Bay very active this morning on the dropping tide. Several schools of striped bass with blues mixed in, and some big schools of hickory shad in the bay. Some big bass are around in the mix…

Also, lots and lots of gulls and shorebirds in the bay, and huge flocks of cormorant rounding up peanut bunker and driving it right against the shoreline and then feasting on them. The gulls fly ahead and wait on the edge of the shore for the cormorant to push the peanut bunker to them. Symbiotic relationships in nature. Very few bass tight to shore at First  Light, most out in the middle of the bay, several hundred yards from shore. Big schools with birds.

Also, an otter in the Bluefish River swam right by me this AM. More hickory shad in the river and bass breaking right inside the tunnel. Front beach very quiet as far as topwater striped bass action this morning. They could be there on the bottom, but no sign of topwater this am…Some slot keepers are under the lights around the docks. They are stuffed and won’t eat a fly.Just mulling about and very lethargic. 

A warm, fall morning this am. Winds light SE and air temps 65 degrees. A hard cold snap and frost, or a change of wind to the NNW will shake things up and push bait and bass south of us.

STAY POSTED: 

Capt. Dave, BAYMEN, baymenlife.com