Got an email from BlackCat (John) who reads our reports from New Jersey who said he was coming to town so we hooked up for some cross training out of the SLI today. He enjoys our reports from NJ and is in town this week. Checked the weather late Friday afternoon and cancelled Saturdays plans. Woke up Saturday morning with calm seas but we opted to still give it a go on Sunday.



With the conditions a little sporty, we did a later start than normal and cleared the inlet in daylight. Exited the SLI at 6:00am and hit the NE spot and loaded up on sardines and cigar minnows. Stopped at a spot east of the Sandpile and grabbed a couple of blue runners then headed offshore.





Arrived on the Hill with a dripping wet crew member who was all smiles... Dropped in the dines and picked up a couple of BFT on the first drift along the ledge.





Next drift produced another BFT for John...






A few more drifts produced a couple more BFT with one of them the biggest of the morning...





I told John I wanted to try something different on the next drift and hook up an Instant Downrigger (Click the link below to see what they are. They are cheap and work awesome to hook up to anyline you want to get down deep.

http://www.redirig.com/InstantDownriggers-2.aspx

Back to the report... :grin. We get back to my start point and set out a large sardine about 30 yards out then hook up the Instant Downrigger to get that bait lower in the water column. All the sudden it gets nailed and we see a Sailfish on Steroids skying off in the distance..

John fights this fish while I clear the other line and as I get it to the boat it is looped over the line that has the Sailfish on it. After a quick clearing I get to the motor and John is frantically yelling we are getting spooled... WE ARE GETTING SPOOLED...

I crank over the motor and nothing. I fire it up the second time, turn the boat and John yells WE ARE ALMOST SPOOLED.... SNAP :banghead

Sorry John... I owe you a Sailfish on our next trip out together... Captain error. I should have just left the line tangled up and gain some line before clearing the tangle. Lesson learned for the next time it happens to me. :grin I will be sure to email you a picture of the next Sailfish we catch John :grin

That was one heck of a Sailfish. He looked huge skying away from the boat while spooling Johns line... :grin All in good fun John. We gettem next time...

We drifted a couple more times and totaled out on BFT with 7 BFT's in the box...

Headed to the AJ spot to put those runners to good use. Arrive to a 4.5+ knot north current so I knew it was going to be a tall order to pull this off. First couple of drifts nothing. Finally on the 3rd drift we get hooked up but it came unglued just as quick. With a rain storm moving in on us we decided to run west.

Stopped on some weeds in 95ft and drifted north for the next hour hooking up a double header on Bonita. John kept one for Bonita Strips for his next trip out on his boat.





Headed in to the Sandpile and immediately hooked up a double header again. John reels in a the head of a Blue Runner the size of a Bonita. The Cudas were thick here. Next drift Johns bait gets slashed... It looked like another Sailfish... The Sardines were thick here this afternoon. Stopped there on the way out in the morning and marked no Sardines at all.

We drop in a sabiki and pick up some fresh baits.

Next drift and we hook up again and this time Johns Bonita comes up cut in half and there is a large school of Cudas tearing it apart.

CLICK PIC BELOW TO SEE NEW GO PRO DIVE LENSE WITH SOME CUDA ACTION



Today’s Tally

7 for 10 BFT
6 Bonita
1 Cuda via Bonita :grin

The next time you’re heading back south John, give me a heads up and we will get you out aboard the AF again. I had a great time again today. :applause

How did you all make out today?

Tip of the day

Awesome product. Awesome service – Pipe-Lights for your trailer. I have had these on my trailer since 2007 and never had one issue with these lights. They are awesome. :applause

http://pipe-light.com/

Seen Lmannyr at Sandsprit with his new Contender. What a HUGE boat you have there Luis... It was nice seeing you again. Tell Manny I said hello... What size boat is that? It took forever to go by once you pulled away :grin

Random pics on the day