what is the latest bad winds going to do to the fishing?

[baitstealer]

The forecast is for a 20-30 miles per hour wind system from Fri into Sat, first north and then northeast. How do you guys deal with that, or are most of you staying home and not fishing when it comes? thanks.

[finchaser]

Fish Friday AM then stay home and watch TV, I don't usually fish on weekends any way

[hookset]

Well I fished this pm and the fish were either on vacation in the bahamas or offshore. I lead the skunk patrol, will there be any other followers?

[basshunter]

How do you guys deal with that, or are most of you staying home and not fishing when it comes? thanks.

beer, and more beer!:plastered:

[gjb1969]

just stayed in tv and some jo now looking at old fishing shows:huh:

[clamchucker]

baitstealer, this fall, with a northeast wind or rain every other week, has had that wind put a damper on fishing from the surf. I don't see it getting any better. It becomes very difficult to connect with the fish in conditions like that.

[bababooey]

beer, and more beer!:plastered:

Now here's a man who has his priorities straight. There will be plenty more days to fish where the wind and swells aren't 6'.

[fishinmission78]

It makes the fishing 10x as hard. Hard to hold bottom, and nasty dirty water. If we had west winds we would be slaying fish right now.

[nitestrikes]

Most of the fish are offshore. We get the dribs and drabs.

[surfstix1963]

The way things are sounding to me the party is pretty much over unless you really want to catch some schoolies and thats not even a great shot maybe a couple here and there maybe a small end keeper here and there fish the day before the storm always and as Fin says stay home till the water clears and you get more favorable winds then start looking for the new structure on the beaches.Personally the last few years I did fish it seemed as if Oct was the month after that passed the schoolies were all over and thats it all 24-26 inches and they were probably put in nets or killed the last 2 years I've been out of the game.

[williehookem]

Either get out on a boat past 1 mile where the fish are, or pack it in for the winter, it's over johnny!

[finchaser]

Most of the fish are offshore. We get the dribs and drabs.


Yeah thanks to all the dredging to protect the rich peoples houses that should of never been built there in the first place. Then there is the removal and altering of jetties that use to harbor bait. Bait and fish don't come over the giant sand bars that the dredged sand ends up creating, also wipes out the sand eel beds. From 4-7 miles out you can walk on the sand eels so that's where the bass and blues stay no need to come in shore and search for food.

[surfstix1963]

Surfcasting is becoming so dismal the last few years I'm losing intrest in something I lived for slow but sure I don't even feel like working on plugs tying teasers etc.Seems alot of people are getting in the same slump I guess I'll just keep dragging my arse around and try to keep afloat and telling myself its worth it.

[DarkSkies]

Yeah thanks to all the dredging to protect the rich peoples houses that should of never been built there in the first place. Then there is the removal and altering of jetties that use to harbor bait. Bait and fish don't come over the giant sand bars that the dredged sand ends up creating, also wipes out the sand eel beds. From 4-7 miles out you can walk on the sand eels so that's where the bass and blues stay. No need to come in shore and search for food.



Fished many spots again last night and took the skunk with one fish on for a second only. This was in SNJ where my friends had a solid bit all last week. The NE storm had a devastating effect on the first wave of fish. If you hear anyone cheering on the NE patterns next time just smack them in the back of the head and tell them to shop listening to tackle shop propaganda.


Finchaser has given a solid explanation of changing parameters of the Fall migration.
SharkHart has given a solid explanation of how the continuing NE storm patterns this fall have dashed any realistic hopes of fantastic fishing for the surf guys......

Yet there are still mis-informed newbies on websites who clamor for Noreasters in NJ. :huh: They are so passionate in defending their illogical theories that on some web-sites there are fights over the issue of Noreast Vs Northwest patterns, and which one is better for surf fishing overall.

I created West Wind Wally
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?5418-West-Wind-Wally-thread...-a-SHOWDOWN!-NE-vs-NW-fishin....-PARENTAL-ADVISORY

as a response to some of those fights, and he just grew from there...:kooky: :d





Whether one wants to accept this premise or not, a North/Northwest wind and weather pattern is particularly favorable to NJ waters. Even with the handicaps that Finchaser described, it pushes the bait along the surfline, and positions things so the sand eels, prime fall forage, come in to the surf zone.

They literally spend all year outside of that zone, offshore, as forage for tuna, other pelagics, bluefish, migrating striped bass, cod, groundfish, and any other fish that travel through the offshore waters.

They move inshore in fall and spring and generally need calmer waters and a Northwest wind pattern to stay in close so they attract the bass that surfcasters are seeking......

Northeast patterns do nothing but pull them out of the surf zone as the water gets dirty and cloudy. They do not thrive in such water and conditions, so they move out.....moving back as conditions improve.

These small forage are only ONE of the fall forage fish that predators seek out, yet they are one of the KEY forage choices as far as many surf fishermen are concerned. This is because wherever they are, they usually hold fish and cause them to stop a little on their migration path and bulk up on them.

Understanding the "whys" and "hows" of baitfish and their migration patterns isn't extra work that people should blow off....rather....understanding these small creatures and their importance, helps you to become a better fisherman.

[jigfreak]

Good explanation, dark. Wind from the ne, fish bite the least. The tools who salivate over the ne storms, where are all their big fish?

[baitstealer]

Appreciate all the response guys. I am looking at the forecast for the next 3 days -
Tonight Showers and thunderstorms likely before 1am, then a chance of showers. Some storms could be severe, with large hail, damaging winds, and frequent lightning. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind 7 to 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. Northwest wind 11 to 17 mph.
Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 52. Northwest wind 13 to 16 mph.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 8 to 11 mph.


Do you think that rain will just screw things up or with the northwest wind following it things could get amped up and push the mullet on the move to the beaches? thank you

[jigfreak]

These latest winds should have pushed some of the bait out front. If they didn't there must be less bait around overall. I am finding a ton of bait in the back bays in certain areas and hardly any in others that always holds bait. Sandy really killed the ecosystems in some back bay areas. Either that or in the middle of the night alien spaceships are coming in and removing big bait balls. Its here one day and gone the next. Pretty poor indicator of a good fall so far for me.

[finchaser]

Fished 10 hours on boat today burnt about 125 gallons of fuel left 5:30 to troll found no bait no Bonita no albacore no Blues most of the lumps and bumps void of any life. Saw acres of bunker nothing in them. Places that were loaded with sand eels last week nada ( river and along the beach). Caught a few weakfish on the mussels beds they were being hammered latter on by gillnetters even though they were illegal size. :mad: Heavy south blow Thursday and Friday dropped water temp to 65 in some spots today which may have pushed the Albert's further off shore

[robmedina]

"burnt about 125 gallons of fuel " -sounds like an expensive day. sad to hear that it is bad out there.

[buckethead]

Fished 10 hours on boat today burnt about 125 gallons of fuel left 5:30 to troll found no bait no Bonita no albacore no Blues most of the lumps and bumps void of any life. Saw acres of bunker nothing in them. Places that were loaded with sand eels last week nada ( river and along the beach).

I found the same thing tonight finchaser. I caught bass and blues the other night because it was loaded with bait. Tonight no bait no nothing just like a dead sea out there.

[clamchucker]

To add to that I would say depending on where you are a good east wind can stir up the fishing mostly in the spring. Once it starts blowing it shuts the bite down because the bait becomes less concentrated. During spring storms bunker tend to move and feed less. They do tend to gather up out in the channels. However they may not be that concentrated and are usually deep in the water column until the storm passes over.