Fish Report 8/19/07

Fish Report 8/19/07

Flatties

 

Hi All,

The mid-Atlantic in August ~ calm, serene, sun-drenched seas... Yeah not.

Easier to call the weather in February than what it's been here lately. Have to play the hand you're dealt I suppose. At least we don't have a hurricane Dean barreling up the coast ~ yet.

Tough fishing too. Mostly because of weather, but the nearly complete absence of cbass isn't helping. Did have one day of fair fishing on them. I wish there had been a tagging program for sea bass this year; interesting to see where they've fanned out to.

I've had a couple very nice days on flounder, and have had my head handed to me as well!

Can't say I enjoy goose egging a long time customer ~ happened twice last week. One day I had a good angler barely scratch a dinner while two 11 year olds were catching limits of fat flatties.

Oh man... This is sorta like toggin'. The very skilled and the somewhat lucky make out great.

Anyway, when they are cooperating, flounder to 6 1/2 ~ 7 pounds are taking the pool. Ever hopeful, I've been splitting the pool with the biggest bass, heaviest was 3 lb. 15 oz. this week.

It's fun if the weather's in your favor.

In the odd-ball category, we caught a remora this week. You've seen 'em on TV. They're the fish that cling to sharks and other large critters. The back of their head is a full-on suction cup. Stuck this one to a bulkhead and then a window. Chore getting it off the glass. Put a tag in it and let it go. A first? I doubt it, but maybe.

Also had a long slow run-off. Something on the end of a lady angler's rod that didn't even know it was hooked. She handed the beast off to her husband and he pulled the hook. In the doghouse. Later we had a 10-12 foot manta ray swim down the starboard side. I'd wager...

Croakers! Haven't caught 'em yet. Sakes. Has to be soon. Half day boats lost 'em for a while but got back on them today. 

I did stop on a great big beautiful screen full of fish that just had to be the mother-lode; folks were swinging by the time I came out of the wheel house. On trout. Little itty-bitty sea trout. We really need to figure out how to get them into the next size class. There must have been hundreds of thousands of them in the school I was over - the whole slough painted with them. But, from what I can tell, dern few are going to make it to next year.

Lots of work to do out there.

Grade school history books teach us that the Native Americans traded Manhattan for a few beads and blankets -coerced, no doubt, by the noisy end of a musket too- but a trade it was.

Wonder what they'll say we did with all the fish in a century's time...

Restored 'em I hope.

Regards,

Monty

 

Capt. Monty Hawkins
mhawkins@siteone.net
Party Boat "Morning Star"
Reservations 410 520 2076
www.morningstarfishing.com