Kids and Bass

**Double D** · 06-17-2009 10:56 AM

With the bass bite red hot off Monmouth, I cut out of work early for an evening trip. Get home and my son wants to go, and wants to bring a friend. I tell him no, it's going to be rough. Well after some "negotiations" and against my better judgement, I load up two 11 year olds and head out.

Almost turned around at the inlet, as there was a 4' swell with an easterly chop on top. But there was bait right there so we decided to give it a shot. Picked up some bunker and made a few drifts with no success.

The bite the last few nights had been off Deal, about a 10 mile run. I told the boys that it would be a long bumpy run, without hesitation they wanted to go. so off we went

My boat is a beat up old 21 Mako, but what a tank. 20+ miles of running in a stiff cross breeze and I didn't have to clean my glasses once. The only problem is the notched transom, more on that later

We get to where the bite had been the night before, and things are not looking good. Made a bunch of moves and drifts without a touch. As the sun was getting low I had to admit defeat. Felt like an ass for dragging the boys all the way up there.

Running home tight to the beach, we find a promising pod of bait and stop for a quick drift. In just a couple minutes, my bait gets inhaled. Hand the rod to Andrew (who has never caught anything bigger than a snapper blue) and its game on. I go to move the other bait out of the way when that gets inhaled for the double.

So I have 2 kids on a couple cows on light tackle, surf pounding 100 feet away, water pouring over the transom and 4" of water in the cockpit

. Doesn't get much better than that

They handled the fish like pros, we boated 1 and released the other. Decided to leave 'em biting and head in.

Andrew's fish went 31 on the boga, I think we have a pic to follow.