SD Bay - Tidelands Launch - 8/5/13

[Hobie-Pedaller]

Monday - August 5, 2013

i launched into SD Bay from Tidelands beach around 10:30 am, and landed back at the beach around 8:00 pm.
9.5 hrs on the water.

clear skies & sunny all day. atmosphere temps low to mid 70's.
15-20 mph N/NW wind mid day, then died mid afternoon, then around 10 mph W/SW wind late afternoon & evening.
(my sonar puck is located inside hull, so it does not give accurate water temps.)


the wind and it's changing directions mid day, and tidal flow directions, were a NIGHTMARE "combination", on this day....

the outgoing tidal flow after i launched, was exactly OPPOSED to the strong N/NW wind. thus, i could not drift with tide at all. wind pushed me so hard, i drifted slightly AGAINST tidal direction, during the entire outgoing tide.

then around 3 pm, just as tide was turning to incoming tide, wind mostly died, and i was able to drift fairly well with incoming tide, over the next hour or so.

but then, wind started up again, this time from W/SW direction, so it was pushing me sideways & slightly against, compared to the incoming tide drift direction.

due to these various conflicting wind/tidal combinations throughout this day, i had to do a lot more casting & reeling of baits, as opposed to just letting the baits drift behind kayak, with the tidal flow.

the bite was fairly decent most of day, but battling opposing wind/tidal flow directions, made for a bit of an extra challenge all day long.

the best fish of the day included:
a few 14" Spotted Bay Bass, and many more around 12" to 13" Spots.


My Total Fish Summary:

(61) Total Fish..... i managed to catch only 3 different species on this day.

(59) Spotted Bay Bass (~8" - 14")
(1) Barred Sand Bass (~ 8")
(1) Lizard Fish (~9")

this is one thing i like about Tidelands, compared to Shelter Island....
i typically catch MORE Bass, and RARELY catch Lizards.
(but i do catch more Halis, Bones, Corvina, around the Shelter Island area.)

[ALL fish released.]


My Baits:

Frenzy Minnow crankbait (black & gold color) was trolled some, when i pedaled to change locations.
but produced nada on this day. (not uncommon for me on Frenzy at Tidelands.)

Drop Shot rig used occasionally, with plastics & Gulp shrimp bait. produced 2 Spots, and a few more missed hits.

all other fish were caught on 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz jig-heads, some drifting, some cast & reeling.

jigs were loaded with either 5" curly tail grubs (chartreuse, black, white, motor oil) or 3" Gulp shrimp (New Penny, Nuclear Chicken).

the Gulp (both colors), was BY FAR the most productive bait on this day.
the plastic grubs, did produce a handful of fish as well.


Pictures:

here's one of the 14" Spotties, which came on the drop shot, and hit the Gulp shrimp in Nuclear Chicken color:




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tight lines to all !!!
.