Fisherman's Wharf Fishing Report April 14, 2004

Mother Nature gave us a little break over the weekend allowing us get away from the docks. We were able to fish for Mackerel on Friday and Saturday but rain and wind has once again dominated our area since Sunday and we have been tied up to the docks since Easter.

The fishing over this past weekend can best be described as awesome! Anglers were treated to nice weather and calm seas and super fishing to boot! Friday’s trip had a slow start with just a few fish here and there, but as the day progressed we found a large school of hungry Mackerel and managed to fill most boxes by the time we left for home leaving them biting. Even though we didn’t get back to the dock until almost six that evening, everyone was very pleased with the day that we had.

Saturday’s trip was also a treat! As we rounded the point of the cape on our way out, the first thing that we noticed was that the ocean looked just as it did the day before; just like a big mirror. These conditions continued all day and the fishing ended up being every bit as good as the weather!

We rode back out to the same area that we had left the fish biting on Friday and they were still there. It is not often that you get away with only one or two stops while Mackerel fishing but on this day the fish Gods were looking down on us.

Our first drift we caught just a few fish all around the boat, we looked around for a few more minutes and when I stopped the boat the next time, we never moved again until it was time to come home. The Mack’s just stayed with the boat in what I like to call a "pick and flurry" for the remainder of the day. Even though there were a few slow periods, the fish never left the boat and there were always Mackerel coming over the rail. At some times these fish actually came to within 40 ft of the surface stopping angler’s rigs as they dropped them down towards the bottom. Bending poles and smiling faces could be seen all around the boat!

Mackerel were not the only thing that was swimming around the boat. There were times when strings of Spiny Dogfish Sharks would follow the Mack’s up from the depths. With the water being so clear you could see these creatures coming up from a long way down. We did manage to catch a few of these Sharks but most of them were just following the Mackerel and were not interested in our jigs. They were fun to look at none the less.

Whales and Dolphins were also abundant. With the calm seas and the unrestricted visibility over the weekend, these Mammals could be spotted for miles around us. One small Finback Whale was swimming around the boat for a couple of hours on Saturday almost as if we were one of them. Perhaps it thought the boat was its mother. This guy was a real treat and everyone on board got a good look at him several times. I really can’t remember the last time I saw so many Whales on one trip.

With the current lack of sunshine and water temperatures stymied I firmly believe that we will be in the Mackerel business for a couple more weeks. I just wish we could get a break with the weather that would allow a few more people to venture out so that our daily boat could actually go out daily.

Sea Bass are just around the corner and I think we will be catching some of them on our 8- hr trips by the end of April. We will also be running 12 hr. trips on Saturdays fishing over wrecks for Blackfish and or Sea Bass. Remember these 12 hr. trips are reservations only with payment in advance.

If you would like more information on any of our trips or you would like to make a reservation or book a charter please check out our website at fishlewes.com or give us a call at (302) 645-TUNA. .

Until next time Happy Fishing!
Capt. Rick Yakimowicz
fishing@fishlewes.com
Keen Lady IV