[Michael]

High tide for Bridgeport was scheduled for 10:51am today so I headed down to Seaside hoping for schoolie action again. My setup was a new medium light 7' Okuma travler's saltwater spinning rod with a Penn Pursuit 4000 rigged with 10 pound Cajun Red.

Started off at the Fayerweather Island jetty around 9:30am with the shad Shallow Shad Rap SSR-9. Winds were steady 5 to 10 mph with occasional 15mph gusts coming out of the N and NE. That made it hard to cast with the SSR-9 on the Seaside Park side of the jetty.

Never got into anything with the SSR-9 on both sides of the jetty. Other lures I played with were a flake purple ghost Max Rap MXR-15, original pearl shad Flat Rap FLR-10, purple gold Clackin Rap CNR-7, spotted minnow Saltwater X-Rap SXR-10, and mullet Saltwater Rattlin Rap SRNR-7.

Lost the SSR-9 in the rocks as I was taking it off the line. Caught a 15" schoolie with the Clackin Rap and had 1 swipe that gave me slack in the line.

Later as the tide was turning, I rode my bike over to the cannon to see if anything was happening there. Casted the purple gold CNR-7 out there but nothing. Tried a purpledescent Shallow Shad Rap SSR-9 and nada. Next lure was the original pearl shad FLR-10. First cast out there and fish on!

Continued with the Flat Rap as the tide was heading out. Caught a total of 7 schoolies ranging from 14" 1 pound to chubby 18" 3 1/2 pounds. Had many hits too. Saw 2 come shooting up from the deep to grab the FLR-10. Retrieve was an average slow steady striper retrieve. Once the tide was halfway out, things stopped.

Hit the road around 1:45pm.

All schoolies were fun on my new medium light setup.

Seemed like the choppiness over by Fayerweather Island was the reason why they weren't hitting there. The water was calmer by the cannon.