Last Week: Ups and Downs, By Alexi

We, the fisher-people of the universe, know the reality very well- fishing is fishing and catching is catching.  Sometimes you go out in seemingly perfect conditions and get skunked!  Well, that is exactly what happened to Perchman and I last Wednesday in Raritan Bay.....

Overcast, a slight fog, low pressure, and light wind.  Overall absolutely perfect conditions...why were we skunked?  Maybe it was the effect of the rain from the day before, maybe it as simple as a lull between waves of migrating fish entering Raritan to go to their spawning grounds.  Maybe the fish were on the other side.  Maybe the fish were there and just weren't feeding.  In any case, getting skunked is a part of fishing, and I might say "I'm never fishing in Raritan again" after a trip like that, and then two days later go back and try again.   This might be a sign of insanity in some instances, but in regards to fishing it is de rigueur.

Wednesday might have been a horrible day for catching, but last Monday, April 23, was a banner day.  I trolled a 3 ounce Mojo clear across Raritan and hooked into 4 fish from 29-36 inches.

I tagged and released all 4 fish that I landed for American Littoral Society.  Perchman had trolled a tube-n-worm and a Mojo intermittently and was successful with several fish up to 28"

the end

cold spring report, by Alexi

WHAT'S HAPPENING!  This years Spring has been tough.  The  weather (simply put) has been horrible for fishing in general and especially bad for kayak fishing. 

Last Week...

Last week we (Perchman and I) went to try out our new Bottom Sweeper Jigs we got at Captain Dan Schafer's seminar.  We went to Hereford Inlet.  It was windy and cold.  We got skunked.  A diver I spoke with said he was targeting (White Legger) crabs that day  because he hasn't seen any Tog around yet.   It's been cold.  We ate chicken.

Bottom Sweeper Jig with CLAM? 

Yesterday...

Yesterday was my one free day where the wind was barely under 15 mph.   Gusting to 17, steady 14.  I took a solo trip up to Raritan Bay and it paid off.  It was really sloppy in the morning, and I was close to heading back to port early.  As I was contemplating heading back because of the wind and the chop on the water, I noticed the wind was getting ever so slightly calmer, and I was growing more and more confident in the slop.  White caps in the middle of Raritan is hardly a fun time in a kayak, but I stuck it out.

I was trolling both tube-n-worm, and a Mojo, which doesn't work so well in a Hobie.  The rod holders stick straight up, and I got my lines tangled twice.  That's one thing I like about Ocean Kayaks way better.  The rod holders angle the rods out at a nice angle for trolling.  I had a few hook ups come un-done on my Mojo, and no hits on the tube-n-worm.  I think the front hook wasn't protruding from the rubber shad enough, so I pushed it out some more, and then landed a few fish.

 one of a couple from a school of 30-40" fish

another, probably around near 40"

By the time I had to leave the Bay was absolutely calm. 

The end.