It was a little windy, but the water was a good color when Josh (My Son), Milkjug and I took to the water. Josh and I got there a little earlier than MJ so he didn't get to see my big fish. Josh and I had paddled out to the spot we wanted to set up our first drift. I got my drift sock out, put a strawberry gulp jerk shad on and made my first cast. On the second bounce something hammered my gulp and I set the hook. Then it was like I was hung on the bottom. I was a bit confused, sometimes when I'm not 100% sure if it is a bite or not I'll set the hook on a hang-up. This time however I was 300% sure I'd set the hook on a fish, but it sure felt like I was hung on the bottom and I started pulling my yak towards what ever it was I was hung on. When I got close I pulled up hard to see if I could get it to come loose and my hang-up started taking line. The fight was on and I thought it as was the flounder I’d been looking for. After fighting the fish for about five minutes I was disappointed, as what I thought was my prize flounder turned into a big ray. The ray was two to two and a half feet between wing tips. Needless to say I just cut the line and re-rigged. It could have been worse, at least I got a good pull and my heart got a good workout for a shot time.
Josh and I continued to fish with the croakers hammering our gulps. Every cast there would be at least two or more of their pecking bites. Josh was able to finally fool a nice flounder, but it got off right before he could net it. He stayed on them and a few minutes later had a 17 inch flounder in the net. Me, all I had to show other than the ray was a world class croaker that I’d caught. Nothing much happened until MJ came paddling up to us. We chatted for a few minutes then went back to fishing. I hooked up with a nice 18 inch trout and MJ followed with a keeper of his own. I missed one and lost one, then nothing so we all went our own ways in search of fish. During this time, Josh added a 20 inch trout, MJ got a flounder that pushed 18 inches and I got a red that was very close to 20. I didn’t measure the red as I didn’t plan on keeping him. As with all good things the day had to end, with the sun setting over WestBay. We didn’t kill the fish, but we had all caught some and had a good time. All of Josh and my fish came on the Firetiger Jerk Shads worked slow on the bottom, and MJ was tossing live shrimp. I didn’t take a lot of pictures but here is one of my red, and another of the sunset. The rest of our fish is in the cooler for cleaning this morning, as it was way late and we were way tired. So when I get ready to clean them in a little while I’ll get a picture or two to post up.
Josh and I continued to fish with the croakers hammering our gulps. Every cast there would be at least two or more of their pecking bites. Josh was able to finally fool a nice flounder, but it got off right before he could net it. He stayed on them and a few minutes later had a 17 inch flounder in the net. Me, all I had to show other than the ray was a world class croaker that I’d caught. Nothing much happened until MJ came paddling up to us. We chatted for a few minutes then went back to fishing. I hooked up with a nice 18 inch trout and MJ followed with a keeper of his own. I missed one and lost one, then nothing so we all went our own ways in search of fish. During this time, Josh added a 20 inch trout, MJ got a flounder that pushed 18 inches and I got a red that was very close to 20. I didn’t measure the red as I didn’t plan on keeping him. As with all good things the day had to end, with the sun setting over WestBay. We didn’t kill the fish, but we had all caught some and had a good time. All of Josh and my fish came on the Firetiger Jerk Shads worked slow on the bottom, and MJ was tossing live shrimp. I didn’t take a lot of pictures but here is one of my red, and another of the sunset. The rest of our fish is in the cooler for cleaning this morning, as it was way late and we were way tired. So when I get ready to clean them in a little while I’ll get a picture or two to post up.
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