Had Kevin, Willie & Joe who chartered us to fish another message boards tournament which did not happen. So we fished anyway. Also had Dom back in the Cockpit from his hand injury. Got a late start waiting on one member who did not show. Went South to fish in the rough stuff first then came North to fish a wreck and then Ambrose. Bite was very tough at times. A lot of fat 16" to 17 1/2" fish went back. Ended the day with a good Flurry of fish when wind & tide gave us a repeatable drift in the channel. Many shorts and only 3 keepers.
Wound up with 17 Keepers, largest going 26" before calling it a day. Dom and I fished too since one of the team went down with a case of Mal de mer to keep 4 lines in the water.
On Sunday, due to the forecast made a 5am call to the charter, discussed options and we rescheduled. So I decided to do a crew trip and we pushed off around 6:30am. With nothing to lose, decided to fish some real sticky bottom and lumps further South away from everyone else as the conditions seemed like they would be fishable. First spot which had real nasty bottom gave up a 5lb Fluke, 3lb Fluke and about a dozen shorts. Final Spot gave up two more keepers and more shorts. For once I had te bragging rights outfishing Dom 4-0 on keepers and in shorts. Headed for home as the SE winds blew harder and the Seas kicked up more. Got just short of Atlantic Highlands Gas Dock before being pelted by blinding rain. Many bucktails were sacraficed in the making of this report.
