17 Oct - Triton

[rob-kayak]

I'm super glad the weather was good for you today...


WHAT NO SPOT !! just kiddin' with ya dude... glad you got your PB...
Spot are like the birds... well.. when they are there.. they're there...

Dude... you got to figure out a way to get a Go-Pro with WiFi access and then we can
do a live 'fish-by-fish' streaming. If anybody can do it you can.

Cheers on your good day on the water!

[rob-kayak]

I did run into some birds down south the other day...
It was cool seeing them ! :-) Especially as the Pumpkin is around the corner... and then stuffing, pie, and jellied cranberry.

[Cowpokey]

Trolled a lot today, put in at 7:30am and landed around 4pm. The wind really kicked up out there after noon~1pm. Got pretty bumpy with white caps. Wind in the morning was out of the west, and light so it was really smooth. After 11am the wind switched to south east and the waves started building.

Met up with "longislandtomd" and Pat out by the Thomas Point light house. Longislandtomd witnessed my reentry training and said I'm qualified and don't need a refresher for 12 months, so that's good.

When I got my 25"er, the other rod got snagged. I thought I could pull it free and the line broke, must have gotten a weak spot or it was not a good knot...line broke way easier than it should have. So, I turned around, kind of, to reach back in to my crate for another jig head and tail, apparently I leaned backward, which made it sideways leaning, and a wave caught me and over I went. The kayak was at about a 45º angle when I splashed, luckily it fell back to normal and I hopped right back in. I was in the water for about 15 seconds. longislandtomd said it was a fast reentry. I'm kind of glad it happened, now that it's over and I'm home in clean dry clothes. I'd been meaning to to a practice reentry, but kind of focused too much on fishing and didn't get around to it. Now that I've gotten dunked my confidence is secure knowing that I can get back in without much issue. I even got back in over the paddle, with a rod sticking out in trolling position and my fish finder on the same side. Didn't loose anything either, but my e-cigarette also got a bath, it may be done...need to take it apart and see if I can dry the battery and what ever else is inside.

I probably caught 20 striper today, no blues or anything else. Released one 18" rock early, as it turns out I should have kept it. I'm pretty happy with only bringing one fish home though, since it's my best rock so far.

[Cowpokey]

im going out to load up now. should be there in the next 60 to 90.

It was good meeting you Jason, glad I could provide some quick entertainment when I fell over the side. LOL

[Cowpokey]

Nice work on the PB! Takes skill to take a dip and not flip your yak. Living vicariously from the desk at work.

I don't know if I'd call it "Skill"...at least not the falling out part, that was definitely not skill.

[Pat Smith]

I put in at Triton at about 1045, just 15 minutes before the wind kicked up. I setup my rods and headed out to open water. I get a call from Cowpokey saying I should head out to the light house, bait is everywhere and the fish are pounding. I ask how far it is and he says it is farther than it looks, I look around and see it... WAAAAYYYY OFF in the distance. Since I have nothing better to do I head that direction.

I hooked into two crab pots on the way, had to pull them up to get my lure back. I make it out to the light house in about an hour of pretty stiff paddling (wind and tide at my back). It had really picked up (estimated to be about 10mph at that time). I drop my chatter bait with a Die Zee Minnowz (opening night) and start the drift jig thing. In about 5 minutes I am so far away I need to troll back against the wind with a diving rattle plug thingie. I did that two times when Cowpokey says it is getting pretty rough and we should head back. THe wind is about 12 to 14 at this time with 1 to 1.5 foot waves. About half way back to the launch the wind picks up even more to an estimated 17 to 18 mph with 1.5 to 2 foot waves. I was trolling that same rattle diving plug because I was not comfortable changing out my lures in that rough of water. I also had my "never fail me" chrome rattle trap. Well, that got hooked up on a crab pot and in the waves I was unable to paddle, battle the wind, and retrieve the lure all at the same time, I lost it.

When we got back to the launch I realized that my other diving plug had gotten its hook wrapped around the line so it wasn't divng, rattling, wiggling or any other thing.. just being dragged on the top of the water.

On a side note, in the vien that there is a perfect weather for every sport.. I saw two guys come to the beach and mention that they whish the wind was a bit more... they pulled out a back pack with an inflateable hang glider looking thing, hop on a wake board and head out to sea.. they were "Kite surfing" of all things... go figure.

In the end I got skunked for the first time, but still had a blast. After 5 or 6 hours of paddling my fat behind around the bay, my arms are TIRED.. and I will have nightmares of that wind and surf when I sleep.

[Pat Smith]

Intellicast says the wind never got above 6 mph. I BEG TO DIFFER!!!

It says tomorrow is going to be 12 to 14 mph... gulp!!!

[rob-kayak]

In the end I got skunked for the first time, but still had a blast. After 5 or 6 hours of paddling my fat behind around the bay, my arms are TIRED.. and I will have nightmares of that wind and surf when I sleep.

Oh well... better luck next time. Maybe you were able to pick up some more techniques in difficult conditions on the water and all will play out better next time.
Cheers.

[Cowpokey]

Intellicast says the wind never got above 6 mph. I BEG TO DIFFER!!!

It says tomorrow is going to be 12 to 14 mph... gulp!!!

Yeah, the wind was stonger IMHO, than than what the forecast and even the "current" conditions were reported. I'm guessing 18mph out of the south east.

[JAR]

Yeah, the wind was stonger IMHO, than than what the forecast and even the "current" conditions were reported. I'm guessing 18mph out of the south east.

Good guess!

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=tplm2

[rob-kayak]

Good guess!

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=tplm2

One is going to find a lot of variations of wind and waves on the bay, particularly with topography of different locations.
In front of the river mouths can kick up higher waves with the tide change, and coming from deeper water to the flats.
You will often find quite a difference with the Thomas Point Light readings and Goose Reef, and then down further down to the mouth of the bay.

I don't look at Intellicast wind reports... just the raw data from the buoys.

The wind reported in open water, Thomas Point, Goose Reef, is always the "strongest".
But wave heights close to shore are often bigger (with the wind coming at them). (waves coming from deeper water to shallower).

This is wave heights I am referring to... not swell heights. And of course the fetch of the swell.

[Pat Smith]

on the bright side... After several hours in fairly large waves, I no longer fear 1 ft waves and 10 mph winds.

[PigPen]

on the bright side... After several hours in fairly large waves, I no longer fear 1 ft waves and 10 mph winds.

I second that. After taking 2' waves from behind the yak for a while I'm ready to stand on the bow and fly fish in 1' waves.

[Fishinfool]

I second that. After taking 2' waves from behind the yak for a while I'm ready to stand on the bow and fly fish in 1' waves.

I've tried big water launches like Triton and Sandy Point, but I've found with experience that I much prefer river launches that offer wind protection and bail-outs (like boathouses) if unexpected storms arise.

This time of year especially, you don't necessarily need big water to catch big fish. Also with a sit inside yak, my margin for error is a lot less. If I dump around the cables at the Bay Bridge with all that current, I am blowing my whistle hard.

Why work that hard in big water, when the scenery is better up river, and the fish are there too? I never say never to a big water launch, but if I am launching at Triton, I am likely heading up the Rhode River particularly the south side where I've had good luck recently.

[Cowpokey]

on the bright side... After several hours in fairly large waves, I no longer fear 1 ft waves and 10 mph winds.

It was rougher yesterday when we finished than the time I was out with SHH and John V., I was comfortable in the conditions, just worn out from being on the water all day. Surprised the fishing was that slow, guess they moved. I didn't see birds working anywhere...what a difference a week makes.