Quality Sea Bass on the Ocean and Still Some Sheepshead in the Bay

By Scott Lenox

Posted on October 20th, 2024

We had an absolutely beautiful October day today with little to no wind, sunny skies and very warm temperatures. It was gorgeous! There were lots of boat and jet skis on the bay, and the ocean party boat fleet enjoyed flat calm conditions and good sea bass fishing.

Captain Jason Mumford of Lucky Break Charters had a great day in the OC Inlet today with a great catch for his anglers. The crew ended the day with four sheepshead, a slot red drum and two keeper tautog.

Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler reported a very nice day today with beautiful conditions and good fishing. There were loads of sea bass caught on board today sometimes caught three at a time.

Capitan Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star enjoyed today’s weather and his anglers enjoyed today’s fishing.

Gorgeous morning. Had to wait til 7 for a no show though. Current had been a hard ebb for boats departing early. Hearty complaints were heard on VHF radio as the boys cleared the inlet – “Fasten Seatbelts!”

Leaving later (if unplanned) we experienced a calm inlet in a light flood current.

Makes a lot of difference which way the water’s moving – a whole lot. If an outgoing current pushes into decent incoming swells? Conditions will either get right sporty, unpleasant or full-on dangerous if swells are running big enough.

That same swell on a flood tide?

Cotton candy.

Anyway, we paddled on off to Capt. Bobby’s Reef where young Mr Nick made a fine deployment of reef blocks. His company, Downtown Detailing, put the whambalam on my truck a few days back. Owing the boundless energy of youth, it honestly looks better than when I bought it. Young man’s eat up with fishing so we worked out a little trade too..

I really thought this would be the easiest of days for catching sea bass. Light rail, a decent calm..

Though they did come on, the dern things sure didn’t start off that way.

For a good part of the morning the boat was unpredictable in a delicately balanced wind/current.

If I set up on a drift – she’d go opposite of where I thought the slide would take us. Anchor up? Wind pushed me into the current with anchor line hanging slack..

All the while that business was going on I was thinking of the 70s hit, “Son you’re gonna drive me to drinking if you don’t quit driving that hot rod Lincoln..”

Mercy!

In sea bass fishing accuracy is everything – when accuracy is unpredictable? Maddening.

After a lengthy cursing session, conditions became tenable for a good while. Clients were able to climb into double digits and then over half the boat limited.

Never give up, Never give in. . .

Well, almost never. Saw a bird this morning whose size and flight characteristics didn’t match any bird I commonly see off here. Three bird guides in the wheelhouse left it firmly in the ‘damifino’ category. Stumped, I will reach out to some heavy hitters in the birding world – not really giving up, just above my skill level!

(And now worldwide expert George Armistead and East Coast birder extroidinaire Mark Hoffman tell me I have a second year/transitional gannet.. I may as well have seen a robin!)

Cheers!

Monty