# 8-9 4 flats & big croaks



## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

Left the house at 11pm and walked the pier when I arrived ... It was like glass out there and very low water with great visability ! Saw many blueclaws scurrying as well as swimming on the surface . Second to last light on the right I saw a nice flounder come to the top and grab a bite ...Keeper size too ! Last light on the right (before the closed part) I watched shad and stripers swim about and a few trout were straight down in the shadows doing the shimmy ... back and forth and swimming on their sides not feeding ! I showed them to a few folks who were amazed because they'd been there for hours and the bite had just died off ... I told them to wait till the tide starts to move and they'd be back ... They tried to trick the warry trout below but none wanted to play but they didnt stray far either ... I would imagine they were there all along and at high water can be seen at select other lights as well ... If you go keep your eye out and just maybe one will play ! These were keeper trout in the 16" range . This shimmy occurs every year and is great to just watch ! I have seen dozens at a time do this but you better believe they wont bite but as their #'s increase through fall their will be other around that will feed and wont be sen doing the shimmy but are nearby or under the dancers 
 
I stayed and watched for about an hour and decided its a good night for some trout ! 
I got on the water at about 1:30am and right out to the trout hole ... Fish are popping everywhere and bait is thick witha variety of dishes including ...silversides , minnows , bunker 2 to 6 inches , small snappers 4 to 6 inches , and some shad around 8 inches ... saw some scools of mullet approx 3.5" . Stripers are feeding all around me as well as blues from 12 to 22 inches and some big americans as well . I had a tandem rig with two 4" pink fin"S" from last trip and decided to start there . First cast produced a double header of nice croakers and then next cast came bach with 2" of each pink fin"S" . I switch to 4" white and cant get away from blues and shad so its Gulp 3" natural shrimp for a field day of large croakers and a few spikes as well . I switch to 1 pink 1 white and cast far into the dark and jigged back and I get a 14" trout and on the next few cast land some spikes to 12" all on the white ! Porpoises move around behind me closer than ever and schools of bunker scatter from predators in the darkness ... I hear the porpoises "talk" and splash as they feed and play .. 
Daybreak approaches and I move off to a likely spot for some daybreak trout and a croakers and lots of fish getting off ...foul hooked croakers probaly but a few had the distinct feel of a spike.. Its cloudy as the sun rises and no flounder all night but then 2 casts 2 keepers .... They are waking up ! 5 cast later I get another keeper making me 3 for 3 ... what are the chances right? No happenings tbs wake up as well and its about 45 minutes till I get #4 at almost 23" ... I am still targeting trout and have not really touched bottom at all . All fish are on pogy's . Right after the first 2 keepers a kayaker and 1 boat joined in the area and I was told the trout were turning on over on the left side as well as large croakers ... Weezer was in the boat and was busy catching a few tbs and croakers and I saw 1 keeper he netted . He was after some crab bait and scored a bonus fish WTG. I stayed and we all caught more croakers and sandperch as well as somt tb flounder but it had died off and almost slack . I go out front again and try for some more croakers and get a few and missed a few and Weezer came around and tried but it was dead ... We talked for awhile and he spilt and I gave it "one more go" with croakers and tb flounder turing back on as well as pesky snappers. Schools of bunker still frolicking about and right before Weezer left we had a few come very close on thier way towards the light house (innerwall) . I gave in to the heat at about 2pm.
Baits were Gulp shrimp , pogy's , swimming mullet and Fin"S" and a few bass assasins too..
Sorry Imageshack is down  
Pics later !

This guy wore a "string ring" at one point in its life...








By hengstthomas at 2007-08-10








By hengstthomas at 2007-08-10








By hengstthomas at 2007-08-10








By hengstthomas at 2007-08-10









By hengstthomas at 2007-08-10








By hengstthomas at 2007-08-10


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## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

*Awesome report!!*

Man, that's some nice fish there. Can't wait!!!!


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*awesome*

congrats on the catch. :beer: :beer: :beer:


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## okimavich (Nov 13, 2006)

TunaFish said:


> Man, that's some nice fish there. Can't wait!!!!


Leave some for us.


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## apungke (Aug 5, 2005)

*woowww...*

As always.. great report and yummy fillets.
Huge numbers of people are heading your way.. as soon they read this thread Tom...


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## fingersandclaws (Oct 17, 2005)

Naw, the season is over. There ain't no more fish there . . . so uh Tom, I'll see ya in a few hours   Should get there around 3-4am if Fishbait shows up on time.


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

fingersandclaws said:


> Naw, the season is over. There ain't no more fish there . . . so uh Tom, I'll see ya in a few hours   Should get there around 3-4am if Fishbait shows up on time.


Hey guys ... keep Tom busy so he can't catch all the fish. At the rate he is going there won't be any for me to catch when I finally get my butt up there !   

Good luck!!! I'll be hitting my croaker hole again this weekend as I have another short fishing window.

I'll be on vacation last week of August so I might finally be able to hook up with somebody for more than 4 hours


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## TunaFish (Aug 16, 2001)

okimavich said:


> Leave some for us.


Can't guarantee you since I'll be with the Founda Slaya!!


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

TunaFish said:


> Can't guarantee you since I'll be with the Founda Slaya!!


You must teach what you learn o' young grasshopper


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## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

cygnus-x1 said:


> Hey guys ... keep Tom busy so he can't catch all the fish. At the rate he is going there won't be any for me to catch when I finally get my butt up there !
> 
> Good luck!!! I'll be hitting my croaker hole again this weekend as I have another short fishing window.
> 
> I'll be on vacation last week of August so I might finally be able to hook up with somebody for more than 4 hours


There is a good place to the left of the pier that 2 sandbars come together with a gap in between the 2 ... At hightide It a prospective spot for late night croakers and trout and I see blues around here as I paddle in and out...
On the right and down the beach you will see a white pole (sign?) anyhow its about 200 yards to the right (approx) and you have the same thing here with a bit deeper water at hightide.
Just some food for thought if its packed ...


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## okimavich (Nov 13, 2006)

hengstthomas said:


> There is a good place to the left of the pier that 2 sandbars come together with a gap in between the 2 ... At hightide It a prospective spot for late night croakers and trout and I see blues around here as I paddle in and out...
> On the right and down the beach you will see a white pole (sign?) anyhow its about 200 yards to the right (approx) and you have the same thing here with a bit deeper water at hightide.
> Just some food for thought if its packed ...


Aren't you supposed to be sleeping right now so you'll be nice and awake when TunaFish gets there tonight?


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## fingersandclaws (Oct 17, 2005)

Don't worry Tom, I'll keep you busy. Is it cool if I anchor to your canoe, and then cast on top of you, and use your cutting board, and then use your cooler for my catch . . . oh, and can I use your bait?   

Don't worry everyone else, I'll keep the Flounda Pounda busy!!!! Oh, and I can see how fast he untangles my sabiki from his main line


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## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

okimavich said:


> Aren't you supposed to be sleeping right now so you'll be nice and awake when TunaFish gets there tonight?


I slept last night ... I actually stayed home  
I'm ready .... Had a few showers today and a few more to come but should be clear with the winds calming down around midnight ... 
See ya soon! Dont forget some pinkies


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## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

Looks like 10 mph out of the NORTH at 4am. Now its "here we go againa" LMAO!


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## Armyguy (Oct 10, 2005)

great report! 

do you have an instruction on how to make tandem rig? or a website would be nice. Thanks.


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## hengstthomas (Mar 11, 2006)

Armyguy said:


> great report!
> 
> do you have an instruction on how to make tandem rig? or a website would be nice. Thanks.


Its very easy ... I take a piece of flouro or mono and tie a leadhead on both ends (I use a simple clinch knot) then hold the string and let the jigs hang and space them apart how you like(10 to 12 inches from the surgeons for the first and another 10 to 18 inches between jigs for the second ,for me depends on baits and fish sought) and tie a surgeons loop at the top ... Its very easy and I have no problems and do not wish to use other knots (why when it works right) .


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## cygnus-x1 (Oct 12, 2005)

hengstthomas said:


> Its very easy ... I take a piece of flouro or mono and tie a leadhead on both ends (I use a simple clinch knot) then hold the string and let the jigs hang and space them apart how you like(10 to 12 inches from the surgeons for the first and another 10 to 18 inches between jigs for the second ,for me depends on baits and fish sought) and tie a surgeons loop at the top ... Its very easy and I have no problems and do not wish to use other knots (why when it works right) .


Datz right! I have not learned the clinch knot  but I do snell a mean hook and do a decent palomar knot. I either do a palomar or a uni knot to a jig head. Surgeons works great for the loop.


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## Huntsman (Mar 6, 2003)

*Another great report..*

Tom, you continue to school us, when those who say there ain't no flatties they've move out or there ain't nothin' bite'n you come right in and prove them wrong... Glad I got some time in for a few lessons... can't wait for the next go round...


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