The recent weather really put a damper on the local fishing scene. The end of the summer
flounder season seems like it never occurred. Planned trips on the final days of the season, particularly
those in the ocean, were never given a real chance to happen. At least the back waters were an option, but not a true one, as conditions weren’t much better.

So the season just ended, quietly, and without a real sendoff. But sea bass season has returned, and all is well. Well, it will be better once the weather starts to cooperate and anglers can get back out on the ocean.

Let’s see what is going on.

Not surprisingly, with the recent weather system that had kept us cloudy and windy, the opening
day of sea bass season was wiped out. All the local boats stayed tied up at their docks. The opening
trips, many being by reservation only, have been moved back by a day or two, so let’s see what
happened right before my deadline.

The Sea Star III, after waiting a couple extra days at the dock, hit the ocean on Thursday. They
reported good action, nice catches and some limits scattered among those aboard. In addition to the
sought-after sea bass, some bluefish were caught. Everyone was happy to finally get back on the
water.

Also leaving the dock was the Miss Avalon. They experienced “drop and reel fishing all day,”
which meant by day’s end that they were just “short of our boat limit.” Their day end tally also included
some bluefish and porgies.

The Starfish also got out and had a “great” time catching sea bass. There was plenty of action, as
the nice weather provided good fishing for those aboard.

With the break between the conclusion of flounder season and the delayed start to sea bass,
many anglers used that time to prepare their fall gear.

The first thing many anglers can do, or should, is clean their rods and reels with a good
freshwater washdown. This is something that should be done after each trip, but is often overlooked.
When you do this, it’s also beneficial to remove your reel so the reel seat, as well as the underneath
portion of the reel, can be thoroughly cleaned.

And don’t forget to clean each eye on your pole to remove any accumulated salt spray. Checking the eyes will also allow you to see if any eyes are cracked and need to be replaced. If not replaced, then your braid will start to fray and may break at the most inopportune time. Been there, done that, and I know I’m not the only one.

Two other things to do is to strip off a length of braid so you have a fresh section of line to work with, then replace your shock leader with new, and maybe a heavier-test, section that will hold up better to the rocks and wrecks that fall fishing consists of.

Another thing to do, and this can be a relaxing activity, is to make your own rigs for sea bass or
blackfish. Having them at the ready so you can quickly change out a damaged one to a fresh one is one
way to get more fishing time. Tying a rig while on the water, while those around you are catching fish, can
lead you to rush making it and not having it work as designed.

Having snelled hooks ready is also a good way to speed up your time when changing things out
and replacing a lost single hook rig with a replacement. One rig to know how to tie is a Snafu Rig. This
consists of two hooks, with one at each end of equal-length leaders.

A simple way to do this is to take a length leader, tie a hook at each end, fold the leader in half, then tie a loop at the midpoint. This loop can then be joined to the end of your shock leader. Some anglers run the shock leader through an egg sinker, while others tie a loop off the shock leader and put their weight there.

Either way, you’ll have two hooks in the water that can each have a bait on them, or you’ll be able to bury each hook into a big crab bait if you’re looking for large blackfish.

You may also want to take a few minutes to get your heavier dipseys together for those days of
strong currents that make it hard to stay on the bottom. And for the nicer days, well, you’ll want to have a
nice selection of tog jigs ready to go. A selection of one-half to two-ounce jigs, in colors that mimic crabs,
or maybe some that glow, should round out your tackle box nicely.

The ending of one season and a delayed start to the next made for a slow week of reports and
news to pass on. We need to hope that some better conditions will allow for the return of fishing. Anglers
have their reservations made and are ready to go.

Hopefully, you found the suggestions listed above beneficial, and they will help you put a few more fish in your cooler. Good luck if you get out, take care, and I’ll see you around.

Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.