Tuna
10-06-2002, 11:23 AM
Fished Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat in sun, clouds, drizzle, calm, killer east and west winds with good to at times spectacular fishing. Also got to put Dave Corbett on some albies in exchange for putting me on bass around Cape Cod in the spring. I'm in a bit of an albie daze at the moment.
Wednesday was the spectacular day for me. It also marked my first season with more than 2 20 days.
Winds were SW 15-20, just enough to kick the fishing into high gear but not enough to turn me into a total basket case. The albies were actually very picky, but I found so many of them that I landed fish until my right hand said "NO" and had to quit early (4:30) leaving albies still going strong in the rips at the point. Shag had a good number of albies in the morning, then East of Shag, then the Point. Saw a very big pod of bass against the shore under the radar which gave me instant albie hookups outside of it. The school would dissipate, reform along the beach, and eventually worked past the Point towards Osyter Pond. Later, I had great albie shots far outside in the Point rips. I thought I'd remember every second of it, but 3 more days of fishing faded a few memories.
Thursday was the one calm morning, with an eerie combination of clouds to the north and clear sky to the south, making for some incredible contrasts of light. I found fewer fish this day, but the fish I found were more cooperative than Weds. Had quick action at Shag, then the Point, then Shag, then in the early afternoon the albies went wild in outer Shag after a shift to NE wind (and a bump up to 15-20 knots), but then things went quiet. I had not dressed warmly, and the NE winds turned things cold, so after an hour of seeing nothing, called it quits early around 3 and went home to wait for best friend Bob McMahon and Dave to show up for Friday and Saturday.
Friday was a bit scary, with NE winds around 25 knots and wind against tide at outer Shag. The albies and blues showed, but it was hard to find them outside of the biggest rips, and the biggest rips were a bit much. Dave, hard core albie lover, complained about how long it took me to find fish after hooking and landing an albie on his first cast. Bob didn't complain, but got seasick whenever I went into the rips. We did get a few outside of the rips, but eventually headed for Gardiners in the hope of some calmer albie shots. Saw David Blinken there, but the only fish there were in the rips too. Took a few there (no David, I didn't try to hook that albie trolling, I just had the fly over the side of the boat when I moved) then searched for calmer waters but found nothing at Cherry Harbor, Accabanac, Goff Point, Fort Pod Bay. Bob knew I would head for the rips again, so he opted to sit the rest of the afternoon out and after dropping him off I promptly scared even hard core Dave by looking in the rips at the Point, which were a bit wild even though the wind had dropped some when the wind shifted to SE. We went back to Shag for a great end of day albie run, fishing until the lack of light turned the feed off.
Saturday was less scary but just as windy in the morning. Bob opted out for the morning, and Dave and I had our doubts getting onto the boat, but Shag was very fishable, as the winds were from the south west. I got video of Dave complaining about how long it takes me to put him into fish again (again with him hooking an albie on his first cast), but karma prevailed and his edgey New England humor was rewarded with a break off (and another ta boot). Unlike Thursday, these feeds were pure albie and pure joy. We chased them in inner and outer Shag, and as we got more light, we had some great sights. I remember Dave saying there was an albie circling back through some bait that he got to see hit close to the boat, and feeds where you could see the albies well before they surfaced. When it slowed a bit, I took him to the Point, as in 2 visits to Montauk he had yet to get an albie at the Point or see a fabled Point bass feed.
He got both, but the rips were just too much again, so after Dave landing an albie in the rips after wtaching them sail through big waves (and me breaking my second fly rod in 2 days) we got out of the rips to watch a nice bass feed not too near to shore. Although I feel strongly that we should not ruin the shore fishermen's chances, a guide and I got yelled at constantly even though we came no where near their zone. Before we left, though, a few more guides joined in and did crowd the shore - maybe the shore fishermen were practicing for what was to come. Whatever.
Went back to Shag for a few shots at BIG albie pods before Bob called on the cell to say it was time to get him (the winds had dropped a bit, and he was bored "sitting it out"). When we got back on the water, the Shag feed had slowed to a crawl, so we took off for Gardiners again, finding the albies and blues in the rips again. Bob took a quick albie, I got one, Dave got one, but the blues were everywhere, so as the bite died, we decided to head back East for the sure thing late Shag feed.
Of course, there is no such thing as a sure thing when fishing, and the late day feed did not show, so we quit around 5:30, beat up but buzzed from two great days. Not that great in terms of number landed (we only got a bit over 30 albies landed in 2 days, and only Dave got over 10 on any day, although we hooked and lost a lot too), but great in terms off what we saw and the chances we had. We also had as many blues as anyone could desire.
Bob and I have fished together for more than 40 years, and its always a joy to watch his natural ability to get onto fish. Dave, who I have now fished with 5 days, is hardcore and a joy to fish with - one of the few partners who will stick it out with me for 10 hours in less than comfortable conditions (his day out here last year started with NW 25 knots). I got some good video of the two days which hopefully will hold Dave over until he comes out next fall (after, of course, my exchange trip to the Cape in the spring - right Dave?).
I got to meet some folks who post, like Steve and Frank and maybe a few others who I forget in my current albie daze.
I am hoping to get my brother Jim out this coming Friday, my last planned 4 day fishing weekend (Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun). Waters are still warm, but I am running out of remaining vacation days, so after this coming weekend I have only 2 more week days I can steal out there. Short of a big freeze or storm, I wouldn't be surprised to see the albies last strong through the month.
Wednesday was the spectacular day for me. It also marked my first season with more than 2 20 days.
Winds were SW 15-20, just enough to kick the fishing into high gear but not enough to turn me into a total basket case. The albies were actually very picky, but I found so many of them that I landed fish until my right hand said "NO" and had to quit early (4:30) leaving albies still going strong in the rips at the point. Shag had a good number of albies in the morning, then East of Shag, then the Point. Saw a very big pod of bass against the shore under the radar which gave me instant albie hookups outside of it. The school would dissipate, reform along the beach, and eventually worked past the Point towards Osyter Pond. Later, I had great albie shots far outside in the Point rips. I thought I'd remember every second of it, but 3 more days of fishing faded a few memories.
Thursday was the one calm morning, with an eerie combination of clouds to the north and clear sky to the south, making for some incredible contrasts of light. I found fewer fish this day, but the fish I found were more cooperative than Weds. Had quick action at Shag, then the Point, then Shag, then in the early afternoon the albies went wild in outer Shag after a shift to NE wind (and a bump up to 15-20 knots), but then things went quiet. I had not dressed warmly, and the NE winds turned things cold, so after an hour of seeing nothing, called it quits early around 3 and went home to wait for best friend Bob McMahon and Dave to show up for Friday and Saturday.
Friday was a bit scary, with NE winds around 25 knots and wind against tide at outer Shag. The albies and blues showed, but it was hard to find them outside of the biggest rips, and the biggest rips were a bit much. Dave, hard core albie lover, complained about how long it took me to find fish after hooking and landing an albie on his first cast. Bob didn't complain, but got seasick whenever I went into the rips. We did get a few outside of the rips, but eventually headed for Gardiners in the hope of some calmer albie shots. Saw David Blinken there, but the only fish there were in the rips too. Took a few there (no David, I didn't try to hook that albie trolling, I just had the fly over the side of the boat when I moved) then searched for calmer waters but found nothing at Cherry Harbor, Accabanac, Goff Point, Fort Pod Bay. Bob knew I would head for the rips again, so he opted to sit the rest of the afternoon out and after dropping him off I promptly scared even hard core Dave by looking in the rips at the Point, which were a bit wild even though the wind had dropped some when the wind shifted to SE. We went back to Shag for a great end of day albie run, fishing until the lack of light turned the feed off.
Saturday was less scary but just as windy in the morning. Bob opted out for the morning, and Dave and I had our doubts getting onto the boat, but Shag was very fishable, as the winds were from the south west. I got video of Dave complaining about how long it takes me to put him into fish again (again with him hooking an albie on his first cast), but karma prevailed and his edgey New England humor was rewarded with a break off (and another ta boot). Unlike Thursday, these feeds were pure albie and pure joy. We chased them in inner and outer Shag, and as we got more light, we had some great sights. I remember Dave saying there was an albie circling back through some bait that he got to see hit close to the boat, and feeds where you could see the albies well before they surfaced. When it slowed a bit, I took him to the Point, as in 2 visits to Montauk he had yet to get an albie at the Point or see a fabled Point bass feed.
He got both, but the rips were just too much again, so after Dave landing an albie in the rips after wtaching them sail through big waves (and me breaking my second fly rod in 2 days) we got out of the rips to watch a nice bass feed not too near to shore. Although I feel strongly that we should not ruin the shore fishermen's chances, a guide and I got yelled at constantly even though we came no where near their zone. Before we left, though, a few more guides joined in and did crowd the shore - maybe the shore fishermen were practicing for what was to come. Whatever.
Went back to Shag for a few shots at BIG albie pods before Bob called on the cell to say it was time to get him (the winds had dropped a bit, and he was bored "sitting it out"). When we got back on the water, the Shag feed had slowed to a crawl, so we took off for Gardiners again, finding the albies and blues in the rips again. Bob took a quick albie, I got one, Dave got one, but the blues were everywhere, so as the bite died, we decided to head back East for the sure thing late Shag feed.
Of course, there is no such thing as a sure thing when fishing, and the late day feed did not show, so we quit around 5:30, beat up but buzzed from two great days. Not that great in terms of number landed (we only got a bit over 30 albies landed in 2 days, and only Dave got over 10 on any day, although we hooked and lost a lot too), but great in terms off what we saw and the chances we had. We also had as many blues as anyone could desire.
Bob and I have fished together for more than 40 years, and its always a joy to watch his natural ability to get onto fish. Dave, who I have now fished with 5 days, is hardcore and a joy to fish with - one of the few partners who will stick it out with me for 10 hours in less than comfortable conditions (his day out here last year started with NW 25 knots). I got some good video of the two days which hopefully will hold Dave over until he comes out next fall (after, of course, my exchange trip to the Cape in the spring - right Dave?).
I got to meet some folks who post, like Steve and Frank and maybe a few others who I forget in my current albie daze.
I am hoping to get my brother Jim out this coming Friday, my last planned 4 day fishing weekend (Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun). Waters are still warm, but I am running out of remaining vacation days, so after this coming weekend I have only 2 more week days I can steal out there. Short of a big freeze or storm, I wouldn't be surprised to see the albies last strong through the month.