Duke of Fluke tournament, by Alexi

     Tournaments are weird.  every single time I've done them, and I've only done a few, the prizes are a mystery.  You'd think that would be the most important information to get out to the public.  Like in a poker tournament.  For the boats it is out there.  Thousands of dollars in prizes, but for the kayaks?  Maybe a blinky light and a lure????
     I don't know.  I'd like to find out what the winner of the kayak division got and update it on here when I do.   But seriously, I was there regardless.  I got my damn shirt.  I got my damn beer cozy.

    The weather was probably too much on mind than it should have been.  After seeing the lightning strikes at IBSP I want to be careful not to get caught in a thunderstorm.  Unfortunately, this time of year the forecast is ALWAYS 30% chance of a thunderstorm.  The forecast for Saturday was rain in the morning and a thunderstorm in the afternoon.  (The reality was fog in the morning and partly cloudy, turning to sunny in the afternoon.)

the launch site

    I made it to the check in and bought some bucktails and gulp swimming mullet with plenty of time to spare.  I launched across the bridge from the Kayak Fishing Store (Nummy Island).  My plan was to avoid the crowds and head into some back waters that were productive for Stripers earlier in the season.    It seemed reasonable except what happened was I got stuck in some stagnant water for two reasons;    1. it was coming up on high tide, and

2. because I kind of got lost.  

     It was really foggy to start out, and my plan made even more sense for safety from boats because of the fog.  But after two hours of dismal mucky paddling and snagging a turtle, the fog had lifted, and I headed for the bridge.

N. Wildwood Blvd Bridge from the north

     There were more people fishing for fluke than I've ever seen in my life.  (although this picture doesn't show it, as the fog lifted this area filled up)   Generally, I like to avoid fishing weekends to avoid the crowds.   As I found out later there were actually two fluke tournaments on that day.   So here we had a Saturday, mid-summer, and two fluke tournaments!!!!  The good news is that everyone was drifting and jigging, and so they seemed fine to drift together.  I didn't notice or hear of any problems.  

     When I got to the other side of the bridge in the picture I hooked into a 17" fluke.  It had a 6" white gulp twisty tail stuck in it's throat.  I removed my hook, then the other bait, and released the fish.  Not too long after that I had the biggest ray I've ever hooked (and saw).  I fought it for a while.  I got it to rise up beside my kayak a couple of times.  My estimate is that it was at least 4-6ft wide.   After some research, it was probably a Spiny Butterfy Ray.  It was then I decided it was really a waste of my time and pulled on the line and broke it off.   The fog lifted and revealed a line of clouds that surrounded N. Wildwood.

N Wildwood Blvd Bridge from the south

     The ominous clouds in the background and the slow action told me it was time to let the switch in the current take me back under the bridge.  (It was a pretty easy day as far as paddling goes.)  My drift under the bridge was fruitless, however where ever I was I saw fish caught, and that always gave me hope.  It was a slow day over all.  

     The wind kicked up right around 4.  As I didn't have a fish to weigh in or any keeper I decided to continue fishing until the wind became unbearable, which was just around 4:30.   I found a drift along the sedge by the West Ocean Drive bridge (where I launched from) that was holding a bunch of short fluke, so I ended the day with about four more shorts.

     I stopped by the Kayak Fishing Store and bought some Carls tubes in preparation for the fall.  (I had lost my only red one when I lost my rod.)   I was at Sterling Harbor Bait and Tackle for a little bit, watching the fluke get weighed in.  When I saw the winner I was impressed.  Later I found out that it was caught in the back. (the bay as opposed to the ocean.)  Even more impressive. 

     Tired and exhausted, as it should be at the end of any fishing day, I decided to skip the meal and head home. 

     My plan for next year is to drink $65 (the entrance fee) worth of beer at the end of the tournament, hang out for the party,  stumble to a hotel, and not care at all about the fishing!  

 

     

All Roads Lead To Snake Ditch (June 24, 2013) By Alexi

    Occasionally we do seemingly normal things in regards to fishing expeditions.  Or, at least, that's what it felt like when we were loading the Kayaks at 3:30 A.M. last Monday morning.  As we drove into the sunrise, full of anticipation, we had that "now this is what real fishermen do" moment.

Fishermen at first light at the L jetty in Deal

Our heads full of memories of when we were kids and our dads would wake us up really early to go fishing.  Because normal people fish at first light, not in the middle of the night (like we usually try to do.)
    We were trying a new spot.  We wanted to surf launch near Deal and snag n drop bunker for big bass.  Just as we pulled up to look at the ocean we saw The Average Angler getting into his truck and pulling away.  We looked and drove and looked and drove, and did not see any birds or bunker.  We decided to go check out Sandy Hook as neither of us had ever fished there before.

Lighthouse at Sandy Hook 

We were not very impressed.  Of course not knowing where the structure was, and not seeing bait in the bay, it really just looked like a lot of paddling against the wind.  We drove more.  We checked out some spots along the Nevasink, but really had no plan, and very little little information on the area.  We jumped on the Garden State Parkway and headed south to good old Barnegat Bay.
     The water was a little stained, but not as bad as it had been before.  It was a little weedy, but not unfishable.  As I trolled a tube-n-worm through Snake Ditch I hooked up with a fish that felt strange.  Unlike a bass or a blue or a fluke.  Minutes later Steve caught a Triggerfish.

(Grey) Triggerfish

I switched to a small bass assassin and caught several short bass throughout the day.

One of many short bass

Steve and I ventured into the inlet where he caught a (just) keeper fluke.  There were LOTS of people paddling and boating through Snake Ditch.  It's summer and daytime, at least there were no waverunners. As we headed back I hooked another short bass by the launch.  I was a little surprised that we didn't get any bluefish as I knew that they were around.
     There was a wall of clouds across the bay and we could see the rain.  We started loading the car.  The rain got closer.  Then the wind picked up.  There were two other kayakers loading their vehicles.  Then, just as we were almost done getting our things in the truck, the hail started.  We were forced to abandon the task of putting the kayaks on the car, and take shelter in the truck.  The wind (reportedly 60mph) was coming from the West across the open water of the Bay and nailing us.  The kayaks were flying around, hitting our truck.  A kayak on another car ripped one of the straps and was flailing around, and on of the guys in a sedan said he felt his car move.  We thought the back window of Steve's truck was going to get blown out by the hail, or a duck, or a bass, but in the end it was fine.  As soon as the storm had started it stopped and we got out of there.