I would guess Larry that the fish are just off the beach for a few reasons relating to seals. Which by the way can swim circles around a bass.
Safety in numbers, your odds of getting eaten go down the more the fish are clustered together.
The deeper the water the more escape room the fish have. ( plus the water out a bit is where the bait is )
While trolling for tuna bait off wood end we have seals on the beach see you hook up, come galloping in to steal your bluefish. Very smart "F"ing predator.
You have no idea how much I miss that way of life, living out of the truck on the beach, chasing fish for sometimes weeks at a time. It was what I lived for.
