Monday, August 26th

Location: Sandy Hook
Tide: High 12:10pm
Water Temp: 71.5 degrees
Wind: W 17kts
Moon Phase: 68% Waning

Conditions
Ooof! It is not going to be a good day condition wise. There is a hard wind out of the west and the current is running out meaning the channels are out of the equation.

Pregame Show
It was not a good weekend of fishing. The conditions were ok on Saturday early and an east wind knocked us out of the box on Sunday making for a difficult day. There were some anglers who made out well, but on a whole it was not good. Doug “The Duke” Kay, Jimmy Hughes, and Bobby Mechan were a few of the anglers who put on a clinic. Today we are shot in the foot before we even leave the dock with a hard west wind which is blowing between 15 and 20 knots. Combine this wind with the an outgoing tide and it immediately eliminates the channels from the gameplan. With that being said, we are going to head to an area that we haven’t fished in over two months. Maybe it will spark something magical, or maybe it will be a bust. Either way,  we are limited in the areas we can fish today. We will see how it goes!

August Flukemaster Classic Update
George Cullen holds the top spot with a 6lb 14oz fish. The pot is up to $970.00.

I’m going a little unconventional with today’s report due to the fact that we are busy, and I don’t know how often I will be able to come in and update. So, here we go!

The High Noon Captain John Stock Update

STOCK UP

1. BIG FISH – There haven’t been a ton of fish caught, but the ones that we are catching are huge!! POW POW BOOM!!
2. The Bow  – Absolutely destroying it with the big fish. Four fish over 6 pounds, three over 5 pounds and a half dozen in the 4 pound range. WOW!
3. Stirling Fire Department – Simply making their name known here today with all the big fish!
4. Jeff Wanamaker – 2 fish over 6 pounds and a third fish close to 5 pounds.
5. Mother Nature – If it wasn’t blowing hard out of the west, we would not be here!

STOCK DOWN

1. The Stern – The guys in the back of the boat are having a hard time putting keepers in the boat.
2. GULP Nuclear Chicken – Sea Robin attractor today! If you are looking to put birds in the boat, hook it on!
3. Bucktails – Only one keeper has been caught on a jig.
4. Ambrose Channel – It may have been a blessing that the weather is what it is today because Ambrose hasn’t been producing like it was the past several days mainly because of the conditions.
5. The Fisherman that should have been up in the bow today, but stayed home because of forecast – You know who you are!

Late Day Change of Tide Audible
We made a late move into Sandy Hook Channel. We will see how it goes!

BOOM BOOM POW!!!
Much like that infamous August 12th afternoon when the last fish on the boat was the biggest of the day and the biggest of the month, Stan Mitnick, who battled adversity for most of the trip in the form of tangles and light sinkers made magic happen again!

Postgame Show
“Hey, you never know!”
The final speech had just concluded, the would be pool fish was found amongst all the beasts up in the bow, and a few anglers were readying their gear for the ride back to port, but little did we know Stan Mitnick had other plans. Stan took the Captains words “We do have a little more time left if you would like to put a big or a new bait on” to heart. He reeled up his line, freshened his bait, and dropped the rig to the bottom of Sandy Hook Channel. Seconds later he would be hooked into the biggest fluke to hit the deck this month. With his rod bent over like never seen before, a second net was brought over to ensure this fish would not escape once on the surface. All eyes were now locked over the starboard side of the boat in anticipation of what would come from the depths of the channel. With one last head shake, and a few more cranks of the reel a dark shadow emerged. Into the net and over the rail came a 7 pound fluke, the largest of Stan’s fluking career, and the largest of the month of August. George Cullen, you can rest easy. This fish was not in the Flukemaster Pool, but today it was the biggest on board, and as of now it is the biggest of the month. Congrats Stan Mitnick!

WOW!! What a day! When we left the dock and made multiple course changes while deciding where to begin because of the wind, I did NOT think the trip would end up like this. Three fish over 6 pounds, eight fish over 5 pounds, two dozen in the 4 pound range and a 7 pound pool winner. There aren’t many days like this, but today with our backs pinned against the wall with terrible conditions, we put in a really good day with quality fish.

 

 

Check back tomorrow for more live updates