the elusive fluke.

Holiday Weekend

Friday's fishing was pretty good. Frankie and St. Pete each had a limit including Pete's six pound pool winner. Saturday saw Robert N. and his crew from Jersey City have a fun day and everyone took home fillets. Sunday's fishing was slower as the fish stopped biting in a southerly swell. Ken the Legend had the pool with a fish just shy of six pounds and Evelyn had a couple more big fish for us to put in the freezer. (Sometimes I think that Roving Reporter guy fishes on a different boat.) Monday was an interesting day as Evelyn and I hosted Roger's annual trip. The weather was a little foggy and there was some rain in the area. I decided to fish locally and it was a good move as we had lots of fun catching sea bass, sea robins, striped bass, bluefish, weakfish and the target species, big fluke. Big John had three up to five pounds and Mike M. had two that went around seven pounds each. We came in with the bottom of the cooler covered in fish just before the thunder and rain.

Winding Down

The weather is still very summer-like but the fluke seem to be moving out. The fishing the past few days has been very slow. When you do get a hold of a fluke, it is usually a four or five pounder, but there is plenty of time between bites. The big schools of rays are still on the fishing grounds and we occasionally hook into one. What a fight! More interesting were the bluefish that were following the rays. The rays feed on clams, rooting them out of the bottom and crushing them with their powerful jaws. The blues are taking advantage of the busted clams and we caught a basketful on our fluke rigs.

Cow Nosed Rays

We have been seeing schools of them on the fluke grounds and have had occasional hook ups but on Sunday they invaded the fishing grounds. You could see them swimming on the surface in groups all around the boat and we hooked up on our fluke rigs. They take off like a tuna on the initial run and averaged 20 to 30 pounds with some larger ones. Ken the legend battled a fifty pounder and exclaimed "Now I know how the Yankees feel, getting beat up by the Rays." A few hundred yards from the boat a large dark shadow slashed the surface and everyone asked if it was a  dolphin or whale, but appeared to me as a large predator feeding on the rays. Yikes! Oh, as far as the fluking, another nice day with some limits and healthy fillet bags. Ken won the pool with a five plus pounder.

Report

Wednesday's trip worked out well with some limit catches of four to five pounders. Evelyn had one a few ounces shy of seven pounds. Friday, Evelyn and I hosted St. Pete, Frankie, Joe, "Pop-pop" Jerry, Sean and Uncle Kenny. Fishing was a pick in breezy conditions but when wind and tide got right the fish bit pretty good.  Eleven year old Sean won the big pool money with a 5lb. 4oz. fluke.

Open Boat Wednesday 8/21

I have a few spots left for Wednesday 8/21. Fluke fishing is hot and summer is winding down. Let's get a few for the freezer, you know the saying "We will be shoveling snow before you know it!" Call and leave a message or E-mail if you would like to cash in on this rare opportunity.