Tuna
09-22-2002, 11:01 AM
Thursday, Friday and Saturday were calm, sunny and without rain, which weather reports early last week did not predict. With sun, winds that never topped 15 knots and some nearly flat and calm mornings, conditions on the water were quite pleasant.
Whether predictably or by chance, the albies were quite picky, providing more typical albie frustrations than earlier in the month. Of the 3 days, I only got in double digits once, and landed only 6 albies Saturday.
Thursday morning I found albies early around Shag, but boy were they picky. I managed some before the crowds (tounrament time!) arrived, and some after the crowds, but mostly experienced refusals and fly sacrifices to the bluefish gods.
Went to the Point a few times, but only late did I find any albies (although they were easier to get to bite than elsewhere). Heard there was at least one bass blitz but missed it, although casting sinking line to shore between radar and Turtle Cove I pulled in 3 bass quick, including a keeper and at least 6 fish following each time I hooked up.
I also made a run to Gardiners, but found nothing but blues that day.
Friday morning started better for me, having switched to a smaller flashier (green and blue) epoxy fly. Got 5 quick albies at inner Shag before 10 am, but the crowds came in strong and managed only 4 more for the rest of the day. Never saw albies anywhere but Shag and near shore at Oyster Pond that day, despite several runs to the Point and the south side.
Saturday morning my friend from work Don Almgren joined me (arriving 5 minutes early, a big shock given the culture of the company we work at). We found the albies at Shag again in the morning, but they were even harder to get than the prior two days. I managed some, and Don got blues on spinning, but it was far from a good first look at East End fall fishing for Don. He was, however, quite pleased with what was offered and spent a good amount of his time waiting for me to hook up (he was like a fish magnet all day, so particularly in the morning when my shots were limited, he would wait, despite my urgings to catch more, while I tried to get the finicky albies.)
Don had joked before the start of the fishing that he would outfish me and boy did he (I can't even estimate the number of fish he landed) although I was unsuccessful trying to get him an albie. I did, however, teach him some of my best tricks, including leaving fish to try an unproductive spot (several trips to the Point showed nothing, and even working structure for bass didn't pay off the times we tried it) and swearing profusely when albies would erupt around the boat but my fly line would find some new way to get tangled and keep me from casting. He was a lot of fun to fish with, and had great balance and patience with my run and none antics. Other than Shag, only Oyster Pond had visible fish in our forays in the area.
Mid afternoon I dragged him to Gardiners. Told him I had 3 favorite spots to show him. Spot 1 (Tobacco Lot) - nothing. Spot 2 (Eastern Plains Point) - nothing. I figured I had given him my best leave fish for unproductive spots lesson when bingo, spot 3, Bostwicks, had albies in the rips and then as the afternoon wore on blues and albies near shore.
Although the albies were picky there too (I got only 2 despite MANY chances), the afternoon bite turned a so-so day into a darn good one. Particularly when the fish went to shore, Don got a feel for what East End fishing can be like. Some of the blues feeds near shore were eye candy, and seeing albies race through the water in 6 to 10 feet was a treat for him. Also, protected from the wind and with the feeds getting better as the afternoon wore on, there was no need for run and none as long drifts through fish were possible.
Don had told his wife he would probably be back around home in NJ 7 pm that night, but my quest for a seventh albie put a bit of a dent in this plan. From 5 to 5:30 pm, I had uncountable unsuccessful shots at albies (and Don had uncountable bluefish hookups). Figured I had to stop or his wife may never let him visit again.
All told, a very pleasant 3 days, and a reminder that generally albie fishing will drive you crazy, but even that was fun and the upside is I don't ache too much today. Don might, having caught uncountable bluefish all day.
Whether predictably or by chance, the albies were quite picky, providing more typical albie frustrations than earlier in the month. Of the 3 days, I only got in double digits once, and landed only 6 albies Saturday.
Thursday morning I found albies early around Shag, but boy were they picky. I managed some before the crowds (tounrament time!) arrived, and some after the crowds, but mostly experienced refusals and fly sacrifices to the bluefish gods.
Went to the Point a few times, but only late did I find any albies (although they were easier to get to bite than elsewhere). Heard there was at least one bass blitz but missed it, although casting sinking line to shore between radar and Turtle Cove I pulled in 3 bass quick, including a keeper and at least 6 fish following each time I hooked up.
I also made a run to Gardiners, but found nothing but blues that day.
Friday morning started better for me, having switched to a smaller flashier (green and blue) epoxy fly. Got 5 quick albies at inner Shag before 10 am, but the crowds came in strong and managed only 4 more for the rest of the day. Never saw albies anywhere but Shag and near shore at Oyster Pond that day, despite several runs to the Point and the south side.
Saturday morning my friend from work Don Almgren joined me (arriving 5 minutes early, a big shock given the culture of the company we work at). We found the albies at Shag again in the morning, but they were even harder to get than the prior two days. I managed some, and Don got blues on spinning, but it was far from a good first look at East End fall fishing for Don. He was, however, quite pleased with what was offered and spent a good amount of his time waiting for me to hook up (he was like a fish magnet all day, so particularly in the morning when my shots were limited, he would wait, despite my urgings to catch more, while I tried to get the finicky albies.)
Don had joked before the start of the fishing that he would outfish me and boy did he (I can't even estimate the number of fish he landed) although I was unsuccessful trying to get him an albie. I did, however, teach him some of my best tricks, including leaving fish to try an unproductive spot (several trips to the Point showed nothing, and even working structure for bass didn't pay off the times we tried it) and swearing profusely when albies would erupt around the boat but my fly line would find some new way to get tangled and keep me from casting. He was a lot of fun to fish with, and had great balance and patience with my run and none antics. Other than Shag, only Oyster Pond had visible fish in our forays in the area.
Mid afternoon I dragged him to Gardiners. Told him I had 3 favorite spots to show him. Spot 1 (Tobacco Lot) - nothing. Spot 2 (Eastern Plains Point) - nothing. I figured I had given him my best leave fish for unproductive spots lesson when bingo, spot 3, Bostwicks, had albies in the rips and then as the afternoon wore on blues and albies near shore.
Although the albies were picky there too (I got only 2 despite MANY chances), the afternoon bite turned a so-so day into a darn good one. Particularly when the fish went to shore, Don got a feel for what East End fishing can be like. Some of the blues feeds near shore were eye candy, and seeing albies race through the water in 6 to 10 feet was a treat for him. Also, protected from the wind and with the feeds getting better as the afternoon wore on, there was no need for run and none as long drifts through fish were possible.
Don had told his wife he would probably be back around home in NJ 7 pm that night, but my quest for a seventh albie put a bit of a dent in this plan. From 5 to 5:30 pm, I had uncountable unsuccessful shots at albies (and Don had uncountable bluefish hookups). Figured I had to stop or his wife may never let him visit again.
All told, a very pleasant 3 days, and a reminder that generally albie fishing will drive you crazy, but even that was fun and the upside is I don't ache too much today. Don might, having caught uncountable bluefish all day.