Point Pleasant Elks Fluke Tournament

The Googans Kayak Fishing Team set out Saturday in search of fluke for the Point Pleasant Elks Fluke Tournament. The kayak division was sponsored by The Jersey Paddler and proceeds benefited Heroes on the Water NJ Chapter.

We launched at 5:30am in Raritan Bay to calm water and an incoming tide. As soon as we dropped our bucktails down the fish were chewing. I was prepared with big baits to target some larger fish; handcut squid strips, smelts, butterflied snappers, and mackerel strips. Right away I was losing snappers to some larger fish which I suspected to be blues, as they were taking the baits and running. I did manage a few 16" or so fluke on the snappers, smelt, and squid.

After a few hours the tide switched and started moving out of the Bay. I had to move up to a 3oz bucktail just to hold bottom, the drift was moving about 1.5MPH and the wind picked up out of the south. Soon the Bay turned into a bathtub due to the wind and boat wakes. Everyone seemed to be out in the Bay that day including all the headboats.

I had drifted pretty far out, just past the Naval Pier and about a mile east of where we launched. I started the slow pedal back to the group and set up another drift. About 10 minutes into the drift I felt that distinct thump of a hit. Not one of those short fast head shakes but, a heavy tap and pressure, I new it was a larger fish I have been after. A minute later a 27.50 inch fluke was in the boat. She really didn't put much of a fight other than just laying there on the bottom. I got my board out and my identifier and snapped some pics. I really didn't plan on keeping any fish today so I didn't have a stringer (I actually can't find it. 3rd one I've lost in a year so maybe the fish gods are telling me something). We also had our Triclub Tournament that day for my fishing club. I knew I had a big fish and had to keep it to weigh it in for that. I had my Waterbug rescue ladder then turned into my makeshift stringer and met back up with Chris. We made a few more drifts with little to show and snapped some pics.

We packed up and headed back down to Waretown to the weigh station for the Tri-club Tournament. It weighed in at 7.55lbs and was 27.5" long with a 22" girth. They informed me that is was the biggest weighed in so far but had to wait until the next day for the Awards BBQ.

We cleaned up, dropped the kayaks off at Chris's house and headed back up to Point Pleasant for the awards. We met up with everyone else, ate, told fish stories, drinks lots of beer and had a great time. I took second place in the largest overall fluke and got a nice certificate and a $100 gift card to Jersey Paddler. My buddy Larry took first with a 28" fluke and won a $200 gift card and a Jackson Kayak from JP. I also took the trash fish category and calcutta with a 31" dogfish. 

2nd Place Fluke

1st Place Trash Fish

The highlight of the day was fellow Googan Fishing Team Member Dennis "Homer" taking the most species category! He had a fluke, dogfish, a snapper, skate, a bunker, and a blueclaw crab. That is right a bunker and crab! 

Homer and his 1st Place Most Unique Species

Thanks to Point Pleasant Elks and Pat at The Jersey Paddler for running a great event! Can't wait until next year!

As for the Tri-club Tournament. I won the largest fluke overall and the Forked River Tuna Club won the Tri-club trophy for top 8 fluke combined weight. 

Snappers!

Just a quick report...

I took my youngest daughter, Stella (4yo), out this evening on the kayak for a after dinner kayak cruise up the Forked River. We really didn't plan to fish and I didn't expect to stay long, a 4 year olds attention span is pretty short.

I rigger her seat up and we set off. I was surprised she stayed the whole time behind me in the chair for almost two hours. Then she asked when are we going to fish?!?!? We searched for snappers feeding on spearing and were rewarded with a dozen small snappers, perfect for fluke bait! Stella reeled in about half of them including the biggest one!

July or November?

I headed out on the Manasquan River with Bill for a evening fluke trip. We launch and were met by ice cold incoming tide of ocean water that plummeted over the past few days. A constant South wind caused upwelling and the cooler ocean water near the bottom to surface and keep the ocean a frigid temp all week. Just a few miles off the beach the water was in the 70 and clear. The lowest temp we would read all afternoon was 51 degrees with the temp hovering around 55 degrees of so. Just enough to turn the fluke bite off.

We fished a few hours of the incoming with nothing to show except a few taps and no fish to the boat. We tried all the usual holes and ledges with every bait and presentation imaginable. Bill said why don't we try up river where we usually bass fish in the fall, so we made the drift further up.

I drifted around a piece of structure jigged and felt a nice hit, then slack. Nothing and then it was game on. The fish was head shaking and taking line. I thought I had a big fluke on when it took off away from the boat. A few minutes later after doging some boats and a ferry A fat, healthy 31" striper was in the boat. Some pics, an ALS tag, and she swam away strong.