As we skip across a bumpy surface, a gust of north wind blows David's hat off the port stern of the skiff. He taps me on the shoulder in a futile effort to request its retrieve. "No way, man!"I scream over the delightful hum of the skiff's outboard. There is a sense of urgency today. The wind is cranking out of the northeast, and the swell on the ocean side is forecasted at 8-plus feet. David and I both know that in September that's a darn good recipe for giant blues and big stripers over the turbulent shallow bars that dot the New York and New Jersey inlet approaches.

We can hear the menacing sound of crashing surf as we near the inlet. White water appears from a distance on the sandbar just west of the shipping channel. "It's pumping in pretty good!" David yells. Screeching gulls appear as we get closer, wheeling and diving over the white water, successfully plucking airborne finger mullet uselessly fleeing from ravenous predators. The swell sets roll in at approximately two-minute intervals. David startles me by pointing and screaming, "Wow! Did you see that?" From the shipping channel, I peer into an incoming swell lined with the silhouettes of a half-dozen very large bluefish mixed with a few bulky stripers, all facing into the quickly ebbing tide. The wave rolls, curls and breaks, leaving in its wake a foamy brine. The slaughter begins - mullet fly, birds scream and violent splashes appear in every direction. I motor around to the leeward side as David ties on a foam popper, scrambling to get ready. No words are needed. I wait for the last swell of a set to move through, then motor in with the bow facing in the direction of the incoming swells as David instinctually casts into the turgid froth. One strip and the water violently explodes. A 36-inch bluefish does a spectacular tail walk across the foamy surface. "Hold on!" I scream as I slam the boat in reverse and get us clear before the next set bears down. David's reel wails as fly line and backing quickly melt away. Several minutes later, in the safety of the shipping channel, David poses for a photo before tossing the big chopper bluefish back to continue its massacre. We quickly head back into the surf zone, looking for more of that adrenaline-pumping excitement common to this brand of extreme fishing.

A far cry from the tranquil and serene trout streams that gave rise to the time-honored sport of fly-fishing, this bend of the sport is anything but relaxing. There are a lot of close calls and heart-thumping, high-powered action. It is definitely not for the novice angler or the faint of heart. In fact, the only ones who really qualify to participate in this particular type of mayhem are the truly hard-core anglers, the ones who don't mind going out in cold, windy, rough weather and being screamed at to hold on when an approaching swell threatens your well-being. It's for professional captains and very experienced boat owners who know how to navigate the rough stuff. This is extreme fishing in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and if it's done safely and correctly it can be a ton of fun.

Safety First

No fish is worth your life. I say this with the utmost seriousness. As a former U.S. Coast Guard small-boat coxswain, I've been involved in dozens of search-and-rescue operations for inexperienced or just plain stupid boaters who got "fish fever" and jeopardized the safety of everyone on board. The awesome spectacle of big fish inside a big swell and the blitzes that take place in the following wash will make any red-blooded angler want to zoom in and start casting. This sometimes-uncontrollable urge can spell disaster as boats frequently capsize, resulting in lost property and, in at least one case during my four-year Coast Guard enlistment, lost life. Getting into shallow water is one thing, but getting into the break zone of a sandbar requires some skill and a great deal of prudence. Even when the swell doesn't look all that dangerous, there is always a chance that a rogue wave will approach while you're not paying attention. Being cautious could save you several thousand dollars in salvage and repair costs, but more important, it could save your life.

A small to average swell (up to 4 feet) is fishable, but still requires a great deal of skill and caution. Fishing in the break zone of anything over that is not recommended unless an experienced, professional captain is at the helm. A good sturdy boat and a motor that has no history of stalling are absolutely necessary. A belly post can be worth its weight in gold in this scenario and will ensure that the angler on the bow stays there even in the roughest conditions. It can make the difference between a great day of fishing and a cold and uncomfortable swim. It is imperative that one person man the throttle at all times. When a rogue wave approaches, the helmsman has to be ready to get out of there well before it crashes.

Approaching the white water from the down-current or leeward side is important as well. This way you can work the edge of the really hairy stuff, and in case the motor does stall, the wind and/or current will push you out of the surf line instead of into it. Never turn the motor off! The fish during these blitzes are so fired up that they won't spook easily, and you don't want to be fiddling with a key and a stubborn motor when a nasty-looking swell approaches. If the surf looks too big (anything over 4 feet), have the sense not to go in. Wait until a high tide, when usually the size of the swell will be smaller and the break zone less difficult to navigate.

Mullet in the Fall

Having said my piece about safety, the fishing can be spectacular during big-swell scenarios in the months of August through October because of the presence of mullet. In the mid-Atlantic and the southern Northeast regions, migrating white mullet show up in mid- to late August and stick around for a month to a month and a half before moving back to warmer waters. The bluish-gray color on the upper body of this long and slender baitfish fades to silver on the sides and white underneath. Locally called finger mullet, this bait usually ranges in size from 4 to 8inches. They feed on algae, detritus and other marine microorganisms. They ingest food by picking up sand from the bottom and sifting edible material through gill rakers and tiny teeth. These wave-battered sandbars offer dislodged food in the form of tiny crustaceans, attracting mullet in large numbers to feed. The flesh of this species has one of the highest sources of omega-3fatty acids, making it a sought-after food source for hungry stripers, blues and even large false albacore. When you find the mullet schools, you're sure to find hungry predators close by. When the surf is particularly big, mullet that have gathered to feed amid the suspended sand are also very susceptible to getting tossed around by the roiling water. Disoriented mullet often get separated from the school and can be seen bouncing out of the water with a big striper or bluefish in pursuit.

When

A heavy swell in mid- to late August is a good indication that you will find mullet on these rough sandbars. Upon their August arrival, trophy bluefish are the first to be seen feeding on them. Many anglers thumb their noses at blues because of their sharp teeth and ability to destroy flies and plugs, as well as their poor eating quality, but the big ones can be a blast. They exhibit the same spectacular qualities as any top-notch game fish: They jump, tail-walk and generally fight like the dickens. They can also get quite large, and their dark backs are easy to spot when the sun is high.

The striper fishing doesn't really get going until September. Because the water temperature is still a bit warm for daytime fishing, you'll have to be out there at the crack of dawn. As the month of September progresses and the water cools, midday striper fishing can become more productive. Overcast weather and big surf usually mean the striper action will be good all day.

Occasionally in September, larger-than-normal false albacore will venture into the surf line after these oil-rich baitfish. Keeping mind that it takes a very large albie to eat a 4- or 6-inchmullet, so expect fish in the 12-plus-pound range. The result is some extraordinary shallow-water fishing for one of the fastest fish known to East Coast fly-rodders. If you have ever fished for albies in deeper water, you know their incredible power and speed. Multiply that by 10 when these fish are in only a few feet of water, and watch out for those knuckles!

How

Generally, when mullet are around and big blues are tearing them up in the wash, just about anything over 4 inches thrown into the mayhem brings an immediate strike. Poppers are a favorite for this scenario because of the commotion they cause and the visually spectacular surface strikes they draw. For castability, noisiness, durability and overall success, I prefer to use cone-shaped, softbody foam boilermaker poppers. When creating poppers for this type of fishing, I use EdgeWater Boilermaker Component 2/0 small bodies tied on a 4/0 long-shank hook with four 4-inch splayed feathers and a generous clump of flashabou in between. Ten-weight rods and heavy-taper, weight-forward floating lines to turn that fly overwork well under what usually amounts to windy conditions. I use the1/0 bodies with 2/0 long-shank hooks for poppers I plan on tossing with the 7- or 8-weight, but that can be a little outrageous when fishing for these brutes and often results in a broken rod or two. The most effective colors have been white-and-red or solid chartreuse, but color isn't as important as how much commotion the popper makes.

While stripers will most certainly attack a popper pulled through the wash, they can be a bit pickier than the blues. As previously mentioned, the low-light hours are by far the most productive in September. After observing for several years the many surf casters of Montauk and Cape Cod using yellow darters and "chicken-scratch" bombers at night during mullet runs, I realized there must be something to this color. After having limited success with black 6-inch Deceivers and half-and-halfs, I decided to try tying a chicken-scratch half-and-half. When field-testing this fly, the first cast took a striper well over 20 pounds right off the bat. For reasons that I'm not quite sure of, this fly when fished on a clear intermediate line in the wash of a sandbar works extremely well in low-light conditions when mullet are abundant. Once the dim light of early morning gives way to full sunlight, stripers tend to hold on the drop-offs of the sandbars. A sinking line that will get you down to 10 feet will work well here. Big blue-over-white Deceivers mimicking the basic colors of a white mullet will produce in this scenario.

While I don't thoroughly understand it, false albacore feeding on these mullet will almost never hit a yellow fly. However, the same blue-over-white bulky Deceivers we use for the deeper daytime stripers fished on clear intermediate lines will draw some pretty startling hits from these speedsters. At least once, this resulted in a rod actually flying out of an angler's hand and into the water. Larger crease flies in the 3- to 4-inch range are effective as well and can attract some heart-stopping surface strikes.

A good ocean swell in August though October, coupled with a stiff offshore wind, which tends to clean it up some, can provide extraordinary opportunities for those who practice caution and possess excellent boat-handling skills and the hardiness to fish in rough water. Sometimes it can be enough just to watch the spectacle from the shipping channel as the food chain exposes itself in broad daylight. Mullet prey on dislodged food as opportunistic bass, blues and even false albacore attack the mullet while waves roll in and crash, one after the other. If you live in the mid-Atlantic or the southern Northeast states or plan on visiting soon, odds are there is a guide in your area who can show you this amazing blitz when conditions permit.

Capt. John McMurray is currently the program officer at the Norcross Wildlife Foundation in New York. He is also a saltwater fly-fishing guide in Rockaway, New York, and the owner of One More Cast Guiding Service. You can contact him atjohnmcmurray@prodigy.net.