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.