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It's been tough for me to find much time lately to squeeze any fishing in, but I finally made it out to the OC inlet for the first time this year. I went out Friday evening after work for close to two hours and then a gain for a couple hours Sunday morning. Both trips I solely focused on sheepshead fishing using fleas.
Friday evening I stuck to the inside of the jetty due to a couple boats sitting on the tip casting the entire time. And the offshore boat traffic coming back in was high, so there was a lot of wake (last day of the Poor Girl's Open). The black will's were eager to greet my return to the jetty. I couldn't keep the darn things away! I did catch one that I might consider calling a sea bass at 10.5". Otherwise a gazillion 6"ers down there right now. Picked up a bunch of 14 - 16" stripers, and a few toads too. Not having fished for sheep in a while, I found I was a bit rusty on the hookset. I had one sheep rob me probably 4 or 5 times before I got snagged and had to quick re-tie. By the time I got re-rigged and dropped back down I couldn't find the sheep again.
I launched early on Sunday morning and had to be off the water before noon. Met up with Chimo and one of his buddies in the morning. We fished off the submerged portion of the jetty until the current started gaining momentum. I didn't have any luck there other than black willie nibbles. They moved out to some ocean wrecks after that, but I went inside the jetty since I couldn't stay all day. Once inside, I again found way too many willies then I care to catch. I also got a half dozen short tog - biggest was 14". One of the tog's I hooked had a good sized triggerfish come up with it, but I never did see the trigger again or get it to bite. Caught a small striper. Only got one sheep bite all day but, unlike Friday evening, no swinging and missing this time! A nice little 19" went on the grill later that evening!
I almost forgot how much fun fishing the inlet is. Here's hoping the sheepshead bite only improves in the coming weeks! (and I have the time to fish for them
)
Friday evening I stuck to the inside of the jetty due to a couple boats sitting on the tip casting the entire time. And the offshore boat traffic coming back in was high, so there was a lot of wake (last day of the Poor Girl's Open). The black will's were eager to greet my return to the jetty. I couldn't keep the darn things away! I did catch one that I might consider calling a sea bass at 10.5". Otherwise a gazillion 6"ers down there right now. Picked up a bunch of 14 - 16" stripers, and a few toads too. Not having fished for sheep in a while, I found I was a bit rusty on the hookset. I had one sheep rob me probably 4 or 5 times before I got snagged and had to quick re-tie. By the time I got re-rigged and dropped back down I couldn't find the sheep again.
I launched early on Sunday morning and had to be off the water before noon. Met up with Chimo and one of his buddies in the morning. We fished off the submerged portion of the jetty until the current started gaining momentum. I didn't have any luck there other than black willie nibbles. They moved out to some ocean wrecks after that, but I went inside the jetty since I couldn't stay all day. Once inside, I again found way too many willies then I care to catch. I also got a half dozen short tog - biggest was 14". One of the tog's I hooked had a good sized triggerfish come up with it, but I never did see the trigger again or get it to bite. Caught a small striper. Only got one sheep bite all day but, unlike Friday evening, no swinging and missing this time! A nice little 19" went on the grill later that evening!
I almost forgot how much fun fishing the inlet is. Here's hoping the sheepshead bite only improves in the coming weeks! (and I have the time to fish for them
)
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