So mullet run fishing. If you have fished it then you know. Bass swirling and blowing up in the troughs. Not today. V-wakes from mullet in schools as they make their way down the beach. Not today. Mullet skittering across the water or foam as they run for their lives. Mullet trapped in the pocket. Not today. It was however perfect conditions and a blast for the four hours I was out there.
Last night I went through all of my stuff in anticipation of todays outing. Just about everything...check. The only thing I was missing were solid Snake Fly's. My goal for today was to get them on the Snakes. So I dug into my bins and looked for some materials to tie with. Below was my pick of ostrich plumes. The one on the left was from Orvis, the other from Amazon and some party
store. I realize I am desperate need of some good white ostrich plumes. But the tan would due. I sat down and tied up a pair, one in black for the before light and shortly after and then one in white and tan
for when the light arrived. I always liked to lead off with a popper with a Snake Fly dropper as I think the pop gets them tuned up or at least interested in the commotion. That's is less for sure when there's a lot of mullet and bass showing. On this morning they had to be tuned up a bit.
Got down about 5am and got ready and today I packed the tape measure. If I got a keeper I wanted to know it was a keeper for sure. Our guesstimates as anglers seems to always add an inch or two or they get rounded up to "keeper". Conditions looked great on the incoming tide and it took a little
while for the water to fill in. I fished two groins without a touch and on my way back south a bass exploded on the black Snake Fly and it was gone. I had tied my knots well and really cinched down on them but I think the trailer fly came unbuttoned from the popper. If I had barbs left on the hook that might not have happened.
So I was sick and bummed that I wouldn't be getting one on one of those two Snakes that I tied the evening before. I went into my fly wallet and found a black Deceiver tied up by Jim Matson. I thought I had my own creations with me but his did just fine.
I hit one spot and had a bass jump the popper. Just when I thought that would be the report he hit it again after a few more casts. They liked the popper this morning over the other trailering flies.
As the tide rolled in I thought the bait might as well. I saw one loose pod of mullet swim by but nothing in the waves and no sign of anything in the chase up and down the beach. There was tons
of white water and it just looked super fishy. After a bunch of time with the black duo I switched up to my daylight colors and had at it. The rain turned on again and I realized that the Orvis jacket I had on
must have been the windbreaker type because I was soaked down to my drawers as the rain was going as soon as I left my truck. I had no love on a long, like long, stretch of beach. The tide was still on the flood and I just didn't want to leave. With each cast and retrieve I was just waiting for that explosion on the fly, either one of them.
Hurricane Lee did the beaches good, filling in the north sides of the groins and hollowing out the south sides. There were new troughs to be fished and you could see them as the water retreated down the beach scarp. Before I left I stood on the last rock on the beach end of the above groin. I was literally thinking a fluke may be hunkered down in there but I watched as a bass blew up on the popper. I threw it back a few more times to no avail. Now while I was all about the Snake Fly's I declared my outing officially done before hating myself and tying on an Ugly Ass Fly.
Two casts, well really high sticks, later that bass came up and ate it. It was a cool visual and that fat and strong bass ran right down the south side of the groin. It felt way better than it's 23 inches.
Today my was only day this week to go so I had to. I was prepared and got it done even though the mullet didn't really show up. The thing with the mullet is you just never know when and if they are going to swim down the beach, and, if there are bass on them. You just have to put your time in.
The biggest on the tape was 27-1/2 inches with the tape on the sand but you could have convinced the game warden it was a keeper with the tape along the contour and whatever they do with the tail forks to make it longer. It was a great morning. who knows if it'll last.
In the afternoon it was a quick ride to Mercer Marine to drop the jet boat off. I want to get this thing in top notch shape and ran in the river before I properly put it away for the winter. This sled will surely help me catch more fish next spring and early summer. I'll be able to get to more spots and walk and wade then I did this year although I feel this year was a great year on the Delaware in both numbers and in continuing to learn more. Seven months away and counting. It'll be here before I know it.