Fishing is GREAT ~ it's just that sometimes the catching's a little slow...

Mostly limits some days, mid-teens / low twenties others. And that's not bad fishing, but with the anticipation of a fall crush ~ the 'wear your arms out' type of day that we almost always have this time of year ~ it isn't the fishing that I'd like.

The year grows shorter. Grey November skies on a flat calm day: it's a time of year I truly enjoy.

The fishing isn't what I'd expect - yesterday's limit-out and in early was the exception. Mostly we're working to get folks 'there' or close to it - working through the smalls to get keepers. I'd say we're averaging half the customers limited out.

There's only been a few days of fishing since the last report - dagoned wind won't let us be. Thursday's fishing was hampered by a pretty saucy WNW wind - a few limits, came home late.

This year I've limited-out and come in early six or seven times. Three of those trips have been the last three days.

You might say fishing for sea bass is pretty decent...

A classic north-easter.

In the early hours of Saturday, 1:30 AM, wave heights topped out at 17 feet at the buoy 15 NM east of Fenwick Island. That's nasty weather!

It hasn't been all bad though.

In my last fish report I had anticipated an upturn in the fishing and there was. The next day we had our first double limits - croaker/sea bass. With croakers up to 18 inches, that's a kind of fishing that is easy to enjoy!

Jolly 10 days since my last report. North-east winds, hurricane swells and heavy rains sum it up nicely. Then, when we did have a decent weather day, 'ol man Murphy stepped up and slipped a burst engine hose into the mix!

Tropical Storm Ernesto sure seemed like a hurricane to me! At their height, seas from the blow were running 23 feet at the DE. Lightship, a weather buoy 15 NM east of Fenwick Island, DE.

Last day of August and it's blowing a gale...

No worries, we've been spared a lot of bad weather along the beaches of the mid-Atlantic this summer. The payback might be brutal; Ernesto's not it!

The fishing part of this report won't vary much from my last. It's still the heart of August - traditionally the slowest bottom fishing.

It's not been without bright spots though.

Just a pick. Couple decent shots of fish in the last week but mostly working hard to get something going on.

We did have an 8 1/2 pound flounder and a few 5s and 6s but the catch rate has decreased of late.

This happened last year too. I don't know what to make of it. (except dinner!)

In the last few days sea bass have tapered mightily and flounder have come on strong. There's been a few dandies, up to 8 pounds, but most are a just an inch or 2 over the 15 1/2 inch size limit.

I almost sent a 'fish report' after 3 rock solid great days last week. It really was May in July. Many limits. Nice.

Now it's July again!

This summer's roller coaster of sea bass fishing continues. Yesterday we had all we could do to scratch dinner out of the day - high man had 16. The day before that, high man was a girl - age 11 - she had 16 too.

Consistent. I actually used that word to describe the fishing in my last report. At the time it was true!

You could say there's variety in catch levels now.

Fishing has been what you might want it to be - consistent.

The majority of trips have seen limits of sea bass around the rail or dern close to it. At exactly 12 inches that's 25 feet of fish per person. 28 feet more likely.

Early on in the week fresh northerly winds had us boxed in but eased as the day went along. Improving sea conditions allowed a 'save' that day; most fishers were in the upper teens and a few were pushing a limit of cbass.

Shuffling anchors, changing bait - working through a day to make it productive for each day's passengers; that's what the fishing has been. Then, Tuesday, it seemed to loosen up. The bite lasted longer, there was a nicer grade of fish and even a few tog slid into the net.

Sea Bass, while hardly 'easy', are definitely here. We're averaging 1/3 to 1/2 the customers finishing with a limit; the rest have to suffer with high teens / low twenties.

Always a cheerful thing - to have someone declare the first cbass limit of the year. Three limits yesterday, seven or eight today; most everyone else just shy. Nice.