I love when a plan comes together. My schedule this week gave me two shots to fish, Wednesday and Friday. I was back and forth with Leif before I decided what day and it came down to the wind. SW on Wednesday or hard West on Friday. Well you know what I picked.
They weren't kidding about the wind but I think that worked to my advantage. I woke at 4 am, had some pillow talk with the wife, then took the long drive, and rolled into Deal just before 6 am. I was hoping to cash in on a early morning sand eel bite but that didn't happen. It was a perfect morning for it as the ocean was flat and it would be easy to see bass turning and chasing them.
There were some early birds just waking up and looking and they were drawn out to the bunker pods off the beach. As light arrived I could see the boat hatch that was going on down near the Shark River Inlet. Soon they made their way north and they seemed to park around Allenhurst and Deal. I stood and watched and waited for something to happen but it didn't.
I know there has been sand eels, and heard of some bunker off the beach, but I didn't know what to expect. I made the jump down to where the boats were set up and found a bunch of life. Life as in birds, bait, a ton of boats and some fishermen.
It was fun to watch what was going on but there was no shot for me with the fly rod. In fact the only shot were guys throwing plugs off the front of the groins. I saw three fish hooked but
only one landed as the front of the rocks has plenty of hazards to fray a line or wrap around and break a bigger fish off. It was nice to see a father and son duo out there giving it a go but I would caution going barefoot on those rocks. Maybe that's just me getting up there in age
knowing I would be crippled if I took a header off the rocks. I met up with Billy, Tommy, and Ernie, guys I've known for decades, and enjoyed catching up and shooting the shit. At one point Billy said, "My buddies up off the Hook and they have fish on the beach". Now, I had already given up
on today and had my heart set on What About A Bagel and getting home with the day ahead of me. Those guys were going, and thankfully they talked me to take a ride. On the way I stopped at 7-11 for one of those shitty tough old-butter bagels that sit in the basket next to the coffee island. If I wasn't trying to get there I would have turned around but I just ate it. Disgusting.
Up at The Hook the parking lots were just about full. There were a ton of boats on the outside of the bar which is out a ways and the birds were in the air. They weren't like over anything but in the area searching pretty good. Shortly after I arrived the boys showed up and they were quickly into fish. In fact, I think everyone caught but me and the two fly rodders next to me. What was interesting was there were no birds or blowups, well only on their plugs. At one point (above) the bait came in tight with some fish on them and the three idiots with the fly rods flailed away without hooking up. I was done then. I started thinking about that stop for a bagel and a white milk.
During that constant bite at The Hook I must have seen 60 fish caught to 40 inches. I was less than impressed with how the fish were handled. Dragged up on the sand, water side surgery to get the trebles out off their gullets, lots of goofy pictures, way to much time out of the water, and a combination of Lionel Messi kicks back into the water, or tosses into the water like when you throw out the garbage. That wasn't all, but most, as I did see guys actually bend down for releases.
I was trying to get the guys attention down the line to say good-bye but they didn't look my way. So I walked back to my truck and started to take off my stuff. Last year, just about a month earlier, I was skunked with Andrew and Phil in the same spot. So I was having drive of shame memories. But I kept on my stuff. As I made my way past the entrance to The Hook, to that overpass before you hit Ocean Avenue, I looked back in my rear view mirror and saw birds on the beach. But I was already committed onto the ramp. I then thought of stopping at Via Ripa, but it was packed. Then maybe turning around at Ship A Hoy?, mobbed, and by then I was too far deep down south so I called it a day, well not really.
It was about 1130 and I was feeling fishy. So I decided to stop at Tradewinds and take a peek. Nothing. One guy throwing a plug next to the groin. I came up with another plan, which included more driving, but I stopped myself from being that guy and stayed put, whatever was to be would be.
I walked to my truck, got my stuff and headed back. I fished right there for a minute and then started to see some birds working, a splash here and there, and then I got that feeling like, "Hey, somethings going to happen". The boats were all off of Sea Bright and others down off Little Monmouth and just a
off Little Monmouth and just a sprinkling of guys here and there. I walked down to a point where I think I was straddling the Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach line, and then it went off.
There was no one around, like for the next two hours. Towards the end I had the first guy 400 feet to my left and in the other direction 500 feet to my right. The above picture was way late into the fray when the boats saw the action dead in front of me and gave chase. First a head boat peeled off then one by one they came but it didn't matter because they couldn't come in tight and by then the bass had the bait already over the bar and inside. And while the first two stops were adult bunker, this was adult bunker at first and then sprays of peanuts, and, as far as the fish, there a mix of big fish, and then just less then big ones.
What was cool was how the bass would bust though a pod of adult bunker and then give chase after the pod had become dispersed. Sometimes there's just too much bait at your feet, but not today.
Let me tell you how the action was. It was so good that you couldn't make a short cast to clear your line as you stripped line off your reel after you landed a fish. It would be inhaled. At one point I noticed my stripping basket was down around my knees so I pulled it up, only to watch a 32 inch bass grab my fly that was just dangling into the water. Below is a little taste.
While the nuttiness ended after a long, long while, there were still fish around, which made for some nice not-every-cast fishing. It was a good example, I think, of how fish patrol behind the bunker schools looking to pic off the sick, lame, and lazy. You can see that below.
I spent an equal of about of time fishing, watching, and taking pics and video. There should be a rule that you have to take a 3 minute pause after you land a fish. The poor releases have guys looking like young boys trying to catch their next fish, when they still have one laying on the sand with hooks in her face. We all have to do better, today, for me, they all stayed in the water.
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I gave Leif some texts and calls but he came late to the party and we wound up meeting up in Long Branch where all we found were some happy bunker in tight to the beach. Just a tight ball with nothing on them. If you look above you can see them in the waves.
Tomorrow the wind goes north and who knows what that will mean. I know there will be alot of participation especially after the word gets out about today. But today might just have been a day of luck for me. Hopefully I can get out again. But it was some day. If it was my only day for the Fall Run 2024 then I am good. Having a ton of fish all to myself doesn't happen that often anymore. I am thankful and grateful.