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Togging and First Speck Trip
I had planned to fish the Lower Shore for specks on Saturday, but the wind and wave forecast wasn't looking good for the area I wanted to try; so I reconsidered options and stayed local hitting up the OC inlet on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I know, what was I thinking? OC inlet on a holiday weekend in a kayak? But boat traffic actually wasn't all that bad out there. Current was going out when I launched, so I went over to the jetty and flipped rocks below the tide line until I had a couple pints of crabs for tog. I also needed to rig up a few rocks for anchors since I left mine in the shed.
With anchors and bait gathered and ready I head out to fish as the current was just beginning to slack. I couldn't get a hit during slack but the fish started to chew as the current started moving again. I was pulling up tog fairly quickly but most were really short (12 - 13"). I did get a few right on the line for keeper, but with DNR and Coast Guard working the launch in full force I decided to play it safe and released them. I finally pulled out a 17" tog for dinner when I got down to my last couple crabs. Whew, relief for getting at least one! Although I knew it was a female tog, I was disappointed to find it still full of roe.
Once I ran out of tog bait I switched over to a jighead with a teaser and smashed schoolie bass 12" - 22" on almost every cast with many double hook ups. Terns were working bait like crazy and everybody along the jetty was having fun catching the little bass left and right. A few shad were mixed in as well. Saw a few boats casting larger plugs down deep looking for bigger fish but didn't see them having any luck.
Water clarity was excellent! 6 - 7 ft easy. A lot of sand has filled in around of the rocks this winter off the south jetty, however. I needed to go out to the last 30 yards within the tip of the jetty or anchor out in deeper water avoid sanded in areas.
P1030620.jpg
Sunday the wife and I took an overnight trip bayside in Somerset County. I was fishing while she enjoyed paddling and exploring. I mainly trolled and cast for specks. I covered a ton of water and was very pleased to fish clear water with lots of grass and sand substrate but just couldn't find a speck. I caught plenty of bass 15" - 20" on paddletails and topwater but no speck love yet. I tried after dark as well and had two paddletails bit off right behind the hook and then foul hooked two cownose rays back to back and decide it wasn't going to be my night so I headed back to camp to enjoy the fire and a few beers with the wife. I repeated the same process of casting and trolling Monday after I woke up... nada on specks again; just a bunch of small bass willing to hit everything I threw.
Oh well, try again another time. At least the weather was good for camping!
P1030643.jpg
With anchors and bait gathered and ready I head out to fish as the current was just beginning to slack. I couldn't get a hit during slack but the fish started to chew as the current started moving again. I was pulling up tog fairly quickly but most were really short (12 - 13"). I did get a few right on the line for keeper, but with DNR and Coast Guard working the launch in full force I decided to play it safe and released them. I finally pulled out a 17" tog for dinner when I got down to my last couple crabs. Whew, relief for getting at least one! Although I knew it was a female tog, I was disappointed to find it still full of roe.
Once I ran out of tog bait I switched over to a jighead with a teaser and smashed schoolie bass 12" - 22" on almost every cast with many double hook ups. Terns were working bait like crazy and everybody along the jetty was having fun catching the little bass left and right. A few shad were mixed in as well. Saw a few boats casting larger plugs down deep looking for bigger fish but didn't see them having any luck.
Water clarity was excellent! 6 - 7 ft easy. A lot of sand has filled in around of the rocks this winter off the south jetty, however. I needed to go out to the last 30 yards within the tip of the jetty or anchor out in deeper water avoid sanded in areas.
P1030620.jpg
Sunday the wife and I took an overnight trip bayside in Somerset County. I was fishing while she enjoyed paddling and exploring. I mainly trolled and cast for specks. I covered a ton of water and was very pleased to fish clear water with lots of grass and sand substrate but just couldn't find a speck. I caught plenty of bass 15" - 20" on paddletails and topwater but no speck love yet. I tried after dark as well and had two paddletails bit off right behind the hook and then foul hooked two cownose rays back to back and decide it wasn't going to be my night so I headed back to camp to enjoy the fire and a few beers with the wife. I repeated the same process of casting and trolling Monday after I woke up... nada on specks again; just a bunch of small bass willing to hit everything I threw.
Oh well, try again another time. At least the weather was good for camping!
P1030643.jpg
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