Its 5 AM and I am writing a blog before catching a LIRR to work. I know it’s not illegal to work on a Sunday …but it should be! Then again, I should thank my lucky stars that I have a job in construction these days.
Two nights ago I made one more feeble attempt of chasing a ghost, a fish that is not there. Instead of weakfish I found Bob laying in the little rip. Oh, well, at least he provided a little excitement besides flailing my arms trying to swat mosquitoes…and he was delicious. Try to say that about another male 🙂
I am batting zero against weakfish this year, same batting average as the last two years. And to think that I caught almost two hundred keeper weakfish out of this little spot just a few years ago..depressing.
Tommy has been chasing the ghost too except he has never caught one before. He swears that he had few hooked on the East End of Long Island in June. Bunch of our friends had few the night before in this spot. Tommy went the next night but could not land anything he hooked on Yo-Zuri MagDarter. And when the weakfishing was decent about ten years ago he was probably either chasing stripers, stripers or enjoying being a God on a punk ban circuit.
Many people spend a lifetime chasing after that fifty pound striper but once they catch it they look into the rearview mirror and realize that the pursuit was what drove them, the catching part is often anticlimactic.
Very few people get excited about catching a twelve inch fish. In a world full of know-it-alls, keyboard fisherman, hardcore experts and just plain haters, it is nice to see genuine joy on a buddy’s face. And yes, the fact that involves a 12 inch fish makes it even more pleasurable
You see, Tommy landed a twelve inch weakfish on a ,yes, a Yo-Zuri Mag darter a week ago in the inlet on the east end. You had to be there to see the joy on his face but take my word for it, the night got a little brighter for few minutes as his face lit up with a big smile.
Some things in life you can’t buy, for everything else there is SJ MasterCard 🙂
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NICE!
↓I’m in the same boat as you Z. Friday night no wind, back bay,crikets churping, cloud cover, high tide. Seemed perfect. Had one hit you know the kind where you think your snagged, typical weakie hit. But lost it! Anyway way to go Tommy I’m jealous.
↓nice
↓i also
like the way he uses his hat in the photo
My first FL shark was a whopping 5 inches long.
↓I took a picture of it, and it truly made my day.
One other memorable 1st, was my first carp.
I had spent all summer trying to hook into this “monster carp” that was visible under this tree. I almost lost it when I finally got him to bite. 2 pounder… lol
Well Tommy congrats, you can cross Weakfish off your “fish-bucket list”
Great story
↓Fished north NJ yesterday caught about 10 weakies in the 15″ range last thing I exspected to catch. Its nice to see them again.
↓My 11 year old Nick went away for a weekend to his cousins house out in Wares Town Barnagett NJ 2 weeks ago. The house is on the lagoon leading out into The Barnagett Inlet. I satyed home as to finish up our new Kitchen renovation. I got a call that afternoon from Nick yelling over the phone that he and his cousin Brian caught 2 week fish in the 15 inch range. Man you shoulda heard his voice , he sounded like he hit the Lotto lol. I had one 3 years ago that went 7 pounds, I know and miss that feeling all to well.. Congrats to Tommy for chasing and landing his dreams, it won’t be the last….
↓Upper Narragansett Bay when I was 12 (1980) on a freshly snagged Bunker chunk, I had no idea what it was, I had also never heard the name Squeteague before. 🙂
Caught I few in mid Narr. Bay in July.
↓congratulations tommy!
↓I know folks love their bucktails but the repainted mag darter catches when nothing else does!!!
↓True story. Won a charter to fish for Bass in the Chesapeake at a CCA dinner. We would be fishing with President of the Virginia CCA. Before fishing for Bass, we fish for Weakfish about the size of Tommy’s; then we liveline them for Bass and Sharks. I quit the CCA right after that trip. Blew my mind to use Weakfish as bait. BJ
↓In Cape May are they showed back up after years of nothingness. most keepers were 20 inches or less….tons of shorties. caught on white bucktail with a gulp teaser…or floating sheddar crab.
↓My first time was in seaside njpre dawn I walked over the sand into a blitz I was literally standing in knee high water and the bass were swimming around me I was hooked for life .We followed the blitz down the beach I caught 18 kept one to eat relaesed all the rest . It seems just like yesterday I will always thank my friend Mjke for getting me into this .
↓HEY Z thought it would be cool to let you guys know not only does penn have the new spin fisher the also have a decent rod call the prevail coming out its a surf rod and comes in 9 different models, just giving a heads up i got one of the new penn product brochures today….. i hate grammer and spelling
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