NY Fishing reports for May 2008

[bunkerjoe4]

Important when registering on our site use an active email address so you can activate account to be able to post.

Please post fishing reports here.......as little or as much detail as you want to give.

Please note: NO SPOT BURNING! Posts burning spots will be Edited or DELETED!
Some veteran fishermen have put in years developing and learning about certain spots.Some of these spots can only handle a few guys at a time. We are losing enough access as it is, due to the unfortunate behavior of a few selfish people. No sense in making it worse.

For some areas, it would be wiser to say:
OutFront (Ocean) OR -- OutBack (Bay) -- if you feel too many people will figure out what you are talking about. "Spot burning" also could involve mentioning something specific only to that area. If you do this, your post may be edited, or deleted. Remember that thousands of people could potentially read these posts. You don't want to be fishing next to ALL of them at the same time!


IF you are fishing an area that is NOT residential, being vague is less critical. For example, it's acceptable to say (Any)Park, or (Any)Bay, or mention a specific state park that has loads of parking and can handle the crowds.


If you are unclear on this concept, ask yourself:


If I name this place on the internet, will it be too crowded for me to enjoy tomorrow when people hear I got 30 fish here today?


If the answer is "Yes", then you should probably not be so specific.

We post these reports so our community will have a sense of what is working, what is not. We want to show people how to catch fish, rather than where.Even if you struck out or got skunked, it would be helpful to hear that as well.

If you have any additional details you would like to share - weather conditions, tide (incoming, outgoing, ebb, flood) water temps, bait present, or other mention of techniques or plugs used - feel free, as long as you are not overly specific about location.

Some acronyms -

BP -- Breezy Point

CB -- CrossBay Bridge
CI -- Coney Island

FB -- Floyd Bennett
FI -- Fire Island
FT -- Fort Tilden Park
FW -- Fort Wadsworth


GSB - Great South Bay
GK- Great Kills


Jones -- Jones Beach/Debs
WE -- West End

JB -- Jamaica Bay
LB -- Long Beach

MB -- Manhasset Bay
MI -- Moriches Inlet or nearby
MPP -- Marine Parkway Bridge


LNB - Little Neck Bay
OB -- Oyster Bay
PB -- Peconic Bay

RM -- Robert Moses

SB -- Sheepshead Bay

Shinny -- Shinnecock Inlet or nearby
SI -- Staten Island
ST -- Sore Thumb

NS -- North Shore
SS -- South Shore




Mecca -- if you gotta ask where that is, can't help ya :D

[stormchaser]

Fished FI early this morning, inlet area, couple big blues using tsunamis, sunrise bite, one small bass bucktail.

[fishlipper]

SI last night, big bluefish bite from 6-9:30pm, many blues up to 10 lbs, mostly meat. After that, it was pretty dead. Saw some small bass caught on clams.

Watched decent size bass and bluefish blow up on bunker for 2 hours late at night, fish were 250' out, outta reach, left a pile of drool in the spot where I stood.

Met some amazing plug builders out there. One guy makes all his plugs by hand, another uses the lathe. sweet work, I tried my best to ho one, but you will never see these at the shows. They just make a few at a time for friends, and they were slamming bluefish. Some incredible talent out there.

[stripercrazy]

Fished rm yesterday am, 6 blues up to 7lbs before the wind got nasty, bunker.

[BassBuddah]

Tried to fish FI area yesterday afternoon, front was unfishable, out back was windy and weedy, plugs and bucktails, skunkola.

[fishlipper]

SI again yesterday, took some kids. Wind started to kick up, so we went to a lee spot. No one was catching fish as the tide filled in, so we snagged some bunker and let them reel them in. Set up the poles with chunks, caught one tiny blue maybe 2lbs, but the kids were happy.

Meanwhile, a guy to the right of us caught a keeper bass on a chunk, almost pulled his pole holder in the water. Nice fish, man. :thumbsup:
There was a group of pluggers to the left of us who tried like crazy for an hour to get a hit, but nothing. Gotta give them credit for tryin, guys were plugging blues the night before, but conditions little diffferent yesterday, plus colder water.

We left when the kids got too wet to stay, and weather got worse. Meanwhile, people were catching small bluefish here and there, seems like a body of smaller ones must have moved in.

I asked a guy in the parking lot coming off the beach how he did, and he said "Well, I kinda decided it was time to stop when I saw trees floating by". It was that windy, but should have been ideal for bass. Not on saturday, but we'll gettum next time, and the kids had fun.

[pescador29]

fished at gk yesterday, fishing was bad, nothing for 3 hours. Much wind

[bunkerjoe4]

The NJ week in Review 5-5-08

This has been a a second great week for the surf and boat fishermen.

Bluefish continue to tear the heck out of rods, reels, and gear, though some bodies of smaller fish have moved in. If you do catch a lot of bluefish, please only keep what you need. There was a time when there were no jumbo blues available. Al Ristori had a great article on that recently.

Bass will continue to be more challenging to catch as long as the bluefish dominate. The bass bite is scattered along NJ areas, and many of the decent catches have come at night for surf fishermen, and out of reach of surf guys, in 10-15' of water in the bay, for boaters. Otherwise, it's a slow pick for keeper bass.

Off the fishing topic, a body washed up at Sandy Hook earlier this week, young male, haven't yet heard the ID info. A woman jumped off one of the jetties in MoCo this past year as well because of financial problems and depression. Very sad to read these stories.

There are still some surprisingly large weakfish being caught, but not reported. Folks, these huge weakfish are breeders, and need to breed to propagate the species. If you are lucky enough to catch a weakfish over 8 lbs, you have every right to keep it.

However, please consider catch, photo, and release, so it can make baby weakfish.

Some who fish regularly feel many bass have bypassed the RB and NJ shores, because keepers are being reported regularly in several NY areas. The bass still haven't finished the spawn down in the Southern bays, so that body will still be moving North, little by little.

Additionally, bigger bass are now being caught in the Delaware River by those using live herring or chunks. The Delaware herring run is in full swing now, and would be a good time to take youngsters fishing using sabiki rigs for these fun, acrobatic fish. Make sure you have freshwater licenses, Rangers are out checking every day.

I wouldn't give up on bass fishing for the surfcasters. You folks have less options than guys fishing from boats, so you have to think strategically to catch bass (or just get lucky sometimes):),

Bass like current, and primarily feed in low light conditions. Try to pick a spot that has current, food on the bottom, or warming water with baitfish present. If you satisfy one or more of the above conditions, you have a better shot at landing a bass.

As an indication that our waters are getting warmer, the trickles of fluke that were caught last week are now turning into more reports, with some bigger sizes. Remember the season does not open yet, they have to be thrown back until then.

New York week in Review 5-4-08

Bigger bass are still being caught in the Hudson by those using bunker, herring, and eels.

The back bays action is in full swing, but fishing, like many other things, is not consistent and dependent on bait and sunny weather warming up an area for a few days.

One thing that is almost guaranteed is bluefish, from Jamaica Bay to the more northern bays and spots, sometimes it's hard not to catch a bluefish.

The hordes of bunker schools being chased into the back bays in the northern NY baywaters have resulted in massive bunker kills. Good thing it's not summer, but this is a naturally-occurring phenomenon that unfortunately occurs several times a year if water oxygen levels fall.

The northern reaches of LI have turned on big time, with jumbo bluefish, and keeper bass, following the bunker, and also gorging themselves with squid.

And more fluke, some very respectable size, are being caught, but remember they must be thrown back until the season opens.

Good luck out there - catch em up!

http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/misc/progress.gif

[bunkerjoe4]

Hey folks, I wanted to extend my thanks to all who contribute here. I wish more of our members were less shy about posting, but that will come in time.

At this point, I would again like to ask some members who have registered but not yet posted, to take a chance and post! Some here have been fishing for a long time and are less conscious about posting. Others members, who may be new to fishing, may not feel like they have a lot to offer, or self conscious that they may say something stupid.

As to the fishing reports, even if you went out and got skunked, that's not embarassing-- please post anyway. Happens to the best of us. We all have days when we throw everything but the kitchen sink, and it just ain't happening.

A lot of people may be traveling great distances to fish. with the gas prices being so outrageous, people are cutting down on many things, including fishing trips. So even if you posted that you went out, to _____ Bay, used____, tried ___, and the skunk followed you home, :mad:, you are helping out a fellow angler by saving them the trip.

I, and they, would appreciate people posting more. Helps us all, many thanks. :clapping:

Also, let me assure you that there are no stupid questions here. If you want to contribute your opinion, or ask a question, chances are that many others have the same thought, but are too shy to post. So take a chance and post! I promise it's a painless process, and we can all learn from each other. :thumbsup:

Meanwhile, some people are becoming regular contributors, and are helping to make the site more colorful (although I have to admit some of you seem like pretty crazy characters, I would still fish with you in the dark of night).

You are all helping to make this a site worth coming to visit, more like the community I envisioned when I first started this. Many, many thanks to all for your posts, your feedback, and your participation.

You are all a great group of people, even the slightly disturbed ones. http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/icons/icon10.gif ;)

[pinhead44]

Fished Jones for an hour after work, bucktails and shad, nothing. Saw guy get 1 blue on bunker chunk, not much else.

[pescador29]

fished at gk today, one bluefish only

[bunkerjoe4]

For a limited time, I will be giving out a plug, lure, custom jig, or something similar each month to 2 randomly chosen members who post in our regional fishing reports.

Member response has been ramping up, so I decided to change it from one lucky person to 2 people.

Winners for the Month of April 2008:

Southpaw1123 (NJ)
Pinhead44 (NY)
Please check your e-mail, and let me know where you want them sent.

Thank you all for your participation. Your chances of winning are the same if you post once, or 50 times, to make things fair for everyone. If you went fishing, and you post a report in ANY regional fishing report thread here, you are eligible, so keep those reports coming, folks.:thumbsup:

http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/misc/progress.gif

[stormchaser]

Few spots behind fi, medium size blues throwing metal, incoming.

[bunkerjoe4]

Hey folks, there is currently a thread called "Commercial and Recreational fishermen: Separating Truth from Myth" in our main forum. One of our members put up a post about bunker netting in Great Kills.

If any NY members have a perspective on that or can offer mature, constructive feedback, I would appreciate your responses. I am trying to fairly present both sides of this and other issues regarding Commercial and Recreational fishermen. Thank you, bunkerjoe.

http://www.stripersandanglers.com/showthread.php?t=533

[pinhead44]

Thanks for the prize, bud. Very much appreciate it. check your e-mail. Fished Jones for an hour pm, shads got bit up. I switched to bucktails and got 3 bluefish.

[stripercrazy]

Bunker chunks near a channel in JB early sunup, blues racing each other to get the chunks. No bass, about 10 decent blues.

[BassBuddah]

Got into bass, first light around FI, white and bunker storm shads.

[pescador29]

great kills is great! Last night I put bunker heads out, caught one big bass, I don't know maybe 15 pounds? So stupid, I was pulling him in, and grab and lost right in the sand.:mad: My only fish, but I will get him again. thank you guys for the help.

[nitestrikes]

Jones this morning, 2 blues on bucktail, they're getting smaller. Tonight, not a bump.

[pescador29]

gk last night so many bluefish! One so big he almost broke my pole, I think over 10 lbs. We used bunkers.

[fishlipper]

SI first light to early morning. I must have brought the :skunk: over from NJ with me. Went to snag bait in the back, only 2 bunker. Some guys pulled up next to me, plugged while I was snagging, got a 30" bass, lost bass and plug at edge.

Then I meet Cesar in the morning, he got a 30" bass last night on bunker chunk in the rain and wind. (What's up, Cesar, told you I would put it up.) :HappyWave:http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Out to snag more bunker, some boats were trying to play king of the mountain, put most of the bunker down deep. Anyone remember courtesy?

Went to fish, not a tap. Conditions perfect, someone forgot to tell the fish. Even the big bluefish took a vacation this morning. Only fish I saw in daylight were few blues caught by the Retired Crew, great bunch of retired guys who live at that place. Retired guys told me about the dead body. And, one guy caught a bluefish on a popper after about 200 casts.

SI is basically a night bite kinda place, man I wish I could move there.

[nitestrikes]

Jones yesterday early. goose eggs.

[fishlipper]

did some scouting last night near Kennedy. Saw only a few fish caught. On the bridge, one legal bass caught, many fishing. Some bluefish were caught earlier, no bunker in the water at that time.

Went to another few locations up and down from there, only few bluefish caught, despite cleaner water coming in, and decent conditions. Must have been an off night.

[bunkerjoe4]

NJ Week in Review 5-12-08

It has been a week of decent fishing and changing weather, folks.

Black Drum have been caught for the second week in Delaware Bay, one of the biggest reported catches weighing 33 pounds.

On the other hand, depending on who you talk to, some have the opinion that Bass fishery numbers are down this year. A recent ASA Delaware Bay tournament had low catches relative to the number of boats participating.

Others have reported great catches near the mouth of the Delaware River. This might be explained with the theory that bass are following the bait, herring.

It could also be explained by anecdotal evidence that the striped bass biomass has decreased. Recent NMFS stats claim this is not the case. They say it's healthy as ever. However, veteran anglers, who fish frequently and keep detailed logs, are grumbling. Some of them feel bigger bodies of bass have bypassed the Delaware and Raritan bays this year in favor of the Hudson, and NY Bight areas.

Striped bass are certainly available to boaters, who are reporting good numbers of bass and bluefish. But for surfcasters, this is usually a banner time in the back bays. Some feel the numbers are down from previous years.

Time will tell what the actual truth is. I suspect it's somewhere in between. I suspect the biomass may be decreasing slightly, with a concurrent greater participation by anglers in all categories, surf and boat. It's possible the bass have altered their spring migration pattern as well, with the bulk of larger fish passing slightly offshore, hitting the first linear Coast they run into somewhere on the NY shores.

On the brighter side, a good portion of bass have spawned in their respective areas, and some very big fish are making their northward from Virginia, and outward from the upper reaches of the Hudson. For the past 2 weeks, very nice catches have been reported in southern waters and the Assateague Island area, up to 49". These fish are making their way up the coast, and hopefully stop along the way for surf fishermen a chance to get at them.

You can catch bass in the ocean surf now, as waters have warmed a bit, but they are still relatively cool compared to the bays. Strong NE weather patterns like the one on the next few days will cool the water down even more. Therefore, the best bet to catch bass and bigger fish remains in the low-light hours, in the flats, or any place you can find that has water running or dumping into it, ie current.

The exception for the ocean would be right after the storm, if you can find a fishable area where your sinker can hold for clam fishing. When these noreasters break up large amounts of clams on the beach, conditions are ideal right after to catch a nice bass on clams.

The first fluke have been caught, some very respectable size, but are not legal to keep yet. This year's restrictions will make it tough for most anglers to put a decent catch together, accordingly putting more pressure on the striped bass.


The record weakfish was caught this week by a client of Rich Swisstack, but as Al Ristori reported, not in NJ.

If any of you folks catch an unusually large weakfish, and it's not a record, I am again asking if you might consider releasing it. These big females are few and far between. The only reason you hear of numbers of them being caught is that they congregate in certain areas when spawning. Sharp anglers know this, and are able to effectively fish those areas, with most of them being thrown back.

Good luck out there, folks, and be careful if fishing in this weather. Remember that the tides around the full and new moon are significantly higher, and can impact your safety.


NY Week in review 5-12-08

As noted, some bigger fish are consistently being caught in the NY bight areas, and NY beaches. Bigger fish have moved into the NY back bay areas, and LI Sound flats. For the most part, they are chasing bunker, herring, squid, spearing, and rainfish. Find those baitfish and you will be rewarded.

There was a massive bunker fishkill in the Peconic Bay in the last week as large predators pushed bunker further into the shallows where there is less oxygen for the schools.

On a somber note, a body was found Friday morning on an access road to Great Kills Park. I read that it was not a fisherman, but it's still a sad story nonetheless.

If you want to fish areas out front -- if you can find a beach area right after the storm where clams are washed up, fishing with clams, if your sinker can hold bottom, would be an ideal strategy.

Be careful out there folks -- bunkerjoe

[pescador29]

Fish gk last night, cold and wind, no fish. My friend said boat come in other night to take lotta bunker, but I didn't see it.

[pinhead44]

Fished jones after work, metal for one bluefish, little slow, didn't see any other people hook up where I was.

[fishlipper]

SI last night. 2 of my friends got fish in the 20lb class, bunker were in tight.

By the time I got there at 12pm, action was dead.

Only one bluefish caught all night. Took a snooze, woke up at 5am and drove around looking for fresh bunker.



Found them few minutes later.As I was getting a few for bait, some guys to my right snagged and dropped a small bunker for a 15 lb fish. That was all the action I saw until the boats drove the bunker down deep by the inlet channels, killing

what little bite there was.



Zen lesson - see the bunker, be the bunker, nail the bass. repeat till it sinks in.:beatin:

find the bunker, snag the bunker, catch the bass
repeat till the late night caffeine wears off http://www.noreast.com/discussion/images/post_icons/ubicon8.gif

[pinhead44]

Jones last night, few small blues on bucktails and black bombers. Had a few seconds of a bigger fish with the bucktails tipped with pork rind, but got off when I slacked the line a little. Maybe bass or weakfish, Ill never know.

[nitestrikes]

Fished area near demo yesterday. Big blues came through, bucktails and tore up a bunch of my shads. One small bass 22"

[stormchaser]

RM area, construction, bucktails in the am, nothin but weeds.:skunk:

[fishlipper]

SI morning bite, went to snag bunker first. So many boats it looked like a circus, tournament day I think. Bunker were deep.

Guy 100 feet from me snags one, drops, fights and lands a 42 1/2" bass, 25 pound class.

Guy's name is Tommy, he was using 12 lb test, great fight.:clapping: Took some pics, told him I would put them up. Tommy, check your e-mail, I'll e-mail you the whole set by tomorrow.

Nice fish, hefty, remember this guy is like 6'2", and it's not so easy to snag and drop. We were snagging for about 1 1/2 hours, bunker scattered by the boats, he worked for that fish, none other caught at that spot all morning. :thumbsup:

[fishlipper]

Message to the other dude who lives by that new place I checked out today:

I didn't give you my #, so just know that place we checked out has good potential, guys getting bass there on and off, upper 20's.

I got nothing after you left with the fresh bunker and shads, bucktails, sluggos. But the current is killer, bass run through there all the time, confirmed with a few people walking on the sand.

That place I walked out on, you really need korkers, some good mussel beds. I would only fish the last 2 hours of the outgoing, and never during full/new moon. Otherwise the current is too strong. You have to throw out as far as you can, and reel in quick, will lose rigs, but it's worth it.

Night time is the right time.;) If you end up joining this site, pm me, I will fill you in on more details.

See ya out there man, thanks for the intel. :HappyWave::thumbsup:

[stormchaser]

gk Quality fish, looks healthy.:clapping:

[fishlipper]

SI again last night. It was like family night there, loads of families with their kids, ipods, people all ages. Some people aren't happy to see that, but I thought it was cool. People just having a good time.

We got to the spot, little secluded, started snagging a few bunker, they were all horse bunker, around 12". Chunked a few for a bluefish bite-off, switched to wire. Some big bluefish up to 10lbs were being pulled in.

Found smaller bunker, kept it on the treble, tossed it out deep. After the second time doing this, we had a runoff in free spool about 200ft, swung and missed at the chance. Bummer, b/c I could feel the weight of the fish. :drool: Bunker came back with lip marks up to almost where the treble was. Was probably a decent bass, but not big enough to swallow whole. Bunker heads and bloody chunks produced only bluefish hits. Bite eventually slowed. Hope to be back there tonight, I love that place.

[stormchaser]

fishlipper, you might have waited a little long to set that hook. Sometimes if the bass are smaller and the bunker are bigger, it makes sense to give them a few seconds. But I would wait 5-15 seconds, no more, and then cross their eyes. Either you will stick it, or not, but waiting too much just gives them more time to spit it. Good luck.

[bunkerjoe4]

NJ Week in Review 5-19-08

Well folks this has been a great week for fishing. Boaters have done better than surfcasters in terms of catching bass. This has some long-time surfcasters saying "Where are the Bass? in NJ".

Bluefish are providing consistent action for those using bunker, and starting to give some exciting action for those using topwater plugs. The ocean has been churned up by the storms. Although people are catching fish in the ocean, the best action remains in the back bays, or in the bay areas adjacent to the ocean where the waters are somewhat protected.

A significant body of bunker has been sitting in the area off IBSP for the past 2 days. These bunker are out of reach of surfcasters, but there are times during low light when the tide is right, and the bunker drift closer. These small windows give surfcasters and liveliners the chance to catch bigger bass. Unfortunately, these time windows are sometimes very limited opportunities.

"Ya gotta be in it to win it" translates to the fact that those who are in the right place in the right time in the surf will be rewarded. Others may be disappointed, but the experience of surf fishing is what motivates many of us anyway. Catching a fish is always a plus, and is what keeps us coming back for more, but it is never guaranteed. Even the best fishermen don't catch fish all the time.

As far as bait other than bunker, larger spearing, and decent schools of rainfish, are starting to appear with greater frequency in the bays and inlets. Small herring are also being slaughtered by hungry predators.

I feel the next 2 weeks ahead will offer exciting opportunities for those at the right place at the right time.

There are those who feel the bass numbers are down this year, especially for NJ. I would agree with that perception, to a point. No one wants to listen to claims the sky is falling if the NMFS stats say the biomass is the same as it has been. For now, I think it's safe to say that there have been some changes in catches, especially for surfcasters.

This may be due to changes in the biomass, people keeping more breeding fish, different bass migration patterns and locational shifts, or slight combinations of these and many other factors. I think as we get more data and stories from veteran fishermen as to how their season is, people can get a better assessment of where the truth lies.

Sometimes, we perceive one thing to be true, merely because we don't have enough information. Once we get more information to fill in the gaps in our reasoning, things become clearer, and the conclusion reached may be entirely different from what it once appeared to be. Food for thought. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon3.gif

If you have any spare time and want to catch a bigger bass, now is the time to plan and strategically target the best location and time, and go get your quarry! Good luck out there.

NY Week in Review 5-19-08

Folks, the fishing in some areas on NY has been reported and documented as spectacular, but please remember there is no area that is hot all the time. There are some areas in NY that are offering incredible fishing for those willing to brave the elements of weather. However, 2 years ago some of these places had a poor Spring fishery, while other areas in NJ were experiencing a bounty.

Thic could give credence to the cyclical nature of fishing, or it could indicate something else. No one really knows, and the truth usually lies somewhere in between all the assessments, perceptions, and beliefs.

The NY fluke season opened with some impressive catches. It seems insane to have 20.5" as the minimum, which is again decided more by science, and less by anecdotal evidence from veteran fishermen that fluke levels are as high as they have ever been.

However, this is what was decided, so we must live with it for now. The sad part for me is that I think eventually party boat captains will be hurt by this. Many people will make choices not to go fishing when faced with a $45 boat fare and the "possible" chance to bring home one or 2 fluke.

Again, this is something that fishermen as a political force have the opportunity to monitor and get changed. If the season turns out terrible in terms of your catches, please think about getting involved with a fishing club or group and let your collective voice be heard. There are some fine clubs listed here in the forums. If anyone is close to their areas, I suggest you check them out, and think about getting involved politically if you are not happy.

Any other clubs out there that represent the legitimate interests of fishermen, feel free to contact me, and we will put up some info so others can learn more about your club and what it offers.

Back to fishing -- the NY back bays and inlets are still offering good chances to connect with decent fish for those at the right place at the right time. Not all inlets and bays are producing consistently. Remember the bigger predators show up in search of food. Especially now as the spawn is over, bigger fish will be caught. Look for concentrations of bait, you will find the bigger fish not far behind. Good luck out there! -- bunkerjoe

[BassBuddah]

FI area nighttime in the back, blues up to 8lbs pencil popper.

[nitestrikes]

Some blues in the back of jbay this morning, pencil popppers.

[stripercrazy]

Fished predawn behind fi, bombers and swimmers. 2 bass to 28", some bunker around.

[fishlipper]

SI last night, last half of outgoing. Snagged some bunker, decided to liveline. By the 4th bunker, had a decent fish on, lost because I tied snag hook directly to braid. Set up again, bunker moved, chased after them. Had to move 5 times total. Finally, they settled down to one spot. They were concentrated. Guys 300 feet to my left or right didn't notice they were feeding, and big fish crashing. Livelined another one with mono shock leader, and lost the fish halfway in. Maybe a weakfish, not a world record, but had my pole bent in half for awhile. Adrenalin high. :drool: Action died when bunker stopped feeding at dead low. I'm a king spazz for losing those fish, but i'll be back.

Who said fish aren't active during a full moon? http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[fishlipper]

SI last night, west wind was howling, not many bunker concentrated, decided to grab some sleep till the pre-dawn. Started again around 4am, some guys going home had 2 bass. Didn't hear of much else caught, was a slow night, some big bluefish caught throughout the night.

Started again 4am. Bunker were too far out, though in another spot guys snagged and dropped for a monster bluefish, supposedly over 12lbs. I got nothing except a chance to see the sunrise, :skunk: but it's all good, I'll stick 'em next time.

[stripercrazy]

Back bays of fi this am, bucktails, shads, not a bump.

[nitestrikes]

Been doing ok on jbay, early first light to dawn, Storm shads and poppers, sometimes bass, sometimes bluefish. I usually hit at least one or 2. Once the sun is up, action dies completely.

[fishlipper]

This is just a heads up to the Jersey guys who read this forum, or know any people who have boats who act like this. I have been going to SI for awhile now, and hear them bash us, mostly boaters, for being inconsiderate when sharing space with the surf guys.

I just sit there and listen, and it's hard to defend us guys from Jersey when I am standing on the sand with all the surfcasters, and the boats from Jersey come and park 50 feet away from us.

I know it's not all Jersey boaters, but the level of disrespect is amazing.

Last night my brother took his boat over there, big blues from 8-13lbs for 4 hrs under the bunker. everyone had a good time. But he told me a guy on the shore was yelling at a boater who had gotten too close to his line, and the boater was screaming back at the top of his lungs. I'm guessing it won't be long now before people decide to use sinkers to make their point that the boaters are getting too close and ruining rigs.

How about a little consideration from everyone, people? Is it stupid to think we can all share in the fish? Does Al Sharpton need to come and lead another of his stupid protests for people to see how silly this is? :lynchmob: :laugh::laugh:

Anyway, I wasn't there last night, but big blues were. Don't know about bass, but catch 'em up, and apologies to all the NY guys who have been cool with me, sorry some guys from Jersey don't remember their manners. :don't know why:

[BassBuddah]

fishlipper, it shouldn't get to that point. Someone gets killed, other guy spends the next 20 years in prison.

If you guys are where I think you were, you can call the US park police. Main number is Brooklyn, but Dispatch will patch it in to the right area.
Number is (718) 338-3988

You can report any incident of law breaking, poaching, or being in the park without a correct sticker to this #. They will have someone respond asap. Don't always get there to stop the people, but if you can give them a license plate and vehicle description, they will actively look for the perp in the park. If he leaves, they will get him next time.

If it's a boat very close, look for the reg #s, see if it's from NY or NJ, write it down, and call it in. Or take a picture with your cell phone. Many guys don't bother because they feel what's the use.

However the Park Police are aggressive in going after serious lawbreakers, providing they have someone who can provide them with enough details to catch the perp.

Don't risk a confrontation. Make the call to

(718) 338 - 3988.

[stripercrazy]

fi back bays, small bass to 27" on black bombers before dawn. Some small bait around, maybe spearing.

[bunkerjoe4]

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NJ Week in Review 5-27-08

Well folks this has been another great week for fishing, but boaters have again done better than surfcasters in terms of catching bass. This has some long-time surfcasters saying "Where are the Bass? in NJ". (Look for the thread pertaining to this)

The significant body of bunker that had been sitting in the area off IBSP has provided action all throughout the week, with some action at night in the towns above that, and the epic action on Memorial Day Monday where they had fish for about 5 hours at IBSP.

There was a sustained catch of bass to 30lbs, blues to 15 lbs, by people who threw everything they had. Fish were in hot pursuit after live bait, and weren't fussy as usual.

Bass in the middle of the day, South wind, clear water? Say it ain't so, Joe.:)

Yep, I wasn't there, family obligations kept me busy. Many who were not there will be talking about this blitz for years.

All the rules of "when" is a good time to catch a bass were broken that day. This tells us that you never know when you will fall into a run of fish like that. It's mostly luck, and some skill involved in not losing a big fish.

This body of fish could be long gone as I write this, but more fish and bunker are making their way north. Whether you or I will be there when they hit the beach is anyone's guess.

"Ya gotta be in it to win it" translates to the fact that those who are in the right place in the right time in the surf will be rewarded. Others may be disappointed, but the experience of surf fishing is what motivates many of us anyway. Catching a fish is always a plus, and is what keeps us coming back for more, but it is never guaranteed. Even the best fishermen don't catch fish all the time.

As far as bait other than bunker, larger spearing, and decent schools of rainfish, are starting to appear with greater frequency in the bays and inlets. Small herring are also being slaughtered by hungry predators. Incredibly, the first schools of baby peanut bunker have been reported swimming through the inlets, the progeny of the adults that have been here for 2 months.

If you have any spare time and want to catch a bigger bass, now is the time to plan and strategically target the best location and time, and go get your quarry! Realistically, night fishing offers you the best chance of getting a bigger bass, but please be respectful of others out there, and the lights you may use to guide your way around. If you don't have a lot of fishing experience, it's dangerous at night, particularly for those who try to catch fish in the rocky areas. Please be careful, and good luck out there.

NY Week in Review 5-27-08

Folks, the fishing in some areas on NY has been reported and documented as spectacular, but please remember there is no area that is hot all the time. There are some areas in NY that are offering incredible fishing for those willing to brave the elements of weather. However, 2 years ago some of these places had a poor Spring fishery, while other areas in NJ were experiencing a bounty.

The NY back bays and inlets are still offering good chances to connect with decent fish for those at the right place at the right time.

Not all inlets and bays are producing consistently, but notwithstanding the NJ blitzes this past week, the NY bays and inlets seem to have a more consistent body of fish available.

Remember the bigger predators show up in search of food. Especially now as the spawn is over, bigger fish will be caught as they are making their way out of the spawning areas.

Look for concentrations of bait, you will find the bigger fish not far behind. Good luck out there! -- bunkerjoe

[fishlipper]

Was out there in the jbay area last night looking for bunker. The NW winds were too extreme, couldn't decide on a decent place to set up, as there was no bunker to be found in the places I looked.

Finally decided on an inlet area before sunrise. Used bunker chunk on the bait rod, and fished another rod with big swimmers and heavier bucktails. Current was strong. Last of outgoing, water was clear and clean.

Maybe 4 other guys on a 1-2 mile stretch of beach where I was. None of us caught anything.:skunk:

[pescador29]

fished in Great Kills last night. 4 bluefish after dark. They hit bunker chunks.

[stripercrazy]

Behinf FI this morning, blues up to 6 lbs on metals.