On board today: Lt. Col. Richard “The Machine” Comstock – Day 2.

At first light NE winds and chop – and it never let up all morning. No birds, little topwater or marked fish in the bay, except for one school of fish that was an acre across at one point. But that school did not stay up and broke up with the outgoing tide and never showed again.

The Colonel made heroic attempts to cast a fly in 15 knots NE/non-stop chop, to breaking fish on a popper and floating line. He did amazingly well and landed and released 10 striped bass. But the fish did not stay around and we began to look for structure spots and set drifts in the hopes of finding some more bass. We did not. I finally called the trip and we headed back to port calling a 10 fish morning on the fly under these conditions, a great and challenging day on the bay.

Hoping these winds lay back down and the bay fills back up with fish. STAY POSTED: You will be seeing a lot of the Colonel this season, hooked up!

Capt. David Bitters, BAYMEN, www.baymenlife.com