Ocean Snappers

[Billfish715]

We picked at some throwback fluke on Sunday just off MI, the ACR, EnRocks, Walsh's, the pipe and Bay Head. We never found the migrating concentrations we were hoping would be there. It was one or two here and everywhere but not a keeper in the bunch. Off Mantoloking, we stumbled on scattered flocks of birds diving on feeding snappers and weakfish. We chased them around while casting 007's, and various small metals. Despite their diminutive size, we had fun catching them on very light tackle. It was a classic jigging experience only on a miniature level. The birds were working the same way as they do when the big choppers are around. The pattern was the same ......blues on top.......weakfish on the bottom, except, the fish were small. Sooner or later, a few little tunny will find those same baitfish as the snappers did. The water actually did clear a little since last week......but only a little. By the way, a gill netter was on those bite-sized blues as we were leaving. These snappers were hardly a pound and the weakfish were just as small. This west wind and falling temps will start the changeover to fall fishing a little each day.