We left the docks at noon in search of King Mackerel, as the forecast was not looking too good for the run to the hole. Capt Jay, Jeremey the banker and friend Joe rounded out the crew.
Once we cleared the MI jetties, the ocean was lake like - really flat, no wind at all. We took a quick vote, changed our plans, and headed to the Parking Lot in search of supper.
First drop, in 100 ft, the tax man started in on us. One after another, Atlantic Sharpnose. A convention of sorts until Joe pulls up a big knot head Black Sea Bass. This warranted one more drop before moving to a new spot. I hooked up with what I thought was another shark - exhausted from the hundred foot drop, I started in the rod holder - but it didn’t fight like a shark, so out of the rod holder it came. Huge fight, thinking AJ, but when it came up to the surface - HUGE Genuine ARS. I was amazed and disappointed at the same time - huge fish, biggest ARS I ever landed, and it had to go back. We caught two more before the spot was finished.
We moved to a new spot - Jeremys turn for amazement and disappointment as he landed his first cobia. Wouldn’t you believe they are off limits this year as well?? AArrgghh…
The rest of the trlp was action packed, plenty of endangered black sea bass, most of them a tad small. We kept enough for supper. The B-liners and white grunts rounded out the box.
The winds picked up - the weatherman was correct, just off by a few hours. We ran home and hit the dock at 4:00.
Not a bad day King Mackerel fishing!
Tight lines,
Jason