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DarkSkies
04-01-2011, 10:59 AM
NJ fishing reports for April 2011...www.stripersandanglers.com
Important when registering on our site -- use an active email address so you can activate your 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:
Out Front (Ocean) OR -- Out Back (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.
More discussion on this:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=3763 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=3763)

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.






Some acronyms -

SH - Sandy Hook
NoMoCo - Northern Monmouth County (below the hook to Shark River Inlet SRI)
SoMoCo - Southern Monmouth County (below SRI to Manasquan Inlet)

OC - Ocean County
IBSP - Island Beach State Park
LBI - Long Beach Island

AC - Atlantic County
AI - Absecon Inlet
CISP - Corson's Inlet State Park
CMC - Cape May County
CMR - Cape May Rips
GEI - Great Egg Inlet
TI - Townsend's Inlet

RB - Raritan Bay
BB - Barnegat Bay
CB - Chesapeake Bay
CBBT - Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
DB - Delaware Bay

DarkSkies
04-01-2011, 11:06 AM
_Jigfreak,
you won the plug in the March random drawing!:clapping: :thumbsup:
PM me your address so I can send it out to ya!




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.

If you struck out or got skunked, it would be helpful to hear that as well. Anyone who posts a report can win a plug even if they got skunked! :skunk::D


This month we're giving out plugs from Ace Baits, or something similar.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...splay.php?f=83 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?f=83)

Thanks for posting and helping to make this a great site! :clapping:


http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6338&thumb=1&d=1238964999 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6338&d=1238964999)

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6340&thumb=1&d=1238965622 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6340&d=1238965622)


http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6339&thumb=1&d=1238965319 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6339&d=1238965319)












***********
Fishing recap:
More action in the bays, Delaware bay fishing heating up.
Fish awake in the Hudson, with some migratory stragglers moving in.
Fish starting to feed in other NJ bays, action for March 2011 hampered by cold water runoff from rain and snow.

lostatsea
04-02-2011, 11:04 AM
Was out this morning in moco bays, 5-7am. One short bass, 23", on clams.

hookset
04-02-2011, 12:44 PM
Fished 2 hours of the ouitgoing, OC, nothing honey.:) Water is a little cold. Nothing that a few sunny days won't take care of.

wish4fish
04-03-2011, 12:11 PM
fished clams last nite rb 7-10, 2 shorties to 22".

SharkHart
04-03-2011, 09:07 PM
Fished last night in SNJ backwater, a few go to spots are just barren, I think its the cold streak but this slow start has mean thinking of every negative scenario on stripers.

Found a few working a creek on the outgoing though, picked up a short and a keeper sized fish on zooms. A few others were high in the water column so i switched to a black mirror and immediately had two on but both came undone and that was all she wrote.

rip316
04-04-2011, 08:42 AM
RB last night in the back. 7pm til 1030pm few taps on snot. Saw one fish caught and heard of another.

hookset
04-04-2011, 09:54 AM
I fished last night back of BB, got the skunk too. Hoping the water heats up soon, or else we will have a cold spell, and all of a sudden the 70 degree weather will be here. I like a gradual transition myself. I think it keeps the bluefish away from the surf for a little longer in the season. Just my .02

wish4fish
04-04-2011, 10:14 AM
fished clams in rb last nite fished the whole outgoing, got 4 bass to 31" toward the end of the tide had to wade out.

ledhead36
04-04-2011, 10:49 PM
In the back 7-10:30pm, 5 bass to 33", clams. Bass are definitely on the feed, fellas.

bababooey
04-04-2011, 11:01 PM
wtg, ledhead good to know.

wish4fish
04-05-2011, 02:16 AM
awesome nite of fishin we got over 20 bass between 3 dudes, biggest 32"! i got bass thumb lol and the bass arnt hitting soft any more even the small ones smashed the rigs like bluefish its on dudes!

Monty
04-05-2011, 09:49 AM
i got bass thumb lol
:thumbsup: for Bass Thumb, nice report

DarkSkies
04-05-2011, 12:34 PM
I don't want to hype this up too much, but last night was the one night to pick and be out fishin. :fishing:
I had to work late, and finally made it out there for a few hours.

I understand quite a few faces were happy. :) The good thing was that the bite was distributed thoughout the bay, although not all places held fish. Remember, people, these are the resident fish finally waking up.

Mis-handling them, keeping them out of the water for extended photo ops, and not using circle hooks will have a great affect on their release mortality. I don't mean to nag at people because most people are responsible. :thumbsup: But if you see any of this going on by the guy next to you, please don't be silent about it, and then come on the internet to rant.

Instead, being as diplomatic as possible, gently try to educate them about release mortality. I know this isn't always feasible, people don't want unsolicited advice. :soapbox:

But for the most part, except for last night and a few other limited exceptions, right now these are our resident fish, the babies and juveniles. Practicing good release with these short fish goes a long way to making sure they're around for tomorrow. :learn: :thumbsup:

That being said, I also want to congratulate all the members here who keep these reports as general as possible and don't partake in the whining, moaning, and complaining that is so apparent today on internet sites. There is so much negativity in posts out there, criticizing, and whining, that some threads become too troublesome to scan through.

Although controversy, internet views, and internet fights are why some people tune into certain sites, I don't have the patience or the time for that here. I have too many things going on now to pay attention to every post, babysit people, issue infraction points, or time-outs. I sincerely thank you all for your maturity and restraint from attacking others when posting. :clapping:













**********************
Fishin report:
I have a friend I talk about on here sometimes, the guy lives to fish. :fishing: I call him "Mr Weatherman" :rolleyes: cause he's a nut about barometric pressure changes. Last night he was predicting good action. He called this one well, though not in his neck of the woods. :moon: :HappyWave:

So knowing that, and that the last time we had a pending front coming in, some nice fish were caught in front of it.....I was compelled to be out there. The strategy of doing that with the change in barometric pressure, should be part of any fisherman's mind set and help you set patterns in your head when you should be out there.

I started out tempted to fish bait. :scared: :) Actually, bait fishin was the way to go last night. You can't argue that it wasn't working. ;) There were no fresh clams available, so I went with the artificials instead after getting some calls how aggressive the fish were hitting. First place looked promising, but no bait was visible, and it was the wrong tide stage.

Made another drastic move, found water slightly warmer, stlll only no more than 45 degrees. Threw small rubber and light bucktails. Managed 3 shorts.

The weather and wind was nothing like predicted. It was bearable on the inside, S winds maybe 15 steady. Congrats again to all the die-hards who were out. Those conditions and catches might not be repeated for a while, after the cold and dirty water from the rain washes out again.

storminsteve
04-05-2011, 06:19 PM
I fished the bay last night, 4 bass, the 2 biggest were 30" and 32". Clam sandwich. Like dark said, it wasn't that bad, and the fish were hungry.

ledhead36
04-06-2011, 12:33 AM
Same place and tide, 4 bass to 33", throwing snot rockets. It was cold and they were hitting hard, you have to hold the rod in your hand. And forget about fishing more than rod at a time.

storminsteve
04-06-2011, 01:19 AM
Fished the back 9-12 with fresh clams, got 3 bass, biggest 34". Like ledhead said, you can't fish more than rod with these fish.

Funny story about that tonight. There were these 3 Mexicans lined up together on the beach, They had 9 rods between them. When we started catching, within 1 minute 4 of their rods got blasted and they were about 50' away. They did a mad scramble to reach their rods and almost fell flat on their faces. :bucktooth: They ended up with one short bass from that exercise and lost the other 3. Googan squad.

fishinmission78
04-07-2011, 12:00 PM
I have been fishing hard the last 3 weeks at night, nothing much to report or show for it. Finally got into some bass in the back of OC. No real sizes, but the activity is getting better. For those guys are waiting for the trophy bass in the bunker blitzes, do yourselves and me a favor and stay home, or play internet hero for a while longer.:2flip: Those of us who fish for the sake of fishing are already out, taking the skunks, and pulling down a few at a time. Biggest bass so far was last night, about 9lbs. Rubber, small plastics are working. Time to fish, lads.

seamonkey
04-07-2011, 01:14 PM
Good deal to those guys who are catching! I couldn't stand it anymore and had to get out on a CM beach before work this morning. Fished 2 hours of the incoming with clams and sands. 2 big skates. Well at least they saved me from the skunk!

DarkSkies
04-08-2011, 02:54 AM
Fished some back areas tonight looking for spearing and small bait. Couldn't find any, but did manage 2 short bass on light bucktails during the first 2 hours of the ebb.

finchaser
04-08-2011, 07:39 AM
what's an ebb and how do you find one?????????????????????

DarkSkies
04-08-2011, 09:06 AM
^^Awesome question, Fin. I set up a thread just to address that.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?7622-What-is-an-ebb-tide-and-how-do-you-find-one
Anyone who can shed some light, feel free to chime in. ;)

Monty
04-08-2011, 09:49 AM
Congrats on catching on artificials :thumbsup:



Fished some back areas tonight looking for spearing and small bait. Couldn't find any, but did manage 2 short bass on light bucktails during the first 2 hours of the ebb.

DarkSkies
04-08-2011, 10:26 AM
It ain't easy, Monty, but you know it's rewarding. I cycled through a lot of presentations to get those fish.

When I find bait, my chances of catchin on arti's go up 100%. There hasn''t been the small bait concentration around that usually is, this time of year, even though there are scattered schools of bunker in quite a few places. I'm poking and prodding every nearby early spring crevice and drain. And the water is still a bit cold.

I can say there are juvenile bass feeding in a few places where small bait has appeared, but this is often just out of reach. Some kayakyers I know have been doing well. Again, it's still hit or miss. And the guys I know slinging bait have complained it's slowed down in the last 2 nights. The water temp has dropped, but the overall trend pattern is still rising.

Like FnM said, it makes sense to put the time in now while a lot of people aren't crowding ya. Last night I was all alone where I was fishin. That solitude is a big part of what fishin is to me. I'll never understand the need of some folks to go out in large groups to fish the surf. To me, that takes away from the whole experience. To each his own, I guess. :thumbsup: :fishing:

The end of a sunny or warmer day, right before dark, would be the best chances of someone catching on artificials at the early spring places. But that all depends on the tide. Last night best tides were later at night. Someone like you who doesn't mind casting 600 times for one fish :cool: would catch 1 or 2 as well. But the arti bite really hasn't blown up yet. It's a lot of hit and miss, still rewarding to me, anyway. :HappyWave:

skinner
04-08-2011, 12:30 PM
I'll never understand the need of some folks to go out in large groups to fish the surf. To me, that takes away from the whole experience. To each his own, I guess. :thumbsup: :fishing:


Me neither dark. Last night on the way to a place I like to fish, I stopped at another place and there were 30 cars in the lot. Not my kind of fishing, I would rather fish away from the herd as well.
Got 2 nice keepers last night, 30" and 32", clams, fished RB from 8-1.

Here is a pic of the one I kept.
13410


I gutted it there and threw the guts far out into the water for the fish to eat. I brought the rest of the fish home with me. I felt that explanation was needed because of the rants about leaving carcasses in front of peoples houses. I have never done anything like that, but I do like to take the guts out and throw them into the water before I leave as it is less to deal with and less problems with my wife. :beatin:

wish4fish
04-08-2011, 08:17 PM
yeah we had nuttin but a runt last nite and a few taps. i wuz fishin by myself after work tonite picked upsome fresh clams and was sikked but it was slow one hit and nothing else i think the cold water got them off there feed a bit. nice catch skinner wtg dude!

storminsteve
04-08-2011, 08:36 PM
Good deal skinner, I'm about to head out now and am trying to convince myself not to go and wait for better weather. But you never know unless you try.

wish4fish
04-09-2011, 11:40 AM
my buds punkd out last nite but i wuz there got 9 bass in the rain fished the last of the incoming and the whole outgoing, only 1keeper 29" the rest were shorties, clams were on the menu. how did u do steve did u get out?

fishinmission78
04-09-2011, 12:16 PM
Fished the front early this morning, IBSP, one 31" bass at the change of the tide, around 6, clams.

storminsteve
04-09-2011, 01:34 PM
Yes w4f I did get out, check your mail. Back of rb last night, nasty cold rain but the fish were active. 7 bass to 30 1/2" using phlegm.

yukon
04-09-2011, 02:53 PM
Got shorts on clams in RB last night end of incoming. Guys to my left had 4 rods and there friends to my right had another 3 rods. They sat and watched instead of holding there rods and caught nothing http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/images/smilies/kooky.gif

storminsteve
04-09-2011, 03:13 PM
Yeah yukon can't stand when guys do that. They take up a lot of real estate and don't catch any more than the guy who is paying attention. Also the guys who go out there and drink their asses off and leave bottles all over the place. If you want to party go to a bar or stay home. If you want to catch fish you have to be on your game.

plugcrazy
04-09-2011, 05:29 PM
Way to catch them up guys!

wish4fish
04-09-2011, 11:17 PM
7 bass to 31 1/2" tonite they hit on the incoming

rip316
04-10-2011, 08:00 AM
Only shorts for me last night. Haven't been able to get a keeper yet. Congrats to you guys that are getting them good.

storminsteve
04-10-2011, 09:16 AM
Nice w4f! Thanks for the cell phone pic, looks like you got 2 nice fish. Me, only one legal size, 28" on the nose. The rest were like cookie cutter fish 23-25". Most of the fish hit later on. I fished the whole outgoing. Beautiful night to be out, hardly any wind.

ledhead36
04-10-2011, 09:41 AM
Good deal on the catches guys. I moved around a bit last night as the Sat night crowds were too much in one of my usual spots. Sat night is the worst night as plenty of folks think combining fishing and drinking heavily is perfectly natural. Yukon I hear what you are talkiing about, the guys with 3 and 4 rods do nothing but selfishly take beach space away from others. Finally found a quiet area, but got smaller fish. Fished 10-2:30, totalled 5 small bass to 26".

finchaser
04-10-2011, 10:55 AM
Dogwoods are blooming and fish are biting:fishing:

11 bass last night for 2 of us all on jig and rubber,biggest 31" all released

cowherder
04-10-2011, 11:00 AM
Way to go finchaser, cool on the releases!:thumbsup:

Monty
04-10-2011, 05:46 PM
First time out this year, picked up the skunk, was great getting out. Saw 4 seals, seemed that they would come closer to me till I made eye contact, then they would skedaddle. Worked out the first time out issues (too much line on reel :beatin: ). Fished from 3:30 to 10:30, got to spot at 1:30, after 2 red bulls I fell asleep, woke up, 2 more and I was wired. Wonder if they watered them down? Saw a small white snake? 6"-8" long. See pic, no idea what it was. Also tried these new rubber eels, Surf Hogs, casted nice and seemed to have nice action. Small bait was getting hammered at times by small birds, never closer than 300 yards from me. Was good to get the kinks out, try some new stuff out and see what the structure looked like at low tide.
13415
13416

ledhead36
04-11-2011, 08:53 AM
I fished 2 hours of the incoming last night, these late nights are really starting to catch up. 2 small runts on clams. Monty, congrats on getting out there for the first trip. The fish come and go. I wish I had a kayak like some of these guys as the kayak seemed to be the place to be the last few days. I could see them out there, and it looked like some were into fish.
Cool pic of the snake, that is a most unusual looking snake. Have no idea what kind it is. How close did it get to you?:scared:

Monty
04-11-2011, 09:53 AM
Cool pic of the snake, that is a most unusual looking snake. Have no idea what kind it is. How close did it get to you?:scared:
2 feet, swam right at me, then veared to the right and then to the bottom. looked like a sluggo the way it was swimming.

finchaser
04-11-2011, 10:59 AM
2 feet, swam right at me, then veared to the right and then to the bottom. looked like a sluggo the way it was swimming.

It was me hiding in the bushes next to you, screwing around throwing my new 18' sluggo. Guess it looked life like.:huh:

Monty
04-11-2011, 12:54 PM
It was me hiding in the bushes next to you, screwing around throwing my new 18' sluggo. Guess it looked life like.:huh:
LOL, had me fooled, incredible presentation, better than the real thing:d.
I'm trying to pay more attention this year to if bait is present or whats in the water. Last year while I was walking the beach at 2:30 AM, I kept getting hit on the leg. Looked down and saw a bunker there. Swiped at it and missed. Happened a few times as I moved down the beach...before I figured out that someone had left a line in the water with a bunker attached....and it was wrapped around my leg :huh:.

chas527
04-11-2011, 02:16 PM
fished sh this morning one skate water is stillcold .

finchaser
04-11-2011, 10:13 PM
3 bass to 26'" all on DOA head and chartreuse rip tide tail, water was 54 degrees in the back, south wind came up strong and shut it down

nitestrikes
04-12-2011, 12:49 AM
Saw a small white snake? 6"-8" long. See pic, no idea what it was.

You're just lucky it wasn't a coney island white snake.:)

cardoc765
04-12-2011, 07:25 AM
Congrats to all you who are getting fish. Wish it was me but work demands a lot of my life these days. I am curious about something though. Ther eis a spot i fish in the back. Last couple times there has been a cool dude who's opening line to spark conversations has been "did you leave any for me". I was just wondering if it is any of you guys here? If so let me know. I'd like to at least introduce myself.

gjb1969
04-12-2011, 05:25 PM
fish last nite in the rain got five shorts and one large tommycod no fish over 20 inch for me last nite but they were bass

DarkSkies
04-12-2011, 08:45 PM
I'm trying to pay more attention this year to if bait is present or whats in the water. Last year while I was walking the beach at 2:30 AM, I kept getting hit on the leg.

That reminds me, bro, the horseshoe crabs will be out and humping yer waders soon enough. And they won't even let ya know when they choose ya for a mate, they just kinda hump on to ya. :laugh: :HappyWave:


2 day report
Mon PM - yak fished 3 hours in windy conditions, 1 short bass.
Tue AM- had a small window before it got snotty this AM. 1 hour to fish before work. Managed 2 short yak bass on artificials. They're hitting the plugs hard on the troll. :viking:
Full report in the kayak reports thread.




G. I'm amazed you were out there last night.:thumbsup: It was getting worse the darker it got. I wanted to stay out but the steady winds weren't letting up, so I bailed, got some sleep, and rolled to my destination in the AM.

More bass are coming your way, and in the bays where we all fish. :fishing:

DarkSkies
04-12-2011, 10:14 PM
3 bass to 26'" all on DOA head and chartreuse rip tide tail, water was 54 degrees in the back, south wind came up strong and shut it down

Ah, you're too modest, Fin. Yer not gonna tell em about the bass that was so big that it towed the boat around for an hour, and straightened your hook on the DOA head? :bigeyes:
Cmon, tell the story.... ;)

gjb1969
04-12-2011, 10:36 PM
this year bad weather is not going to stop me:viking:

jigfreak
04-12-2011, 10:55 PM
this year bad weather is not going to stop me:viking:

Best time to fish, everyone else is home hiding in their beds.

SharkHart
04-12-2011, 11:20 PM
I had 5 bass in SNJ bays working very hard sat night, fish to 27" most under 24". A larger and better class of fish moved in sunday night my friends had better success over next 2 days. It should be very interesting from here on out.

storminsteve
04-12-2011, 11:22 PM
Last couple times there has been a cool dude who's opening line to spark conversations has been "did you leave any for me". I was just wondering if it is any of you guys here? If so let me know. I'd like to at least introduce myself.
Cardoc, sorryto hear about the long hours. Bank what you can and enjoy the days off. Are you off anytime during the week, or just on weekends?
As for the guy, does he have a little tin foil headlamp and did he ever ask you "what's the frequency Kenneth?" If so, that was me.:HappyWave: Next time you run into me and I say that, do me a favor and say "the moon is blue in june" while hopping up and down on one leg. That way I'll know it's you. Thanks bud.:d

gjb1969
04-13-2011, 12:35 AM
man the rain is comeing down hard now wow!!

Monty
04-13-2011, 07:18 AM
As for the guy, does he have a little tin foil headlamp and did he ever ask you "what's the frequency Kenneth?"If so, that was me

:ROFLMAO

Maybe you could make everyone on S and A one of those "special" headlamps. Would make it a little easier recognizing fellow members. :wheeeee:

storminsteve
04-13-2011, 07:26 AM
Monty, right now I am making some of those very headlamps in my basement. I personally invite you and Cardoc over because I need some help putting them together. They have to be specially cured in this small pit I have dug. I could really use your help. What do you say? :d Are you in? :cool:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrwDFgEeFCE

finchaser
04-13-2011, 08:11 AM
That reminds me, bro, the horseshoe crabs will be out and humping yer waders soon enough. And they won't even let ya know when they choose ya for a mate, they just kinda hump on to ya. :laugh: :HappyWave:


Doesn't surprise me crabs eat rotten stuff and your waders smelled so bad the crabs must have thought they died and went to crab heaven

Monty
04-13-2011, 10:03 AM
Monty, right now I am making some of those very headlamps in my basement. I personally invite you and Cardoc over because I need some help putting them together. They have to be specially cured in this small pit I have dug. I could really use your help. What do you say? :d Are you in? :cool:


Unless cardoc is in, your on your own with this one:eek:

yukon
04-14-2011, 08:46 AM
Fished yesterday 3pm - 12:30am RB. Got some shorts and missed at least 4 what seemed like good fish. Not my day... Hung around through low tide laughing my *** off with some guys. Good times! Guys got 4+ keepers at the least up to 16#.

jason
04-14-2011, 01:34 PM
***
(no, that's not a 64oz gatorade)
13433
The upshot of the day was learning that if you can only find smaller bloodworms, adding a nightcrawler for a little extra meat can help. Bloods give the right scent off, and that big crawler makes for a nice target. Not that this mattered, but thought I'd share the idea nonetheless.

finchaser
04-14-2011, 03:55 PM
***
(no, that's not a 64oz gatorade)
13433
The upshot of the day was learning that if you can only find smaller bloodworms, adding a nightcrawler for a little extra meat can help. Bloods give the right scent off, and that big crawler makes for a nice target. Not that this mattered, but thought I'd share the idea nonetheless.

Can you hold your breath as long as you had that poor little fish out of water

DarkSkies
04-14-2011, 04:17 PM
Yak fished the bay before sunrise and 2 hours into the ebb.
Some of the best of the best yakkers were out there. :HappyWave:
Cold dirty murky water. Official temp guage today said 58. There was no way the temps were anything near that where we were.
I think they managed 1 fish among 6 of them, according to an e-mail I just got.
I veered off from them and worked several miles of sod and structure, drifting with the current.
Used every cold water presentation I had, not a tap. :skunk:
Full report in the kayak reports thread.

Congrats to the guys who were out yesterday. I don't think anyone set the world on fire in terms of catching, but a few teen fish were reported last night. Hey, you gotta be in it to win it, at least you guys got out. :thumbsup:

For any one of ya's who really need to catch a fish, clammin or worms is your best bet until the water clears up.

DarkSkies
04-15-2011, 07:02 AM
Doesn't surprise me crabs eat rotten stuff and your waders smelled so bad the crabs must have thought they died and went to crab heaven

Hey ya grouchy basstard, I think the topic here was Monty and his love of horseshoe crabs, not my stinkin waders. :laugh:
But if ya wanna focus on them, feel free.
I know the stench stayed in your van long after I was gone, and almost made your girlfriend puke. My bad. :o :don't know why:

I guarantee that if I die before you, you'll remember the stench of those waders long after I'm gone. Sweet memories.....:upck: :ROFLMAO :kooky: :upck: :HappyWave:

chas527
04-15-2011, 09:54 AM
fished rb yesterday morning 6am till 8 nothing .went back out last night 530 till 9pm got one short.

ledhead36
04-15-2011, 11:51 AM
Slow night for me last night, fished 5:30 - 2:30am, 2 bass to 32", clams. They were shooting milt out when I brought them in.

storminsteve
04-15-2011, 05:39 PM
Slow for me too ledhead. 3 short bass, mostly caught around the first part of the outgoing.
I have to ask, did you get bass jizz on you?:scared: :ROFLMAO

jigfreak
04-15-2011, 06:15 PM
Fished the back this morning before work, OC. Skunkola.

madcaster
04-15-2011, 08:51 PM
Fished RB on the outgoing tide last night with clams. First cast I was holding the pole …I put the pole in the spike to more some drift wood out of my way. I started to go back to my pole and my foot got tangled up in some fishing line. While untangling my foot, right then I a great pole bending hit and I missed it. Nothing after that
Fish RB tonight on the outgoing got skunked. Lot of guys out tonight and didn’t see any caught.

SharkHart
04-16-2011, 01:54 PM
I dropped the hammer on some bass in the lower barny bay, a good showing of bass on the outgoing tide mostly schoolies but a few to 30 inches, plastics and plugs on popping fish, good night.

jason
04-16-2011, 03:03 PM
*RB (Edited) area last night 7-10PM (outgoing) = no stripers. Didn't see any fish caught. LOTS of guys out.


Can you hold your breath as long as you had that poor little fish out of water

With all due respect, it's a little different machinery - I'd quickly be turning blue. Fish are researched due to their ability to survive without oxygen longer than humans, with a major interest in improving bypass surgery (only wish they figured it out before my uncle had 2 strokes on the table). Here is a fish heart for example:
13437
Good rule of thumb is max 8 minutes out of the water. However, no joke, I've had fish come back alive on the fillet table 3 hours out of the water after being caught in 35 degree water.

Sorry if this seems long winded, but I'm a supporter of CPR (catch, photo, release), and don't want to be considered a tiny fish killin "googan" :embarassed: (just learned that word from DarkSkies' white bucket pic). Only put the pic up trying to contribute something as a newbie.
Off to the beach already! :boring:

finchaser
04-16-2011, 06:26 PM
With all due respect, it's a little different machinery - I'd quickly be turning blue. Fish are researched due to their ability to survive without oxygen longer than humans, with a major interest in improving bypass surgery (only wish they figured it out before my uncle had 2 strokes on the table). Here is a fish heart for example:
13437
Good rule of thumb is max 8 minutes out of the water. However, no joke, I've had fish come back alive on the fillet table 3 hours out of the water after being caught in 35 degree water.

Sorry if this seems long winded, but I'm a supporter of CPR (catch, photo, release), and don't want to be considered a tiny fish killin "googan" :embarassed: (just learned that word from DarkSkies' white bucket pic). Only put the pic up trying to contribute something as a newbie.
Off to the beach already! :boring:


A response like this and the night crawler statement show you're a newbie. Fish being released need to be put back ASAP not only is there the oxygen factor but the shock caused by temperature changes from water to air. Excessive handling and a fish thrashing around on the ground compromises the fishes slime coat making it hard for them to fight disease. Juvenile fish need the utmost of care. It may have swam away as many mishandled fish do and minutes later went into shock,turned belly up and died.

I hope you take this as constructive criticism as I 'd rather save a fish than worry about hurting your feelings.

I'm no tree hunger by any stretch of the imagination I just want you to get off on the right foot. I've been fishing for these magnificent fish for over 50 years and don't want to see them disappear again.

voyager35
04-16-2011, 08:24 PM
However, no joke, I've had fish come back alive on the fillet table 3 hours out of the water after being caught in 35 degree water.


I wonder how old you are and how long you have been fishing the salt?

No disrespect here, but I have caught thousands of striped bass in my life, over a 100 over 40lbs (from a boat), eaten quite a few, and released a lot of them.

I will give you $100 if you can give me scientific proof that a striped bass, saltwater species, in the 30lb class or better, can live for 3 hours out of water without oxygen.

That's a very irresponsible statement to make. If you are talking about eels or killies, that's a different story. But if you made that claim to any of the guys I fish with, they would laugh you off the dock. So please clarify what you are talking about, because I and I'm sure a few others here have some trouble believing this incredible claim you are making here.

As for fishing, we went out in the back of Raitan Bay yesterday afternoon after work. We fished from 5-8 in 12' of water, and boxed 3 bass to 33" (boat fish) chumming clam bellies. The bite seemed a bit slow. We marked very few fish where we were.

speedy
04-16-2011, 08:42 PM
jason
hey bro that fish looked dead how long was he out of the water ???

clamchucker
04-16-2011, 09:22 PM
Jason, I have to agree with the others. Like voyager said, maybe it is fish other than striped bass you are talking about here?
Like finchaser, I have been fishing for them for over 50 years. I have kept many fish and never had a bass come alive after 3 hours in a cooler. You may be witnessing involuntary muscle contractions, and assume that as a sign of life. I can certainly understand that.
However, I have to caution you about the 8 minutes belief. I occasionally keep a fish now, but most of mine are C&R. And it is my belief that even 8 minutes out of the water is too much. When the water is colder, you may have a longer duration of survivability. The mortality rate for fish is different based on a lot of factors. The one thing that we don't want, as people who have lived through the moratorium, is to waste a fish in the mistaken belief that it will survive no matter how long it is kept out of the water. I will try to look for some studies, but if you can find any in the meantime that proves the 8 minute claim I would be glad to read them. As finchaser said, we are looking to educate folks here so they don't mistakenly do something that might hurt the fish all in the name of C&R.

gjb1969
04-17-2011, 01:05 AM
[/ATTACH]1344213439134431344013441i just got finished settling in from a long day and nite of fishing the day was a mess but i just kept going fished dw spots all small bass for me but its ok my buddy got a 32 in keeper so i know there keeper bass are there i was not the only nut out tonight 12 other guys were there as i packed up only two guys stayed will be back out sunday the keper bass hit bunker chunk all the little bass hit worms so guys dont let the rain keep u in the bigger bass are out there put your time in and u will get even in this bad weather

DarkSkies
04-17-2011, 08:59 AM
Way to put in the time, bro. :thumbsup:
Nice report. :HappyWave:

madcaster
04-17-2011, 11:48 AM
Here’s a quick tip. Measure up from the butt of your rod 28 inches and place a piece of tape or something to indicate the legal length of a keeper. This way when you beach the fish you can quickly place the rod against the fish to see if it’s a keeper. Don’t have to spend time digging in the bad for that tape measure.

Monty
04-17-2011, 02:07 PM
Fished 3:00-9:30 this morning. Threw rubber and plugs, skunked. Was not that bad out, little windy, dodged many logs and debris, also lots of stuff in close got stuck on hooks. Saw a couple horse hoe crabs, did not see any seals. Water looked real fishy. Enjoyable time on the water.

gjb1969
04-17-2011, 02:13 PM
well getting ready to get back out there in alittle while hope to get a keeper :rolleyes:

cowherder
04-17-2011, 02:45 PM
Fished 3:00-9:30 this morning. Threw rubber and plugs, skunked. Was not that bad out, little windy, dodged many logs and debris, also lots of stuff in close got stuck on hooks.

It was not that bad out? The wind was howling here last night till I went to bed at 11pm, You are better men than me, monty and gjb too, you guys are hardcore!

gjb1969
04-17-2011, 10:02 PM
just go in from another day out it was a hot mess out there but lots of little fish no keepers but i still had a good time tite lines guys and get the big ones:HappyWave:

jigfreak
04-17-2011, 10:14 PM
Fished BB in the back from 7:30-9:30 one short bass on rubber jighead. Water was dirty and cold.

jason
04-18-2011, 01:25 AM
Avalon/Ocean city area. Casted for 2 hours on each side of the PM High. :skunk:


Here’s a quick tip. Measure up from the butt of your rod 28 inches and place a piece of tape or something to indicate the legal length of a keeper. This way when you beach the fish you can quickly place the rod against the fish to see if it’s a keeper. Don’t have to spend time digging in the bad for that tape measure.
Great idea, thanks for the tip!

As a friendly post, found interesting:
Water temps key: 18 Celsius = 67 Fahrenheit; 27 C = 81 F
13445
Never meant to rustle feathers. Save any replies...taking break from forum. Boss got me working 90hours this week.

speedy
04-18-2011, 01:36 PM
[/ATTACH]1344213439134431344013441i just got finished settling in from a long day and nite of fishing the day was a mess but i just kept going fished dw spots all small bass for me but its ok my buddy got a 32 in keeper so i know there keeper bass are there i was not the only nut out tonight 12 other guys were there as i packed up only two guys stayed will be back out sunday the keper bass hit bunker chunk all the little bass hit worms so guys dont let the rain keep u in the bigger bass are out there put your time in and u will get even in this bad weather
hey bro how big are the small ones you put them back right ??? lol

gjb1969
04-18-2011, 02:16 PM
16 to 20 inch

finchaser
04-18-2011, 02:34 PM
16 to 20 inch
Why even photograph a small fish and abuse it, it's bad enough you guys target them with those small hooks. IMO the pictures don't impress anyone. Pictures use to be for trophy fish over 40#. the INTERNET will be the demise of these fish, it's pathetic to see people weighing in 7 and 8 pound fish to get there names in the paper or on line.

seamonkey
04-18-2011, 02:43 PM
Why even photograph a small fish and abuse it, it's bad enough you guys target them with those small hooks. IMO the pictures don't impress anyone. Pictures use to be for trophy fish over 40#. the INTERNET will be the demise of these fish, it's pathetic to see people weighing in 7 and 8 pound fish to get there names in the paper or on line.



Well then you would be shocked and mortified if you ever saw the Betty and Nick's site. People go on there every day something is caught. I don't agree with it, but have seen bass as small as 7.25lbs weighed in, all for the chance to have your mug on youtube. There is not a lot of skill to throwing a clam out there, catching a small bass, and hauling it to the tackle shop for a video. Show us a pic of a 40lb bass caught in the middle of the night, then you deserve a trophy. This is just my ,02, not trying to start any trouble here.:cool: :d

finchaser
04-18-2011, 02:50 PM
Well then you would be shocked and mortified if you ever saw the Betty and Nick's site. People go on there every day something is caught. I don't agree with it, but have seen bass as small as 7.25lbs weighed in, all for the chance to have your mug on youtube. There is not a lot of skill to throwing a clam out there, catching a small bass, and hauling it to the tackle shop for a video. Show us a pic of a 40lb bass caught in the middle of the night, then you deserve a trophy. This is just my ,02, not trying to start any trouble here.:cool: :d

I see the B&N everyday and what's worse hear about it from people who work there but it sells bait as they say.
Couldn't agree more you catch small fish report it you don't need to put the fish through any unneeded stress. See if they had to hold it up for a picture in the paper how embarrassed they would be to be seen with it.

gjb1969
04-18-2011, 02:56 PM
fish not abused tack pic and put back

surferman
04-19-2011, 08:40 AM
Fished the ocean yesterday from 6-9. Southern OC. Water was a little cold. Was using fresh clams, no action. Felt good to be out there, though!

killie
04-19-2011, 09:34 AM
cel phones on, I'm ready

rip316
04-19-2011, 09:40 AM
cel phones on, I'm ready

Killie, call me when Finchaser calls you so we can get some fish. I have a new phone and have chargers everywhere so I don't miss the call. That's the only chance we have so be ready.:ROFLMAO:ROFLMAO:2flip::2flip:

jigfreak
04-19-2011, 10:05 AM
I have a new phone and have chargers everywhere so I don't miss the call. That's the only chance we have so be ready.:ROFLMAO:ROFLMAO:2flip::2flip:


Another internet fisheman, couldn't catch a decent fish on his own if his life depended on it., I checked back on this guy's posts and really don't see anything of substance. More whining and drama than on MTVs Jersey shore, nothing where he tries to help anyone or contribute something of value other than "oh ha ha I was just kidding", Then the latest he is against fathers taking their kids fishing, "that's a spot burn!!:huh:"I really feel sorry for this guys kids, if he has any, for them to put up with that as a fatherly example.:waaah: Why such negative crap all the time? Did someone **** in your cornflakes? If so we don't want to hear about it, life is tough for a lot of us.

Now back to the fishing reports, I thought that's what this thread was for.
Oh btw I cant remember the last time this guy posted a fishing report either.
I was out for 3 hours last night, rubber, small swimmers, etc, not a tap. I suck, but at least I tried.

finchaser
04-19-2011, 11:19 AM
Another internet fisheman, couldn't catch a decent fish on his own if his life depended on it., I checked back on this guy's posts and really don't see anything of substance. More whining and drama than on MTVs Jersey shore, nothing where he tries to help anyone or contribute something of value other than "oh ha ha I was just kidding", Then the latest he is against fathers taking their kids fishing, "that's a spot burn!!:huh:"I really feel sorry for this guys kids, if he has any, for them to put up with that as a fatherly example.:waaah: Why such negative crap all the time? Did someone **** in your cornflakes? If so we don't want to hear about it, life is tough for a lot of us.

Now back to the fishing reports, I thought that's what this thread was for.
Oh btw I cant remember the last time this guy posted a fishing report either.
I was out for 3 hours last night, rubber, small swimmers, etc, not a tap. I suck, but at least I tried.


Killie is not an INTERNET fisherman by any stretch of the imagination he lives hours away and I tell him when and when not to come down been doing for years. It's now a joke between all the regulars. It's our way of busting on the all th INTERNET and cell phone so called fisherman who can only catch fish in a blitz if they are Lucky . If you knew RIP you would know taking kids fishing is dear to him,as matter of fact I just built his 12 year old daughter a custom rod.

But yet no one comments on people who target small fish and need to photograph them to prove to the world they can catch a fish good for there ego. Many of these baby fish die do to mishandling, then they complain there are no small fish in the fall which you need to sustain a fishery. It's on every web site like a disease but yet they crucify spot burners which seems to be all that matters.
The end

rip316
04-19-2011, 11:24 AM
Another internet fisheman, couldn't catch a decent fish on his own if his life depended on it., I checked back on this guy's posts and really don't see anything of substance. More whining and drama than on MTVs Jersey shore, nothing where he tries to help anyone or contribute something of value other than "oh ha ha I was just kidding", Then the latest he is against fathers taking their kids fishing, "that's a spot burn!!:huh:"I really feel sorry for this guys kids, if he has any, for them to put up with that as a fatherly example.:waaah: Why such negative crap all the time? Did someone **** in your cornflakes? If so we don't want to hear about it, life is tough for a lot of us.

Now back to the fishing reports, I thought that's what this thread was for.
Oh btw I cant remember the last time this guy posted a fishing report either.
I was out for 3 hours last night, rubber, small swimmers, etc, not a tap. I suck, but at least I tried.

Mr. Jigfreak. Someone did **** in my cornflakes. I can not believe that you are bagging on me. You do not know me. So let it go. I hope the guy that pissed in my cornflakes is happy. I am officially off this site. If you guys only knew. I will not get into it, it is not worth the aggravation.

chas527
04-19-2011, 12:34 PM
fished rb last night from beach 6 to 10 did'n got a hit till it got dark. then it small fish hitting got one 22 inches.

jigfreak
04-19-2011, 05:23 PM
I have a new phone and have chargers everywhere so I don't miss the call. That's the only chance we have so be ready.:ROFLMAO:ROFLMAO:2flip::2flip:

finchaser, no disrespect meant, if you look at what I quoted there is nothing about kilie. Who is kilie? I honestly don't know because I don't remember any posts from him with drama around them.
On the other hand this rip318 seems to have drama or negative related comments about every thread lately. He's not happy with the fishing, he complains he will spot burn all the spots on the internet. Then, when a bunch of folks here took him to task for that, he comes on and says "oh no guys I was just kidding, ha ha." He should have that phrase attached to all of the comments he makes, because honestly it's hard to tell with comments like that whether he is serious or not.:huh:

I only know what I read, and to me he either sounds like a smart mouth young punk or someone who didn't get enough attention from his parents, so he wants attention. Yeah I get that, the internet is filled with attention ho's, but in his latest tirade he's against Dads taking their kids fishing, oh no this is spot burning.

And frankly I can't see how any of this I mentioned is a positive contribution to this site. I work hard all day, and have to fit my fishing in around it. There are a few sites I can go to if I want to see guys duke out on the internet, buf that's tiresome to me.I come here to get away from the drama, whining, and seeing the egos of one internet fishing expert putting other guys down just to make himself feel better. I don't know what this guy rip318's problem is and I don't care. I'm sick of the negativity.

When I catch, I try to help the newbie by telling them what worked. I am not afraid to post when I don't catch either.
I don't remember the last time I read a fishing report from this guy that was useful or helpful.

I come to this thread for fishing reports not to see someone's drama unfold and I'm damn tired of it. If you can't conribute anything nice to a site then don't go on it. I'm sure there are others who feel this way as well, I know you and dark and this guy are all friends but enough is enough. Stop with the drama and lets try to focus on the reports in this thread. And truthfully if the guy never posts again, it will be no great loss. Guys like that just don't get it.:kooky:

And chas, thanks for the report, at least you got out there, and you did better than I did.

buckethead
04-19-2011, 05:40 PM
On the other hand this rip318 seems to have drama or negative related comments about every thread lately. He's not happy with the fishing, he complains he will spot burn all the spots on the internet. Then, when a bunch of folks here took him to task for that, he comes on and says "oh no guys I was just kidding, ha ha."

I only know what I read, and to me he either sounds like a smart mouth young punk or someone who didn't get enough attention from his parents, so he wants attention. Yeah I get that, the internet is filled with attention ho's, but in his latest tirade he's against Dads taking their kids fishing, oh no this is spot burning.

And frankly I can't see how any of this I mentioned is a positive contribution to this site. I work hard all day, and have to fit my fishing in around it. There are a few sites I can go to if I want to see guys duke out on the internet, buf that's tiresome to me.I come here to get away from the drama, whining, and seeing the egos of one internet fishing expert putting other guys down just to make himself feel better. I don't know what this guy rip318's problem is and I don't care. I'm sick of the negativity.

When I catch, I try to help the newbie by telling them what worked. I am not afraid to post when I don't catch either.
I don't remember the last time I read a fishing report from this guy that was useful or helpful.

I come to this thread for fishing reports not to see someone's drama unfold and I'm damn tired of it. If you can't conribute anything nice to a site then don't go on it. I'm sure there are others who feel this way as well,

:clapping::clapping::clapping: What jigfreak said, X2!
When someone says crappy comments, and then replies with oh I was just kidding, this is classic passive aggressive behavior. I had a girlfriend like this once and she drove me crazy. People like this are driven to be the center of attention because of something that happened in their childhood. Somehow they developed off kilter and didn't learn to express themselves appropriately. I was so much better off once I dumped this girl. If I remember correctly she never got married but is still involved with manipulative relationships, one sucker at a time. I feel sorry for her, and this dude rip as well because he seems the same way. Get counselling dude, save the drama for your therapist.

As for fishing, I fished nomoco, oceanside, from 3-5:15 today. The ocean was a little dirty and had to use 6 oz with fishfinder, but I did manage one 27 1/2" bass with clams.
Good luck fellas, and let's hope this weather clears up soon.

finchaser
04-19-2011, 07:27 PM
finchaser, no disrespect meant, if you look at what I quoted there is nothing about kilie. Who is kilie? I honestly don't know because I don't remember any posts from him with drama around them.
On the other hand this rip318 seems to have drama or negative related comments about every thread lately. He's not happy with the fishing, he complains he will spot burn all the spots on the internet. Then, when a bunch of folks here took him to task for that, he comes on and says "oh no guys I was just kidding, ha ha." He should have that phrase attached to all of the comments he makes, because honestly it's hard to tell with comments like that whether he is serious or not.:huh:

I only know what I read, and to me he either sounds like a smart mouth young punk or someone who didn't get enough attention from his parents, so he wants attention. Yeah I get that, the internet is filled with attention ho's, but in his latest tirade he's against Dads taking their kids fishing, oh no this is spot burning.

And frankly I can't see how any of this I mentioned is a positive contribution to this site. I work hard all day, and have to fit my fishing in around it. There are a few sites I can go to if I want to see guys duke out on the internet, buf that's tiresome to me.I come here to get away from the drama, whining, and seeing the egos of one internet fishing expert putting other guys down just to make himself feel better. I don't know what this guy rip318's problem is and I don't care. I'm sick of the negativity.

When I catch, I try to help the newbie by telling them what worked. I am not afraid to post when I don't catch either.
I don't remember the last time I read a fishing report from this guy that was useful or helpful.

I come to this thread for fishing reports not to see someone's drama unfold and I'm damn tired of it. If you can't conribute anything nice to a site then don't go on it. I'm sure there are others who feel this way as well, I know you and dark and this guy are all friends but enough is enough. Stop with the drama and lets try to focus on the reports in this thread. And truthfully if the guy never posts again, it will be no great loss. Guys like that just don't get it.:kooky:

And chas, thanks for the report, at least you got out there, and you did better than I did.


None taken i thought you were referring to Killie and me as INTERNET fisherman,I apologize. Killie and I go way back. He lives in NY state and always jokes around when people asks how do you catch fish he says i have a finchaser. When fish start to show he always posts I have my cell phone on I'm ready.

As far as helping people especially newbies I try and point them in the right direction. hopefully they won't end up becoming head counting egotistical fisherman photographing every fish especially the small ones to prove to the world they can catch a fish.

I have lived through one moratorium and will do everything in my power to avoid anther one which seems to be coming at warp speed compared to the last

No matter what kind of issues you say RIP has I can attest for one thing he is a great father and loves kids. I think what he meant was some fathers use there kids to find fish and bring there friends instead of a kid and a spot is burnt. I could be wrong, widely used by boat fisherman. I always joke on the radio I have nuns and orphans with me after I hear this.

Anyway no hard feeling tight line to you

Enough of this bullsh_t

bababooey
04-19-2011, 07:36 PM
Get counselling dude, save the drama for your therapist.



Methinks rip likes the drama llama following him.:ROFLMAO
Remember the post where he said women were put on this earth to be used sexually by us, that was their only purpose?:laugh: Classic stuff, can't get enough of that, o rip o rip you are leaving us? whatever will we do without your drama?;) :HappyWave:

killie
04-19-2011, 08:26 PM
ruff crowd here :scared:

speedy
04-19-2011, 10:40 PM
not at all bro this is a mild site

DarkSkies
04-20-2011, 12:34 AM
I just mentioned to someone today that I was trying my best to stay out of these things, and let them run their natural course. After all the PMs and phone calls I got on this, I realized it was time to set the pace.

I empathize that some feel frustrated with the demeanor of some members here. You have all made your points.
Some of these comments could have been handled via PM. In fact, if you feel a post is offensive or inappropriate, there is a "Report Post" icon at the bottom of your screen. It's the one where the exclamation mark is embedded inside the triangle.
Feel free to report any post that fits these guidelines, and I'll deal with it appropriately.




**********
Some important things to remember:
1. I may not see every post, so if there is a problem I need feedback from you folks.

2. The TOS agreement is something I'm still fine tuning, but I need you guys and gals to use common sense...ie
a. Please, don't type anything here you wouldn't say face to face to the person you are referring to.
b. Please, treat other members with the same respect you would want to be treated with.

3. If you feel a member is critical or disruptive, if your reply to that member is also antagonistic or negative, then you become no better than the issue that you are responding to. :learn: Please, let me deal with it. That's part of my job and something I take seriously.

4. I don't want to run this place like a prison, hence there is a lot of leeway with what I choose to allow. The good natured ribbing and ball busting has been fun so far. For the most part you have acted like adults. :thumbsup: I'll continue to expect that level of maturity from you because I know you're capable of it, and I thank you all for the respect you have shown each other thus far. :clapping:

5. There are no time-outs here. Anyone who does not contribute to this community, and constantly attacks others or causes others to feel threatened, will be banned. My feeling is... if you're not happy here, why subject yourself, and the community, to your unhappiness? :huh:

Therefore, this matter is now closed.

If Rip chooses to leave this group, that's his choice. I want you folks to understand that means any criticism or negativity will cease immediately. I have stepped back from participation on other internet sites where I thought members were unfairly ridiculed and Admins did nothing about it. I have also been the guy to stick up for people who had been banned, when there was no one around to speak up for them. I say this so you will know that behavior is cowardly to me, and it will not go on here. We will not slam or criticize someone if they aren't here to defend themselves.

I ask that there be no further discussion of these issues in this thread. This thread is for reports. You have some leeway here, but any posts straying back to criticizing those involved in this topic will be deleted.

I am not moderating the previous comments because as I explained to some of you via PM, some of them have merit. I truly appreciate the support and viewpoints in all the PMs I got. I am trying my best to make this a mellow place that is worth coming to, where members don't have to deal with drama and negativity.

Thanks for your understanding, folks.
Back to the reports... as Finchaser said... it's now time to move on. :thumbsup:

chas527
04-20-2011, 02:11 PM
fished sh this morning foggie an breezy. but lots of fish got 7 shorts and 2 keepers one 1 keep all on clams.you had to hold the pole they weren't hitting hard.

fishinmission78
04-20-2011, 06:18 PM
Fished ibsp 6-8am, 2 bass to 12lbs, clams. Yeah chas it sure was foggy out. I guess the fish don't care about that.

jigfreak
04-20-2011, 09:39 PM
Anyway no hard feeling tight line to you

Enough of this bullsh_t

Tight lines to you as well finchaser.:plastered:
Fished the back till 9, incomeing, small rubber, skunk city.

chas527
04-21-2011, 01:54 PM
fished this morning 7 till 1pm. very windy and rough water. got 4 bass 2 -26 inches 1- 27 1 -23 plus a sun dial.

DarkSkies
04-21-2011, 10:07 PM
Nice, chas! :HappyWave: It was windy as hell where I was too. You did better than a lot of guys. Not one fish was caught, from land or water as I fished the bay from the yak from first light to 8am. Full report in the kayak reports thread.

ledhead36
04-21-2011, 11:05 PM
Full moon tides are way high, the fish don't care - I was out from 6-10:45 tonight, 3 bass to 34" on bunker.

clamchucker
04-22-2011, 10:52 AM
Fished the park this morning, first 3 hours of the incoming. Using circle hooks, I managed 2, biggest 35" and about 17lbs. Kept the smaller at 28"", clams.

wish4fish
04-22-2011, 03:56 PM
fish were eatin the bunker like candy last nite we got some on heads and also on chunks. the fattest bass my friend got was 20pounds and i got 1 16lbs and we got a lot of smaller ones and 2 bluefish.

surfwalker
04-22-2011, 07:43 PM
Today, 5am-11:30am, out front. Arty's from 5-7 - nothing. 7-11:30 - 4 shorts on salted clam.

gjb1969
04-22-2011, 07:51 PM
boooooooofish:)

DarkSkies
04-23-2011, 04:25 PM
I hereby certify I stole the above phrase from Finchaser, he's got the copyright on it... :laugh: :cool: :HappyWave:

WTG to the guys who were out fishing in the rain. :thumbsup:
Surfwalker I see ya finally got out, first trip of the year, nice! :HappyWave:

I felt there might be some worthwhile arti fishin pre-dawn today. It was pouring when I was driving, and let up to a light rain as I set up in a back bay area at 5am.

Threw a variety of presentations to match the bait that had been in and out.
The water wasn't that dirty despite the rain, but it was pretty cold, registered at 49degrees.

Not even a tap. As it turned into overcast daylight :drool: some boats came into the flats to fish. One guy managed a small bass, maybe 5#, released. That was all the action I saw from a large area as I moved here and there. Made another move before I left to fish an isolated place for a bit, no signs of life there either.

Hey, that's fishin. :fishing:

storminsteve
04-23-2011, 06:02 PM
I like that- fishing great catching sucked.:clapping:
:skunk:Skunk for me, fished today on the incoming, clams and bunker.

buckethead
04-23-2011, 08:52 PM
Fished nomoco with clams this morning, rainy, a little miserable. 2 bass, one 21", one 29".

surferman
04-23-2011, 09:10 PM
I worked a CM beach from 3-6 with clams and bucktails, skunk a rooney!

Monty
04-23-2011, 09:46 PM
Today, 5am-11:30am, out front. Arty's from 5-7 - nothing. 7-11:30 - 4 shorts on salted clam.

Great to see you had some action.
I threw rubber, plastic and wood this morning from 1:30 to 7:30 (I am the Skunkmaster so far this year). Great beeing out, weather was brutal.

VSdreams
04-23-2011, 10:35 PM
(I am the Skunkmaster so far this year). Great beeing out, weather was brutal.
Monty I am not doing any better. Was out tonight in the ocean, clams got me one skate!

gjb1969
04-24-2011, 12:26 AM
just got in form a very long day in the rain and wind i was i a few spot and i got the skunk but i will be back out sunday i got 5 bunker to go and i will get more worms not one fish noe even little guys today but thats why its called fishing not catching i hope u guys did better :HappyWave:

SharkHart
04-24-2011, 07:12 AM
Decent results on some picky bass, strayed from my usual pink 1/2 oz down to 1/4 and 4 in silver fin S to get some finicky feeders to hit in the SNJ bays, outgoing tide no signs of life during the end of IN

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll194/SharkHart/4-22a.jpg

DarkSkies
04-24-2011, 11:02 AM
Wtg everyone who's out there and putting in time. :thumbsup:

Searching for bigger fish is never easy when there are lots of small schoolies available to anyone who has the patience to toss clams. Nothing wrong with that, I just don't have the patience.
Fish in the teens up to 20 are starting to be available artificially on the edges and highways, but the cold water makes the artificial bite inconsistent so far. That's ok, I'm hooked on that strike, nothing like the adrenalin you get from a strike in the middle of the night.

I fished 5-7:30am, some structure, and some flats. No bait or fish near the structure. Admittedly, it was the wrong tide stage but the only time I had today to fish. If you can pick a bass up under these conditions it says something about your persistence. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon3.png

Water was cold, but clear, maybe low 50's as I went to search for the big bluefish that should have been here already. Ran into Stevie D, retired fishin addict and now fishin almost every day and sellling plugs out of his black SUV. We also talked about how there are no guarantees in fishin, and how people who have unrealistic expectations really need to get a sense of perspective as to how bad things used to be. More on that in another thread.

Stevie's been getting teen bass consistently except for the past few nights. Our consensus is the big bluefish are a bit late. As SharkHart said, they should be here today, and I'm sure someone will catch them today, somewhere. :d

The big ones are what I'm looking for. With the bigger blues feeding 3-10 miles offshore now on sandeels, they may not be in a hurry to come into the flats this week. I'm still optimistic, can't wait. :fishing:

wish4fish
04-24-2011, 12:08 PM
yeah thats it dark r u too good to use bait like us road dogs, lol:moon:
no fish last nite and we fished hard too, skunks all around

GeoffT
04-25-2011, 10:35 AM
As long as bluefish arrive in big numbers in RB before Mother's Day, they aren't really late.

I too look forward to them as the bass bite generally improves as a result, especially on arties.

DarkSkies
04-25-2011, 12:42 PM
Wish4fish, I have nothing against using bait.
Look at all the tournaments each year. When bass are on bunker, the best presentation is a live fat bunker. Some of the biggest trophy fish are taken with bunker and eels each year. If ya want those fish ya ain't going to catch them with a "chicken scratch bomber" ;)

And your crew has been getting into some quality fish, when the bunker are thick, wtg.
It's just that for me, I've caught a lot of fish in my life. Each time I go out I want to try something different, or try something like a new place or area that causes me to expand my thinking. That's just me and the goals I put out there for myself, so I don't want anyone to think there's anything wrong with using bait. I was livelining bunker from the yak last week. :cool:

So it's all good bro, catch em up! :HappyWave:

And Geoff, right on the $$, the bluefish will start to chop things up making it easiier for those "lazy" bass to be lazy saltwater vacuums. :) :drool:

Fishin report, fished the bay 4-7:30am today, a few bass to 31", and 2 bluefish, light bucktails and small swimmers. The fish I got were in the middle to the bottom of the water column, still a bit sluggish, but still fun. Water temps bumped up significantly, at least mid-50's where I was.

ledhead36
04-25-2011, 01:37 PM
Went on the Fisherman, Capt Ron Santee (great guy and mates on this boat btw). RB Easter trip. We had to move around a lot, but in the end he put us on the fish. I ended up with 1 25lbs jigging, will be dinner tonight. Also a few smaller ones, released. Some bigger ones were taken, up to 31lbs. They are here.

cowherder
04-25-2011, 01:56 PM
I fished the nomoco ocean today from 5-8. 2 striped bass on clams. One 29", one 27".

hookset
04-25-2011, 02:07 PM
I totally mis-timed the weather. Ended up fishing the rbay last night in the rain. It was miserable, got the skunk, fished 2 hours in that rain and went home. Better luck next time. Congrats guys!

storminsteve
04-25-2011, 02:35 PM
Fished the bayshore Easter evening, the rain sucked hookset. As it let up the bunker started to gather. I snagged, chunked a few and got into some stripers, the biggest was 32". Quit at 4am when it seemed to slow down.

clamchucker
04-25-2011, 05:38 PM
I worked a few places in the park today. 2 bass to 30", clams, on the incoming.

gjb1969
04-25-2011, 06:52 PM
congrats guys :clapping: keep the keepers comeing

DarkSkies
04-26-2011, 08:48 AM
Last night was one of those nights when us fishin addicts had to be out there. :drool: I saw the overcast skies and finished work asap. Took the kayak and was gonna launch in a "fish highway" area. When I got there, the visibility was 2-300 ft and it was breezy. There were some rec boats out there. With visions of them running me over in the fog on the way in, I punked out and decided not to launch. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png

Grabbed the surf gear and headed out.

Stopped at a few places, met some new faces. :HappyWave:

There was steady clam bite going on almost every stop I made. Knowing that the water temps went up 10 degrees in the last 2 days, I decided to make it an all artificial night.

First place I went to, there was a picket line of guys clamming. I set up to the side of them for the last 1/2 of the flood tide.

I know that fish were available on bucktails, but I really had a jones for the topwater bite. I gave it a shot and went through several presentations without success. Finally got bit on small swimmers. Dropped the first fish because I wasn't expecting it. :bucktooth:

As I got it dialed in, it was a steady pick for about 2 hours. At one point I had a strike or a fish within every 10 casts or so. Lots of missed strikes and topwater action as the fish swung at the presentations and missed in the murky fog, with no ambient light whatsoever.

The bite died 1 hr before slack. Total for that area, 6 short bass and 3 bluefish (bluefish all came near the top of the tide)

After the bite died, I left the area and went scouting. First stop nailed 2 low-teen bass on swimmers, after the bunker had been there thick, and scattered. Ran into Wish4fish and Storminsteve at one of the stops, nice to BS with ya's for awhile. :HappyWave:

In all, last night was a clam fisherman's heaven, and a night of great activity. There was steady action on the flood, and the biggest bass were caught on clams (or bucktails before dark) . The largest one I saw was around 35", maybe mid teens. The hooting and hollering guys were doing on the beach told you everyone fishing clams was happy. :cool:

Tried to return to the scene of the original plugging success around sunrise, but the water was murky and stone dead. You would have never known there were fish there the night before, save for the fisherman garbage on the beach. :beatin:

cowherder
04-26-2011, 09:45 AM
Way to get them dark, nice report!

chas527
04-26-2011, 01:52 PM
fish sh this morning 630 till 1230. got 3 bass one 28 one 30 an one 26. keep one for dinner.warm morning till a cool breeze came thought about 945.lasted an hour then it got hot.

wish4fish
04-26-2011, 02:25 PM
hey dark it was about time u came around, lol. last nite it was clam city, but nooo dark is stubborn u did get some nice fish tho ill give you credit for that. thats all they wanted even when bunker came by and we chunked it they wudnt touch it got 4 bass to 32" and my buddies biggest was 34" they were all nice!:bigeyes::bigeyes:

storminsteve
04-26-2011, 08:47 PM
Fished the bay last night with wish4. The fishing was fast and furious for awhile, as was said it was a clam bite and for some reason they didn't want fresh bunker. 3 bass to 35". All keeper size. I kept the smallest and it barely had anything in its belly. Dark it was nice of you to stop by and chat a bit, you really need to lay off that caffeine, bud.:laugh: Are you going to tell the story here about the guys you almost threw in the water for the short fish, or can I tell it in the angler of the month stories? Classic stuff, ds, you are intense!:argue: :HappyWave:

porgy75
04-26-2011, 10:06 PM
Went out claming last night caught a 28" striper. C&R.

DarkSkies
04-27-2011, 08:26 AM
Are you going to tell the story here about the guys you almost threw in the water for the short fish, or can I tell it in the angler of the month stories? Classic stuff, ds, you are intense!:argue: :HappyWave:

Steve, you embellish too much. ;)
The guy had a short bass, he was taking forever to measure it, and insisted on measuring it twice, fumbling around as he racked up several minutes with his fumbling, even though he had measured it once already . Other guys were grumbling, but didn't want to say anything. I did, he and his buddy took offence, and they grabbed hold of me, both of them. :viking: I think one of them may have been drinking. I offered to teach them how to swim with the fish if they didn't get their azzes in gear and release the fish. They quickly backed down when they saw I was serious, and threw the fish back. The only reason to repeat it here is that someone called me and related that he had heard the story from a buddy who may have been in the area. :kicknuts:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?7636-Striped-Bass-out-of-water-survival&p=48877#post48877

The important thing here is to educate people in a calm manner, and try your best to get along with others. If you can't get through to them, dial the DFG to avoid a confrontation. But, in my view, it's absolutely useless to witness something like this, do or say nothing, and then rant about it on the internet. The way I like to handle it is to deal with it in real time. But hey, that's just me, and I wouldn't advocate anyone else handling things that way. Hope that clears things up, time to move on. :HappyWave:

seamonkey
04-27-2011, 08:42 AM
Fished a back bay area last night, clams, one 24" striped bass.

jigfreak
04-27-2011, 08:51 AM
3 bass in the dark this am to 30", and one bluefish bite off. Rubber, way in the back.

c4charlie
04-27-2011, 09:13 AM
A couple bass Mon night in RB with one being 18-19lbs that put up the best fight yet, at least 5 long drag screaming runs. All my bass on bunker heads so far this year. That is all I am fishing until I get a big one.

I am wondering if being hooked at the inner bottom of the fish mouth had something to do with how pissed off this fish was. The fight was like a bruiser blue fight minus the head shakes. Bass did not give up until totally exhausted.

Both bass released, had to revive the big one for 30 sec. Slower night than I anticipated with all of the bait around but the eerie fog and the bigger fish made it totally worth it although I got home after 5am again.

c4charlie
04-27-2011, 09:32 AM
This is a report from last week that I forgot to post... I put the recipe in the cooking forum http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?7639-Striped-Bass-with-tomatoes but somehow forgot to post a report. Too busy working, fishing and not sleeping.

Buddy and I caught 15 the other night up to 20lbs. I landed 7 and did NOT get the biggest of the night. Almost all of the fish were in the 13-17lb range according to the boga. All released except for one (pic attached). First banner night of the year. Bunker was the ticket.
1344913450

Fish are out there, just need to find the bait and you will be rewarded. I still have not run into any bluefish yet.

hookset
04-28-2011, 05:59 AM
Nice catches, fellas!:clapping: Dark way to go for getting into it with that guy about keeping the short bass out of the water. Fish cannot stay alive for hours. As the water gets warmer it's critical to get them back as soon as you can. It's scary to get into a fight with drunk dudes, though, be careful. But thanks for having enough balls to speak up.:clapping: Too many sissy Marys say nothing, and then you see their whining posts all over the internet. By the way glad you put a stop to the whining here. It's much more pleasant to read these threads now. Keep up the good work.

storminsteve
04-28-2011, 06:10 AM
c4charlie and others, way to get out there! I have been fishing as much as I can in this bad weather. Found some bunker schools in the back to the future waters last night. Fished the incoming tide and the slack till 5:00am. We threw heads and chunks. Bass took the heads, and one big angry blue took the chunk. I got 5 bass to 21lbs, it was sweet!

yardvillejimmy
04-28-2011, 07:25 AM
Fished MoCo with a friend yesterday evening. Had a total of 16 stripers to 36 inches. Caught ten myself on bombers and megabaits.:bigeyes:

madcaster
04-28-2011, 02:43 PM
Fished RB last night in a spot were my log book has a record of me catching blue fish in this spot for the past 3 years. Last night I got :skunk:........:huh:

c4charlie
04-28-2011, 08:23 PM
Fished MoCo with a friend yesterday evening. Had a total of 16 stripers to 36 inches. Caught ten myself on bombers and megabaits.:bigeyes:
Very nice.

The stripers were around big time last night. I caught as many as I wanted to on bunker. Will be back out tomorrow night. Hope this rain did not mess up a nice pattern.

VSdreams
04-28-2011, 11:22 PM
Wow gret catches guys! I fished a moco beach today for a 1/2 hour, it was weedy and windy, I don't think the stripers could find theclams if they wanted to at that spot, got the skunk.

c4charlie
04-29-2011, 08:45 AM
I treat bait fishing almost the same as I treat plugging. If the tide is right, there is enough water and I don't get a bite in a half hour or so, I will pick up and move to the next spot. I would rather find the fish than pray that they come to me. Also when you find the fish, you usually find more than one or two whereas, I feel when you wait and finally catch one, it could just be a stray and you will be waiting a lot longer. That is what I do and it is more work to move but it has worked for me. Sometimes, I stay way longer than I should at a spot and while I am catching at the next spot, I think, "Why the heck did I stay at the first spot so long."

I will be back out tonight, hopefully finding some fish. Incoming has been better for me than the outgoing which is a bit odd to me for this time of year.

DarkSkies
04-29-2011, 11:39 AM
Fished MoCo with a friend yesterday evening. Had a total of 16 stripers to 36 inches. Caught ten myself on bombers and megabaits.:bigeyes:

Boy you guys really know how to jazz up a story, dontcha??? ;) :rolleyes: :HappyWave:


Yardville, I'm honored to have been able to point you guys in the right direction.

There are no guarantees in fishin, some don't understand that. :kooky: We figured a slight pattern was developing. You guys were able to be there in that time frame, and lo and behold,,,,they weren't exactly where we thought they would be. So you had to do some scouting and eventually hooked up. And, to add, were high hook among the few that were there that day. Imagine that, the old farts crushing all the young turks at the beach. :eek: :laugh: :clapping: :thumbsup:

Glad you finally got in on some good action. You pounded the surf for many a skunk and certainly deserve it..:clapping::clapping:

And... I owe you guys a debt of gratitude for all you have tried to impart to me, conservation and otherwise. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
BTW, when do I qualify to be in the Old Farts Fishing Club? Let me know. :fishing: :HappyWave:

Congrats to all getting out and getting into fish. It's not easy this time of year. As I mentioned... without varieties of bait, there is lots of dead water. You won't know that until you fish it!

Some water may hold fish when it looks like there is no way they will be there...anecdotal stories of bass in the middle of the day last week, guys who caught bass while fishing for flounder, and guys catching bass where other guys are coming only to get their bunker.

It's certainly frustrating, but from now until a week after the new moon, will be prime time to fish. Pick an area, learn it well, including optimal tides. Often what you think you know about an area, or what's in your log book, will need to be updated with seasonal variations. :learn:







**************
2 day report

Thu - fished from the end of the night into the day. The fishing was fantastic! The catching sucked. :laugh:
Time, tide, and bait did not line up. So often this spring the alignment of these 3 is important to catching fish on artificials. (Truth be told, even the guys throwing clams didn't so so well on Thur.) The overcast skies and scattered rain should have helped the activity, but lack of bait variety (other than bunker) has made spring fishing hit or miss, feast :drool: or famine http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png , so far. :don't know why:
I did run into a few people I haven't seen for several seasons, though, good to see ya's again. :HappyWave:

Fri - same time frame, started a little earlier. Stopped at a few spots, nothing. Another place, managed 4 small bass to 28" on small swimmers. Water was slightly colder today. Next 2 stops, nothing, then a small bass on metal at sunrise.

basshunter
04-29-2011, 12:36 PM
I went to a nomoco beach. Fished it from 5-7a. I think it was outgoing. I used clams, caught one big freaking skate, I wish you could eat skates.

fishinmission78
04-29-2011, 02:58 PM
Good advice on moving arouind, c4charlie. Way to go, old farts.
Dark are these guys really old, or is this another of your exaggerations?

DarkSkies
04-30-2011, 07:09 AM
Fished artificials, on and off, through 2 tides last night. Not much to show for it but one 32" bass on rubber.
the hard NW has dropped bay temps a bit, and the S/SE pattern from last week kicked the ocean down 1 or 2 degrees from it's high. Clams and bunker are still taking bass, small and large, and some angry, but sluggish, bluefish.

Started at ground Zero. It was crowded. Some people were drawn there from as far as 90 miles away :HappyWave: by astutely reading between the lines of the reports of good fishin, or just being part of the intel chain. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon3.png The anticipated action did not seem like it would develop, though, and many left after realizing that.

I ran into some members of the Old Farts Fishin Club. We were BS'ing for awhile. I went to scout some other water as they left. Great to run into ya's again!... best wishes for good health and good fishin. :HappyWave:

First stop I was alone for awhile until a guy I knew from last year decided to fish there too. I worked bucktails and he worked shads for 2 hours. No action for me, and he fought and dropped one nice fish..

Moved to a few other locations with nothing to show for it.
I took a short nap, as the building hard NW seemed to have made the water colder in our area and shut the artificial bite down. After I woke up I was talkin to SharkHart, who earlier I had advised that the night would probably be a bust, and it would be smart to cut the losses and call it quits early. Lo and behold, he managed to pull a few fish on artificials where he was. :cool: :thumbsup:

I was a lttle embarassed at that, the NJ guys napping on the job, and the Philly guys coming into our state and getting the job done by fishin hard. :laugh: :cool: :clapping:

So before heading home I decided to hit a few more places. One stop I made it there around the change of the tide, and managed a 32" bass on rubber. Based on that success, I spent another 2 hours out there trying to get something going, but not even a bump after that. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png

Still not ready to call it a night, I drove to another previously productive night area. My plan was to plug for an hour in the deep night hours. I got there and lost my steam. Closed my eyes for a sec. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon13.png
The next thing I know it's 5:30 am and a friend is outside my car watchin the King of the Googans sleep. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon11.png :2flip:
(The kayak on the vehicle is a dead giveaway. I gotta learn to take it off when I want to travel incognito.) :bucktooth:

He was plugging at night as well, but got blanked. Undaunted, he went home, got some sleep, and was back out at 5:30 with clams for the 3rd shift. :thumbsup:

I missed the artificial window at that place. It's strictly deep in the night bite, nothing there lately on artificials for dawn, so I bailed and started on the way home.

15 minutes after I left, I get a call from him that he's into fish, clams, top of the ebb tide.
WTG, dude, and way to be persistent. :clapping:

DarkSkies
04-30-2011, 07:38 AM
Fishinmission, the Old Farts are older than dirt! :laugh: ;) :HappyWave:
So is Finchaser! :moon:

But they run circles around guys 1/3 their age. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:They have the stamina to stay out in the nasty or cold weather long after the younger guys call it quits. As long as there is the possibility of catchin something, they will hit it hard until one of them dials into the pattern. They're like the fishin Borg (Star Trek), resistance is futile. :kooky: They cast and cast until one of them finds the color or profile that works, and the other ones follow suit.

And they, along with Finchaser, have been hammering it into my head for years that there are less fish around, and pointing out verifiable examples of that. They saw how greed and mis-management contributed to the collapse of the striped bass stocks. They lived through the years when you would go out every night, and possibly catch a striped bass once every few months. Over half of what I know about fish conservation, I owe to these Old Farts and Grouchy Basstards. :HappyWave:

When ya see me bust their ballz here, and if it appears I'm insulting them, please realize that I'm insulting them with the deepest respect and admiration one fisherman can give to another... :kiss: :thumbsup:

GeoffT
04-30-2011, 10:13 AM
First time out this season and broke my cherry last night. The hard NW was a bait guy's dream but a plugger's nightmare as the pattern born of S/SW winds of the last week got thrown out big time. I knew that coming in but I had to get out there.

Fished during the outgoing. It looked like most, if not all, pluggers struck out but I did manage to coax a couple of 15 pounders to take the white XRap after throwing everything else in the bag with not even a tap. I love how the XRap will entice stubborn fish. It's also a great bait to throw with wind in your face. That's why it's always in my bag regardless. It was wonderful to feel the tug and head shakes of a bass again after a long hard winter. :thumbsup:

The bait guys, especially those who chunked, hammered fish to 20 lbs.

ledhead36
04-30-2011, 10:56 AM
The bait guys, especially those who chunked, hammered fish to 20 lbs.

Nice effort Dark and Geoff! The wind was irritating last night. The bunker were there but the wind was too. Got 3 bass to 17 lbs and 2 blues about 10 lbs each. Incoming tide.

c4charlie
04-30-2011, 03:51 PM
Yukon and I did really well last night with some very healthy stripers up to 17lbs, also some blues in the mix. Incredible fights and lots of drag screaming. We were in the back for the outgoing, got fish the entire tide.
Yukon was on fire last night with largest and most fish! They wanted bunker, (chunks and heads). Couldn't get anything on plugs or soft plastics.

Made it home after 3am and had soccer games for the little guys in the early am followed by a nice fishing derby for the kids where they caught a couple trout.

Are all the stripers between 12 and 20lbs so far this year? Haven't caught any smaller fish and I am not complaining, but wondering if there is a decline in juvenile bass.

seamonkey
04-30-2011, 06:34 PM
Hey nice catches, men! I fished a Cape May area beach from 3-5 with clams. One 27 1/2 inch striper and one skate.

storminsteve
04-30-2011, 06:36 PM
Are all the stripers between 12 and 20lbs so far this year? Haven't caught any smaller fish and I am not complaining, but wondering if there is a decline in juvenile bass.

Hey nice going c4charlie, last night was slow for us, only one bass on bunker 15lbs. The wind like others said was pretty steady and I feel it would have been better if it wasn't. As for the decline in juvenile bass, I believe there are a lot of threads on that on this site, by dark and others, just do a search. I don't know how long you have been fishing. I only have 20 years so far, and don't remember the moratorium that dark and the other guiys talk about. I can say that the last 5 years I have seen a decline in bass, both in bigger fish from the surf and the schoolies. Remember all the schoolies that used to be around in the spring and fall? Well the real small bass are no longer there. I don't know where they went but they are not in NJ. As for the bass sizes, it now seems to me the bass are similar in size. There are nights when we run into lots of keepers but they are all cookie cutter size, 29-33". That doesn't look good for the future.

I hope with the ASMFC findings they really come down hard on striped bass limits and make it only one 28-32" bass allowed for ALL ANGLERS and do away with the bonus tag, As it is, where I fish people are keeping short fish and no one cares about conservation, so we need the federal gov't to do the things that guys are not willing to do themselves. jmo

hookset
04-30-2011, 06:39 PM
Nomoco beach from 6:30 to 10:30a, 2 stripers to 30", clams.

finchaser
04-30-2011, 06:40 PM
Are all the stripers between 12 and 20lbs so far this year? Haven't caught any smaller fish and I am not complaining, but wondering if there is a decline in juvenile bass.[/QUOTE]

Yes it is the beginning of the end just like last time but only faster,the most prolific breeders are being wiped out now the 32 to 40 inch fish.
. There will be less and less small and large fish each year the hay day is over. But sadly the egotistical slaughter will continue

captnemo
04-30-2011, 06:54 PM
We had a nice morning trolling green spoons near the channels on the first half of the ebb tide today in Raritan Bay. Kept 3 fish to 16#, released 10 others to 28#. 20-30 feet of water.

cowherder
04-30-2011, 07:17 PM
Got 2 bass fishing moco oceanside for the incoming. That's strange because according to some of the reports the bite has been on the outgoing. I guess bass decide when they want to eat, and listen to their bellies. Kept my first fish a skinny 28". The next one I'm glad I was holding my rod, because she was fat! 35" and a quick weigh of 16lbs, fresh clams, and I threw a dozen cracked clams into the ocean for good measure.

bababooey
04-30-2011, 07:55 PM
After I woke up I was talkin to SharkHart, who earlier I had advised that the night would probably be a bust, and it would be smart to cut the losses and call it quits early. Lo and behold, he managed to pull a few fish on artificials where he was. :cool: :thumbsup:

I was a lttle embarassed at that, the NJ guys napping on the job, and the Philly guys coming into our state and getting the job done by fishin hard. :laugh: :cool: :clapping:


Darkskies you have to quit napping on the job or those Phila guys will eat your lunch!:laugh:
You know the Iggles suck, and we only tolerate Phila for their great cheesesteaks, none better on the East Coast.:drool:

c4charlie
04-30-2011, 09:04 PM
Thanks to the replies. I catch always keeping conversation in mind. We were catching these bigger fish and I wanted to take one last night. I keep maybe 6-8 fish a year for eating. Wife only allows the kids to eat stripers once a month due to mercury concerns. Anyway, I thought if we happen to catch one that it a little smaller, I am going to keep it. Sure enough, I got one that was 10lb which was the perfect size for a nice meal for my family and to share with my parents.

I am fishing the identical spot as last year in the same time period where I had plenty of shorts mixed in last year, where there have been 0 shorts this year and 95% in the 12-20lb range. So I think something is up.I have only been striper fishing for 5 years so I am not familiar with the cycles that have happened.

surfwalker
04-30-2011, 09:31 PM
Plugged out front 5am-10am, not a tap for me. Threw a salted clam for 15 minutes and picked up a short, went back to plugging. In the vicinity that I was in, the clam guys were into Bass sporadically, and, as said in previous posts, most were above keeper size.

stripermania
05-01-2011, 09:03 AM
I went out this morning and tried to plug. One guy on the beach caught a 28" using clams but there was nothing for me.

dogfish
05-05-2011, 05:36 PM
I have stepped back from participation on other internet sites where I thought members were unfairly ridiculed and Admins did nothing about it. I have also been the guy to stick up for people who had been banned, when there was no one around to speak up for them. I say this so you will know that behavior is cowardly to me, and it will not go on here. We will not slam or criticize someone if they aren't here to defend themselves.



Just got a chance to read this. Dark you went overboard too much to the other side now, there is such a thing as being too nice or diplomatic. If someone doesn't want to be here, you should tell him not to let the door hit him in the azz when he leaves.:kicknuts:
I remember on the other site when you stuck up for Patrick. That guy had been banned and reinstated like 5x. Then you started a "Who misses Patrick" thread, and shortly thereafter he was reinstated for the 6th time.:ROFLMAO Soon after that he was in a battle with the mods and got the boot again! Classic stuff.
Then you went to the aid of another internet misfit, Mikey Johnston. He threatened to sue some people, and you stuck up for him anyway. My opinion, anyone who threatens a lawsuit over internet BS is a piece of trailer trash and should be treated like the dog he is. As it was, Johnston burned a lot of people with those "patented" bucktails.:laugh: . You stuck up for him, anyway, why, just because he had no one else sticking up for him?:don't know why:
I don't know why you do these thing do, maybe you are too kind on your sense of fairness. I really do miss the old Darkskies. You should bring him back sometime. As for now, based on your record of defending these guys, if you were betting in a horse race I would definitely be betting against you.:laugh:
Tight lines and good luck fishing. Whining only serves to alienate people, though it does provide some good popcorn moments.:d :HappyWave: