I don't know how 5 kts from the s-sw ended up being 22kts from the NNE but sombody needs to get their poo together.

Cruised out of hampton harbor around 4:30 am and set the gps for jefferies 28 miles out, got about 1 mile going 9mph and said it was not happening, 4 footers and getting bigger. We planned on trolling tuna and haddock fishing but no chance.

Turned around and went back near shore and slammed the macks, put 120 live tinkers in the well, kept 20 horses on ice for later and iced about 80 tinkers for later, released about 50 more, enough is enough sometimes but what a blast catching them, this was all 1 at a time, no sabiki rigs for me, no fun. We used tiny kastmasters. Got a call from Matty that he was sitting at the ramp in pea soup fog, he was going to go home but i told him i would give him 50 live macks and i would meet him in the merrimack river, i don't mind running in the fog with my radar, and i was going there anyway.

We met up and started hitting the bass right away, drifting live macks on the outgoing tide. Every drift was 1-4 fish, no skunk drifts at all, fished maybe 3-4 hours?? and the tide went slack and out of live bait so we packed it in. probably 36 bass but i didn't count exactly, it was a lot of fun, i havn't fished for bass for real in years.

Biggest bass was 33" a lot of 24-27" bass. River was a zoo, what else is new!

Tried to head back to hampton and couldn't get out of the mouth, there were 6 footers as far as the eye could see, coast guard was just sitting there waiting for someone to flip. Went back into salisbury and matty gave dad a ride to hampton to get our truck and pick me up back in salisbury. Home by 3 and boat put away by 4, now what, usually don't get home til 9?

Lots of fun!

YoA, I knew that was you. Do you use the same channels out there on the radio? I had mine on and the only chatter I heard was the coast guard trying to call in on several boats. Started early (4AM) on Joppa as I got a 22 pounder there last weekend. Today - Nada. Found a good school not too far from there later though and boated about 50 schoolies in the 20-26 inch range. All on top on light tackle. Had a couple of bigger fish come to the boat but missed both.

I agree with the weather report. Last night as I was planning this trip with a friend, I looked up the forecast. 2-3 mph winds. Hmm, that sounds decent. 4AM the wind was a good 10-15 from the start with one heck of a fog.

The wind kept me from going out of the mouth most of the day. But oh no, lil old NHAngler listens to another forecast on the radio and it says currently 2-3 foot seas. Let's go see about that shall we, I mean how big is that lake out there anyways, I have fished the broads on a windy day and survived... OMG, it was not the worst I have ever seen but I did look at my buddy in the passenger seat of my 17.5 foot boat and asked him if he was scared. He curiously said, "no". I said, "ya should be" and then I turned around.

Water was ripping out of there so fast I was motoring along and looking at the jetty. Realizing that the rock I was passing was following us, I had the motor wound out and we were not even moving. DOH! I think the rain added some extra water to today's outgoing tides.

Just cleaned all my gear, gave the boat a bubble bath, and going to bed.

Brian

I know what you mean! We launched out of Gloucester at 4 to visit Charlie on Stellwagen - went out in FAC and it quickly turned to fog and some tightly spaced 2-4's. Ended up with one sick passenger a 1/2 hour into the troll -- decided not to make his day any more miserable and headed back in after only 1 1/2 hours on the troll. One of those days...

Jeremy

It is crazy they kept saying during the day winds forecast for the day of 10 kts and then the buoy reports were coming in at over 20!!!

Then the radio says expect 8-11 footers tomorrow and i look on the computer at noaa and it says 2-4 footers WTF IS GOING ON!!!

I know weather is difficult to predict but give me a break! How can the same organization be so different? I can see different companies opinions differing or whatever but noaa is noaa, isn't it?

Oh well, soap box put away for another day. I feel better.

NHAngler, i was on 12 with everybody else until the pump-out boat yelled at us because it is a harbor channel? We moved down to 8. I'm not usually in radio range so i don't pay attention to channels that much, but i guess the official fishlakewinni channnel 12 is a no-no on the coast.

There were a bunch of winni regulars down there todaay.

YOAdrien,sounds like you made the best of a bad day.Good job.polebreaker

Nice reports guys, Yo-Adrien how far out did you get the macks? I've been looking for them lately but with no luck. I use chan 68 when on the flats because most of the charter guys use it and I listen in on what they are doing to help me find the fish..LOL
As far as the weather goes we live in new England if you don't like the weather wait 6hrs it will change.. But yeah NOAA should have been on the ball..

Ohhh, lucky Matty was there. Would have been a heck of a walk or a looong wait for the seas to die. LMAO.