Posted on October 21st, 2020
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Beautiful day today by all accounts. Warm temperatures and flat calms seas made me think that the party boat rails would be packed, but so was not the case. Weekends will always be busier than weekdays so if you are inclined to put some sea bass, maybe some flounder or other fillets in the freezer, then the next few days are the days to do it. The forecast looks absolutely beautiful for the next couple of days at least and most party boats have light rails until this weekend. And if you want the boat to yourself we’ve also got charter partners that will put you on the fish too.
Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler knows that I like it flat calm so today would have been “one of your days!” The fish were snapping too with loads of sea bass, some flounder and even some more cutlassfish ending up in lucky angler’s coolers.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star enjoyed today’s weather too and plans enjoying the next few days as well!
Beautiful day after a long night, finished off with a serious medical issue..
Fantastic Forecast Friday – lots of openings..
So you want to be a fisherman, eh?
Oyyyyy…
Had a nice dinner planned with my sweetheart Courtney last night. Perfect after yesterday’s boat limit and ‘paying the rent’ limit-out fishing.
Dogone Boats.. lost portside ignition key controls – couldn’t start or shut my port engine from the bridge. Good thing we got in right on time (plenty rare that!) Slid on over to Sunset’s marine supply to get new key and momentary switches to make repairs.
Got back w/parts and found the bait man. He brought 20 bushels of clams. Been spoiling my crew these last 18 years with a luxury I never had working deck—I buy my crew shucked clams for bait.
Except no. Not this time. 20 bushels.. Thank goodness Jeff & George rode in like Calvary.. We were still shucking come dark-thirty when the lead man showed up, also unexpectedly.
A strong young man, he sees nothing wrong with 120 pounds to a bucket.
Oh my..
Transferred 1,300 lbs of future sinkers to my pickup and went back to shuckin.
Finished and cleaned up, got home before 10.
Glad I have a triple block fall set up by my garage (triple pulleys reduce weight 6x.) Hook up a bucket of lead, hoist, lower onto a hand-truck and roll it away — 11 times.
After a delicious dinner, about 10:45 or so, sat down in a favorite chair, right comfy, to do the day’s reef mail and whatnot.
Must have ‘rested my eyes’ a bit too well. Alarm went off. Time to get up and do it again.
Glad to actually. Great forecast, great regulars (some true characters today too.) It’s all good.
No blocks today. Twenty bushels of surfclam shells will sweeten a reef too.
Bill Travis took everyone’s pool money again(!) with a nice sea bass.
At 1:10pm I had five guys at fourteen sea bass apiece & Bill at thirteen. Race was tight for for today’s first sea bass limit.
A fellow who used to work for my dear friend Doug Ake, Jack Pearson—& today tag-teaming with Joe Costello both of Ocean Pines, crossed the line first with a double limit at 1:11
..when another long time client collapsed from the heat – looked in terrible shape.
“Up they come folks, we’ve got to go..”
Did.
Fleming’s fine. Cooled down, fluids. A-OK. Sure didn’t look it then.
Lots of throwbacks as cbass begin to exit near-coastal reefs. Makes for heavy weeding but lots of action.
Makes a fish fry too.
Now; if it’s alright with y’all, I’d as soon have a quiet early evening with no surprise deliveries or medical emergencies please.
Cheers
Monty
Big Bird Cropper fishes in some reel crap weather so I knew he’d be out in today’s gorgeousness. He had a very nice day too that ended with another keeper rockfish in the cooler of the Lost Time.
Bob Haltmeier down at the Oceanic Pier sent in a couple of photos this afternoon with the report that some tautog are being caught. Buddy had one keeper and Chrissie had two keepers from the pier today.