2015 fall run best fishing ever?

[plugcrazy]

I dont know what to believe anymore. Reading some of the captains fishing reports out there it's like the sensationalist headlines when the hindenburg crashed, or the japs bombed pearl harbor. Best fall ever! Slaughtered the fish! Epic fishing you just find the bait and find the fish! I fished the hook this morning and caught one short striper. They said they had a great bite yesterday. If it was so great why couldn't I catch some of those fish today?
According to what I'm reading fishing for stripers in NJ is now as wonderful and easy as taking a family trip to Disney. What are you guys seeing, is it THAT good? Because I'm just not seeing it. thanks

[finchaser]

They are just drumming up business if it were so great Shark River boats and Barnegat boats would not be sailing to Mantoloing for a blitz that lasted one day nor would they have go into illegal federal waters to do it.

They use epic because most of these fluke fisherman gone wild with out snag and drop where a bass commits suicide no angler experience needed couldn't catch a fish.

2 years ago most s&d fish were 40 pound range last year 30# range this year mostly fish in the 20's next year most fish won't be able to swallow these horse bunker

Lets not forget Sundays 1 day peanut bunker blitz for the beach guys

The other day when over 200 guys went to island beach and 2 fish were caught

Fishing guides who had to go and find jobs as there is nothing to go

The fall run use to produce blitz conditions for weeks on end before the cell phone /face book/ internet as_holes came along. Until this weekend they were not heard from or seen now that's epic to me. They only come out when fish are committing suicide they have no idea how to find or catch fish with out a blitz

[7deadlyplugs]

What are you guys seeing, is it THAT good? Because I'm just not seeing it. thanks

Seeing the flying monkeys from Wizard of Oz is more like it. For me this fishing has sucked. We had a fantastic 3 weeks in the RM area. If you got out every night you killed it. I got out and caught a few. Was not as dialed in as some of the other guys. Think about the greatest spots in the world to fish like Montauk. They were totally dead. My buddy was going to Montauk every week "just in case". He finally started catching fish yesterday. what does that tell you guys?

[williehookem]

They are just drumming up business if it were so great Shark River boats and Barnegat boats would not be sailing to Mantoloing for a blitz that lasted one day nor would they have go into illegal federal waters to do it.



The Captree boats do the same thing! Every day you read how they crushed it. Then look at the reports and pics. Holding up small stripers. Total exaggeration to fill the boat. If you say its a slaughter they will come.

[surfstix1963]

Slaughters,epic yada yada you will never see that again. I don't believe the Stripers will ever come back, they are being hammered by too many people who don't give a rats a$$ about conservation.
As Fin mentioned above next year they will be too small to swallow bunker and that size class will be the future of the bass. Hardly any would be a keeper and they are doomed.
Better pray for the bluefish to regroup. Maybe surfcasting will become extinct. More of us have just given up. Quite honestly it's not worth my time to hook shorts and hope they live.

[nitestrikes]

Think about the greatest spots in the world to fish like Montauk. They were totally dead. My buddy was going to Montauk every week "just in case". He finally started catching fish yesterday. what does that tell you guys?

I can confirm this. There was a flurry of activity late summer by Charter boats fishing Montauk. Most got fish by trolling because there were not enough to jig. There was no fall run per se there. 2015 fishing at Montauk from the surf for me was the worst I have experienced in 20 years. Some nice fish were caught at night - one at a time. For anyone whos fished there for a few decades like I have, that is not a "bite". They didn't have a "run" there either. Except fo some activity in October and what you mentioned happening a few days ago. Which is probably the end of the "run". One of the last pushes of fish you will see there. The bass in the western LI Sound will make their way down the east river like they always do. Those of us who fish the SS will probably never see those fish. We also had an extended bite in the GSB this year.

There were many places that held no striped bass at all. I can't speak for how great things are in jersey. I do know if you didn't concentrate on fishing those few places that held fish, you would have thought there were none to catch. It was that bad.

[DarkSkies]

Some great insight here, people. Thank you for posting your thoughts and experiences.

I'll run a brief outline of my thoughts, summarizing some of yours as well......and try to come back later.
I'm trying to keep these posts under a 1000 words. ;)

I Conditions before and leading up to the moratorium, briefly stated...
1. Little commercial regulation, with abuses and overages common. Also, just about everyone fishing back then sold fish to pay for trips, pin money, or because times were tight and it was a way to make a few extra bucks.

2. High concentrations of fish in certain areas.

3. Lack of fish in most of the other areas.

4. This started some folks, like Bob Pond and others to raise the alarm and begin talk about conservation. People pointed to the high concentrations of bass, told Bob Pond he and the other guys were nuts, and ignored the warnings.

5. There were significant gaps in year classes, with the largest classes becoming significantly absent from the mix.

6. The striped bass stocks and fishery collapsed.

** In all fairness, before this collapse, the commercial fishery took a larger % of the bass. It is generally accepted that the commercial abuse (some by the recreationals, selling fish, carting wheelbarrows away from the beach, etc) ...and the lax regulations and enforcement.....was the final pressure that led to the collapse.









II Fast forward to 2010-2015, recent developments....
1. Commercial striper fishing is now highly regulated.

2. There are high concentrations in certain areas, causing some....who don't have that much experience, to emphatically state that the striper population, according to what they are seeing....is in great shape.

3. Extreme lack of fish in other areas.....to the extent that coast-wide...... parallels can be drawn between the level of fishing now to some of what was experienced in the late 70's.

4. You still have the denial that there is a problem, despite the recent Coast-wide reductions in Striped bass quota, in every state except NJ. However, there is a strong consensus among most seasoned anglers that something besides the current regulations is needed. This has spawned many different groups and grassroots orgs trying to raise awareness

5. Notable significant gaps in year classes, as mentioned here several times.

6. The striped bass stock today..... more than any other point in the last 10 years, is closer to conditions pre-Moratorium, than it has ever been.

[DarkSkies]

** Measures that might have helped to solve this dilemma, for today's times...
a. Reduction in Quota, for the entire East Coast. The problem is NJ lobbyists have lobbied the ASMFC to only slightly reduce our quota, while other states have gone further.
Ask yourselves this.....if the fishery is so strong, and healthier than ever, WHY would it be even necessary for quota restrictions?

b. Gamefish Bill - this would be a great asset to allowing striped bass to return to a world class fishery. I believe it will never happen because of political pressure. (Hope I'm wrong here)

c. Is the Quota reduction enough, for the lagging year classes to produce, and the 2011 and 2015 year classes to catch up?
It will take a minimum of 3 years for us to see any benefit from those 2011 and later good spawning years.
Will that be enough to catch up?

d. The Pressure and blame this time, lies squarely on the shoulders of the Recreationals, and mostly on the shoulders of the Charter, Party Boat, and private boaters who continue to loudly proclaim how healthy the fishery is.
It's interesting how many folks continue to blame the Commercials, and the gillnetters, when hard numbers prove that is entrirely incorrect.

[DarkSkies]

**Note....there is no malice here on this site toward anyone who owns a boat....I own one and fished on boats for most of my life....still do...What I'm trying to raise awareness of in my posts...is the lack of interest in learning about something as important as this...educating yourselves....

Many in the angling world, fishermen from all groups...still refuse to do this....hence the lack of support and participation at fisheries management meetings....fishing access meetings....etc......

I have made it my business to educate myself, and learn more at every opportunity...unfortunately this takes time away from family...etc.....
So I'm not judging anyone who can't do this....I understand....

On the other hand....it's not credible to claim you are informed....and up to date on what is really happening out there....if you don't participate in meetings, and learn for yourselves what is going on, or are only out fishing a few times a year...and accept as gospel what someone is saying on the internet without checking the facts behind it (I'm including myself in this group). :)





There are a lot of folks out there who have never heard these statements before because they concentrate their fishing among pods of bunker....
I feel it's important to counter the mis-information spread by a few.... with a financial incentive to obscure the truth.

As always, different opinions and experiences are most welcome, and encouraged.

We heartily appreciate all the folks who share here....positive and negative......:thumbsup:
Thanks for anything you can add to this, and please let's keep this on an adult level. :HappyWave:

[albiealert]

I don't know about the coast thing because I don't fish the coast. I mainly fish the rivers in the Ct side of the sound. I have seen some more bunker. I think this has been mostly in the last 2 years. The striper fishing for me is the same. I never fish from boats, only shore for stripers. The guys I know who have boats have been saying that when they find the bunker they do catch stripers. Some I know have said it's not been a great year striper fishing. This year it has been more blues than bass. Hope that helps. thanks for trying ds.

[Monty]

I don't believe the Stripers will ever come back, they are being hammered by too many people who don't give a rats a$$ about conservation.


Agree 100%.
As Dark mentions, there are concentrations of bass. They are found. Boats converge (surfcasters too if close enough to shore), and they are hammered. Slaughtered.
Its that simple.
And nothing can be done until enough are dead and no one will go on these charters and party boats because there are none to catch.
And there is the class of bass that are in the 24-27 inch range. A big class. Next year that class will be the target.
Its disgusting and very discouraging.
What a waste.

[surferman]

Theres no way this is the best fishing ever. Maybe if you are living on another planet and came to nj for the first time you would say that. For where I fish from the Big D river to Cape May county there are definite seasons. Spring out front they hit the beach in April. Then you follow them up the river. Wasn't that great for me this year tho I did have a few nice nights on worms in the river. Then in November December there is usually a good bunker bite along the beach. Still waiting for that. hope some show up soon. Or at least a few to play around with in the back. Getting tired of the skunkings.

[baitstealer]

I probably don't have enough experience to qualify as a sharpie because I get blanked more often than not. Some reports are out there of guys catching 30 and 40 pounders right from the beach. Do you think if more fished bait they would catch more of these stripers? thanks

[VSdreams]

Dunno there was a 38 lber caught at island beach yesterday. Someone was online bragging about all the fish he caught and you just have to find the bait to catch them. jmo it seems you have to run and gun to find these stripers that big or that there is a magical beach where a bunch of giant ones are being caught. In the last 2 weeks I have fished from Port Monmouth to Island beach and not heard of such a magical beach yet. Talked to a lot of guys who were experiencing the same thing too. Pretty discouraging to say the least.

[fishinmission78]

I fish island beach a lot. There is no magic beach at Island Beach other then the pocket by the inlet and the jetty. Gillikins sometimes lights up because it has good bars and soft structure there. when you see the weigh ins at rumpys and Betty and nicks lately most of them have been from boats. The bigger ones anyway. If someone is catching multiples of big fish at night it has to be where there is a bunch of bunker schooled up.

[fishinmission78]

To put it bluntly, someone saying this is the best year ever is full of s***. This is probably my worst year for the park. Got me thinking about fishing other counties.Two weeks ago there was nothing but a few small stripers and blues. In the meantime it has definitely gotten better.Without those two weeks, B&N would be in bad shape. No one was fishing here back then.

[dogfish]

Fishing was so great for me that I went out and bought a kayak.
I rarely fish the canal nowadays.
Mostly fish the islands. Got some decent fish to the 30's this year trolling and jigging. I remember some great runs in the canal, but not lately. Of course I am old lol.

[jigfreak]

You could talk about weeks in a row catching bass and blues. Night after night of 20 lb fish and larger. Those were the days that are forever lost in history dude. No one would believe you. Thanks for trying. Someone has to set the record straight. Sure do miss them days.

[seamonkey]

Fishing was so great for me that I went out and bought a kayak.


Guess that's one of the reasons for the kayak explosion out there.

[SharkHart]

This is the best fall for some and i ll explain why.

Flashback to 3 years ago about the same time ago i gave up the bass barn i posted how technology was whopping on the bass and a know it all proceeded to tell me im full of crap,

If anyone here isnt on facebook fishing groups, it is a HUGE buzz of pictures and info live reports locations etc. this info and the tackle shops and charter boats sales pitches is going right to peoples phones right to their pockets! So this got a lot of people off the couch who normally wouldnt be out there.

So once again ibsp was filled and some boats customers and people who normally wouldnt have taken their boats out. When the stars aligned and big bunker bass were in the wash for 3 early mornings so a percentage of many anglers out suddenly had big fish to weigh in. The blue print was all over just whiz a SP minnow at day break. So a lot of people who wouldnt even have been out and normally dont do well had 20 lbers. So whats a guy with his first 20 do?? Loud and proud on internet. Cart the fish for multiple weigh ins different shops

The other weird thing that goes on is b&n s is a surf angler shop but the boat guys love to post their snag and drop catches on their for pats on the back and post they did!

It was like losing a media war in the blink of an eye. No one will hear anything less then epic

Now for some positives The 2011. I think thats year. Super spawn class seems to be real. This would be those 24 to 27". The long island guys on my facebook feed seem to be doing really well even i went up and had no idea of the area and caught 5. I saw a RI blitz video from the weekend. On this very website we were saying there was no fish north of nj in early oct. Come ooooon not that bad. :)

I am trying to be positive thinking about the other states 1 fish helps that captree feed shows a good bite once again nice to see some have to be released

The NJ second fish though never saw that coming so many would bite the dust in the fall

Maybe i ll rant more on the technology and speed of communications later but whats worse for a fish that feeds schooled up a newspaper report that they got them last week or the tackle shop making your phone buzz get to beach and we have fresh bait.

[plugcrazy]

This is the best fall for some and i ll explain why.

Flashback to 3 years ago about the same time ago i gave up the bass barn i posted how technology was whopping on the bass and a know it all proceeded to tell me im full of crap,

If anyone here isnt on facebook fishing groups, it is a HUGE buzz of pictures and info live reports locations etc. this info and the tackle shops and charter boats sales pitches is going right to peoples phones right to their pockets! So this got a lot of people off the couch who normally wouldnt be out there.

So once again ibsp was filled and some boats customers and people who normally wouldnt have taken their boats out. When the stars aligned and big bunker bass were in the wash for 3 early mornings so a percentage of many anglers out suddenly had big fish to weigh in. The blue print was all over just whiz a SP minnow at day break. So a lot of people who wouldnt even have been out and normally dont do well had 20 lbers. So whats a guy with his first 20 do?? Loud and proud on internet. Cart the fish for multiple weigh ins different shops

The other weird thing that goes on is b&n s is a surf angler shop but the boat guys love to post their snag and drop catches on their for pats on the back and post they did!

It was like losing a media war in the blink of an eye. No one will hear anything less then epic

Now for some positives The 2011. I think thats year. Super spawn class seems to be real. This would be those 24 to 27". The long island guys on my facebook feed seem to be doing really well even i went up and had no idea of the area and caught 5. I saw a RI blitz video from the weekend. On this very website we were saying there was no fish north of nj in early oct. Come ooooon not that bad. :)

I am trying to be positive thinking about the other states 1 fish helps that captree feed shows a good bite once again nice to see some have to be released

The NJ second fish though never saw that coming so many would bite the dust in the fall

Maybe i ll rant more on the technology and speed of communications later but whats worse for a fish that feeds schooled up a newspaper report that they got them last week or the tackle shop making your phone buzz get to beach and we have fresh bait.


You make some great points there. Facebook blows up everything it is on there instantly. Got to keep the positivity going. A lot of us fish not only for the fish but to get away from our families! It is the only peace of mind we can have for a short time. Even if you can catch one it's worth it. I was just a little frustrated thats all. Tight lines gents.

[baitstealer]

If anyone here isnt on facebook fishing groups, it is a HUGE buzz of pictures and info live reports locations etc. this info and the tackle shops and charter boats sales pitches is going right to peoples phones right to their pockets! So this got a lot of people off the couch who normally wouldnt be out there.



Right on so true! Also add the surf cams in to that. There is one in monmouth county. I look at it every day. Right now you can see the cam, and birds working like crazy. There is a surf guy that is in view of the camera. He must be standing on the platform because he periodically comes into view. I'm looking at the birds, assume he's watching them too. I'm stuck at work and want to yell - "Hey dude what are you waiting for get out there and throw a couple of casts and try for the fish!!" lol
Check it out
http://njsurfer.com/

[stormchaser]

FYI there has been some life and schoolie action in montauk and general sand beaches the last few days. I agree with most of the stuff said. The stripers seem cyclical to me. We can't keep taking the big girls without consequence though.

[nitestrikes]

"I'm not gonna say you had more 50 pounders. But you did have more 30's and 40's than you have now."
good quote from this thread
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?10212-How-Bass-fishing-has-changed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MUxAr0a78

[bababooey]

I said it before I'll say it again. Fish have fins. They swim. If you want to chase them its easier in a boat.:HappyWave:

[J Barbosa]

I've had my best fall ever as far as fish size but it all came within a two week period of plugging & chunking near bunker schools at night.

Prior to these two weeks I had caught about 25-30 bass all shorts :(

I would never claim this to be the best fall run ever because there is a ton of dead water out there however if you were fishing in a specific 5-10 mile stretch of water you might certainly be enjoying this fall run.

[seamonkey]

Read this on the net. Maybe you guys are having better luck up north but what I read in the quoted post talks about exactly the kind of fishing I have had this year. Some great nights and a lot of meh in between. I was really counting on the spring delaware bay run to be fantastic. I'm grateful I did get out to get some stripers.
I really hope bait will be thick in the next month and some fish will stay around.

"Skunk is a common word these days among striper fishermen. The problem, is the striped bass population has really taken a nose dive. What is needed today is perfect conditions, and a "lot" of effort. If your in Cape May you 'er best to run a 75 miles north , before you even start fishing. The Cape May rips, Delaware Bay chunk bite, is a thing of the past, totally dead. There are some resident fish in the area, but only 1% of the fishermen are catching. If history is an indicator, the beaches and waters to the north will follow this trend. Enjoy the good striped bass bite every chance you get (north), it may not happen next year."

[cowherder]

I liked what was said about running and gunning or being in the exact spot. It seems like that's the ticket for NJ this fall. Or just sit on the beach with clams or a bunker head all day and hope something comes along. I would rather fish at dawn, dusk, or in the dark with lures or something like that. So I guess I'll still take my chances with the inconsistency. There is a lot to get out of fishing besides the actual catching part. That's definitely worth something to me until the stripers and blues are around in better numbers.

[Monty]

I would rather fish at dawn, dusk, or in the dark with lures or something like that. So I guess I'll still take my chances with the inconsistency. There is a lot to get out of fishing besides the actual catching part. That's definitely worth something to me until the stripers and blues are around in better numbers.

Agree 100%, its great just getting out there and plugging a beach. Had something come up this weekend and it will be like the second time since April I have not fished a Saturday night. Very grateful to have been able to get out regularly this year 1x a week.
My fall has been my most enjoyable one, learned a lot, found a few fish and avoided crowds big time. Its been great fun fishing LI this year.

But it is so apparent that there are fewer bodies of fish and when these bodies are located its an all out effort to slaughter them.
We need another Moratorium immediately.

[cowherder]

But it is so apparent that there are fewer bodies of fish and when these bodies are located its an all out effort to slaughter them.
We need another Moratorium immediately.

I agree something needs to be done. Even the boats can't find them every day and this is supposed to be the peak of the fall migration! Either they should eliminate the slot limit or they should make nj on par with the other states around us with one striper. This can't last forever. Blitzes with everyone taking every fish they can and then days with empty nothingness. I fished a bunch of places last night, casting to the sides of jetties with good water there. I'm not expecting fish on every cast but give me a break man there should have been a few fish around the jetties that are still left. I did get some so I'm happy. Sometimes thats all you need to make your trip.

[fishinmission78]

Good points. I don't agree with a moratorium it would put a lot of people out of work. We should be in line with the one fish limit that everyone else has to follow. One fish at 20 lbs to take home is plenty of meat. jmo

[storminsteve]

My fall run so far has been like diarrhea running down your leg. You know it's not good but are worried about what might come down the pike since you just had to try that new mexican restarant last night. Could be mount vesuvious. so you ignore it and hope it will get better. Wishing for all of us to catch a few more stripers or blues before that nasty fat lady starts warming up!:2flip:

[DarkSkies]

This is the best fall for some and i ll explain why.

1. Flashback to 3 years ago about the same time ago i gave up the bass barn i posted how technology was whopping on the bass and a know it all proceeded to tell me im full of crap,

2. If anyone here isnt on facebook fishing groups, it is a HUGE buzz of pictures and info live reports locations etc. this info and the tackle shops and charter boats sales pitches is going right to peoples phones right to their pockets! So this got a lot of people off the couch who normally wouldnt be out there.

3. So once again ibsp was filled and some boats customers and people who normally wouldnt have taken their boats out. When the stars aligned and big bunker bass were in the wash for 3 early mornings so a percentage of many anglers out suddenly had big fish to weigh in. The blue print was all over just whiz a SP minnow at day break. So a lot of people who wouldnt even have been out and normally dont do well had 20 lbers. So whats a guy with his first 20 do?? Loud and proud on internet. Cart the fish for multiple weigh ins different shops

4. The other weird thing that goes on is b&n s is a surf angler shop but the boat guys love to post their snag and drop catches on their for pats on the back and post they did!

5. It was like losing a media war in the blink of an eye. No one will hear anything less then epic

6. Now for some positives The 2011. I think thats year. Super spawn class seems to be real. This would be those 24 to 27". The long island guys on my facebook feed seem to be doing really well even i went up and had no idea of the area and caught 5. I saw a RI blitz video from the weekend. On this very website we were saying there was no fish north of nj in early oct. Come ooooon not that bad. :)

7. I am trying to be positive thinking about the other states 1 fish helps that captree feed shows a good bite once again nice to see some have to be released

8. The NJ second fish though never saw that coming so many would bite the dust in the fall

9. Maybe i ll rant more on the technology and speed of communications later but whats worse for a fish that feeds schooled up -- a newspaper report that they got them last week or the tackle shop making your phone buzz get to beach and we have fresh bait?




Well-written assessment by Shark...:thumbsup: :HappyWave:
(Hope ya didn't mind I put bullet points as I quoted your original thoughts.)

So yes there is a lot of sadness and it does seem negative for many....
The frustration I gather from the phone calls and texts I receive gets to me sometimes.....

When someone tries hard, fishing for hours, they have expectations they might find a few fish.....I completely understand the disappointment...have been preaching for years how the biomass has shrunk, lack of resident fish that is noticeable, in quite a few areas.....but I think folks get tired of my preaching....:boring:
With not much really being done to change regs in NJ....I get tired of it too...and have stepped back a bit...:)









I never try to hype any bite...especially when I personally know a lot of you folks are out there trying...you are very good fishermen...and still coming up empty.....:don't know why:
The "secret that not many want to admit" is........ that there are a mere handful of places in the LI/NJ area now where you can catch bass over 20lbs at night.......from land......

Take any 10 reports of double digit catches....or fish that are 20# and above....and they are likely coming from less than 5 areas right now....hence, the secretive nature.....(by some, at least the older folks I know)
Furthermore, many of the old school peers I share intel with don't post reports...with limited access, they see the negative returns on telegraphing when anything resembling a good bite develops.....
What folks "see" reported out there...fish or no fish..is often the tip of the iceberg....

Remember the Spring Berkeley tourney?
About 70% of those largest winning fish, now come from one area in NJ...that area has gotten very crowded....If you're addicted to fishing.....you know you don't have much of a shot fishing other areas for the largest fish at that time....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8081-Tournament-results-and-what-they-tell-us


One thing that puzzles me...if it really is a good idea to keep it secret...
Because fishing spaces are limited...
Crowds are gathering....
Police are being called to settle disputes in some areas......
What's the logic in posting catches?....immediately...of large fish...to facebook?
Anyone who has good "facebook searching skills" can find the locations of these fish......

In the past we used to try to keep it quiet for a week or 2...I must be one of the dinosaurs because I see that concept isn't popular anymore.....
This is just a commentary, as Shark said, on how things have changed......

[DarkSkies]

In the spirit of keeping things positive......

- In the last 2 weeks some smaller fish have showed up and started to be caught in the Montauk area...This is the first time this Fall there has been any consistent Montauk bite to speak of. Most Montauk Charters have long given up Fall bass fishing already.

- In the past week the surf and boat catches along the Western end of Long Island have really ramped up. Some South shore bays were full of bait and larger bass. As they empty out it should provide some opportunities for all of us.

- In the past 2 weeks there has been a tremendous bite from land in the NY Bight/Hudson area....
Fish were highly concentrated among very large bunker schools.
We were trying not to talk about it too much...but as Shark says...since it's all over Facebook....with catches being posted within minutes of guys catching these large fish....if you fish a lot or are addicted to fishing you would have to know about these larger bass to the mid-40# class anyway...all on bunker, live or heads or chunked....a few stray fish on poppers.....:thumbsup::thumbsup: to JB for proving that some could be caught that way......:HappyWave:
As I type these words that bite seems to be winding down, but could have some life left.

- Within the last 5 days there have been a large amount of smaller 22-26" bass that have concentrated along the Southern part of the NY Bight....along with some giant bluefish.... adult and peanut bunker seem to be directing and driving that migration.......
If we do get some sandeels to come in, that could considerably change things for the better....






Just wanted to put some positivity out there as well.....
Let's remember that what we have, although spotty, is probably the best it's going to get.... given current conditions....

And all we may have left after these next bodies of fish (unless you can get out there on a boat, or conditions change) could be the late season juvenile fish from 12-18".

Try to get out there as much as you can when the winds and weather are conducive to a shore bite for your area......:fishing:
If you blink...these fish could be gone....http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/smilies/HappyWave.gif

[jigfreak]

Good point and you can't fish in the middle of winter. Or when you're dead, so might as well fish to the end. That one guy died on the bounty hunter doing what he loved. Sad story but good way to check out.

[jsarosi]

Hey Darkskies, very well said. totally agree.

[fishinmission78]

X2 agreed. On a good note sandeels are finally here. Got a few stripers last night Hope they stay for a bit.

[surfstix1963]

I've been saying we need a moratorium for at least 3 years and everyone disagreed with me,they thought new regs would save the world and it would have but it was too late.Besides the fish being hammered they are not successfully breeding as well as they once did,now add in less fish to the breeding equation and no fish to speak of small size class fish that will never survive the many rods and reels awaiting them.Pretty simple I don't need no damn numbers to tell me the fishery is in trouble maybe those numbers are part of the problem sometimes common sense needs to take place and not scientific data ****..

Agree 100%, its great just getting out there and plugging a beach. Had something come up this weekend and it will be like the second time since April I have not fished a Saturday night. Very grateful to have been able to get out regularly this year 1x a week.
My fall has been my most enjoyable one, learned a lot, found a few fish and avoided crowds big time. Its been great fun fishing LI this year.

But it is so apparent that there are fewer bodies of fish and when these bodies are located its an all out effort to slaughter them.
We need another Moratorium immediately.

[Monty]

I've been saying we need a moratorium for at least 3 years and everyone disagreed with me,they thought new regs would save the world and it would have but it was too late.Besides the fish being hammered they are not successfully breeding as well as they once did,now add in less fish to the breeding equation and no fish to speak of small size class fish that will never survive the many rods and reels awaiting them.Pretty simple I don't need no damn numbers to tell me the fishery is in trouble maybe those numbers are part of the problem sometimes common sense needs to take place and not scientific data ****..

Agree 100 percent Stix, I also never thought these new regulations were close to enough.
And they are still commercial netting bass at Montauk. Which I think is absurd.

[dogfish]

This is what I saw. If you got on a kayak or boat you could put yourself in front of some nice fish. We have de-evolved from groups of sharp fishermen fishing at night for the big ones to the new status quo of young 20 somethings to chase around Blitz fish and pat each other on the back for catching 5 fish in a row. Anytime I stopped by the canal this year all I saw was blitz fishermen from states all over came up to chase the Blitzes. I wish Some of these big mouth young guns could see what fishing was like 20 years ago. They would have to call their mother to pick them up because their arms would be tired. My 2c.

[dogfish]

I have to say I think its really stupid that New Jersey folks are allowed to keep three stripers. No offense intended. It is this greed and arrogance that will be the end of the comeback of the striped bass. You can't hope for a stronger population if you keep allowing the taking of fish of all sizes. My 2c.

[stripercrazy]

:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping: Well said agree 100 %

[Monty]

I have to say I think its really stupid that New Jersey folks are allowed to keep three stripers. No offense intended. It is this greed and arrogance that will be the end of the comeback of the striped bass. You can't hope for a stronger population if you keep allowing the taking of fish of all sizes. My 2c.

Unfortunately you, me and a lot of others feel this way and that arrogant clueless Tom Fote does what he and the charter and party boat captains want. It's absolutely 100 percent wrong.

[J Barbosa]

I have to say I think its really stupid that New Jersey folks are allowed to keep three stripers. No offense intended. It is this greed and arrogance that will be the end of the comeback of the striped bass. You can't hope for a stronger population if you keep allowing the taking of fish of all sizes. My 2c.

The ****** up part is charters and party boats get unlimited bonus tags for these small bass. Kill off all the resident bass and destroy the 2011 year class. We would have been better off leaving the regs at 2 fish over 28" fish.

[finchaser]

The ****** up part is charters and party boats get unlimited bonus tags for these small bass. Kill off all the resident bass and destroy the 2011 year class. We would have been better off leaving the regs at 2 fish over 28" fish.

Thank Fote and the JCAA they reported only 6000 pounds of fish were killed last year out of the 365,000 on bonus tags and the reports from them are indispensable in managing bass
Only problem is charter and head boats don't use them or report back they just kill fish. The tag is suppose to go in fishes mouth and brought to dock whole. Most of them let everyone keep a fish fillet them and racks thrown over boars to get rid of evidence and nothing is reported.

[seamonkey]

Thank Fote and the JCAA they reported only 6000 pounds of fish were killed last year out of the 365,000 on bonus tags and the reports from them are indispensable in managing bass


Sorry not trying to argue with you but how can we be sure that's true? The boats that are posting online reports now are all chatting about bonus fish. Hows it possible that they only caught 6000 lbs of bonus fish last year. If you figure a bonus tag striper is 6 pounds that would mean only 100 extra fish were caught. I'm not believing that's the total amount. Someone isn't telling the truth.

[J Barbosa]

Sorry not trying to argue with you but how can we be sure that's true? The boats that are posting online reports now are all chatting about bonus fish. Hows it possible that they only caught 6000 lbs of bonus fish last year. If you figure a bonus tag striper is 6 pounds that would mean only 100 extra fish were caught. I'm not believing that's the total amount. Someone isn't telling the truth.

6 x 100 = 600

[seamonkey]

Sorry dude that was a typo. Even still only 1000 extra stripers (6x1000 = 6000lbs) that number can't be correct. How many party and charter boats are there on entire jersey shore fishing for stripers. 100? So if you take 100 party boats, and divide that number of 1000, that would mean that EACH party boat only caught 10 bonus fish? does anyone else think this number is impossibly low or is it just me?:huh:

[seamonkey]

The ****** up part is charters and party boats get unlimited bonus tags for these small bass. Kill off all the resident bass and destroy the 2011 year class. We would have been better off leaving the regs at 2 fish over 28" fish.


I totally agree with what you said here. They get all those bonus tags and only report killing a small amount of bonus fish. Something stinks in the reporting here. Anyone else think so?

[plugcrazy]

1000 striped bass distributed, average of 10 per boat sounds low to me. It does seem like someone is fudging the truth here. jmo

[SharkHart]

Is it time we revisit this? Ill throw out my thoughts. i sat out the last month here with Injury and it wasn't easy to see some of the pics but its just been an extremely odd fall.

1) I think the overall numbers were better then i expect BUT the train is so stretched out, i mentioned this in other posts LI NY seems to have gotten hot for fall and the bass are getting hung up there, as i guess the baits been good there.

2) The Bait was like we never seen before, this later herring thing was insane run.

3) The days were so hot and cold (mostly cold) , it would look like it was over for weeks then fish would pop up strong for one day, this was the biggest problem, people who had the ability to drop what they are doing when they get a call or read a betty and nicks report, it was a feast, guys who like to read patterns and plan it was famine (me)

4) these big fish that came late is just a true oddity, they came after the small fish that looked like end of run fish, cant explain that one. Again no one would have been out there at xmas time if is wasn't for social media

5) South Jersey had and is still having a super bite on big bass by boat but The back bays Barnaget to Atlantic county were very very slow, there should be enough fish to exist front and back.

Maybe just maybe? We are starting to see signs of the respectable anglers C&R efforts from last few years and the other states 1 fish maybe is enough for a rebound, but a lot, A LOT more big fish came through and were kept this fall in NJ then i ever expected to see.

[buckethead]

3) The days were so hot and cold (mostly cold) , it would look like it was over for weeks then fish would pop up strong for one day, this was the biggest problem, people who had the ability to drop what they are doing when they get a call or read a betty and nicks report, it was a feast, guys who like to read patterns and plan it was famine (me)

4) these big fish that came late is just a true oddity, they came after the small fish that looked like end of run fish, cant explain that one. Again no one would have been out there at xmas time if is wasn't for social media

5) South Jersey had and is still having a super bite on big bass by boat but The back bays Barnaget to Atlantic county were very very slow, there should be enough fish to exist front and back.



Well said good points. If the bass were healthy there should be enough to exist front and back. It has been hit and miss for me because I don't usually make the run to island beach that much anymore. Some good days in moco but there was no way of knowing it. One day feast, next day famine. Even looking at logs the patterns were different. If you wanted fish this fall it seems you had to travel around a bit and fish every day.