Better than Shopping at the Outlets

Spent Saturday on the beach with a new friend while our significant others hit the outlets.  Started our day at Bill's Sport Shop to pick up some fresh bunker and bloodworms, then took the Frontier out for its first spin on the sand.  The truck handled like a dream and will be making many more voyages.  The weather sucked.  There was an east wind off the ocean and fog was limiting visibility to less than a quarter mile.  However, it was definitely better than shopping.  We soaked bait for about 4 hours and caught the skunk.  It was early in the season, and most of the stripers are still far enough off the beach to be out of casting range, unless you can cast over a mile. 

On the way out, we encountered a traffic jam at an intersection.  After taking a wave while setting the rod in the holder, I was cold and just wanted to get back to the hotel to get a hot shower.  I said to my buddy, these people better not be taking pictures of just deer.  Finally some of the cars moved on and as we came around the corner we were greeted by this sight:

 We both exclaimed at the same time, "It's an albino!"  While it certainly looks all white, there is some brown on the head.  It was a very cool way to wrap up the trip. That night we had an excellent sushi dinner.  If ever in Rehoboth Beach, you can't go wrong with The Cultured Pearl.

Striper Charter with First Light Charters

Had a charter with Capt. Cook of First Light Charters on Saturday, November 26.  This trip was booked in the spring with thoughts of giant stripers and lots of them.  The fish didn't exactly cooperate but we had a good time and had a Captain that was willing to work and put in time to get us a keeper.

We met up with Capt. Cook at the dock at 300 PM to hit the water.  After launching the boat and talking a bit, we decided to head out to some rips in Delaware Bay to see if we couldn't entice some bigger keepers since Indian River Inlet hadn't been giving up anything.  After a 14 mile ride, we were on the first rip and experienced the most beautiful sunset ever.  I took a picture, but was unable to do Mother Nature any justice.

We worked hard drifting eels over rips anywhere from 60 feet of depth to 20 feet of depth and everywhere in between with only a dogfish of several feet of length to show for it.  After a couple hours of drifting, we decided to make the run back to the inlet and see what was happening in there.  Besides the delicious smell of french fries off the coast of Rehoboth Beach, the ride in was pretty uneventful.

We worked the new and improved bulkhead around the Coast Guard Station in the inlet with my brother-in-law picking up some schoolie stripers and some shad.  I didn't hit anything.  We then moved out and were casting plugs over the submerged end of the north jetty.  We almost immediately started hooking up with fish in the lower 20's (keeper is 28 inches).  The blood on the sides is from sea lice, these fish were fresh from the ocean and the sea lice were falling off as we were boating the fish.

My BIL hooked up with one that we thought might be a keeper, but came up short at 26 1/2.

The time for our trip was about to end, but since we were hitting fish and had spent a good deal of time out in the bay, Capt. Cook was willing to let us stay out longer to see what we were able to do.  Thankfully, we stayed and casted plugs over the submerged rocks.  I was able to bring in a 30" keeper that was our only boxed fish for the day.  I was pumped as this was my first keeper.

This was my second year in a row out with Capt. Cook.  He's a very knowledgeable Captain who will work hard to get you on fish and makes you feel very safe in his boat.  I'm looking forward to getting out with him again next year when we take on a new adventure for me, tautog fishing.  Get the tackle ready Capt. Chuck!