A half day that will last a lifetime!!!!

[Riptide Charters]

Today ranks up there as one of the best charters I've ever run. With hundreds of trips under my belt is no small task.

Jerry, Mark, Rico and 10 year old Ty were on the boat today for a 1/2 day bass and / or bluefish trip. Jerry has mated on boats before on ACK and knew that getting fish mid summer was a challenge, and thats before you make it a half day on a Commercial tuesday and toss in a 10 year old. With expectations very reasonable we headed out to see if we could muster up a dozen 5-10# blues for Ty and the guys to tug on while the women were at the spa.

We ran out in pea soup fog and I could see my plans for drifting the sandy shallows of CC bay going out the window. In short order the fog lifted and a glorious sunrise greeted us. That was the opening curtain to what would be just an incredible outing.

After a short run on FAC water I saw a few terns picking bait in the shallows. I caught a tail flop of a small bluefish and felt like luck was gonna go my way. I had NO IDEA! The guys cast out the light rods armed with Yellow Salty's Needles, Gold Chug Bugs and Yellow Ocean lure herring. In an instant everyone is tight with great surface takes. I cast out Ty's rod and hand it to him so I can get to landing the other guys fish. Ty yells "TIGHT". Sweet!!!! Everyones hung on fish. Two of the fish come in easy. A nice 8# bluefish and a very respectable mid 30" bass. Rico is still tugging on something large and Ty's running gunnel to gunnel trying to keep his fish out of the motors. I'm happy and all is well with the world.


After some serious tugging Rico's fish breaches and I get a look at a big head and a fin 2' back..........Then I see the tail 2' FARTHER BACK! This fish is no joke! I get a handle on the 30# leader and guide the fish in. I grab the lip with one hand......then the other. I heave ho and drag the 48" 40# fish over the gunnel and everyone is speachless! But wait........10 Year old Ty's still tight, maybe he's on something big afterall. With no assistance Ty keeps putting it to the fish and I end up grabbing a 46" bass that Ty landed ON 10# test!!!!!!!


After a few pics both the big fish got the treatment they deserved. Ty and I got on the swim platform of The Riptide and I showed him in front of dozens of horrified Commercial boats, how we release BIG BASS!


The fish Gods were pleased and from that point on it was hammer down fishing!!!! The guys got into the zone and kept me landing and releasing fish after fish for 3 hours!



Doubles, Triples and Quads were the rule as the Commercial fleet around us tried to troll up the fish that were gorging on dime sized butterfish. The big bass wanted NOTHING to do with the big rubber tubes, but they couldn't get enough of what the guys were throwing!


Little Ty continued to impress and made a run for the big fish of the day with this SLOB!!! Not bad for a Penn 360 Slammer 8-17# St Croix and 10# Trilene XL!!!!


Uncle Jerry was a big help to me since all the fish coming in hand me running around crazy. But that didn't stop him from hanging his fair share either.



Without a doubt we were living the charmed life today!



When it was all said and done the tide turned and the fish went away. The guys had beat up and battered all the light gear I bought but it was worth it. Little 10 year old Ty landed 13 fish on his own including several over 40". Big fish of the day was 48" and right around 40#. All but one 38" bass and two 10# bluefish were released. The 3 fish we kept will join lobsters and steamers tonight on the grill.

Overall just the best day you could hope for. The weather was perfect, the sun was out, the seas were flat and the fish were on the feed. But beyond that Ty learned allot today and had a blast doing it. His Dad and Uncles explained to him that these fish were worth almost $100 each if we killed them and sold them, but they would breed and make more if we released them. Ty really seemed to like that. As a business owner making money is part of the job. Releasing nearly 2 full Commercial limits of bass today (30 fish per limit) with an average weight near 30# per fish might not seem like the best way to make a buck, but the feeling I got seeing Ty swim that slob back to life was worth every penny.

It truely does not get any better than this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Capt. Terry Nugent
Riptide Charters

[HOLWACHAGOT]

Capt Terry,
A riptide charters report is always nice to read. Really appreciate the effort you take in putting together nice ones. Those memories are indeed permanent! Thanks for letting us see the highlights.
Oh, when your done messing with em send em on back down for the winter.
Holwachagot

[Captain Rich Adler]

Great post, our spring was like that down here in Jersey.

[BTH284]

Awesome day on the water Capt. Terry. Way to put them on the fish.

[Riptide Charters]

Oh, when your done messing with em send em on back down for the winter.
Holwachagot

Thats the great thing about C&R, you and yours can do the same thing, with the SAME fish. Catchumup!

[Ponce]

Awesome day or I mean 1/2 day on the water, lots of smiles in those pictures.

[flatland fisher]

Looks like an epic fishing trip, great report.

[Doin'It]

Great Report and Photos. Thanks for postin' it up.

[Flooringman]

great report

[WAHOONBOX]

WAY TO GET EM TERRY!