July 9, 2024 – Some Offshore Linging, I Mean Fluking, with Team Ward Aboard the Adam Bomb – Atlantic Ocean

Foggy in port and inshore.  Most of the crew.

The wind, she blows South.  The water, she stays cold.  Fluking has hardly been on fire as a result, but Wardman was on his OCNJ vacation this week, so we kept our tradition alive and tried to catch some deepwater fluke on the Adam Bomb out of Cape May.  We caught six keepers, so catch we did.  There were some shorts along the way too.  We even got a couple sea biscuits for the table.  Ward and his niece Emma started out strong and each notched a couple keepers and a sea bass early, while the rest of us mostly hit ling broadside with our 4-6 ounce bucktails and/or trailer hooks.  Like a rabbit taking an arrow, ling can take the hook it seems.  You know it’s been slow fluking when the captain was keeping fair-caught ling and singing their praises as table fare.  They are no kingfish, of that I am certain.  We will find out, as he probably snuck some filets in my share of the catch!  They are too soft for strip bait, these ling, which is usually the fate of the sea robins.  Adam is a good captain, and he may have even tried to talk Ward out of this trip.  Conditions were fine, however, so he kept the date, and we made the most of mediocre conditions by landing some fish.  It is a fun tradition that I am glad Wardman keeps going.  I grew up with Ward and Cousin Bruce, and we’ve been doing trips with Adam for a decade or more, so it is easy company with plenty of laughs and teasing along the way.

Ward sneaking ling into my share?

The boy was sort of along with us, as well.  He was seasick without tossing his breakfast last year, but he wanted to try again this year.  I give him props for that, but he was quickly feeling out of it again this year.  I don’t need Maury Povich to confirm he is my kid, as I am no seafaring pro myself.  After a long-ass boat ride in moderate seas, I heaved what was left of my Wawa the minute we arrived.  That usually is it for me: let it out and then start fishing.  Thankfully, that was the case today, as I felt good once I got it out and we started fishing.  The boy, well, he fished for a while, and then he just took a seat for the rest of the morning.  I will save myself the cash and encourage him to stay home next year!  As I mentioned, I was glad he tried again, and we still had a father/son day with the long rides in between.  It is an experience that most of his friends have never had either.  The Susquehanna later this summer is more his speed—both of our speeds.  I caught a couple keeper fluke for the box along with some shorts.  Nothing big but most fish were over 20 inches, not tail-pinch keepers.  If Ward snuck ling in my ziplock baggie, I will let you know how they taste 😉