8-13 slow pick and rough seas

aqualung · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 2:46 pm Post subject: 8-13 slow pick and rough seas

Hit my usual spot with 'the shark' yesterday.
Decided to leave a little later because of the tide schedule, which would turn out to be not such a great decision in my opinion.
Headed out just past Sandy Point a bit and realized I left my phone in the truck, so back we went to get the phone, valuable 1/2 hour mistake.
Got out to the fishing grounds, tide was running, breeze blowing making for a nice drift. Wasn't long before Mark boated the first keeper fluke. The next hour or so we picked up some skates and shorts, then Mark got another one for the box, finally I managed one myself all keepers in the 20" range.
Unfortunately the wind started blowing pretty stiff, kicking up the seas, making it pretty much a lost cause, so we decided to head into some sheltered water in Fishers island sound.
I recently purchased a Bull rake for clamming and a Stonington shellfish permit and figured I would give that a try.
The Bull rake was a new method that I have never done myself or seen done for that matter.
Set up for the first drift using the Bull rake and after a 5-6 minute drift pulled up the basket to find 1 very nice small clam Shocked

in addition to about 5 pounds of stones.
It was High tide wind was howling I tried a couple other spots and just had baskets of eel grass or kelp.
After an hour or so I decided to go back to the place where I made my first drift, by this time the wind had slowed, the tide had shifted and was going out. Those changes made a big difference, in about an hour I had the 5 gallon pail half full and figured that was a half bushel which is the legal take, since then I have found 4 gallons makes a 1/2 bushel, so I could have taken a 3/4 bucket full, I know for next time.
The wind had shifted a bit and with the tide change the rough conditions had subsided some so we headed back outside to our fishing area, managed a couple drifts with just a few shorts and a nice porgy when things got a bit rough again so headed inside for a little recon mission of Latimer reef rockpile, looks like it may be pretty good tautog fishing there come fall.
I happened across a couple seals on the rock pile as well.
Called it a day with 3 keeper fluke, 1 jumbo porgy and a 1/2 5 gallon pail of clams.

carp13 · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:31 pm Post subject:

Nice job Captain!

lundrunner · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 3:16 am Post subject:

Thats one way to round out the day, with some clams. I'll try the barn today and post how it went for us. Hope to be out there again next saturday as well. Fluke season is too short.

tbob55 · Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 10:54 am Post subject:

Good job on the report Bob.....I cant wait til toggin time!!!