Conference wahoo::fishing

123.0. "B*L*I*T*Z" by NYALYF::HORWITZ () Mon May 19 1986 17:33

    Contrary to what the calendar may say, according the surf fishing
    crowd at Sandy Hook (Gateway NRA) **SUMMER** is officially here!
    This is not due to the fact that the rangers closed the "Fishing
    Only" area at 10 A.M. because it was full of sun-bathers, but because
    we had our first bluefish B*L*I*T*Z on Saturday!
    For those not familiar with this natural phenomenon, picture this:
    	- a big red sun rising out of the sea
    	- a gentle surf of clear water
    	- a mild, warm breeze at your back
    	- two or three (out of a dozen) anglers fighting unseen fish
    	- when sudenly, seemingly from nowhere,
    HUNDREDS OF BIRDS WHEELING, DIVING AND SCREAMING OVER AN ACRE OF
    BOILING WATER. Just as suddenly, you feel a hit at the end of your
    line. As you set the hook, you look up and down the beach and see
    that every rod is bowed to a fighting fish. As you stand at the
    waters edge, you back up a step or two to keep away from the pod
    of blues that just charged through the wash chasing bait. As you
    land the first chopper, you leave your tin squid in his jaws and
    clip on a popping plug, because you realize that the eating machines
    are in a frenzy and will eat anything they can catch. (Besides,
    what can be more fun than to see a five pound blue chase down your
    plug across the surface and blast a hole in the water when he catches
    up to it?)
    Now picture this scenario lasting from sunrise until -? While these
    blitz conditions are usually measured in minutes, this time we left
    them biting. By 9:30, after 3 1/2 hours, our arms were tired, plug
    bags almost empty (average one lure for evey 5 fish and a hit on
    every cast!) and our stringers full. Back in the car-park, as we
    toasted the new season with a couple of cold beers, even the old
    timers were hard pressed to remember this much action this early.
    Unfortunately, many of us were committed to a Beach Clean-up project
    so we had to rack our rods for the rest of the day. But, we did
    manage to check in with a couple of guys who hung in there, and
    found that the action kept up sporadically though the day.
    
    A note to the New Englanders reading this: these blues showed up
    one week behind the end of the mackeral run. You guys can probably
    expect them in another week or so on the south side of the Cape.
    
    Tight lines 
    Beach Bagel Rich {and keep your fingers out of their mouths like
                             	I didn't}

    Local Outdoors columnist reports that the blues have started to
    make their appearance along the outer cape this weekend and best
    action was in the canal.  No mention of non-stop B*L*I*T*Z.  Sounds
    like the 3 day weekend could be good fishing for blues in southern
    New England.  Thanks for the tip.
    
    Steve

    sounds like a fish story to me!!!