Pepper Park-Did I see Bonita???

[tasteslikechikn54]

Pepperpark it is, then.... I've been hitting the bay a lot. But, I've been hitting up shelter island and a cool little launch I spotted the other day that puts me in right in front of seaport village. Spottie city.... I think ill change it up and hit up pepperpark this week. Where does one fish around there? Never launched there before....

[kobra]

Launch from the boat ramp and head west. You can fish the channel or wait till you get to the other side. Once to the other side you can follow the channel north or south or keep going west and fish the flats.

[taggermike]

Bonito have been scarce the last few years but they do get all the way down in to the J St. boat basin. I saw a few spots of small ones boiling in the channel a few months ago and I have caught decent bonito, 5lbs or so, in the basin over the years. I've seen the bones go so crazy in there that they were pushing bait right up on to the launch ramp. Last week I did see a few spots of mackeral working bait in the basin between the fishing pier and the first line of boats. Vina are in the basin but when they boil it is kinda slow with just a swirl or deep boil. Macks show little flurries with small spashes. Bones on the other hand really boil, especially the larger ones. If you saw any thing that resembled a tuna foamer with tight areas of working fish, lots of splashing, and even fish coming clear out of the water it was bonito. There are swarms of small, 1-2inch, smelt in the basin right now so the fish you saw might have been targeting them. I don't know if any one fishes the ball and feather but that might be about the only way to match the hatch. Mike

[yakman619]

Yeah..they were coming clear out of the water, and they were going ape shit.They would boil for a good minute, dissapear, I'd see them pass under my fishfinder (they were huge), then boil again further down 5 minutes later, Wish I could tell you guys what they were or describe them a little better.

Originally Posted by taggermike

Bonito have been scarce the last few years but they do get all the way down in to the J St. boat basin. I saw a few spots of small ones boiling in the channel a few months ago and I have caught decent bonito, 5lbs or so, in the basin over the years. I've seen the bones go so crazy in there that they were pushing bait right up on to the launch ramp. Last week I did see a few spots of mackeral working bait in the basin between the fishing pier and the first line of boats. Vina are in the basin but when they boil it is kinda slow with just a swirl or deep boil. Macks show little flurries with small spashes. Bones on the other hand really boil, especially the larger ones. If you saw any thing that resembled a tuna foamer with tight areas of working fish, lots of splashing, and even fish coming clear out of the water it was bonito. There are swarms of small, 1-2inch, smelt in the basin right now so the fish you saw might have been targeting them. I don't know if any one fishes the ball and feather but that might be about the only way to match the hatch. Mike

[roadx]

look something like this? caught this couple weekends ago at the cays

[yakman619]

Originally Posted by roadx

look something like this? caught this couple weekends ago at the cays

No..They didn't look like that.

[taggermike]

Hey Kobra, thanks for pointing out the age thing out. Yep the ol' ball and feather has been around a long time. I've seen it work in a bunch of places but haven't seen it used for a while. But then I am an Old Fart. The bonies in the bay are some times tough to catch. They are on small baits and for some reason they won't hit small spoons or plastics as well as bones in the ocean will. Trolling small plugs like yo-zuris will get them some times, but the best is, or at least has been, the ball and feather. I've seen the B&F so ghetto I never thought it would work but the guy was slaying em off the Oside pier. He had a gulf ball with an eye bolt drilled through it, maybe 5 feet of leader down to a single hook with about an inch of white drink straw over the hook. Mike

[kobra]

Originally Posted by taggermike

Bonito have been scarce the last few years but they do get all the way down in to the J St. boat basin. I saw a few spots of small ones boiling in the channel a few months ago and I have caught decent bonito, 5lbs or so, in the basin over the years. I've seen the bones go so crazy in there that they were pushing bait right up on to the launch ramp. Last week I did see a few spots of mackeral working bait in the basin between the fishing pier and the first line of boats. Vina are in the basin but when they boil it is kinda slow with just a swirl or deep boil. Macks show little flurries with small spashes. Bones on the other hand really boil, especially the larger ones. If you saw any thing that resembled a tuna foamer with tight areas of working fish, lots of splashing, and even fish coming clear out of the water it was bonito. There are swarms of small, 1-2inch, smelt in the basin right now so the fish you saw might have been targeting them. I don't know if any one fishes the ball and feather but that might be about the only way to match the hatch. Mike

Ball and feather? Wow Mike, didn't know you were that old. Don't think many guys know about the ole ball and feather. Cept us old farts.