2011's 1st trip

[Dave]

Got talked into going to the Jersey Shore for the 1st striper trip of the year (I guess it was I that talked my friend into going down to his place in his boat, but it sounds better the other way).  Anyway here are the details:
Got down Sunday night and fished off a jetty where we had heard some good reports.  Fished from about 9 to 11 with no runs, hits or errors.  We were throwing plugs and then jigs.  Called it quits for the night and figured we'd hit all the normal spots at first light. 
Got up at 5 and fished the "go to" spot - the tip of a jetty, in an inlet on a moving tide.  We fished both sides of the inlet, and both sides of the jetties.  The water was clean, but no fish around.  We motored about 4 to 5 miles down the beach, around Cape May Point and fished some structure of an old concrete ship that found its way just off shore from back in early 1900's (anyone interest in the details of the concrete ship, click here   http://www.capenet.com/capemay/concrete.html ). 
Tom and I continued away from Cape May Point and fished the area we had fished the night before.  We were throwing plugs and starting to lose interest, when Tom got the first fish.  It was a nice 34 incher that weighed probably 13 to 15 lbs.  It was slow at first, but picked up as the tide was dropped.  We wound up with about 15 bass, all between 30" and 36" in water that ranged from 2-6' . It was very cool to see the explosion when they ate the plug- in the shallow water there was no where to go but to the surface at the strike, and then accross some skinny water.  Here are a few pics from the day.  Everything was taken with an Iphone and I can't fgiure out how to get larger images to post. 

Here's Tom with the ice breaker



And a few of mine





The limit is 2 fish each, at least 28"s.  Here's our cooler with a yard stick along side. 

[HuntnCarve]

Nice Dave!  Looks like when the tide turned, so did your luck.   Looks like the season is underway.

Dave

[FinsnFur]

Geez, the plug your using is close to the size of the freshwater bass I chase around up here.

Looks like fun.

[Hawks Feather]

Looks like you are in the lead for the fishing contest - about 41.25 FEET of fish.   

Jerry

[Dave]

Geez, the plug your using is close to the size of the freshwater bass I chase around up here.

Looks like fun.

I think the camera angle must've played tricks on the size of that.  It was a 6 inch swimming plug (handmade by a friend of a friend, and about the only one that was catching fish) and the bass looks like a 40 lber, but was really about 15.  Great day, though - best pluggin day I've had.
Hoping to head back soon and try some Huntncarve handmade poppers on some blues.

[Tikaani]

Dave, Cape May is just north of Atlantic City isn't it.  I have visited that area and remember guys fishing off the beach with surf poles, man them things were long.
Nice pictures looks like you had a good day.

John

[shaddragger]

  Great day on the water!

[Dave]

I was able to get out again during this past week, ending up with about 5 stripers between a friend and I, four of which were keepers (28"+).  Also caught two short flounder.

Well we got down Wed eve and fished about 6 hrs, only catching this one.  Thinking it was about 24."  He was hanging around a small "creek" in a back bay that was draining a pond that is formed during the flood high tide.  Then as the tide drops, critters get washed down through these 'drainage' creeks to the waiting bass (and flounder).  These bass tend to be a lot smaller than keepeer size, but a heck of a lot of fun.  At night, during the summer, you can hear them 'Popping" all around.



We were back out at first light, casting to the rock jetties that form an inlet from the ocean to the back bays (and marinas).  This is were we usually do well during the summer when the resident fish get settled in.  Again, the water was perfect, but nothing was around (or interested).  We then headed to where we caught our fish last week.  We were throwing plugs for a few hrs and had a few hits, but no hook ups.  Finally had a nice solid hit and landed this guy - a nice 36 incher.  Looks real thin, but tasty none the less.



Once the ice was broken, it took us about 1 to 1-1/2 more hrs to catch to fill the box (that's only 3 more fish).  Once again this spot saved the trip. 

Then motoring between the jetties and the bay through a canal we saw this eagle.  He was perched on the dead limb, but I was too slow with the camera and ended up with him in the air.

[shaddragger]

  Makes me want to buy some breader!