OC back bay report

[Slobber Bob]

I had a small window to get out in the OC back bays earlier this week, so I decided to take advantage of the light winds and see if any bigger fish had moved in or if I could luck into a puppy drum or speck maybe. I launched around 7:45 after I finished up helping out with dinner and kiddo bedtime duties. By that time it was an hour past low and outgoing current was starting to slack, so the flats were pretty shallow.

The peanuts were thick though. So were the 6" bluefish. It didn't take but a dozen casts before I had enough of that and the soft plastics were put away for the night. I worked the shallows for a little while and eventually picked up 4 short bass to 22" before I put on some bigger plugs and headed to a deeper water spot that'll usually hold some nicer fish. Nada. I had work the next morning and didn't want to be out all night, so I headed back shallow and found a few more bass maybe around 20" before I called it a night. No drum, no specks.

The water was still very warm to the touch. Too warm. As soon as water temps starts to fall I think they'll be some keepers mixed in.

[daolai]

Good report Slobberbob. I think most of us are waiting for the water temps to drop a few degrees.

[RavensDfense]

I was hoping this report would be filled with specks and pups! But then again, if I didn't receive a phone call beforehand, I might have been a little hurt.

[Jman]

Good report, sorry you didn't catch any specks or drums! If I remember correctly last year around this time was when we had the first water temperature drop, when the bite picked up. Hopefully this upcoming week - I've been seeing highs in the lower 70's.

[Slobber Bob]

Well, I went back out Friday night with a rising tide to see if anything had changed since my last time out. Plenty of peanuts still around, but this time silversides were mostly what the fish were on. It was 18" - 21"ers every cast in the shallows for as long as you wanted. I eventually went to see if I could find one a little closer to keeper size, but aside from a 24" and 23", the entire area was dominated by 18" - 21"ers. Without trying to sound like I'm bragging or anything, but my hands were so scratched and beat up from unhooking fish that they were actually sore when I got up the next morning.

It was too much fun too not go back out again Saturday night. I thought it was going to be a repeat of the night before as it started out on fire at the first spot, but it slowed from there. Although, it was still a very good steady pick of 18" - 21"ers again, just not insane like the night before. The difference seemed to be that there weren't nearly as many silversides around. I did find some big schools of peanuts but they didn't have any fish on them.

There were still a lot of 6" blues around but they didn't seem that bad until the current slacked and then they started nipping at stuff like we all know they do. During slack current it was slick calm and I had a fun time entertaining myself cruising around in 4ft of water under the lights just watching fish move about and do there thing. I kept looking for flounder to see if I could spot them - which I was bad at - but whenever I bounced a small jig off the bottom all these little 8" - 12" flounder would magically appear to chase my jig around. It was like watching a John Skinner video from above, but only with micro flounder haha!

Anyway, no keepers this weekend, but catching a boat load of chunky, hard fighting, and aggressive shorts still made for a good two nights of fishing. The water didn't seem like it's cooled all that much yet either.

[Slobber Bob]

I gave it another crack last night between 9 and 11. I was hoping to take advantage of the frontal conditions and higher storm tides to hopefully find some bigger fish than previous trips. I was expecting a NE, ENE wind and had planned to use the bank as a shelter, but when I got out the with was straight N meaning I wasn't going to find much wind block. Add in an opposing current and it made for some whitewater 1' -2' washing machine conditions. But still very fishable. I started with my brand new, never been wet before blurple SP. Second cast fish - cool. Fourth cast - snap! Not cool. Wind knot, rod tip wrap, leader knot.... I don't know what happened, but off it went into the darkness leader and all. That kinda stuff burns me up, especially a brand new lure So I dig out my leader baggie only to remember I didn't restock it from last rip and I only have about 12" of it left. After the line to line knot and line to lure knot, that doesn't leave me much leader.

I contemplated taking off at that point as I was frustrated, but decided to make due, retied in the wind and chop, and put on a chicken scratch. Glad I decided not leave as the fish were hungry and slightly bigger than previous trips. Still no keepers though, but a half-dozen fish I measured at 25" - 26.5" on the high end and the plenty of 20" - 22"ers on the smaller end. They at least sent me home with a smile after and early frustrations.

[kevinfry]

what size do they have to be to keep in that area right now?

[Shady]

Its 1 fish 28" at all times in the OC area

[Slobber Bob]

Its 1 fish 28" at all times in the OC area

That regulation actually only lasted one year.

It's now 2 @ 28" - 38" or >44".