Rolled out @ 5:15 w/ PJ and Bad Apple. Headed to the South Ledge for the blackfin bite. Seas looked something like this.
Keep in mind this photo was taken @ 38 MPH. Fifty miles off the engines started to sound funny so I turned around to look at them and a coast guard chopper was coming in 50’ off the deck. He circled us so I called him on the radio, told me there was a report of flares in the area and to have good day fishing. Hit the ledge around 8:30, lines in. Three other boats in the area but very little bait and only 67 degree water. Trolled the ledge south for a few miles with no luck. Marked fish deep and after a few passes and no luck we dropped some live mullet down to try that. This was the picture @ that point.
This resulted in a break off and a 20# AJ. We decided to head deep for the real temp break about 10 miles east. 5 miles into that run the wind and seas tripled so we ran back to the ledge to try a bit further north. Found a scattered weed line and some friends.
Very small scools of bait under the scattered weeds with the occasional bust by something. By 11:30 and not one knockdown(not even an Albie), we decided to switch over to bottom gear. Of course as soon as the last trolling rigs was pulled out a 20# blackfin charged the boat chasing a flyer, oh well. We proceeded to drop the ledge and put a few good fish in the boat over the next few hours.
Final tally:
5 Kitty Mitchells
1 ARS
1 trigger
1 knobbed porgy
1 big grunt
some b-liners
3 limits of endangered pinkies
the other us
