Surf Fishing Report 5/4

[JMSurfFishing]

Been meaning to post this report from a 5/4 outing for a while but have a baby on the way and haven't gotten around to it. Hope that everyone has a great 4th!

Wife was out of town for the weekend so decided to make a run down the shore to get some fishing in near IBSP area. Left the house at 5:30 am, East wind about 10-15 mph and high tide at 5:20 am. The bite has been all on clams so picked up live and fresh shucked and hit the beach. Moved around to different areas looking for life but no bites. Switched over to the bay and found some anglers fly casting from the marsh for blues. Gave up around 10:00 am and headed to Betty and Nicks for hot coffee and a breakfast sandwich calling my name.

Waited out low tide for a bit and moved to Seaside. Bite was slow but I was patient and it eventually paid off with a 27.5” striper. Decided to throw lures on a second rod while the bait rod was out and of course on the first few casts the bait rod got smoked. Ran over and by the time I got to the rod, the fish bit through the rig and cut off. Definitely a big blue since they're around. Back to Betty and Nicks for more clams and headed to IBSP for the tip of high tide late afternoon.

Decided to try a new spot in IBSP. At this point, light rain moved in and the wind picked up a bit more. Temps were chilly and I thought about packing it in a few times. Had a few bites and got a 23” striper on clams. Stayed in the same spot for about 45 min with no hits and decided to move about 50 feet to the right where I saw some darker water and a deeper hole. About 15 minutes later, my rod gets absolutely whacked and I run to start reeling. As soon as I picked up the rod, the drag was screaming and I could feel the power of the fish. Even though I was using circle hooks, I gave the fish a few good hook sets to make sure that hook was firmly in there. I saw a splash at the surface pretty far out which confused me for a little and made me question whether I hooked a shark. Could just make out a large shadow on the surface. Fish was making short, powerful runs with head shakes and when it paused I took advantage to gain ground. As it got closer, I was waiting to see glimpses of the fish and finally saw the distinct top fins of a beautiful striped bass. Got a good look at him and my heart was pounding when I realized how big this fish was. I used the waves to help push the fish up on the beach careful not to put too much pressure on the line and snap it off. I ran down to the water to push the fish up just past where the water was washing in.

I wanted to make sure this fish was released as quickly and cleanly as possible. Ran to get a measuring tape and pliers from my surf bag. Circle hook did its job right in the side of the mouth and came out easily. Got a quick measure to 40”, fish was an absolute beast. Took a few pics and focused on getting a good grip to carry this fish back to the water. Held him by the tail for a bit to get some water running over the gills and he looked strong enough to kick off. Eventually let him go and he started swimming back towards the beach in the shallow water. Got him by the tail again and turned him around, held him for a bit longer and he eventually kicked off strong. Good release which made me happy. Sat there for a few minutes staring at the water and enjoying the moment getting my PB from the surf. My body was beat up and I packed it in for a burger and a few cold beers.

Epic day!

[AndyS]

Great report ! You ever fish at night ??

[duranautic al]

...May 4th??!!... great cutting edge,up to date report!...still better contribution then most of us make here though...

[Gerry Zagorski]

Better late than never 😂