LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Couldnt get out today due to the T-storms, glad I called it off as Bret and crew were coming up from PA area.
Well, yesterday was another early season epic day aboard the boat. First off, let me say that had this been a striped bass charter, I think it would have ranked up there in anyone's book as a top 5 bite of all time! It is amazing how if we could have moved that action to another day when we were targetting them in a different body of water that charlie wasnt swimming in it would be a 180 degree opinion on it. These bass were just a plain nuisance. We had them thick in some shallow water, and there were cruising tuna of varying sizes blowing up amongst the swarm of diving gannets and swooping terns, 4-6 inch herring getting thrown airborne, and dark copper stains for acres on end of migrating stripers loaded in sea lice. The amount of life was just staggering, and the show on display was one of those that will make your blood boil and shivers up your neck every time you recall it.
We had 3 anglers and Kil whos back was hurting him. Illya, Angelo, and Kevin were at it all morning, casting to very finicky fish that were extremely difficult to get near, let alone entice into a bite. There were thousands of fish breezing north in the early am, with only a wake of ripples from their caudals as they cruised lazily 3-4 feet under the surface, sometimes coming up and rolling or flashing on their sides, letting you know there were lots of tunnoids surrounding us. Very frustrating morning with only 1 detonation on Angleo's popper to show, and a missed swipe at a sea dog, until the fish that were present started to get a bit horny in with the stripers. That's when I got the boat in front of a charging herd of mixed sized bluefin, the most aggressive bunch we had seen all day, and the only boat in position to intercept them. I had the guys wait till the school was about 30 yards out, and all 3 anglers launched from the bow into the melee. Illya immediately came tight, and I was quick to follow with a side cast into the head of the school from the starboard stern corner. It was then that Kevin got pounced on by a real Hoss of a fish, and we were quickly into a triple header hookup all on spinning gear!
We popped one of the fish off with a pulled hook, which actually was fortunate as there would have been bedlam had we stayed hooked into all 3 for the duration. Illya put the boots to his fish early, and I quickly sunk the iron and hauled aboard a fish just shy of 60 inches. It was then we realized that kevin's fish was no joke, as it had dumped and kept 80% of the line on the Van Staal. Kevin sttled in for an amazing fight, really staying on the fish well until he needed to pass off to keep the pressure on the fish. Anyone who has fished with me knows that my philosphy is to have the utmost confidence in my terminal connections, and once the fish tires and goes vertical, its time to pop em or stop em. I will increase drag quite a bit towards the end game, urging my guys to put additional pressure on the fish with palming the spool and really putting the wood to them keeping their head coming up in the circles. Most fights that go into the hour plus range end in disaster for crew and often times the fish, so it is essential to keep constant pressure and end the fight early to help the fish if needing to release it, which will be common this year. We all took turns on this fish, staying fresh, all without the aid of a harness. I finally put the final screws to this fish by going old school with the rod shoved in between the important place and out the back, sitting down on the rod but and lifting for all I was worth. We got the fish to color and didnt let him go, got him boatside for a really good measurement. I then had the distinct pleasure of placing the 5 inch hook under his chin and slamming the iron home. Fish was not eligible for a commercial sale as we had taken the 60 inch fish first, but that fish qualified as my trophy for the year in 2010, and taped out at just a little north of 74 inches. Fish was a racer, but man did he whup the crew and this captain into submission.
The BD 200 and the Van Staal handled the fish with admirable power and amazing lightness. The drag on the Van Staal was smooth and fluid, and stopped this fish at 250 plus yard runs each time, never getting into the deeper scary zone on the spool, and gaining back line with really good fight power. At under 25 ounces spooled, an awesome reel for these fish.
Other Gear used:
Black Hole Cape Cod Special Popping rod
Black Hole Cape Cod Special 450g casting jig rod
Black Hole Cape Cod Special 200g casting jig rod
OR BlackDevil 200
Souls Performance Studio 16
OTI 450g G3
Van Staal VSB 250
Van Staal VS 275
Shimano Stella 18k and 20k SW
Shimano 18k FA
Accurate SR-20
Shimano Saragossa 18k
Diawa Boat Braid PE 6
JB 60# hollow core
Suffix 65#
We had hits or hookups on several dfifferent lures. No jig fish, unless you count the 100 stripers we released.
Great day on the water, and a very positive sign that there are lots of year classes represented here this year. There were several 53-60 inch fish taken yesterday, and we saw fish that appeared even smaller than that in the mix.
Epic day on the water, yet again.(and its only June 5th!)
I think the results from the last week and a half prove that the fish got here early, and you should all be doing your best to get up here as soon as possible.
-Dom
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Fin Addiction
