Was up with the wife early and decided that "Hey, why not?". Although I was done, for real, the other day, I realized I hadn't put my stuff away. So I was on the rocks before the sun came up. Dead low was just before 7am and it looked it. Found lots of birds floating on the water off the groin tips but didn't get a tug over the several blocks that I fished. Was about to call it, but had visions of herring and tiny bass on them up in the pocket at Big Monmouth.
Took the short drive and when I got there I saw there no pocket and it was even more filled in than it has been this fall. I found another angler out, soaking clams at the end of a couple of what appeared to be 20 foot rods. Fished the beach for a bit before deciding to check in.
As I approached him he was releasing a skate into the air. As we talked his line went tight, well, just the tip moved a bit and he set the hook on a small bass. He quickly took the hook out and, from his perch, let it fly, and it landed on the sand in between the rocks. Now, our conversation was short before, due to the language barrier, but I did say 'Really?" as I saw the striper get launched and then land. I moved across the rocks and picked up the little fellow and after a quick pic got him on his way.
I stayed a bit and fished but the tiny Deceiver didn't get any love, and his bait was out a ways, probably holding in the deeper water on the other side of the bar. Again he went tight, and I only hoped he would release this bass a little easier on not onto dry land. It was a skate, and after the hook-out, it to took a flight, but this time it did hit the water and not the sand nor the rocks.
