V hits the water, so it begins

[willy]

Well boys my marina in which I will be stored on a rack starting May 1st has allowed me to put the boat in a slip now so I can fish the early stripers and the winter flounder season, spent the past few days servicing the lady and getting her ready.
Today the V got launched, she purrs like a kitten and we had a great day on water, even got a little sun burnt.
No stripers yet, got a couple of Skates and my buddy pulled in one nice Flounder. Nothing else happening. Bait fish are starting to stack up in the bay. No big bunker yet, some guys were hitting short bass but we saw none and the flounder were not around in all the normal haunts.
Anyhow she looks sweet sitting in a berth and is rather lonely in the water with only three other boats on the water.
She handled, well like a V, flew across the water and reminded me why these are one of the most enduring designs in history. The Yamaha 150 2stroke is a dream engine and purrs.
It is going to be a good year

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f138/bill_schultz/IMGP0871.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f138/bill_schultz/IMGP0872.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f138/bill_schultz/IMGP0874.jpg

[willy]

Oh I forgot, two serious fisherman and good friends Jeff with the flounder and Tommy. They both love the V and say it is one of the nicest boats you can fish from, they love my bowling alley cockpit area.
Both own their own boats and they are sweet themselves so high praise indeed.

[Chomper]

Great pics! Looked like a great day to be on the water.

[bradford]

Looks good Willy!

[RWilson2526]

Awesome Willy....It was a nice day today ...clear and bright with very little wind....hope to see you out there soon.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Nice pics, but what's with the long sleeves? It was 90 today at my place, way to hot out for anything but shorts.

[phester]

Nice pics, but what's with the long sleeves? It was 90 today at my place, way to hot out for anything but shorts.
QUIET YOU!.......j/k ferm, nice to be back on the water isn't young Will? I pulled the cover off today and dropped the batteries in. She was up and running in short order. Other than loading her up w/ lines, anchors, pfds, ect. I is ready. Have yet to install kicker motor, maybe this weekend. Have a good season Willy.

[macojoe]

Congrats!! We will not be having any good fishing here for another month:bat:

[willy]

Thanks guys, Ferm it got to the 60 degree area but early in the day and late it is chilly and water temps are mid 40's
Phester it is sweet to be out again on the salt, but I will tell ya a day in the sun and all the prep and running the boat, well I was tired last night, came home had some dinner, two fingers of Basil Hayden and hit the sack.
MJ the fish will be there soon and I know you will find them, here in NJ we used to be able to fish for winter flounder, well thru the winter but for years they have made the season start later and later so by the time we are able to go after them the largest fish have moved out of the rivers and bays and are scattered throughout as they prepare to head off shore. So finding them is a hit or miss deal.
There is a bunch of bait in the water in Raritan Bay now but the big bunker will not be here in numbers until two to four weeks from now but when they do the big BIG Stripers will be right on their butts.
And the V will be right on them cause I don't need to wait for May 1st to get them!!

[C YENSEN]

as always.....lookin good:clap::sun:

[Blue_Runner]

Good report Willy...I'll be hitting the salt easter weekend, but probably not on my V. I've been dock fishing the lake just about every evening for the pre-spawn crappies. Fried some up the other night, they were right tasty.

Congrats on the splash and here's to many more!

[willy]

Blue Man if I had a dock with gills or crappies I would probably never leave

[Blue_Runner]

Funny you say that....I tried some crappie about 5 years ago and thought it was aweful. Turns out I didn't know what I was doing back then. Its a shame it took me this long to realize it.

[lumberslinger178]

Willy I envy you brother , Now I have to look into getting the Bump-kens out of wraps.:love::love::love::love:

[Mac_Attack]

Nice report Willy! It's about a month away for me. Keep posting. Thanks Billy Mac

[randlemanboater]

Man......you old retired guys have all the fun.

[steplift20]

the picture could have been alot better if those 2 guys were not standing infront of the v but i could still see her lines, hey where do you guys fish? it looks like atlantic highlands to me, thats where i fish from, but i am still in my driveway but i will be heading down there in about 2 weeks, just kidding nice fish uh i mean boat

[willy]

Steplift I am in a marina just inside of Keyport public launch if you know where that is, the Highlands is where I was last year, I am about 15 to 20 minutes from there by water now.

[RWilson2526]

Willy, I know generally what a wet slip costs in that area...how does price compare to dry stack....I would like to do that some time in the future as I dont want to bottom paint.

[willy]

I shopped this year for the best deal and Browns Point Marina is putting me on a rack, which is what I prefer for several reasons for the best price and I am right on the water with five minutes of no wake thru the Keyport Yacht Club moorings.
It is sweet there, I am in the upper part of the bay where most of the best fishing is and a fifteen minute cruise to the Hook and environs. At Browns Point there are no bridges, no low water problems and the people are nice.
The Atlantic Highlands is where I was last year and my good friend is still there. Lot more expensive, the ride was another 20something minutes down rt 36 and all those lights.
Now I get out of the water, jump in the car, no lights and right over the Driscoll bridge and 30=40 minutes I am home.
If you guys are looking Browns Point was the best deal out there and they still have some racks open I believe and they have slips too. I am paying 110 a foot for rack storage and most places were charging 115 120- for an in water slip, racks were more. In the Highlands they wanted 2800 to 3300 for the same thing.

[Blue_Runner]

110 a foot for rack storage
Yet another reason to own a 20 ft boat!!

[RWilson2526]

Great info there Willy, thanks. I was just thinking the other day I might take a crack at launching out of Keyport. I usually go to Leonardo or A.H. but you're so right what does that extra 20 mins (if you are lucky) get you? We do like to go up the rivers which would be a little further but for getting out in the bay it seems like a prime location.

[steplift20]

yep i thought that look farmiliar thats where i fish too you been fishimh yet?

[willy]

yea fished that day, one flounder keeper, went out today again and Zip, Nada. Talked with four other boats, no one catching any decent flounder yet for some reason we do not understand.
some are catching an occassional striper to 22 lbs, at night but nothing consistent yet.
The bay is loaded with baitfish, your screen will be covered with marks constantly anywhere you go. no big marks at all.
It is one of those transition periods right now for them, the thing that is rather off putting is the flounder, all the places where they should be right now, including further out and further inside rivers etc are not producing any fish. We did not have a single tap yesterday in six diffrent places and inspite of a chumming endeavor that was rather large.

[Blue_Runner]

Willy, if you don't mind me asking, what is your chumming technique?

[willy]

Blue I used to use chum pots, you know the metal ones that are cylindrical in shape with a end that opens up.
Not any more I now use onion bags that they get in the grocery stores, no more trying to get all the stuff out of the metal mesh, now we just throw it out at the end of the day. Sweet.
We vary what we use based on what is on hand but generally I have a big plastic bucket and I take mussels and a can of Mackerel from the grocery store, about a dollar and crush it all together, sometimes we also put cat food (cheap) in. Smash it all up together add one store bought clam and fish frozen log to the bunch and drop it down until it hits bottom, lift up a foot or so, so that it bobs up and down with the boat action, make another bag up and drop it in also. we double anchor (bow and stern) so we are sideways to the current and drop are lines in just out from the boat.
We have tried other things including small jigs etc but never as productive. At least when the fish are there.
The slick of oil and bits and pieces that come off the chum bags is pretty amazing and we have to redo them about every half hour depending on current.
Most flounder this time of year are up in shallow flats (dark mud preferred)
during the day to warm up and feed on all the invertrabates in the mud.

[reelapeelin]

Willy...looks like ya got all the horns knocked off the goat and ready for a great season...good luck and keep the pics comin'!!...:clap:

[msbhammer]

Happy that you decided to go back to a V Willy. : )
I'll get one again soon I hope....but Lefty has such a big "Honey To Do List" : )