December 10, 2020 – Fish Were Caught but the Real Numbers Were Just Out of Reach – Ocean County Beaches

Sure was pretty out there before sunrise.

I am glad Jeff and I got out today because, even though the tides are more advantageous by the weekend, a South wind may mess things up pretty good.  Better to fish than wait for the perfect day is my philosophy.  And we caught a few short fish even dealing with full sun and low tide right at magic time this morning.  The water got cold almost overnight.  I saw one buoy reading of 46 degrees, which is probably a 6 or 7 degree drop since the last time we fished the surf.  It has been cold, however.  It is not over if the bait hangs around and the temps hold steady, but 46 degrees is not 50 degrees.  The ocean is still alive for now.  There were signs of life just over the bar at sunrise: birds, bait flipping, a seal having his way with said bait, even two smaller boats just over the second bar beating up shorts just out of our casting range. 

Our boy was sharp today.

If we had a bit more water in the slough provided by a different and earlier point in the outgoing flood tide, it could have been a different morning.  There were still crowds chasing reports to the north of us, and Pete sent me a pic of a buddy’s keeper bass from just north of where we were today.  Jeff and I could actually see them, the concentration of bodies not where it’s been, concentrated further north of us this time.  I hate crowds, and I even felt crowded today after Jeff and I had a little success after sunrise.  Unlike last week, Jeff was on his game, even changed up to a white plug as the sun broke the horizon and hooked up almost immediately.   Taking his lead, I tossed a white bucktail and teaser on my lighter bomber/SP rod, just for a change, and got a couple on that white combo too.  I did try to forge the slough twice to get out on the bar to have a better shot at some numbers, but I had to turn back both times when it got too deep too soon. 

A couple bucktail shorties.

I figured that if it was too deep to wade the first slough, then dammit at least some shorts had to be in there, and they were.  But I am sure if I got out there on that bar, many shorts were to be had. One reason dudes buy kayaks is because they see boats tearing them up under 200 yards from shore.  That was us today.  Too cold and a little to swelly to beach launch this morning at low tide anyway.  It looked like hickory shad and eels still making a splash out there, and birds were on them at times.  I had to ask Jeff to confirm that my eyes weren’t playing tricks when I saw a seal chilling near the surface just over the second bar.  I am sure he scared those dink bass away too, but it is hard to leave bait and fish, and there wasn’t much available real estate on the beach anyway, so we stayed put until after 8:30 just throwing small for a bend in the rod.  Instead of taking a ride to try more spots in high sun and low tide, we decided a few fish was good enough.  Usually crowds trail off after Thanksgiving, but nothing is normal in the Year of the Covid.  I did not even bring my 10-foot rod today, not expecting any fish over 30 inches, but I am convinced that is not over, either.  The south wind this weekend looks bad, and I don’t think that will help water temps that have dropped to the mid to high forties already.  All I can say is, Hang in there, rats and shorties.  I might need at least one more shot at a double digit morning before I devote myself to the trout once again!