Tuna
05-24-2004, 08:49 AM
Well, there wasn't as much light out East Friday and Saturday than had been forecast. However, I like a challenge and had a bit of luck.
Highlights...
There are bass in 3 mile harbor in the morning. Usual mix of sizes (although I only got dinks).
Friday, around 1 PM, the sun finally came out. I high tailed it to the Neck, anchored my boat, put on waders, got in the water, lit a cigarette.
Note to self - take line out first. I walked 2 feet from the boat while lighting my cig - looked up and saw a nice bass a few feet from me, swimming slowly away. Didn't get line out in time to cast to it.
Walked towards shore, worked along it, 5 minutes later a nice bass approaches me. Its about 6 feet away, looking serious. I flip a 4 foot cast in front and to its side. It turns, I strip once and bingo, off to the races. First fish of the year to run into backing. Great repetitive runs. Finally land it, its somewhere between 28 and 32 inches (closer to 32?), swallowed the fly. Luckily, its mouth is so wide I can get a finger down to the fly. Next time I wade I am bringing a hook discorger.
Got a dink later in another brief period of light.
Saturday no sun. But in the morning, there were periods of no wind. I am casting to 4 docks when I realize the surface is flat and I can see bottom. Switch to polaroid sun glasses and drift past the docks. I see a bass as clear as day (thanks Blinken and Dixon for teaching me you can sight cast without sun on calm days). Get the fish to turn, no hit. See it again, bingo, an energetic 24 inch fish with a much bigger one following it. Had shots at 4 more nice fish before wind came up a bit from the NE (destroying visibility).
Shoot to Dan's Cove (that's my new name for a spot). It has almost no wind. Get shots at 2 bass sighted. Then see a big bass tailing. I've never seen that out east (I used to see it in the mornings on the flats inside of Shinnecock inlet). Unfortunately, I don't get it to hit.
I tried a flat in Peconic I have seen but never fished. From its structure, I expect nothing until getting near an outflow. Although there is poor light, I see enough to know there's not much there. I scare 2 big bass right before the outflow (and saw nothing before that).
Go in early.
Guess what?
Its the start of Boating Safety Week.
I get boarded for a routine inspection. Had just gotten new flares the week before. The boat ahead of me (big boat that zipped past me in the harbor) has a captain who looks at me, shrugs his shoulders and holds up his hands as if asking "why me?".
Hmm, simple answer is you are in a boat, buddy. Be thankful they do inspections.
Highlights...
There are bass in 3 mile harbor in the morning. Usual mix of sizes (although I only got dinks).
Friday, around 1 PM, the sun finally came out. I high tailed it to the Neck, anchored my boat, put on waders, got in the water, lit a cigarette.
Note to self - take line out first. I walked 2 feet from the boat while lighting my cig - looked up and saw a nice bass a few feet from me, swimming slowly away. Didn't get line out in time to cast to it.
Walked towards shore, worked along it, 5 minutes later a nice bass approaches me. Its about 6 feet away, looking serious. I flip a 4 foot cast in front and to its side. It turns, I strip once and bingo, off to the races. First fish of the year to run into backing. Great repetitive runs. Finally land it, its somewhere between 28 and 32 inches (closer to 32?), swallowed the fly. Luckily, its mouth is so wide I can get a finger down to the fly. Next time I wade I am bringing a hook discorger.
Got a dink later in another brief period of light.
Saturday no sun. But in the morning, there were periods of no wind. I am casting to 4 docks when I realize the surface is flat and I can see bottom. Switch to polaroid sun glasses and drift past the docks. I see a bass as clear as day (thanks Blinken and Dixon for teaching me you can sight cast without sun on calm days). Get the fish to turn, no hit. See it again, bingo, an energetic 24 inch fish with a much bigger one following it. Had shots at 4 more nice fish before wind came up a bit from the NE (destroying visibility).
Shoot to Dan's Cove (that's my new name for a spot). It has almost no wind. Get shots at 2 bass sighted. Then see a big bass tailing. I've never seen that out east (I used to see it in the mornings on the flats inside of Shinnecock inlet). Unfortunately, I don't get it to hit.
I tried a flat in Peconic I have seen but never fished. From its structure, I expect nothing until getting near an outflow. Although there is poor light, I see enough to know there's not much there. I scare 2 big bass right before the outflow (and saw nothing before that).
Go in early.
Guess what?
Its the start of Boating Safety Week.
I get boarded for a routine inspection. Had just gotten new flares the week before. The boat ahead of me (big boat that zipped past me in the harbor) has a captain who looks at me, shrugs his shoulders and holds up his hands as if asking "why me?".
Hmm, simple answer is you are in a boat, buddy. Be thankful they do inspections.