IRI 11-21\22-2008 (SOL Fling)

[hengstthomas]

I wanted to get out midnight on Friday but I went into a coma .. My cell rings at 2:45am and its Drew and Judah asking if I am gonna head out .. They had just arrived and were battling the winds but nailing some schoolies on Bombers .. I had a Computer to rebuild and my MRI so I had to pass ...
I get home from my MRI at about 10:45am and wanted to get the Computer done so I could wet a line and try to find that school fish .. Just wasnt in the books .. The Comp was a 3.5 GHZ with a 20 Gig Harddrive and only 256 Megs of ram .. There was 5% free space on the HD .. It took me 6 hours and I still have to install new Ram in a few days then Format the HD .. What a PITA .
Just as I get done my phone rings and its Right Hook telling me "its every cast on a bomber" .. I wolf down some grub make a pot of Java and I am there in an hour ..
I drove by the front and only saw about 6 vehichles in the lot and 2 were pulling out .. I hit the back and join Right Hook , Dillonthebassboy , Striper Killer and someone I didnt know all throwing plugs . The winds were raw out of the WNW at about 10 to 20 MOH with some bigger gusts and the tide was outgoing and about a bit over halfway out . I made on cast with no bites and then on the 2nd cast my line parts and my last Black Bomber went sailing .. I put on "Old Faithful" and got a small schoolie .. Striper Killer got a nice fat one at around 24" and the other guy also got atleast 2 fish .. Steve (RH) said he was going to try the rail and I ended up with 3 small schoolies then everyone left to go mingle and chat except for me and Jeepster who just snuck up on me Striper KIller told me that chowder would be ready in about an hour and to stop by .. I said I'd be around in a bit but I never made it .. Jeepster and I tried and tried and then he said he was done and in that second I hooked up He said figures and I nail 3 more on consecutive casts ... He couldnt leave after that .. I picked up about 6 more and finally Jeepster got the skunk off and had to realy leave .. Something about a BAD accident in Dover and his work forced him to to leave .
I was alone and the bite bite picked up more and more as the tide neared low .. It was a good bite si I called Right Hook and he came to join me ..He got a 16" schoolie and tossed it back before I could get a pic and said he'd just catch another .. He didnt get anymore fish and decided to leave and maybe come back at around sunrise to longline .
I walked him to his truck so I could meet up with Esquired and 2 of his friends . Minutes later they show so Steve splits and I tell the boys I'd meet them down there .. I couldnt wait to get back and play
I got 2 more and was fighting a 3rd as the boys walked down to join me . The were keyed in on any 4" swimbait crept acrossed the bottom ..
I keep picking them off as they try to adjust ..

I was on a roll

This one was borderline but most likely would have made it but she was returned

Jake finally gets a hook into one ..

And my rein continues

Another close one around 26.6" ..

He inhaled a 5" Tsunami deep

Jake get a few more and I keep at it even as the sun starts to rise .. Half my mind is screaming go to the rail and Longline but its hard for me to leave feeding fish
Finally Steve shows back up as the sun is almost up and says he's gonna longline so I say mast cast 3 times and pick up 2 more fish then .. I Gotta go and I know I am late but I arrived and no fish have been caught yet .. I get in line in the "Dance" and was getting hit on every cast but the drift was way too fast and I just couldnt hookup .. I switched to a 5 ounce just as Steve asks me if I have a 5 ounce as he was having the same issues .. We both were getting bite in the same area but needed to slow down the drift .. Steve hooks up first with a nice fat 26" .. Then again with a smaller Striper and yet again .. There were about 15 of us maybe more in the "Conga" .. Steve had 4 Shorts and I get my first just as Steve nails a nice keeper .. 2 pr 3 casts later he gets his 2nd keeper and it looked fatter around than long .. IT WAS FAT .. A few more are pulled in around the rail and a few from boats but its an hour before someone lands another keeper and its a squeaker .. Steve offers my his rig and being a creature of habit I refuse as I have been doing well above average with my Black/Purple rig .. Steve sad he had to go and offers my his flies again but I decline .. I ended up with 5 Stripers on the Burple Fly rig before I cracked it off .. I am down to 1 Burple so I tried another fly and got 1 bite and lost 1 fish .. I packed it in around 10am ..

I had a hole in my right boot and got soaked in the first 20 minutes after arriving at around 7pm .. We had some nice snow flurries and at times it was coming down pretty good and the temps dropped .. By 4am I am close to frostbite so I head to the truck for some dry shoes and to change my right socks .. My hand were so cold it was almost impossible but I got 3 dry socks on the right foot and put my sneaker on them held my shoe right in the heater duct .. I could not bend my toes .. After 10 minutes I had to strip my right foot down and then defrost it .. Took 30 minutes total but I went back at it
Thanks for the dry sock Dave .. You saved the day

I totaled 40 to 50 Stripers with only the one squeaker that was returned to the deep
Steve on the other hand got 2 nice fish out of the 3 keepers I saw landed ..
WTG STEVE and THANKS for offereing me you Hot meal ticket

Dave , Ethan and Jake went to another spot while we longlined so Dave will have to fill in those blanks .
Man it was cold but atleast the fish didnt fail me

 

[Jim]

Good job man! Your a machine! :beer:

 

[Leibs16]

It was nice to meet the legends of IRI, these gentlemen fish in all conditions. Tom and Steve, thanks for letting me enjoy your turf!!.

 

[Zum]

Way to go.
nice bunch of fish

 

[jkbirocz]

Wow, despite the cold and little catching, we had a lot of fun. What a long day. I woke up on friday at 5:30, worked 9 hours, ate some dinner then hopped in Dave's van and picked up Ethan and we headed to IRI. We ended up hitting horrible traffic on rt. 1 and had to make a major detour, causing us to not make it to the beach until midnight.

It was freakin cold, as I had two pairs of my favorite long johns on, two carhartt hoodies and a carhartt jacket on, along with a beanie and my moon boots. Gloves were on and off as we could not feel the fish and we had to rig up after snags constantly.

Tom is a freakin machine. Now that man is hardcore, my hat is off to you. Despite the skunks to Ethan and Dave, and my four small fish, I had tons of fun talking about how stupid we were for fishing in this weather and sharing fishing info. We headed home around 10 a.m. Ethan passed out and Dave started the drive until I saw his eye starting to close, and I picked up the rest of the drive while sipping on a energy drink. We dropped off Ethan and made it to my house around 2:30, man I needed some sleep.

Worst part of the trip was my Revo fell into the sand in the morning and I cannot crank the reel, even after soaking it for hours...I guess I'll be ripping it apart, or getting a new one :x

Lots of fun as always...Dave and Ethan are now destined to beat me bad on the seabass trip since they got the skunk lastnight

Thanks again to Tom for showing us what's up and hanging out all night, of course as he hammers the fish =D>

 

[hengstthomas]

Ethan iit was great to met you and I hope the lack of fish doesnt keep you from coming back sometime .. Atleast you know the fish are there

Jake .. A pleasure fishing with you again .. You guys need some UA Gloves .. Doesnt keep your hand very warm but enough to deal with the cold and allow you to feel the bite
Ask Dave about our friend Derrick .. He can "rebuild it" .. Sorry about the reel I think my reel was the only reel out of about a dozen that hit the sand that night ... Before you got there 2 guys had Van Stahls hit the sand also but you know how that goes .. Just dip it in the saltwater and go .

Where's Dave You guys wear him out LMAO !!