Blues @ the West Wall

[179]

Fished the West Wall area in my buddies boat last night, what we ran into was the most enormous school of feeding, boiling fish I have ever seen, from a distance it looked like a gust of wind kicking up the water. The fish started appearing at 7:00am and were still there when we left at sunset. They had bait corraled into the corner pocket.......

I managed to catch 15-20 bluefish in the 4-5lb range, using a light rod and a red / white rapala swimming plug. By the end of the night I must have had to bend the hooks straight a dozen times. Loads of fun!!!!!

[JohnR]

Ta heck with the blues, are the Albies in yet?

179 - I don't know if you've ever tangled with albies and bonitp but they are a bunch of fun - even more so than blues IMO... They also show up frequently at the WW around this time.... If you ever get the chance to fish them , small stuff like 1/2 - 1 oz Deadly #^&#^&#^&#^&s and Megabait jigs on those 30MPH screamers ;D 8)

[179]

John,
Yeah I have been looking for them to pop up but no signs of them yet. No I haven't caught one of those guys yet, but it is on my goal list for this season along with a 40+lb bass, haha.

Have you ever tried Yozuri Crystal Minnows for the Albies? A friend of mine told me he did well with that on them last season? The only problem is they are tough to cast no weight...

[179]

John,
Do you work at a tackle shop by any chance? For some reason I think you do?

[schoolie monster]

To heck with the blues? Are you nuts... I hear all kinda people complaining of the slumping bass fishing.

I think schools of busting blues would tide me over till the fall run kicks into gear just fine.

Leads me to a new topic. See blues vs. world.

[SeaWolf]

Guys, they should be around. Both have been in the Race and Reefs for a few weeks now. Holy bloody knuckles, Batman...

I heard about the Blues. I guess they are everywhere right now. Lots of bait around.

[JohnR]

I've never tried them for albies, occasionally for bass...

I'm partial to the Deadly #^&#^&#^&#^&s, Megabaits, & mariahs... There was one other that FW, BC, & Squidmama were killing them with on the Vineyard last year - can't remember what it's name was...

I did get my first ablie ever on a pink 3oz Hab's needle fish a few years back on Nantucket - Remember that Schoolie? 10' Ron Arra & a Mag Elite and I'm hooking up on an Albie when the dedicated Eel Pointers are casting 50' too short...

Nope - not in the tackle business. The only quasi-commercial thing I got going with fishing is this lil' board... Although, I probably semi-retire and guide (in 25 years) ;D

[schoolie monster]

The much maligned 3oz, 12" pink needlefish... unsurpassed albie slayer! Didn't you have another one on, or did you get a small blue? I can't remember.

Later that week, Tom (my ucle) got an albie on a 3oz yellow ranger during the infamous "bluefish blitz being interupted by wife hooking seagull and subsequent fight with peta card carrying woman" incident. That was also at Great Point.

I also saw a guy get an albie on a bomber at great point... and I've never caught one of those bastards. No justice. Hooked one on a fly from a boat and hooked one ever so briefly on swedish pimple. This year I'll get a few, I predict.

[Got Stripers]

I've got to get into some of that Albie action, so when you know they are around and you need a boat to get out to them, just give me a call .

[JohnR]

GS? You ever get those before?

Got Albies?

[Got Stripers]

Never caught one before John, but from everything I hear, they are a "must catch" fish. I'm really hoping to get with someone on the board, FW and BC will be doing the Albie drool soon and I'm hoping to get down to the Vineyard while they are down in Sept.

My friend Pete got into some last fall on a friend's boat. Not much was working, until he threw them some of my hand poured jerkbaits and they proceeded to gobble them up. I'm guessing a wire leader is a must though, which reminds me....got to order some more of those XPS Titanium Leaders from BPS. Pricey, but the 30#-9" leader I fished the couple times this spring at Cotuit, looked brand new after some 40 blues had worked it over. Only have one left, so I've got to order a couple more.

If you get on some Albies at RI and a boat might help , give me a call.

[JohnR]

No leader needed, or desired. People think bass are leader shy - albies are probably even more sensitive... The key thing (most of the time) is a speedy retrieve. More often than not (although there first one I ever caught was just by causing a comotion 8) )

[Slipknot]

Flourocarbon leaders GS. They have excellant eyesight.