06-30-2013, 11:20 PM
Well, it officially summer now with warm shirtless days and overnight trips that no longer require that giant luggage with snow clothes. Fished last night in shorts and a sweatshirt, and did not even bring shoes, just sandals.
Another thing that happens in the summer is the fish move around much more than our cold water months. Too many boats or bad conditions, and the fish just up and relocate. Great for guys that have eyes and are willing to use them. Just don't use your eyes to look for other boats to sit next to. If you are lonely, get a dog. Seriously.
With all the boat traffic on the coast I planned a trip with a friend that wanted to give his son a chance at a seabass for his 23rd birthday. I needed no intel. No internet fish report, or newspaper fish counts, no rumors or anything else to point me to where we might catch a seabass. All I needed to know was where there was no crowd. That and a tank of live squid, and thankfully the receivers are loaded.
So off we went to "it doesn't matter" is search of. I truly love hunting for seabass, especially when I can really look and not have to worry about other guys in the way or following me around. It took 1/2 the day to get dialed in, metering seabass with no conditions, moving and metering no seabass, then coming back to where we'd seen the marks earlier to set up for the bite on the tide.
......and like clockwork, the fish needed to eat so we had a little go-around. Chopped some chum and got the fish all ganged up under the boat and it really did seem like it was going to get with the program. No seals, other boats or other things that wreck it for you. Just lots of fish under the boat, lots of bait, and plenty of time. Got one, then another real quick. Birthday boy was happy. Then we hooked a couple more and lost them, pulled hooks and common mishaps. Got another. Then, a lone skiff decided to blast by us in the dark at 20kts, WAY TOO CLOSE. It was over. All that way, and all that time getting dialed in, only to be screwed by one idiot. It was two hours before we hooked another fish, and way after the prime tide bite time. Got another in the morning then headed home.
Points here are: Get away from the crowd. Instead of buying a new rod and reel, spend time learning more about where you fish so you can find them on your own. Its summer, and the fish move. I personally guarantee they do not move from crowd to crowd.
It really does not matter where I was, really. Could have made that score anywhere there wasn't other boats, and you can too.
Another thing that happens in the summer is the fish move around much more than our cold water months. Too many boats or bad conditions, and the fish just up and relocate. Great for guys that have eyes and are willing to use them. Just don't use your eyes to look for other boats to sit next to. If you are lonely, get a dog. Seriously.
With all the boat traffic on the coast I planned a trip with a friend that wanted to give his son a chance at a seabass for his 23rd birthday. I needed no intel. No internet fish report, or newspaper fish counts, no rumors or anything else to point me to where we might catch a seabass. All I needed to know was where there was no crowd. That and a tank of live squid, and thankfully the receivers are loaded.
So off we went to "it doesn't matter" is search of. I truly love hunting for seabass, especially when I can really look and not have to worry about other guys in the way or following me around. It took 1/2 the day to get dialed in, metering seabass with no conditions, moving and metering no seabass, then coming back to where we'd seen the marks earlier to set up for the bite on the tide.
......and like clockwork, the fish needed to eat so we had a little go-around. Chopped some chum and got the fish all ganged up under the boat and it really did seem like it was going to get with the program. No seals, other boats or other things that wreck it for you. Just lots of fish under the boat, lots of bait, and plenty of time. Got one, then another real quick. Birthday boy was happy. Then we hooked a couple more and lost them, pulled hooks and common mishaps. Got another. Then, a lone skiff decided to blast by us in the dark at 20kts, WAY TOO CLOSE. It was over. All that way, and all that time getting dialed in, only to be screwed by one idiot. It was two hours before we hooked another fish, and way after the prime tide bite time. Got another in the morning then headed home.
Points here are: Get away from the crowd. Instead of buying a new rod and reel, spend time learning more about where you fish so you can find them on your own. Its summer, and the fish move. I personally guarantee they do not move from crowd to crowd.
It really does not matter where I was, really. Could have made that score anywhere there wasn't other boats, and you can too.