Posted on February 7th, 2023
Having a great week up here at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA and was glad to get a fishing report proving what I’ve been saying this week….tautog fishing in the ocean is pretty good right now. Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star got out in rougher than expected seas, but he put his folks on some fish anyway.
Lobster Bite Blues with a Grand Finale..
My boat’s reservation line is manned by one gal – Anna. (OK, sometimes her daughter, Hanna, will pick up too.) When Anna took sick with one of the nastier bugs over the weekend, I took it upon myself to take ‘Capt’s Reservations’ for what I thought was going to be a couple calm days Tuesday & Wednesday. Just a few texts to some old friends & clients.
Yeah, I really shouldn’t do such. Some of my regulars sure enjoyed a light rail. And, given how the weather went south on me, it’s just as well I wasn’t sold up.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, 2/8/23, is lighter still by far. Trip is 5:30 to 5 – $225.00 – light west winds forecasted. PM or email me before 9:30.. Right now I’m not even up to a to a private charter but we’ll nick a few more clients I expect. [email protected]
The fishing?
Oyyyy…
Knew we were in for a bit of a time when forecasted waves heights of 3 feet every 9 seconds was pushed aside by 8s, 9s, 10s, & even a few 11 foot heaves. Not an estimate; those sea conditions were measured on a fathometer.. (11 foot sea pic and 3 solid pages of jumbo menhaden..)
Waves were, thankfully, fairly spread out. Dern sure wasn’t nice, but a decent period made the day doable.
Currently out of reef blocks, Capt David Cornflower used some scrap cement the marina had saved us to make a small set at Capt. Bob Gowar’s Memorial Reef.
We managed a few tog in the morning, a precious few.
Then Frank caught a lobster.
Bad omen, that.
Not even dinner for my ‘lucky’ client. His lobster was loaded with berries – eggs – making it a mandatory release.
Every stinkin time I’ve had a client catch a bug (what our local watermen and divers refer to lobster as..) the day has been a stinker.
In fact, we goose egged on that spot and the next two.
Then? With some clients fishing a twenty ounce sinker for heavy current, and serious self doubt if I could even cipher a workable double anchor set with the current pushing my boat slowly into almost 15 knots of south wind? Tog bit better than they had all day..
Who can figure it.
Bruce won the fish pool with a 27.75 inch bull that he released with a third fin rip.
(See pic of Dae with orange hat – stern anchor leads away downwind (but upcurrent!) tightly.. Strange anchor set that.
Cheers All,
Monty
