Slower Lower SMOG report

[ronaultmtd]

SMOG launched at first light to brisk winds this morning...low clouds...wind was significantly higher than forecast so Mike and I found us some sheltered water after braving white caps..cutlass fish broke the skunk for me...Gary decided to exclusively fish for white perch and reported success over the radio...lots of school fish...I picked up four keeper perch before deciding the winds were acceptable to venture out of the coves again...noticed swirls on a grass flat and cast a Limetruse Bass Assassin...big blowup...drag singing, fish jumped...nice mid 20 striper in three FOW...quickly released, cast back, second blowup, drag singing fish on the surface making several jumps trying its best for freedom...another mid 20 striper...won’t open its mouth for the lip gripper...then it opens and the hook pulls...quickly cast back to the same area and a third hookup...same as before, strong fish...then fish comes unbuttoned...what a fun day! Clouds look threatening and the wind is shifting...Big Mike tells me he can hardly hear from the noise the breaking fish are making around him and he is headed back to the launch...the SMOG crew meets back up at the launch with big grins and smiles...Gary has a cooler full of big perch for a fish fry-not a bad Friday morning.

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[Mark]

You guys fish hard and are well rewarded for your efforts.

Congratulations on another successful outing.

But can you please tell those 20 inch stripers you're tossing back to swim north?

[J.A. Veil]

That report sounds better than the ones from up north.

[J. Rentch]

Great going Ron, glad you folks are active down there, very quiet here.


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[ronaultmtd]

Don’t get the impression we have lots of mid 20 Stripers eating baits...there was just this one pod that was up a shallow grass flat...I was headed back to join up with Big Mike who was covered up in breaking fish when I saw a swirl and cast to it...they were there and in five minutes they were gone...probably a dozen or so of big fish had pushed a pod of bait up in the grass..I was cranking the Bass Assassin fast to keep it from hanging up in the grass...they hit it like a top water bait...big blowups, lots of splash and spray. It stopped instantly and nearly jerked the rod out of your hand...in the very shallow water these fish smoked the Stradic 2500 CI-4 (+) 10# braid 7’ Mojo Inshore St. Croix medium light outfit...with light tackle you can’t horse these fish...and once they stopped, it was over. I was lucky...in the right place at the right time...paying attention to signs of fish, minnows jumping, fish swirls, gulls wheeling and diving...and then having the right lures ready to throw...having four rods rigged and ready instead of changing lures on one rod greatly increases your odds...cool mornings will kick start fishing, especially top water early morning fishing...next few days look nasty with winds, Might be able to fish Tuesday, but who knows...winds are so fickle this time of year. And we are approaching the peak of Hurricane season...