Today we sailed for a full day starting at around 10:30 a.m. We fished the wire -- chutes and tubes -- and also the bait. We had action throughout the entire day, with an abundance of bluefish to start off with. We even found a lone, hungry sea bass which grabbed a parachute. However, during the late afternoon, the bass bite really turned on. With the parachutes in the water, we had two bass every pass. Since the crew had already kept a few bluefish which they planned to try on the smoker and therefore didn't intend to take their limit of bass, some of the catch was released back for another day. All in all, a great trip with fish up to 35 lbs.

We went back out for a full-day trip starting at around 1:30 this afternoon and sailed with Brian Paradine, who was accompanied by his son Dan and Dan’s friend Mike. We got out shortly after the Flood started and were determined to catch ‘em on eels. The bluefish, however, were absolutely ferocious and we couldn’t get away from them. After a short while, we pulled the eels out and put the wire in. We couldn’t lock the reels before the bluefish were on. No matter what we used, finding the bass was definitely a challenge. The guys stuck at it though and after long enough, we found them. Not a slaughter by any means, but we still managed to put some meat in the box. This was a first trip to Montauk for Dan and Mike and I suspect they’ll be a little sore! Looking forward to seeing Brian again in October!

We went back out for a full-day trip starting at around 1:30 this afternoon and sailed with Brian Paradine, who was accompanied by his son Dan and Dan’s friend Mike. We got out shortly after the Flood started and were determined to catch ‘em on eels. The bluefish, however, were absolutely ferocious and we couldn’t get away from them. After a short while, we pulled the eels out and put the wire in. We couldn’t lock the reels before the bluefish were on. No matter what we used, finding the bass was definitely a challenge. The guys stuck at it though and after long enough, we found them. Not a slaughter by any means, but we still managed to put some meat in the box. This was a first trip to Montauk for Dan and Mike and I suspect they’ll be a little sore! Looking forward to seeing Brian again in October!

This morning we had the pleasure of sailing with my father and some of his friends. We started with the wire and had pretty good action with the bass. Of course, a few bluefish were in the mix. We wanted to try to get a few on the bait so we switched tactics mid-morning. We dropped one fish not far from the boat, but other than that, the eels were fed to the bluefish. Definitely better on the wire. In the midst of fishing, we also came across a pod of porpoises. There had to be 100-150 of them. A boat pulled up not far from us and the guys were free diving with them. Very cool! I tried to post some video of it, but had a little trouble. Maybe next time. Always a fun day with my Dad on the boat!

This morning we had the pleasure of sailing with my father and some of his friends. We started with the wire and had pretty good action with the bass. Of course, a few bluefish were in the mix. We wanted to try to get a few on the bait so we switched tactics mid-morning. We dropped one fish not far from the boat, but other than that, the eels were fed to the bluefish. Definitely better on the wire. In the midst of fishing, we also came across a pod of porpoises. There had to be 100-150 of them. A boat pulled up not far from us and the guys were free diving with them. Very cool! I tried to post some video of it, but had a little trouble. Maybe next time. Always a fun day with my Dad on the boat!

This morning we had the pleasure of sailing with first-timers Chip, Pete, Austin, Larry, Aaron and Kira. We headed out just as the Flood started to get going. We tried the wire first and had the rods bent immediately. The only problem was that the bluefish were making it almost impossible to find any bass. We stayed at it though, even when the umbrella rigs were producing two and three 15 lb blues at a shot. A good fight, but usually not the end result we were looking for. A couple of hours into the trip and the tide, we decided to change tactics and try the bait. Within less than a minute of the eels hitting the water, we had bass on. Some drifts saw three on at a time, with fish up to around 35 lbs. A few blues were mixed in, but the primary catch was bass. The crew wanted only a few fish for dinner with some friends, so we kept five (which was probably a little more than they needed) and left them biting. Fishing the east coast was a new experience for some of these guys and I'm happy to report that we made a good impression!

This morning we had the pleasure of sailing with first-timers Chip, Pete, Austin, Larry, Aaron and Kira. We headed out just as the Flood started to get going. We tried the wire first and had the rods bent immediately. The only problem was that the bluefish were making it almost impossible to find any bass. We stayed at it though, even when the umbrella rigs were producing two and three 15 lb blues at a shot. A good fight, but usually not the end result we were looking for. A couple of hours into the trip and the tide, we decided to change tactics and try the bait. Within less than a minute of the eels hitting the water, we had bass on. Some drifts saw three on at a time, with fish up to around 35 lbs. A few blues were mixed in, but the primary catch was bass. The crew wanted only a few fish for dinner with some friends, so we kept five (which was probably a little more than they needed) and left them biting. Fishing the east coast was a new experience for some of these guys and I'm happy to report that we made a good impression!

Once again, we had the pleasure of fishing with Kevin Wishe and crew. These guys make it out with us a few times a year and this was the first for the current season. Once again, not a disappointment. The guys prefer not to pull wire, so we headed out with the eels again and had the baits in just as the Flood got going. Immediately the rods were bent and the action continued for the next few hours. Every drift included the usual bluefish, but each drift also landed at least one bass and, in some cases, we had three on at a time. The fish were mixed in size. No slobs this time around (some of the bigger fish out there were actually caught on wire!), but still a very handsome catch for the group. Hope to get them out again later in the fall.