hengstthomas
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IRI 12-20 & 12-21- 2008
I was gonna meet up with Drew and Judah at IRI so I headed out early and arrived about 7pm . I had fish crashing just as I left them 2 days ago . The water was still dirty and almost high (very high) . I couldnt get rigged up quick enough
. I left the Mirror Lures in my truck with my leader line so I had to make a quick trip back to the truck . I finally get rigged up and without fail .. First cast
Missed quite a few then got another schoolie ..
I hooked up to about 8 more and landed half and all about the same size . I finally hook up to a decent fish and she comes up to the top and is using the current to head to the Marina .. I turn her head and she dives and comes right at me and finally ends up hooked to a sandbag .. She is in 4 feet of water and I can still see and feel her struggling . I wait a few seconds giving a pull hee and there with hopes she will pull free from the bags and she does but she not only got off but took my Mirror Lure with her The fish was about 32")
So with one Mirror Lure gone I decide to throw the 4" Black Bomber and get a few more ..
Some of these were very fat fish
I alternate lures and pick up a total of 12 fish before the tide tops out and the fish just shut down ..
Drew and Judah pull up just as the bite dies but I did hook up to 2 more fish and 1 was pretty nice . They were very close and no missing those fish .
At 1am just as the mist started (even snow) the 3 of us headed out to the rail . We didnt even fish and saw Nothing popping ... ALL was quiet !
Drew decided to leave so I told Judah I would take him home if he wanted to stay so he grabs his gear and we head out back .
Judah and I tried an assortment of baits with Zero fish . We got soaked as the rain wouldnt quit ..
We fished until about 6:30am and then hit the rail just as the longliners showed up .
I saw a fish get pulled over the rail and one was walked to a truck (keeper but barely) . I rigged up with a black/white fly and 4 ounces and made 2 casts with no bites so I added a white worm and nailed 2 in a row with both fish being about 26" .
I got 1 more on that fly then noticed another keeper caught by a guy who told me he watched where I casted and saw my first hook up so he watched the second fish too and caught his fish in the same spot ..
He thanked me for "finding" the fish as he walked his keeper to his truck . He was throwing a dark black/purple fly so I switched to the same (mine was prettier)
I got 4 more Stripers with 2 about 22" and 2 betweent 24" and 26" .
The rain kept coming and the sky got darker and one look at Judah I knew it was time to call it a day .
When I went to land my first "longline" fish I ducked under the rail and my rain jacket hood was "FULL" of water and poured down my neck
Back at the truck I realised how soaked I was . I had a total of 5 layers on including the rain gear and it was ALL SOAKED !
Not the greatest night but 19 fish on a rainy cold December night is Great in my book and even after losing my keeper and Mirror Lure
IRI 12-23-2008 BRRRR !
Got to the Inlet at around midnight and it was deserted . The tide was extremely low and the water the dirtiest I have seen it yet .. Winds 20 to 30 MPH from the NW and temps in the high teens making the wind chill almost unbareable .
There was no indications that anything was there .. No bait and No popping .
I started with a Red/White Mirror Lure then switched to a 4" black Bomber .. then a Black Mirror Lure .. Then a Broken Back Black Bomber .. Then a Gold/Black jointed Rebel without a bite and this took about 2 hours and 1 trip to the truck to warm up .
I had 3 Mock Neck Cold gear UA Shirts with a sweater over that and then a hoodie with an insulated (zippered) Hoodie to top it off .. I had UA Gloves .. I had UA Leggings with 2 pair of Micro Fleece pants and 2 pair of Sweats over that with Water/Wind resistant pants .. I had 2 pair of UA Socks and 1 pair of thermal Socks over them and high calf rubber boots (Steel Toe) .. I had a UA Facemask covered by the 2 hoodies .
IT WAS STILL BONE CHILLING COLD !!!!
So after a warm up (about 25 minutes and a cup of coffee) I head back with the notion that this cold front has the fish lockjawed and tight to the bottom .. A Swimbait it is ..
I Started with a 4" Bunker Tsunami and tried throughout the water colum with no success so next inline was a 6" PM Bunker and again nothing . I caught a glimpse of a Blue Herring grab what appeared to be a Ling about 8" . I started to see some current so I went back to the Mirror Lures with nothing interested ..
I took inventory and settled on a 4" Pearl Storm and 2nd cast I hook up but lose it just as fast .. I decided to stick with it until I lost it (last one I had) .. After about 10 casts I hookup again and grab my leader and as I lift the 12" Striper out of the water it falls on the sand and wiggles back in .. Grrrrrr ! Another dozen casts and finally !!
Another dozen casts and again
This one had 1 EYE !
My fingers felt like they would just snap off and I could not feel my toes at all so I hit the truck again for another 30 minutes or so and a cup of Coffee and then head back .. I casted the 4" Storm for about 40 minutes with 1 bite and then it finally succummed to the Snag Monster .
I tied on the Red/White Mirror Lure amd gave it a few casts and finally could not take it any longer .. I left at about 5am .
Got home and winds are still 15 to 20 MPH from the WNW and temp is 21 with wind chills being at 10 or below .
When I walked down the sand was so hard I left no footprints .. It felt like pavement .. The winds were supposed to be from the NW to WNW but it was more W to WSW .
I knew when I decided to go it would be the toughest night yet and I didnt take into consideration that the water would be "THAT" dirty .
My bones are still cold but I had fun regardless
It was funny to see snow coming from the tip of my rod when I retrieved my lures .. Ice crystals would form on the braid and scrape off as I reeled in and it looked just like snow .. The "Seafoam" was frozen and also looked like snow . My top 3 guides would freeze solid about every 6 casts .
IT was COLD !!
IRI Christmas 2008 Report
The tide was promising so I figured the time frame to be there and arrived at 10:20PM . The tide was outgoing and just starting to move .. Water stained and winds from the NE at 10 to 20 MPH .
I started off with 4" Swimbaits in a few patterns but got no hookups even though the fish were popping very good .. After about 30 minutes I couldnt take it anymore and switched to the Mirror Lure
First , Second and Third casts I hookup but lose the fish but a few casts later it ON
It was multiple bites per cast
These fish were slamming the bait and what puzzled me was the size of the fish . All the fish were 24" or better except for one and even had one at 27.75" .
They were eating it up
Every Cast
ALL Fat Fish
Again and again
They slacked off the Mirror Lure so I tried a Black Mirror Lure with no success .. Then a Black Bomber .. Again no bites .. I finally settle on a 3" Rapala and the game got fierce
Round 2 had begun
I picked up 4 more then the bite just faded with the ebbing tide .
Drew and Judah showed up and I tell them it just "shut down" but they both managed 1 fish a piece to ward off the SKUNK !
Drew also got a "bag" with his fish
My lucky charm"S" ..
The smallest Blue Heron I have ever seen ..
And the biggest one I have ever seen
Drew and Judah left at about 2am and I waited it out .. It took until 4am for the action to return but at much slower pace with the fish only "nipping" the lure . I missed many fish but caught about a dozen more but these were small schoolies averaging about 15 to 18 inches .
All told I had 2 close fish at over 27" and totalled more than 30 fish .
The fish were still popping and "nipping" but I gave in at 5am with a mission in mind
The Mission "Go back to Wagamons and get a pic"
ON WITH THE MISSION
IRI 12-27 & 12-28-2008
Got there around 8pm and after 2 casts was joined by wannafishallday's brother . We had clear water with winds around 8 MPH from the SW .. Tide was HIGH !
The fish were popping very close to the bank and I tried every lure I normally throw with nothing to show for it . WFAD's brother landed 3 stripers and I didnt get my first bite until around midnight and it felt like a really nice fish but it was short lived as she spit the hook ... I had 1 more bite but no hookup .
Drew and Judah stopped by around 11pm or so and I tried for another 30 minutes and headed out to the rail .
I looked around and saw no action and heard none either so after a cup of coffee and a cig I returned to the back just as WFAD's brother was heading home .
Willie had joined the group while I was out front .
Drew caught the first fish but I told him it had to be bigger than a White Perch to qualify for a KODAK Moment .. Drews fish was all of 13" but atleast he caught 1 and had the SKUNK off his back .
Wannafishallday shows up 30 minutes after his brother left .
I settled on a 4" storm that had a black dot and blue back with a red stripe on its side .. I had found this swimbait on a sandbag a few days ago and the tip of the hook was very dull . I missed a few fish then finally got one to the shore .. Whew I was sweating .. 5 hours to land this fish !
Judah lands one soon after ..
Then it was my show for the rest of the night
This one was fat and had some broken lines ..
Then they started inhaling the swimbait
This was the biggest of the night for me at 26" .. It had a nasty cut near its tail and I snag it in the eye socket ..
Drew and Judah left around 2am and WFAD hansg out until about 4am or so . So now the bite is still pretty consistant but the size of the fish got smaller as the bite picked up 30 minutes after WFAD left . The average size was like this ..
I picked up about 10 or 12 that size and at about 5am the corner light was on fire with a few fish straying near me .. It was nuts out there for about an hour and I got a few nicer fish ..
This one felt huge ..
The corner faded out slowly but I kept at it picking up 2 more before I decided to call it quits .. Water was 3/4 up and still clean but the winds had picked up to 15+ MPH from the SW and now spotty rain .
Total fish was 25+ .. 8pm to 6am = 10 hours and the first 5 hours produced NO fish .
Of other interests
And of course my buddy stayed with me while I was in fish
IRI 12-29-08 (SW & FW .. 4 Spots)
Jimmy stopped by at 3:30 Am and we were at IRI by 4:30am . Water was a lot dirtier than the last time I was here and no movement at low slack tide . We saw very very few surface pops and very little bait .. We tried everything to no avail the finally just as I am about to accept a Skunk I get me one
Gobbled it up
Also had some wounds ?
I had just got done telling Jimmy that I like it best when the water surrounds the rock I was on and just as the water circled that rock I landed that fish .. A few casts later I get another ..
We fished for 2 hours .. Total (me) 2 fish , Jimmy :skunk:
We left there at 6:30 AM and stopped by my place to grab some FW gear and some Coffee .
We headed to Wagamons after some Neds and it was beautiful out
I got 2 Neds and Jimmy :skunk: (Again)
We fished from about 8:30am to 10:30am .
Fished for 2 hours .. Total .. 2 Neds
Left there and Hit Diamond Pond . Fished 2 hours from 10:30am to 12:30pm and we got 2 fish ..
I got a Crappie .. (and lost a nice SLAB)
Jimmies Pickerel ..
Fished for 2 hours .. 2 fish total (1 each)
Headed to Trap Pond and fished from 1:30pm to 3:30pm and I got a small Bluegill ..
And Jimmy got a nice Ned ..
Summary ..
Fished 4 spots for 2 hours each and total for each spot was 2 fish .
IRI 1-3 / 1-4-2009
Got to IRI about 10PM and Judah , Drew and Will were trying to hook up . The tide was coming in but had just turned and the water was very calm . Water clarity was good about 2+ Feet .. Wind from the NW but very light .
Judah was first ..
And 2nd
I finally hook and land my first Striper of 2009 after about 2 hours ..
I missed another a few casts later but Drew took the next 3 slots .. I got 2 pics .. he tossed the other back to fast .
Then I pick up a few on the Red/White Mirror
Drew and Judah pulled out sometime around 2am I think . The Tide started to rip around 3am and I got into a few fish
The bite stopped and a guy walked down with a bucktail/white worm and caught about 20 Stripers to 25" in 2 hours .. I picked up another dozen on the 4" Purple Tsunami with a steady retrieve .
Beautiful begining for 2009
Guys it was great to wet a line with you again
IRI 1-5 / 1-6-09
Got there at 11pm .. The tide was almost low and water was very clear .. Light N winds .
Started with a 4" Tsunami .. Lost 2 fish within the first 10 casts then finally landed one
Hooked another that I lost right at my feet and at that time it started to sleet very hard and gradually turned to rain . The tide started to come back in and with it came TONS of baitfish .. They appeared to be 3 to 4 inch Bunker .. The whole inlet was frothing from them but I saw little feeding on them . I tried everything and could not get a strike so I headed out to the rail .
Still bait everywhere .. Going nuts but nothing really feeding on them that I could pick up on .. Perhaps under the water ??
I started with a 6" PM and with the wind to my back I made some extra long casts and to no avail .. No bites !
I switched to a Black Bomber then a Broken Back Silver/Black with no hits .. I tried a few Mirror Lures with no bites .. I tried a few diferent swinbaits without a bite .. I scaled down to a single 2.5" Fin"S" and landed 3 Shad and snagged 2 Bunker (5") .. Next I snag a skate then back to normal .. NO BITES
The rain started to really come down around 3am so I went for cover and waited and warmed up . After it lightened up went around back and still had Bunker everywhere .. I tried everything and could not produce another bite on anything .. I could not believe it .. I guess it was TOO much bait ??
I settled on the 4" Tsunami and picked up another 20" schoolie before the rain sent me packin .. I was soaked ..
3 Shad and 2 Stripers and 1 Skate total .. I was home at 5am .
There is an AWEFUL LOT of BAIT in the INLET !!
IRI 1-7 / 1-8-09
Got there at about 11pm and had slack low water with winds from the SW at 12 to 15 MPH .. Water was very clear but saw no surface action but had a lot of Silversides at my feet .
I started off with a 4" Tsunami Bunker and on about the 4th cast pulled in this ..
Then another ..
And healthy too
They were hitting it on the fall so after about 6 fish all I did was cast and let it fall and retrieve to do it again .. No sense jigging it back .. They kept on a biting
Switched up to a bucktail ..
They ate it up too
Got a keeper at 29" but the lens didnt open ..
The bite slowed and the wind increased to 20+MPH from the SW .. Got one more on the bucktail ..
The tide was rising slowly and the garbage started to pile up ..
I decided to hit the rail and wait for the water to clear but I got no bites .. I did however see some breaking fish but not enough to keep me there so I headed out back again ..
I had the 4" Tsunami Bunker back on and it was ON
After 4 fish they wouldnt hit it so I switched to a Mirror Lure .. Catch 2000
Lost the lure on the 4th fish .. Had a fish on but she dove into the bags and it was over
Retied with a Red Head/White Body Pogy and hooked up but lost that fish in the bags too but I could still see the fish ..
Retied and rigged up a bucktail and caught 1 fish then lost it in the bags ..
Retied again and rigged up with "Old Faithful" and lost the first 2 fish but landed the 3rd ..
Lost it on the next cast
Went back to a bucktail ..
Cleaned house with the bucktail and even snagged a few like this ??
At 4:30am the winds got out of hand at an easy 25 to 35 MPH from the S to SW . The bite totally died but I could still see the fish with the Pogy attached to the bags so I went and warmed up and returned to find the tide had not moved so I walked out and freed the fish and my lure and got one foot soaked .. I was done anyways and am just glad that I could not only get my lure back but to release the fish unharmed .
I figured out why I lost most of my lures .. SOMEONE piled up sandbags to stand on and it was almost impossible to avoid at high tide ..
You know who you are so "Dont do it again"
man I cant believe its January
Totaled over 40 fish with some real fatties and one at 29" (released)
Another GREAT night and my first keeper of the year
IRI 1-10 / 1-11-09
I got to IRI at 9pm and it was high slack tide with calm water .. Too calm actually . Some big fish were on the corner light crashing bait on top .. I ahd no surface action near enough for me to cast to . Water was clean and wind were 10 from the SE .
I tried all to IRI "go to lures" and had 3 very light short strikes but didnt hookup to any of them .
At about 10:30pm the tide started to move and although the water was like glass I could see some currents but no rips .
I finally hookup and land a fish on the Red Head/ White Body Pogy plug ..
I hooked another but when I got it close and tried to keep it on the surface the hook popped out . I tossed it for about 20 more minutes with no other bites .
I switch to a Black/Silver Broken Back bomber and hook 2 fish that again popped free . I did finally land one on that Bomber ..
Another 20 minutes with no bite and I switch to a Black Broken Back Bomber and nail 6 more fish and most were pretty nice and fat with an average of about 25 inches ..
By this time .. right before midnight the water came alive and the rain started to get heavy ..
I switched to a 4" Tsunami Bunker and for the next 3 hours I nailed fish after fish .. I even got 5 in a row at one point .
These fish werent on the bottom and the key was to have a steady retriev at the right speed .. No Jigging tonight as they would hit it when I jigged it on the bottom or jigged it through the water colum . I missed many fish because of the soft subtle bite .. These fish were the biggest of the night and almost all were 24 to 26 inches and for what the water temps are they fought pretty dang good
Here's a few ..
At 12:30am it was buck wild and the rain just steadily fell and was not fun with it right in your face being pushed by 15+ MPH winds .. I took everything to the truck and out of the rain and then returned with only my rod and reel rigged with that 4" Tsunami Bunker .
Its hard to believe its JANUARY
The tide bottomed out and went slack at 3am and it took me 30 casts to get another fish .. I called it quits when the winds increased again to about an average 20 MPH from the SW .
Fished 6 hours total and landed well over 50 fish tonight .. Thats giving the low end as I know it was close to 3 digits ..
A first for me in JANUARY
1-10-09 IRI - Wagamons Pond - Broadkill
Had plans to get to the inlet early but it didnt happen and I got there at my normal time .. Around midnight .
Water was slack low and still as glass .. Winds were 5 to 8 from the N to NW .. Water was very stained with about 12" visability . I had a 4" Tsunami rigged up so I went with that and all the while I had fish popping the surface in every direction but not spread out in every direction and nothing to make a pattern with . After about 20 minutes I couldnt stand it and put a Silver/Black Broken Back Bomber on and on my 2nd cast I hooked up and landed a 27.5" Striper
I had high hopes that it would be a repeat of the other night but a few casts later i hooked another only to lose it as I lifted it from the water .. Fish was about 18" .
I tossed that Bomber for about 30 minutes without any more action so I went through line of IRI necessities and still struck out for about 2 more hours .
Surfphisn joined me about 30 minutes after I arrived and after about 2.5 hours he finally lands a striper .
The water was too calm and the bite never realy formed so we hit the N Jetty for about 45 minutes without any action .
We headed back to square one and the tide had started to come in but still it was deathly calm and no action or surface pops .
Surfphisn had a 2 hour ride and and headed out at about 4am so I walked him to his car and we talked as our vehichles warmed up . 40 minutes later he leaves and I get in my truck to warm my feet but the "need" was too great and in 5 minutes I was back fishing .
I walked right down and saw fish popping .. Still scattered but close . I had a strike on the 4" Tsunami but thought it best to do some plugs .. I riged a 3" Suspending Rapala (Trout Pattern with rattles) and hooked a fish one the 1st cast but popped right off .. A few casts later and it happens again .. a few more casts and I finally land one ..
I switched to a Mirror Lure .. Catch 2000 When I first got there I immediately saw the 2000 and was tickled to get it back . I threw it and threw it in many directions and atleast 6 times I watched a fish come up and bump it with its mouth closed ??
At high tide everything stopped so I called it quites at about 7am with a total of 5 hooked fish and only landing 2 .. Still GREAT for January in my book
I headed home to refuel with Java and some eats and was headed to the Broadkill for some Slab action . On my way I always ride by Wagamons Pond hoping the wind will be to my advantage but that has only happened 3 times in 6 weeks so with all signs go I changed plans and went after Mr Ned
With the wind at about 10 to 15 MPH and to my back I was making Olympic casts .. On my second cast I got hit but never hooked the fish .. It happened 2 more times in 10 minutes then I finally stuck one and landed it ..
Next cast another ..
These fish were only hitting from 40 yards and beyond .. Nothing within the first 40 yards .
I was using a 1.75" Fin"S" 4.5 feet under a casting bobber with an added splitshot for more distance . In the next hour I landed 15 more with the sizes ranging from ..
To this ..
11 to 14 inch fish I was in my glory but as soon as the sun shined bright with clear skies the bite died .. I tried for another 30 minutes without a bite .
I decided to return to the original plans and go for Slabs ...
I used the same lure but only had it 2 feet under a casting bobber . Took me about 12 minutes to locate some fish ..
I missed many bites and then started to let them hold the lure for just a second more than I would normally do and I found the pattern ..
First up was a Gill ..
Then a nice Crappie ..
Picked up about 10 more Crappie in the 4 to 6 inch range and then hit another Gill that was a bit bigger ..
Again picked up about 8 more 4 to 6 ich Crappie when I get another nice Slab ..
Picked up about 3 more Crappie and then I get a small LMB ..
2 Stripers , 17 Nice Neds , 2 Gills , 1 LMB and about 25 Crappie at 3 spots and in about 14 hours of fishing ..
Man I really needed that
IRI 1-12 /-1-13-09
Hit the water at 10:30pm . The tide had just started to go out and the water was like glass with little to no wind and 2 foot visability .
I saw some fish breaking out on the corner and a few in close but in the darker areas .
I began with the 4" Tsunami Bunker and had 3 light hits and even felt a head shake or 2 but failed to hook up . A few casts later I finally get one ..
Began picking up a fish here and there but with calm water and no current or rips I knew it would be tough but I did stay in fish ..
My good friend Sporto met up with me around 1am .. Just as the tide started to rip .. The fish still bit
With the tide running and more fish biting I tried a 5" Tsunami and got 2 bites but no hook up .. I then went to a 6" PM and got nothing .. I tried the Catch 2000 without a sniff so I returned to the 4" Tsunami and the fish were waiting ..
Shutter didnt fully open on this fish ..
Shutter didnt open at all on this one but it was 25.5" and Sporto was there to verify
I had seen a few baitfish that I thought were Herring and I showed them to Sporto whenever I saw one .. Not long after that he runs to the waters edge and grabs this right out of the water
Sporto gave me a Baby Bass Storm lure and that proved to be the best producer for me ..
Tied slacked and Sporto headed home so I went and warmed up .. it was 4am . We talked as the vehichles warmed and he took off some gear .. He was on his was about 4:45am and I hit the rail ..
No one there and I went right to it with the 6" PM .. On my fourth cast I get a nice fish
20 minutes later and I get the biggest of the trip ..
The light went out and the bite was done .. the tide also started to come in so I went out back to give it another go .. I had been hoping all night that the South winds would blow the bait to me and as a result the Stripers would follow
I threw the 6" PM for a it but switched to the 4" Baby Bass Storm and like he was waiting for it I hook up ..
All fish did this
That is every fish I caught last night with some kind of measurement .. There is no doubt in my mind that if it stayed dark for 3 more hours I'd hit another run of fish but I was cold and it was time
There is sarcasm in this report and it aimed at a comment made on this site ..
IRI 1-15-2009 (Is it really January ?)
Got to the inlet at about 11pm . The tide was very high and slack and no wind with very clear water that was calm as glass .
I started with a 4" Tsunami and after 30 minutes got no bites . I decided to hit the rail and wait for the tide to start to move so I rigged up the 6" PM and went to work .. Another 30 minutes and still no bites .
I headed back to the back and went back to the 4" Tsunami .. Then the Mirror Lures and 2 different Bombers without a bite .. I had no seen any action on the surface either .
At about 2am I saw some fish breaking out under the corner light and some Bunker popping within about 15 yards .. Even had a few swim right up to the sand .
I finally got a bite but it popped off just as the next 2 did but finally I get one
It was just nuts after that first fish and the beginning of my best January night ever ..
Decided to try a Mirror Lure again
Threw it for about 20 more minutes without a bump so back to the 4" Tsunami
This one had some injuries and part of its tail gone ..
Switched to my old stand by .. The tandem rig .. Had 2 3" Pearl Storms and this proved to be the hot ticket ..
The super secret weapon
I was the only one there all night ..
Thats every fish I landed .. I missed many many strikes and had quite a few come unglued but over all for January ..
Lots of fish and 3 keepers .. All released
Sporto I wish you could have made it you missed a GRAND night
IRI 1-18-08
I arrived around midnight and it was cold with little wind from the South and very clear and almost high water .
I watched fish crash under the corner light and after about 30 minutes I get hit by a small schoolie that popps off a few seconds later .. I am relieved at this point thinking its going to be another decent night . I tried a few lures and no more bites so I hit the rail and make a call to see where Drew and Judah are .. I get no answer so I try the 6" PM for about 10 minutes and get hit again but the fish dropped it just as fast .. I can still see fish on the corner light crashing ...
Judah and Willie show up and watch for a bit and then we all hit the back ..
Tide was still incoming and calm with no rips and fewer signs of fish activity . We tried an assortment of lures again and after about an hour our extemities are frozen so we all go for a warm up in the trucks ..
We return to the water for another 45 minutes and still nothing happening and tide still incoming ??
We hit the trucks agin but this time Judah I accompany Judah to Walmart to drop off Willie and then WAWA for Java and back to IRI ..
We get back and another car is parked next to my truck .. We watch this individual walk down to the water and come right back with his gear ?? I get out and approach this person that happens to be wannafishallday ..
He asks if the fish are biting and I tell him about the 3 hours and 2 taps I had and he decides not to stay and was going to make the trek back to VA .. I couldnt believe he was going all the way back home but he stated if I cant catch a fish the he certainly would not and was a waste of time unless I caught atleast 50 fish .. LMAO !! I tell him to call first next time and get an update (Doesnt matter if its midnight)
SO Judah and I hit the water again and about every hour until 7am we have to hit the truck for 20 minutes to warm up . Judah and I tried all kinds of lures and lost a few but landed NO fish
I left Judah at IRI at 7am as the boats and vehichles started to pour into the inlet .
On my way home I stopped and videoed some Foul .. These bastages are here everyday and loud as hell .. If I am asleep they will wake me ..
<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="https://i276.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=https://vid276.photobucket.com/albums/kk40/Hengstthomas/100_3121.flv">
I wanted to catch them as the mass started to land but my camera was in my bag in the back and then had dead batteries so by the time I was ready most had landed ..
<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="https://i276.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=https://vid276.photobucket.com/albums/kk40/Hengstthomas/100_3122.flv">
Still fish out there but it just wasnt in the cards last night
I was gonna meet up with Drew and Judah at IRI so I headed out early and arrived about 7pm . I had fish crashing just as I left them 2 days ago . The water was still dirty and almost high (very high) . I couldnt get rigged up quick enough
. I left the Mirror Lures in my truck with my leader line so I had to make a quick trip back to the truck . I finally get rigged up and without fail .. First cast
Missed quite a few then got another schoolie ..
I hooked up to about 8 more and landed half and all about the same size . I finally hook up to a decent fish and she comes up to the top and is using the current to head to the Marina .. I turn her head and she dives and comes right at me and finally ends up hooked to a sandbag .. She is in 4 feet of water and I can still see and feel her struggling . I wait a few seconds giving a pull hee and there with hopes she will pull free from the bags and she does
but she not only got off but took my Mirror Lure with her The fish was about 32")So with one Mirror Lure gone I decide to throw the 4" Black Bomber and get a few more ..
Some of these were very fat fish
I alternate lures and pick up a total of 12 fish before the tide tops out and the fish just shut down ..
Drew and Judah pull up just as the bite dies but I did hook up to 2 more fish and 1 was pretty nice . They were very close and no missing those fish .
At 1am just as the mist started (even snow) the 3 of us headed out to the rail . We didnt even fish and saw Nothing popping ... ALL was quiet !
Drew decided to leave so I told Judah I would take him home if he wanted to stay so he grabs his gear and we head out back .
Judah and I tried an assortment of baits with Zero fish . We got soaked as the rain wouldnt quit ..
We fished until about 6:30am and then hit the rail just as the longliners showed up .
I saw a fish get pulled over the rail and one was walked to a truck (keeper but barely) . I rigged up with a black/white fly and 4 ounces and made 2 casts with no bites so I added a white worm and nailed 2 in a row with both fish being about 26" .
I got 1 more on that fly then noticed another keeper caught by a guy who told me he watched where I casted and saw my first hook up so he watched the second fish too and caught his fish in the same spot ..
He thanked me for "finding" the fish as he walked his keeper to his truck . He was throwing a dark black/purple fly so I switched to the same (mine was prettier
)I got 4 more Stripers with 2 about 22" and 2 betweent 24" and 26" .
The rain kept coming and the sky got darker and one look at Judah I knew it was time to call it a day .
When I went to land my first "longline" fish I ducked under the rail and my rain jacket hood was "FULL" of water and poured down my neck
Back at the truck I realised how soaked I was . I had a total of 5 layers on including the rain gear and it was ALL SOAKED !
Not the greatest night but 19 fish on a rainy cold December night is Great in my book and even after losing my keeper and Mirror Lure
IRI 12-23-2008 BRRRR !
Got to the Inlet at around midnight and it was deserted . The tide was extremely low and the water the dirtiest I have seen it yet .. Winds 20 to 30 MPH from the NW and temps in the high teens making the wind chill almost unbareable .
There was no indications that anything was there .. No bait and No popping .
I started with a Red/White Mirror Lure then switched to a 4" black Bomber .. then a Black Mirror Lure .. Then a Broken Back Black Bomber .. Then a Gold/Black jointed Rebel without a bite and this took about 2 hours and 1 trip to the truck to warm up .
I had 3 Mock Neck Cold gear UA Shirts with a sweater over that and then a hoodie with an insulated (zippered) Hoodie to top it off .. I had UA Gloves .. I had UA Leggings with 2 pair of Micro Fleece pants and 2 pair of Sweats over that with Water/Wind resistant pants .. I had 2 pair of UA Socks and 1 pair of thermal Socks over them and high calf rubber boots (Steel Toe) .. I had a UA Facemask covered by the 2 hoodies .
IT WAS STILL BONE CHILLING COLD !!!!
So after a warm up (about 25 minutes and a cup of coffee) I head back with the notion that this cold front has the fish lockjawed and tight to the bottom .. A Swimbait it is ..
I Started with a 4" Bunker Tsunami and tried throughout the water colum with no success so next inline was a 6" PM Bunker and again nothing . I caught a glimpse of a Blue Herring grab what appeared to be a Ling about 8" . I started to see some current so I went back to the Mirror Lures with nothing interested ..
I took inventory and settled on a 4" Pearl Storm and 2nd cast I hook up but lose it just as fast .. I decided to stick with it until I lost it (last one I had) .. After about 10 casts I hookup again and grab my leader and as I lift the 12" Striper out of the water it falls on the sand and wiggles back in .. Grrrrrr ! Another dozen casts and finally
!!
Another dozen casts and again
This one had 1 EYE !
My fingers felt like they would just snap off and I could not feel my toes at all so I hit the truck again for another 30 minutes or so and a cup of Coffee and then head back .. I casted the 4" Storm for about 40 minutes with 1 bite and then it finally succummed to the Snag Monster .
I tied on the Red/White Mirror Lure amd gave it a few casts and finally could not take it any longer .. I left at about 5am .
Got home and winds are still 15 to 20 MPH from the WNW and temp is 21 with wind chills being at 10 or below .
When I walked down the sand was so hard I left no footprints .. It felt like pavement .. The winds were supposed to be from the NW to WNW but it was more W to WSW .
I knew when I decided to go it would be the toughest night yet and I didnt take into consideration that the water would be "THAT" dirty .
My bones are still cold but I had fun regardless
It was funny to see snow coming from the tip of my rod when I retrieved my lures .. Ice crystals would form on the braid and scrape off as I reeled in and it looked just like snow .. The "Seafoam" was frozen and also looked like snow . My top 3 guides would freeze solid about every 6 casts .
IT was COLD !!
IRI Christmas 2008 Report
The tide was promising so I figured the time frame to be there and arrived at 10:20PM . The tide was outgoing and just starting to move .. Water stained and winds from the NE at 10 to 20 MPH .
I started off with 4" Swimbaits in a few patterns but got no hookups even though the fish were popping very good .. After about 30 minutes I couldnt take it anymore and switched to the Mirror Lure
First , Second and Third casts I hookup but lose the fish but a few casts later it ON
It was multiple bites per cast
These fish were slamming the bait and what puzzled me was the size of the fish . All the fish were 24" or better except for one and even had one at 27.75" .
They were eating it up
Every Cast
ALL Fat Fish
Again and again
They slacked off the Mirror Lure so I tried a Black Mirror Lure with no success .. Then a Black Bomber .. Again no bites .. I finally settle on a 3" Rapala and the game got fierce
Round 2 had begun
I picked up 4 more then the bite just faded with the ebbing tide .
Drew and Judah showed up and I tell them it just "shut down" but they both managed 1 fish a piece to ward off the SKUNK !
Drew also got a "bag" with his fish
My lucky charm"S" ..
The smallest Blue Heron I have ever seen ..
And the biggest one I have ever seen
Drew and Judah left at about 2am and I waited it out .. It took until 4am for the action to return but at much slower pace with the fish only "nipping" the lure . I missed many fish but caught about a dozen more but these were small schoolies averaging about 15 to 18 inches .
All told I had 2 close fish at over 27" and totalled more than 30 fish .
The fish were still popping and "nipping" but I gave in at 5am with a mission in mind
The Mission "Go back to Wagamons and get a pic"
ON WITH THE MISSION
IRI 12-27 & 12-28-2008
Got there around 8pm and after 2 casts was joined by wannafishallday's brother . We had clear water with winds around 8 MPH from the SW .. Tide was HIGH !
The fish were popping very close to the bank and I tried every lure I normally throw with nothing to show for it . WFAD's brother landed 3 stripers and I didnt get my first bite until around midnight and it felt like a really nice fish but it was short lived as she spit the hook ... I had 1 more bite but no hookup .
Drew and Judah stopped by around 11pm or so and I tried for another 30 minutes and headed out to the rail .
I looked around and saw no action and heard none either so after a cup of coffee and a cig I returned to the back just as WFAD's brother was heading home .
Willie had joined the group while I was out front .
Drew caught the first fish but I told him it had to be bigger than a White Perch to qualify for a KODAK Moment
.. Drews fish was all of 13" but atleast he caught 1 and had the SKUNK off his back .Wannafishallday shows up 30 minutes after his brother left .
I settled on a 4" storm that had a black dot and blue back with a red stripe on its side .. I had found this swimbait on a sandbag a few days ago and the tip of the hook was very dull . I missed a few fish then finally got one to the shore .. Whew I was sweating .. 5 hours to land this fish !
Judah lands one soon after ..
Then it was my show for the rest of the night
This one was fat and had some broken lines ..
Then they started inhaling the swimbait
This was the biggest of the night for me at 26" .. It had a nasty cut near its tail and I snag it in the eye socket ..
Drew and Judah left around 2am and WFAD hansg out until about 4am or so . So now the bite is still pretty consistant but the size of the fish got smaller as the bite picked up 30 minutes after WFAD left . The average size was like this ..
I picked up about 10 or 12 that size and at about 5am the corner light was on fire with a few fish straying near me .. It was nuts out there for about an hour and I got a few nicer fish ..
This one felt huge ..
The corner faded out slowly but I kept at it picking up 2 more before I decided to call it quits .. Water was 3/4 up and still clean but the winds had picked up to 15+ MPH from the SW and now spotty rain .
Total fish was 25+ .. 8pm to 6am = 10 hours and the first 5 hours produced NO fish .
Of other interests
And of course my buddy stayed with me while I was in fish
IRI 12-29-08 (SW & FW .. 4 Spots)
Jimmy stopped by at 3:30 Am and we were at IRI by 4:30am . Water was a lot dirtier than the last time I was here and no movement at low slack tide . We saw very very few surface pops and very little bait .. We tried everything to no avail the finally just as I am about to accept a Skunk I get me one
Gobbled it up
Also had some wounds ?
I had just got done telling Jimmy that I like it best when the water surrounds the rock I was on and just as the water circled that rock I landed that fish .. A few casts later I get another ..
We fished for 2 hours .. Total (me) 2 fish , Jimmy :skunk:
We left there at 6:30 AM and stopped by my place to grab some FW gear and some Coffee .
We headed to Wagamons after some Neds and it was beautiful out
I got 2 Neds and Jimmy :skunk: (Again)
We fished from about 8:30am to 10:30am .
Fished for 2 hours .. Total .. 2 Neds
Left there and Hit Diamond Pond . Fished 2 hours from 10:30am to 12:30pm and we got 2 fish ..
I got a Crappie .. (and lost a nice SLAB)
Jimmies Pickerel ..
Fished for 2 hours .. 2 fish total (1 each)
Headed to Trap Pond and fished from 1:30pm to 3:30pm and I got a small Bluegill ..
And Jimmy got a nice Ned ..
Summary ..
Fished 4 spots for 2 hours each and total for each spot was 2 fish .
IRI 1-3 / 1-4-2009
Got to IRI about 10PM and Judah , Drew and Will were trying to hook up . The tide was coming in but had just turned and the water was very calm . Water clarity was good about 2+ Feet .. Wind from the NW but very light .
Judah was first ..
And 2nd
I finally hook and land my first Striper of 2009 after about 2 hours ..
I missed another a few casts later but Drew took the next 3 slots .. I got 2 pics .. he tossed the other back to fast .
Then I pick up a few on the Red/White Mirror
Drew and Judah pulled out sometime around 2am I think . The Tide started to rip around 3am and I got into a few fish
The bite stopped and a guy walked down with a bucktail/white worm and caught about 20 Stripers to 25" in 2 hours .. I picked up another dozen on the 4" Purple Tsunami with a steady retrieve .
Beautiful begining for 2009
Guys it was great to wet a line with you again
IRI 1-5 / 1-6-09
Got there at 11pm .. The tide was almost low and water was very clear .. Light N winds .
Started with a 4" Tsunami .. Lost 2 fish within the first 10 casts then finally landed one
Hooked another that I lost right at my feet and at that time it started to sleet very hard and gradually turned to rain . The tide started to come back in and with it came TONS of baitfish .. They appeared to be 3 to 4 inch Bunker .. The whole inlet was frothing from them but I saw little feeding on them . I tried everything and could not get a strike so I headed out to the rail .
Still bait everywhere .. Going nuts but nothing really feeding on them that I could pick up on .. Perhaps under the water ??
I started with a 6" PM and with the wind to my back I made some extra long casts and to no avail .. No bites !
I switched to a Black Bomber then a Broken Back Silver/Black with no hits .. I tried a few Mirror Lures with no bites .. I tried a few diferent swinbaits without a bite .. I scaled down to a single 2.5" Fin"S" and landed 3 Shad and snagged 2 Bunker (5") .. Next I snag a skate then back to normal .. NO BITES
The rain started to really come down around 3am so I went for cover and waited and warmed up . After it lightened up went around back and still had Bunker everywhere .. I tried everything and could not produce another bite on anything .. I could not believe it .. I guess it was TOO much bait ??
I settled on the 4" Tsunami and picked up another 20" schoolie before the rain sent me packin .. I was soaked ..
3 Shad and 2 Stripers and 1 Skate total .. I was home at 5am .
There is an AWEFUL LOT of BAIT in the INLET !!
IRI 1-7 / 1-8-09
Got there at about 11pm and had slack low water with winds from the SW at 12 to 15 MPH .. Water was very clear but saw no surface action but had a lot of Silversides at my feet .
I started off with a 4" Tsunami Bunker and on about the 4th cast pulled in this ..
Then another ..
And healthy too
They were hitting it on the fall so after about 6 fish all I did was cast and let it fall and retrieve to do it again .. No sense jigging it back .. They kept on a biting
Switched up to a bucktail ..
They ate it up too
Got a keeper at 29" but the lens didnt open ..
The bite slowed and the wind increased to 20+MPH from the SW .. Got one more on the bucktail ..
The tide was rising slowly and the garbage started to pile up ..
I decided to hit the rail and wait for the water to clear but I got no bites .. I did however see some breaking fish but not enough to keep me there so I headed out back again ..
I had the 4" Tsunami Bunker back on and it was ON
After 4 fish they wouldnt hit it so I switched to a Mirror Lure .. Catch 2000
Lost the lure on the 4th fish .. Had a fish on but she dove into the bags and it was over
Retied with a Red Head/White Body Pogy and hooked up but lost that fish in the bags too but I could still see the fish ..
Retied and rigged up a bucktail and caught 1 fish then lost it in the bags ..
Retied again and rigged up with "Old Faithful" and lost the first 2 fish but landed the 3rd ..
Lost it on the next cast
Went back to a bucktail ..
Cleaned house with the bucktail and even snagged a few like this ??
At 4:30am the winds got out of hand at an easy 25 to 35 MPH from the S to SW . The bite totally died but I could still see the fish with the Pogy attached to the bags so I went and warmed up and returned to find the tide had not moved so I walked out and freed the fish and my lure and got one foot soaked .. I was done anyways and am just glad that I could not only get my lure back but to release the fish unharmed .
I figured out why I lost most of my lures .. SOMEONE piled up sandbags to stand on and it was almost impossible to avoid at high tide ..
You know who you are so "Dont do it again"
man I cant believe its January
Totaled over 40 fish with some real fatties and one at 29" (released)
Another GREAT night and my first keeper of the year
IRI 1-10 / 1-11-09
I got to IRI at 9pm and it was high slack tide with calm water .. Too calm actually . Some big fish were on the corner light crashing bait on top .. I ahd no surface action near enough for me to cast to . Water was clean and wind were 10 from the SE .
I tried all to IRI "go to lures" and had 3 very light short strikes but didnt hookup to any of them .
At about 10:30pm the tide started to move and although the water was like glass I could see some currents but no rips .
I finally hookup and land a fish on the Red Head/ White Body Pogy plug ..
I hooked another but when I got it close and tried to keep it on the surface the hook popped out . I tossed it for about 20 more minutes with no other bites .
I switch to a Black/Silver Broken Back bomber and hook 2 fish that again popped free . I did finally land one on that Bomber ..
Another 20 minutes with no bite and I switch to a Black Broken Back Bomber and nail 6 more fish and most were pretty nice and fat with an average of about 25 inches ..
By this time .. right before midnight the water came alive and the rain started to get heavy ..
I switched to a 4" Tsunami Bunker and for the next 3 hours I nailed fish after fish .. I even got 5 in a row at one point .
These fish werent on the bottom and the key was to have a steady retriev at the right speed .. No Jigging tonight as they would hit it when I jigged it on the bottom or jigged it through the water colum . I missed many fish because of the soft subtle bite .. These fish were the biggest of the night and almost all were 24 to 26 inches and for what the water temps are they fought pretty dang good
Here's a few ..
At 12:30am it was buck wild and the rain just steadily fell and was not fun with it right in your face being pushed by 15+ MPH winds .. I took everything to the truck and out of the rain and then returned with only my rod and reel rigged with that 4" Tsunami Bunker .
Its hard to believe its JANUARY
The tide bottomed out and went slack at 3am and it took me 30 casts to get another fish .. I called it quits when the winds increased again to about an average 20 MPH from the SW .
Fished 6 hours total and landed well over 50 fish tonight .. Thats giving the low end as I know it was close to 3 digits ..
A first for me in JANUARY
1-10-09 IRI - Wagamons Pond - Broadkill
Had plans to get to the inlet early but it didnt happen and I got there at my normal time .. Around midnight .
Water was slack low and still as glass .. Winds were 5 to 8 from the N to NW .. Water was very stained with about 12" visability . I had a 4" Tsunami rigged up so I went with that and all the while I had fish popping the surface in every direction but not spread out in every direction and nothing to make a pattern with . After about 20 minutes I couldnt stand it and put a Silver/Black Broken Back Bomber on and on my 2nd cast I hooked up and landed a 27.5" Striper
I had high hopes that it would be a repeat of the other night but a few casts later i hooked another only to lose it as I lifted it from the water .. Fish was about 18" .
I tossed that Bomber for about 30 minutes without any more action so I went through line of IRI necessities and still struck out for about 2 more hours .
Surfphisn joined me about 30 minutes after I arrived and after about 2.5 hours he finally lands a striper .
The water was too calm and the bite never realy formed so we hit the N Jetty for about 45 minutes without any action .
We headed back to square one and the tide had started to come in but still it was deathly calm and no action or surface pops .
Surfphisn had a 2 hour ride and and headed out at about 4am so I walked him to his car and we talked as our vehichles warmed up . 40 minutes later he leaves and I get in my truck to warm my feet but the "need" was too great and in 5 minutes I was back fishing .
I walked right down and saw fish popping .. Still scattered but close . I had a strike on the 4" Tsunami but thought it best to do some plugs .. I riged a 3" Suspending Rapala (Trout Pattern with rattles) and hooked a fish one the 1st cast but popped right off .. A few casts later and it happens again .. a few more casts and I finally land one ..
I switched to a Mirror Lure .. Catch 2000
When I first got there I immediately saw the 2000 and was tickled to get it back . I threw it and threw it in many directions and atleast 6 times I watched a fish come up and bump it with its mouth closed ??At high tide everything stopped so I called it quites at about 7am with a total of 5 hooked fish and only landing 2 .. Still GREAT for January in my book
I headed home to refuel with Java and some eats and was headed to the Broadkill for some Slab action . On my way I always ride by Wagamons Pond hoping the wind will be to my advantage but that has only happened 3 times in 6 weeks so with all signs go I changed plans and went after Mr Ned
With the wind at about 10 to 15 MPH and to my back I was making Olympic casts
.. On my second cast I got hit but never hooked the fish .. It happened 2 more times in 10 minutes then I finally stuck one and landed it ..
Next cast another ..
These fish were only hitting from 40 yards and beyond .. Nothing within the first 40 yards .
I was using a 1.75" Fin"S" 4.5 feet under a casting bobber with an added splitshot for more distance . In the next hour I landed 15 more with the sizes ranging from ..
To this ..
11 to 14 inch fish
I was in my glory but as soon as the sun shined bright with clear skies the bite died .. I tried for another 30 minutes without a bite .I decided to return to the original plans and go for Slabs ...
I used the same lure but only had it 2 feet under a casting bobber . Took me about 12 minutes to locate some fish ..
I missed many bites and then started to let them hold the lure for just a second more than I would normally do and I found the pattern ..
First up was a Gill ..
Then a nice Crappie ..
Picked up about 10 more Crappie in the 4 to 6 inch range and then hit another Gill that was a bit bigger ..
Again picked up about 8 more 4 to 6 ich Crappie when I get another nice Slab ..
Picked up about 3 more Crappie and then I get a small LMB ..
2 Stripers , 17 Nice Neds , 2 Gills , 1 LMB and about 25 Crappie at 3 spots and in about 14 hours of fishing ..
Man I really needed that
IRI 1-12 /-1-13-09
Hit the water at 10:30pm . The tide had just started to go out and the water was like glass with little to no wind and 2 foot visability .
I saw some fish breaking out on the corner and a few in close but in the darker areas .
I began with the 4" Tsunami Bunker and had 3 light hits and even felt a head shake or 2 but failed to hook up . A few casts later I finally get one ..
Began picking up a fish here and there but with calm water and no current or rips I knew it would be tough but I did stay in fish ..
My good friend Sporto met up with me around 1am .. Just as the tide started to rip .. The fish still bit
With the tide running and more fish biting I tried a 5" Tsunami and got 2 bites but no hook up .. I then went to a 6" PM and got nothing .. I tried the Catch 2000 without a sniff so I returned to the 4" Tsunami and the fish were waiting ..
Shutter didnt fully open on this fish ..
Shutter didnt open at all on this one but it was 25.5" and Sporto was there to verify
I had seen a few baitfish that I thought were Herring and I showed them to Sporto whenever I saw one .. Not long after that he runs to the waters edge and grabs this right out of the water
Sporto gave me a Baby Bass Storm lure and that proved to be the best producer for me ..
Tied slacked and Sporto headed home so I went and warmed up .. it was 4am . We talked as the vehichles warmed and he took off some gear .. He was on his was about 4:45am and I hit the rail ..
No one there and I went right to it with the 6" PM .. On my fourth cast I get a nice fish
20 minutes later and I get the biggest of the trip ..
The light went out and the bite was done .. the tide also started to come in so I went out back to give it another go .. I had been hoping all night that the South winds would blow the bait to me and as a result the Stripers would follow
I threw the 6" PM for a it but switched to the 4" Baby Bass Storm and like he was waiting for it I hook up ..
All fish did this
That is every fish I caught last night with some kind of measurement .. There is no doubt in my mind that if it stayed dark for 3 more hours I'd hit another run of fish but I was cold and it was time
There is sarcasm in this report and it aimed at a comment made on this site ..
IRI 1-15-2009 (Is it really January ?)
Got to the inlet at about 11pm . The tide was very high and slack and no wind with very clear water that was calm as glass .
I started with a 4" Tsunami and after 30 minutes got no bites . I decided to hit the rail and wait for the tide to start to move so I rigged up the 6" PM and went to work .. Another 30 minutes and still no bites .
I headed back to the back and went back to the 4" Tsunami .. Then the Mirror Lures and 2 different Bombers without a bite .. I had no seen any action on the surface either .
At about 2am I saw some fish breaking out under the corner light and some Bunker popping within about 15 yards .. Even had a few swim right up to the sand .
I finally got a bite but it popped off just as the next 2 did but finally I get one
It was just nuts after that first fish and the beginning of my best January night ever ..
Decided to try a Mirror Lure again
Threw it for about 20 more minutes without a bump so back to the 4" Tsunami
This one had some injuries and part of its tail gone ..
Switched to my old stand by .. The tandem rig .. Had 2 3" Pearl Storms and this proved to be the hot ticket ..
The super secret weapon
I was the only one there all night ..
Thats every fish I landed .. I missed many many strikes and had quite a few come unglued but over all for January ..
Lots of fish and 3 keepers
.. All released Sporto I wish you could have made it you missed a GRAND night
IRI 1-18-08
I arrived around midnight and it was cold with little wind from the South and very clear and almost high water .
I watched fish crash under the corner light and after about 30 minutes I get hit by a small schoolie that popps off a few seconds later .. I am relieved at this point thinking its going to be another decent night . I tried a few lures and no more bites so I hit the rail and make a call to see where Drew and Judah are .. I get no answer so I try the 6" PM for about 10 minutes and get hit again but the fish dropped it just as fast .. I can still see fish on the corner light crashing ...
Judah and Willie show up and watch for a bit and then we all hit the back ..
Tide was still incoming and calm with no rips and fewer signs of fish activity . We tried an assortment of lures again and after about an hour our extemities are frozen so we all go for a warm up in the trucks ..
We return to the water for another 45 minutes and still nothing happening and tide still incoming ??
We hit the trucks agin but this time Judah I accompany Judah to Walmart to drop off Willie and then WAWA for Java and back to IRI ..
We get back and another car is parked next to my truck .. We watch this individual walk down to the water and come right back with his gear ?? I get out and approach this person that happens to be wannafishallday
..He asks if the fish are biting and I tell him about the 3 hours and 2 taps I had and he decides not to stay and was going to make the trek back to VA .. I couldnt believe he was going all the way back home but he stated if I cant catch a fish the he certainly would not and was a waste of time unless I caught atleast 50 fish .. LMAO !! I tell him to call first next time and get an update (Doesnt matter if its midnight
)SO Judah and I hit the water again and about every hour until 7am we have to hit the truck for 20 minutes to warm up . Judah and I tried all kinds of lures and lost a few but landed NO fish
I left Judah at IRI at 7am as the boats and vehichles started to pour into the inlet .
On my way home I stopped and videoed some Foul .. These bastages are here everyday and loud as hell .. If I am asleep they will wake me ..
<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="https://i276.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=https://vid276.photobucket.com/albums/kk40/Hengstthomas/100_3121.flv">
I wanted to catch them as the mass started to land but my camera was in my bag in the back and then had dead batteries so by the time I was ready most had landed ..
<embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="https://i276.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=https://vid276.photobucket.com/albums/kk40/Hengstthomas/100_3122.flv">
Still fish out there but it just wasnt in the cards last night
