Well we are two for two so far this year on our 18-hr trips. The weatherman has been somewhat in our favor so far this year with no real victories at sea and no cancellations thus far. While we didn’t catch the big numbers of jumbos this past weekend that we did on the prior trip, this outing was by no means a bust.

Forecasted winds of 10 to 15 were not so much the case for most of the day on Saturday, instead the hard southerly that we had with the passing front on Friday turned into more like 20 knots of Northerly breeze by midnight and continued well after the sun came up. I guess this is typical for the time of year but a big heave left over from the day before and the three to four foot chop on top of the swells Saturday morning made for some tough conditions at the rail.

We actually started fishing just before daybreak and much unlike last weekend where we had coolers full of big fish by 8:30 in the morning Saturdays trip was some slim pickings. Swells made it hard to keep a tight line in the 200 plus foot depths and bites were few and far between if you even felt them. Some anglers were faring much better than others right out of the gate but by mid day top hooks would just barely make double digits and some unlucky anglers would still be looking for their first fish. As the day progressed the swells seemed to subside considerably and after a few changes of location, the currents picked up and the fish started to bite a little better. We were actually starting to see some nice doubles coming over the rail on our last two stops. Capt. H spent most of the trip with his head glued to the plotter and fish scopes scratching what’s left of the hair off the top of his head while it was my turn to try and catch supper. I must admit it was not my day at the rail however while I was fishing side by side with Capt. Billy and Capt. Jimmy G. they stood fast at the rail and managed to put on a little clinic right before my eyes. Billy ended up being the high hook for the day with 21 Bass that would fill a big cooler half full and Jim ended up with a dozen Bass that would put nearly 30 pounds of fish in his box by days end. I had some left over venison for supper.

This was kind of the story of the day, those that persevered the conditions and stood steadfast at the rail all day ended up with between eight to fifteen or more very nice fish but I would have to say the average catch for most anglers was only in the single digits. It was certainly not what we had hoped to see after last week’s performance. I guess that’s just fishing though. Our only saving grace if there was one, was that the fish did bite better later in the day and once again we had many fish that would tip the scales at three to five pounds. We also saw some action with Conger Eel’s, Ocean Pouts, and a few Spiny Dogs and even had our token number of one White Hake for the trip.

We will regroup and try again this weekend as long as Mother Nature allows. The long-range weather looks good for now but it’s early to tell and it does look like some more seasonable temperatures by the end of the week. Check out our schedule for a full list of dates for the 18-hour trips from the special trips link on our home page at fishlewes.com and remember we do require advanced reservations for these trips. Offshore water temperatures are still hovering around the 50-degree mark so these fish will be migrating for several more weeks and I fully anticipate some great fishing with these Jumbo Bass in the upcoming trips.

If you would like any more information about trips sailing out of the Wharf or you would like to reserve a spot on one of the long range wreck trips please give us a call at (302) 645-TUNA or feel free to email me with any questions you may have at the link below.

Until Next Time Happy Fishing!

Capt. Rick Yakimowicz
Thelma Dale V