Dana Pride 6/17 - 3/4 day: Report

[DementedFish]

6:00 am. The engines on the Dana Pride fire up, and we load up with fresh sardines from the bait dock. The day was very cloudy, and I could tell the sun wasn't coming out. At least it seemed like a good day of fishing.

After about an hour of going south, and the powerplant comes in view, the captain slows down the ship, and circles the area while the deckhands throw out sardines for chum.

I tie on a rig similar to a carolina setup, but with a torpedo sinker, and put on a fresh sardine. The fishing was very slow in the first 30 min. Only people in the back of the boat were hooking up with sand bass. Finally, after waiting for so long, the fishing gets to be wide open, and I hook up with some bass, and the people around me finally do too.

After about 30 more min., the captain tells us to bring up our lines, and we try somewhere else. I ended up catching 4 sand bass on anchovies and on a chartruese skampi.

Later, I got a chance to move to the back, where I remained for the rest of the day. I caught 4 more bass, and 1 skate.

Today, hooking the bass was very difficult. Literally EVERY time I dropped my sardine, I got hit. They just weren't eating them. I'm thinking that sardines are too big for bass.

Today my total count was 8 sand bass, 1 skate. My friend tony caught 4 sand bass.

The captain pulled back into the dock after a pretty good day of fishing. I hope to go out there again soon!

[PilotBryson]

Wow, sounds like anchovies are the way to go. Good luck next time!

[cst]

from my last two outings it seems like those swimbaits with the curly tails are the way to go, but ive only caught 3 fish on them and it feels like im doing something wrong. how do you guys get the 1/2 ounce lure near the bottom?

[Wahoo!]

Thanks for the report Sean. I'm glad you guys had fun.

cst, you just keep your reel in freespool while it sinks and then start your retrieve when it hits bottom. When you're fishing for bass though, you don't always have to fish the bottom. Often they are suspended in different parts of the water column. You just have to experiment and pay attention to where other people are hooking up.

[DementedFish]

Yea it was pretty fun. I forgot to mention that I caught 2 large bass each weighing around 3 1/2 pounds.

[jstcrzyengh]

Wow sean good job on the big fish, can we see the pics? I mean fish that size you MUST of taken some pictures... (Waiting for the obligatory "It was broken" "I forgot it at home" "oops I totally forgot to take pictures" "I wish I would of taken pictureS")

[DementedFish]

yes i did take pictures, but my computer is down, that's why I have been using my dad's computer for the past month. When i do get it back, I will post the pictures from all my trips.

[cst]

your killing the larger bass, didnt you have a 3.5#er during the get together also?

[DementedFish]

yea i did. However I think the bass I caught yesterday was a little bit smaller than the one on the charter though.