"Go south, lad..." so I did. The bite is defineltelt down south. Things up hoem in northern Monmouth County have been spotty and slow. Early this morning my buddy Canio and I took the Jones Brothers 1910 down and launched out of Barnegat Light. As soon as we cleared the inlet is was time to go to work.
There was a flotilla of boats north of the inlet all bunched up with tons of birds working about. We took up a flanking position and Canio blind casted while I watched from afar with binoculars. I didn't see anyone hook up so we took a ride down to Area 23 off Island Beach State Park. We had no company, no birds, and nothing on the fish finder. But I just liked the spot. Soon fish were blowing up here and there around us. Canio threw out his T-Hex and was hooked up with his first striped bass.
After a bit and a drift north we headed south where the boats were stacked up just outside the inlet on the outgoing tide. I never like fishing near anyone. Not in the river, not on the beach, not on the rocks, and not on the ocean. So we left and headed around them to beachfront at Harvey Cedars. Again a quiet and flat water, but it felt nice. Then the bass and started blowing up steadily around us. Canio dropped a big
fish which was sad, but funny. We kept up with the fish with him throwing metal and me throwing
Clousers till 11 am. Soon the bite slowed but just before we left acres upon acres upon acres of bunker showed up, but we didn't see any fish on them. There were big blues caught today, and I would have
liked to see when those pods met.
The waves getting into the inlet were about 30 feet high but we rode in with no problems.
I am looking forward to some of the beach reports from Seaside and IBSP. I think this wave of fish have started to or the bulk have moved south.