NJ fishing reports March 2012 www.stripersandanglers.com

[DarkSkies]

Some of our members have let me know that despite my prior directions that our winter reports would be in the Winter Fishing Thread...
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8168-Winter-Fishing-Thread.....


that they weren't sure there were still fish around, in this cold winter water and weather. ;)

The Winter Fishing Thread was a brilliant attempt to "hide" this intel in plain sight from lurkers and internet report chasers. :cool:

Unfortunately it worked too well....I'm sad to see that some of our members were not aware of the one-of-a- kind robust fishery that is continuing in what is supposed to be the coldest month of the year......

This fishing has been burned on every internet and self-promoting guide site out there. I thought I would be a little more respectful of the dedicated group of guys who are fishing out there, and taking the risks, as they hunt for these fish....hence the reason for the burying of the thread. These colder waters, usually below 50, are dangerous and can kill anyone who is not prepared and falls in. Your body can shut down and you can be incapacitated within 10 minutes. Please remember that if you decide to venture out there.

I would feel irresponsible if I didn't warn you folks of this, and urge you NOT to get caught up in the hype these bass are causing...if you don't have the skill set to be out there with all the appropriate gear, then you should not be out there. :learn:
Please don't push yourselves past your limits. A fish is not as important as your life or the people who would depend on you if you did not return from a fishing trip.










Today someone advised me that all the tackle shops and salt water magazines are referencing it,. so it's apparently not so secret anyore....:rolleyes:
And I do apologize to our members who weren't able to find it, as that wasn't my intention.....

Enjoy the pics and stories folks...

We've been catching a lot of nice bass, an unprecedented bite, a freak of nature....
I'm definitely enjoying my nights out there....:drool: :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

NJ fishing reports for March 2012. ..www.StripersandAnglers.com (http://www.stripersandanglers.com/)




NJ fishing reports for March 2012...www.stripersandanglers.com (http://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]

Surferman,
you won the plug in the December 2011 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)

[wish4fish]

we got sum but the water is stil cold all rats. the other nite 4 of us got 3 fish, last nite i got 2 by myself and that was all she wrote. the high tide is at 2am and its cold and dark out there dark if u were out last nite u shud have stopped by u are tuning into a snob lol.

[hookset]

Great effort w4f. It's still early in the season. We'll get some nicer ones soon.

[DarkSkies]

^^ Wish4fish, I didn't stop by the area you guys usually fish..sorry I missed ya's...next time I think you're out there I'll bring a box of donuts if I'm headed your way......:HappyWave:

[ledhead36]

Have been fishing since the opener. Not great but some fish. Last night got one keeper 30" on clams in the back. 2 more were caught to 32". The guy weighed his in so I think it will be more crowded now.

[gjb1969]

congrats to all that got fish tryed my hand today got the skunkbut it was a nice day got some good picks

[plugcrazy]

I fished the warmest water I could find, last night in the bay, clams. Skunkerooo!

[gjb1969]

its only a matter of time we will get them:HappyWave::fishing:

[storminsteve]

I was out this morning before sunrise, bayside, clams. Nothing for me either. Nice pics gjb. Getting out there to see a sunny day on the water is definitely worthwhile whether you get them or not,

[xtreme_visions]

14929

[xtreme_visions]

:skunk: fished clams. tried a few plugs also :kooky:

nice pics g

[jigfreak]

6 to 31" tonight, swimmers.

[cowherder]

Great going jigfreak! I fished raritan bay last night with clams, nothing doing.

[baitstealer]

jig freak, were those fish in the bay or the ocean?

[jigfreak]

^ In the water.
Got 3 tonight to 27 1/2", swimmers again.

[storminsteve]

Fished the bay last night. Baitstealer, that is sometimes what we mean when we say out back. Not a thing was stirring, except a mouse in the tunnel from drinking too much coffee. Good thing dunkin donuts was still open, barely made it in there for the imminent coffee explosion.:scared: Relief, but no stripes.http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png

[plugaholic]

Add me to the nuthin honey crew. Fished a south Jersey back bay last night with bloods and paddletails, a big fat zero. Hope some sunny days will move this bite along. Jigfreak congrats, looks like you are on them good. Stormingsteve I spit my coffee out when I read that, mouse in the tunnel, lol. That's funny right there!

[bababooey]

"Waitingfortheavalancheofspringfishitis" - the early season waiting on the internet for an avalanche of fish to be caught in an area thereby signifying its time to go out and fish.
What happened to Rich Swiss? I remember he was the first on any internet forum out there with the guys, hitting it to win. He hasn't weighed a first of the year bass in in a few years? Is he retired?

The waitingfortheavalancehofspringfish guy is certainly me, though.:laugh: No use slogging it out in that mud you guys fish in. The early season folks should be called mudmen not surf fishermen because of where you fish. Did anyone get stuck back there yet or have to be rescued? Eagerly awaiting the first Rich Swiss or mud rescue story.:drool:

[hookset]

The waitingfortheavalancehofspringfish guy is certainly me, though.:laugh: No use slogging it out in that mud you guys fish in. The early season folks should be called mudmen not surf fishermen because of where you fish. Did anyone get stuck back there yet or have to be rescued? Eagerly awaiting the first Rich Swiss or mud rescue story.:drool:


Did you ever think that Swiss and Dave might not want to have guys following them around yet? It's been slow. I have been out several times with not much to report, few runts. And you bababooey, I will again ask when are you going to start and why don't you keep your mouth shut till then if you don't like the type of fishing we do. We fish the bay, surf, rocks, mud flats, piers, bridges, rivers, whatever it takes to get the fish wherever they are. From your posts, you are the pasty *** white guy who takes his fat *** out on his boat only when the bunker are there, wow that is a fantastic job of hunting for them.:rolleyes: Do you ever get out to the surf and hunt for them or just corral the bunker up and snag and drop?

I fished the bay last night. Tried a spot where I figured most folks would not be. Lo and behold there are a few guys there, one of them ledhead36. Good to run into you led, it was nice to swap some intel. It appears we take the same notes over the years, good luck this spring. I managed 3 bass to 29", clams, all fat fish. Top of the tide.

[bababooey]

I will hookset, I will, when the bunker are here. I'm simply not interested in wasting time and gas for a few small fish.:moon::HappyWave:
As for surf fishing, I do it. but rarely. I generally fish the surf in the fall or if there is a spring blitz, as you said, it's a lot easier for a pasty white guy to get fish that way.:laugh: :2flip:

Why walk miles for them when you can drive? I don't understand the mentality of you surf nuts who will walk all night for a few fish. And fish Sandy Hook, I don't even want to begin to understand that concept - walk a half hour to get where the fish are supposed to be. You get no fish, then have to walk a half hour to go to the other place where they are supposed to be? :kooky: No thanks, not for me, you can have the Hook and the immigrants who come in there with the dirty diapers they throw on the sand. Nature at it's best.:rolleyes:

[finchaser]

^^^^^^^^:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping: on the hook and immigrant's part

[ledhead36]

^^ You should see some of the immigrants on the piers we fish at. "No speaka da english!" but they know how to count money, how is that?

Fished last nite, 5 bass to 31". Clams were the ticket. Nice fat fish they look like migraters ready to spawn. Didn't keep any because I felt the keepers were spawners. Good karma to let them go, at least the first batch. This was the first mess of nicer fish. Back out in a few minutes to try again. Hookset it was nice to meet you, maybe see you tonight.

[jigfreak]

15 up to 28", rubber.

[gjb1969]

way to go guys :clapping:glad to see u guys getting fish

[ledhead36]

:clapping:Nice going jigfreak. We got the :skunk: last night. Great one night lousy the next welcome to nj spring back bay fishing.

[ledhead36]

this is why I would never pay for a subscription to otw magazine. This guy's report is total BS!

"The best backwater fishing seems to be taking place in Raritan Bay, which is on fire according to Ron at Fisherman’s Supply. Clams have been the ticket in these waters, and fish into the teens have been taken. Another hotspot has been the Route 37 Bridge, which is producing some bass after dark. The evenings are best for the jetties out front, reports Ron, as stripers continue to hang in these areas."


What a tool bag! The only thing on fire back there is my ASZ from the slim jims I ate last night.

[storminsteve]

. Not a thing was stirring, except a mouse in the tunnel from drinking too much coffee. Good thing dunkin donuts was still open, barely made it in there for the imminent coffee explosion.:scared: Relief, but no stripes.http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png


What a tool bag! The only thing on fire back there is my ASZ from the slim jims I ate last night.

We might have to share that assonfire award ledhead. I barely made it into the DunkinDonuts before Iwo Jima happened in my pants, must be something in the water when they make the coffee down there.:eek:

[finchaser]

this is why I would never pay for a subscription to otw magazine. This guy's report is total BS!

"The best backwater fishing seems to be taking place in Raritan Bay, which is on fire according to Ron at Fisherman’s Supply. Clams have been the ticket in these waters, and fish into the teens have been taken. Another hotspot has been the Route 37 Bridge, which is producing some bass after dark. The evenings are best for the jetties out front, reports Ron, as stripers continue to hang in these areas."


What a tool bag! The only thing on fire back there is my ASZ from the slim jims I ate last night.

He lies about the back and the bridge

[hookset]

He lies about the back and the bridge


He has to be lying because no one is crushing them in the back every night. Impossible. Fished tonight no action at all, in the back. no one else got anything where we were either.

[ledhead36]

Tonight we are back in action guys
Hookset and I got 3 bass already on the incoming this pm, 29", 32", and 36#. Released the 36# she weighed 17lbs. FAT spawning fish. Clams in the back. Beautiful night.

[DarkSkies]

^^Congrats, people. I know you have been hitting it hard.

Some of the feedback I've been getting is a lot of these bigger fish are ready to spawn...although they will not spawn until the water is consistently closer to 55, the fish in our NNJ area are now on their way migrating toward the upper reaches of the Hudson. IMO you should see more of these larger fish in the back bays of the NY Bight area in the next 30 days...

Further congrats for releasing your biggest, she was certainly filled with eggs. :clapping: :HappyWave:

Despite what the reports and tackle shops are now saying, it is, for the most part, a slow pick, even for the folks who are out there regularly....Good luck, all....:fishing:

[wish4fish]

got 2 keeps last nite on clams, 29" they r here duuuuuuuudes!

[storminsteve]

Got 5 to 28", bombers, good night.

[hookset]

IMO you should see more of these larger fish in the back bays of the NY Bight area in the next 30 days...


Dark as usual your predictions are spot on.

Cool beans steve. Ledhead and I fished, we hammered em last night too in the back. We got 8 bass in an hour to 25lbs, crazy stupid fishing. 2 biggest were 36 and 40". All on clams. These have to be migrating fish. We haven't seen many this size so far. After the hour all activity died down, strange. Let the 25# bass go to make babies, kept 2 of the other keepas. Fat fish.

[DarkSkies]

Hookset and Ledhead a lot of people may not know the hours and nights you're out there hitting it hard.

Much time in, paying attention to yearly logs and patterns = a catch history that some might be envious about...but you put in your time, you guys are dialed in to that bite....WTG, and even better on letting that 25# bass go. :clapping::clapping:

(And I do think that those particular sizes of bass are a little bit ahead of schedule for this time of year,,,as I recall, years past catches like that would be reported sometime in the first week of April as the bass gather together to go up the river....)

A lot of folks would have paraded that right to the nearest tackle shop or at least tried to get some internet glory out of it, but you didn't..... :thumbsup: Great report. :HappyWave:

[cowherder]

Thanks for the heads up guys.
I fished the back from 5-11 tonight and got some good action. 3 shorts and 2 keepers. The biggest was 32*. I let her go because she was my first bigger fish of the year for me. I got a 29" about a half hour after that and kept it. Great action and beautiful night to be fishing.
:clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping:ledhead, hookset, mucho congrats on releaseing that 25lber! That must have been a lot of fun, was it a good fight?

[jigfreak]

I fished the incoming. 11 bass to 28". Swimmers.Sounds like there are fish all over.

[storminsteve]

Fantastic reports fellas congrats.

[Monty]

Fantastic reports fellas congrats.

X2, nice

[basshunter]

Wow, you guys are doing well, great reports.

[vpass]

Wow, nice going guys. looking foward to getting out.

[hookset]

Not so nice tonight. Me and led got blanked. That is all.

[seamonkey]

Great reports guys. I finally have something to report thanks to darkskies. I usually fish the cape may and south jersey beaches. Today I had off and had to fix something in my aunt's house in holmdel, nj. I contacted darkskies to see if he had any bay fishing suggestions for when I was finished. The skies were overcast and I felt like I really wanted to fish. I have not been doing so well down my way. The fish are not really there yet.
I followed his suggestions about bait, tide and some other things and got 2 nice bass to 34". Dark skies I can't thank you enough, I know how to catch fish on bait but when they are not in the place you usually fish you can throw out a chum line and it will not do you any good. You should write a book. Your knowledge of the trends and patterns is like an encyclopedia and I was very grateful to have a head's up. I would like to invite you to South Jersey if you ever get the chance and I would supply everything if you ever decide to come down. Thanks for all you do and keep up the good work,
Oh by the way I have pictures as a gentleman next to me took them but you can also see the shoreline. I don't want to spot burn and am not good with photo shop but if you want me to post the pics I will.
Also the fish had nothing in there bellies? That seems crazy to me. In south jersey all the bays have a lot of bait so when we catch something it is usually full. Not these fish. They were very light hitters too. Thank you much sir!:clapping::clapping::clapping: :HappyWave:

[wish4fish]

dude u got some nice fish they r really startin to hit now. i got off work early today and dug some secret bait. we got sum nice bass last nite to 30 in and i think well get some more tonite wit the secretstuf lol. good luck all the norteast rain is the best for the bay

[jigfreak]

13 bass to 31" today. Lots of rats. Rubber. Love the nasty weather.

[ledhead36]

We did pretty well tonight. 5 bass between the 2 of us. The largest went 17 and 20#. Sea monkey the fish are probably hudson fish or maybe they were somewhere else like out in the channel or down off the rocks in monmouth county for the winter. They definately weren't here 2 weeks ago. All ouir fish lately have nothing in their bellies as well. Fresh clams from the clam guy's refrig at $5/dozen. Doesn't get any better than that.

[DarkSkies]

Fresh clams from the clam guy's refrig at $5/dozen. Doesn't get any better than that.

A friend just called me and said he and some friends are doing well. He specifically said"
"Yeah it's those "AZZ-CLAMS" from Reno, the honor box." :thumbsup: :drool:

I asked him:
"What do ya mean by AZZ-CLAMS? :huh:

He said"
"Because they come from the bay and smell like AZZ!" :upck:
(and he tells me the refrig was filled as of this morning with clams at $5 per dozen....if any contributing members need the info, PM me)

....and people think that I'm the character and the crazy one here.....:laugh: :kooky:

You guys are the nutty ones, but you're entertaining as hell....:clapping: :HappyWave:
and I have to admit, you are putting in your time and catching some nice bass...WTG on the persistence....:fishing:


...and making your own reports and not waiting for them to come from the internet. :clapping:

[DarkSkies]

I contacted darkskies to see if he had any bay fishing suggestions for when I was finished. The skies were overcast and I felt like I really wanted to fish. I have not been doing so well down my way. The fish are not really there yet.
I followed his suggestions about bait, tide and some other things and got 2 nice bass to 34". Dark skies I can't thank you enough, I know how to catch fish on bait but when they are not in the place you usually fish you can throw out a chum line and it will not do you any good. You should write a book. Your knowledge of the trends and patterns is like an encyclopedia and I was very grateful to have a head's up. I would like to invite you to South Jersey if you ever get the chance and I would supply everything if you ever decide to come down. Thanks for all you do and keep up the good work,
Thank you much sir!:clapping::clapping::clapping: :HappyWave:

Seamonkey it was my pleasure.
It's been suggested several times that I write a book on how and where to fish....there's something about that that makes me uncomfortable...I really value my privacy out there and don't want to end up as recognizable as Rich Swiss or Shel E. Caris. Even if it wasn't a book, I've been offered a chance to write for some saltwater publications, and didn't pursue it....it's my feeling that eventually they want you to write about the areas you know in detail..and I could never see myself doing that...I believe it would hurt the fishing for a few of the regulars I run into out there...and I don't need to pat myself on the back by giving spots away to do it....

Anyway, some may argue this is not true, but that's what I feel could happen if I start writing for a paycheck, so at this time I'm not willing to do it...

However, I really thank you for the kind words, and when I come down to fish the CM area I'll definitely be in touch...glad to see ya get into some fish.....


*******

And if ya want to post pics and they show recognizable shoreline, I would appreciate it if ya didn't...or found a way to crop the photo...FastStone is a free easy to use program that will allow you to do it...avail on Cnet.com

If ya can't do that, don't worry, I know ya caught the fish anyway...congrats.

[DarkSkies]

Also...I don't want to put guys off by saying this.
I'm happy for the ones who are catching. I'm seeing our members here catch a lot of the bigger fish....to me, that indicates you're paying attention to your logs and seasonal variations...
But to me, back bay bait fishing in the spring, is relatively easy...
IF you keep detailed logs and put in your time to understand bait and fish migration...

It's a given that every year, they will (usually) be at location A, B, C, D, E, and F in a logical sequence....

If you keep detailed logs and obsessively pay attention to bait migration (like I do) :learn:, you will see they follow the same "highways" every year....and when they veer off those highways, it's relatively easy to predict when and where.

Granted, some of us are out there, and we don't always catch...to me that's part of fishing...anyone who always claims to catch fish, from land, every trip, is flat out lying, or else they're timing their trips to coincide with phone calls and cell phone chains...

The point is, even with the best planning, we don't always find what we're looking for....
For me, I'm primarily looking for fish, but it's the solitude, enjoyment of nature, being at one and seeing the awesome power of God and his creations, these are all the amazing things that draw me out there as well, and to me, it's best enjoyed where there are less crowds.

I know the back bay areas tend to draw crowds early season....so I generally have a plan where I can fish elsewhere....

I was explaining to a friend the other day how I usually don't run around chasing the spring bunker blitzes...for one thing they happen when I have to work, and the other thing that turns me off is the crowds....

Anywhere there is not likely to be a crowd, is where ya might find me fishin...

[DarkSkies]

I have always been a little uncomfortable with praise and acclaim...
I have found a lot of fish over the winter....
Some have sniped about that, and in some internet forums made comments that could best be described as petty jealousy....

In a way, it makes it so you are a little hesitant sharing a night when you get double digit fish...and ultimately tend to be more inclined to share those numbers with the guys you also know, who are doing as well. Those who know me know I have a pretty thick skin, and have cultivated a persona for myself as a larger than life character. It's easy for me, because I'm the same crazy character both on the internet and off.

A lot of the folks I am in contact with regularly, who catch numbers and good sized fish, are not reporting it, not weighing in at tackle shops, and really hate the internet and what it has done to the learning curve in fishing...most of us learned the hard way, and still, when we have good nights, may have to work for every fish. Even for those of us who fish a lot, it's a very rare night when you have "a fish on every cast".

I love that kind of quiet isolated fishing, and seem to gravitate toward it more and more lately...if everyone is fishing at location A....I'll try to go to location C, just for the solitude...





What I really want to focus on here, is the efforts of friends, and members who have been posting here...:clapping::clapping:

I know you all are out there at night, hitting it hard...and every time you catch a teen to 25# class fish this Spring, out there alone by itself at night, that is note-worthy.

You,(collectively) who have been out there in the cold, rain, windy nights, and generally sloppy and unpleasant conditions, who have suffered through countless skunkings and nights where the only way you would come home with a fish is to stop at the Acme on the way home....http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png,,,yet you have been out there anyway,,,,making your own reports, and knowing that it would only be a matter of time before the fish would turn on....

To you folks out there....I salute you all..and your efforts..
Remember that posting a report here, even if you got the skunk, there is no shame...I post my skunk reports all the time, it's part of fishing for me...

To the guys who are just starting out, if you see someone here who is consistently catching fish...try to learn from them....ask them questions politely, and they just might help ya a bit....remember that a lot of us learned to fish without the internet..don't be surprised if they are only slightly helpful and not willing to give the store away....

But keep at it, keep a detailed log, and eventually you will see how it makes a difference...
Good luck out there, folks. There are a lot of nice fish to be caught...so go out and have some fun..... (and please remember to bring your trash home with you when possible)....:thumbsup:

[hookset]

Don't salute us too much, got blanked last 2 nights in a row. Will be back trying today.:skunk:

[Monty]

Fished out front from 1:30 to 8:30 this morning, first time out since mid December. Felt great being out there, fun time. Thought I had a couple bumps early on. Then around 4:00 had a hit on a Hogy, being in mid-season form already, I missed it. Then picked up a short bass at daylight on a teaser. Water was murky. Feel much better that I fished, missed getting out there big time.:)

[storminsteve]

Congrats Monty at least you got a fish. I was out till 9:30 tonight and a skunk followed me home. Hope I can shake that nasty smell for next time.

[ledhead36]

Steve its back on again. We got 8 fish tonight, biggest 2 were 16 and 18lbs. Kept those put the rest back. Others were big too. Can you say bunker? Get in touch.

[surferman]

Got out early this morning before work. Caught one 24" bass on rubber.

[DarkSkies]

People, at least you're trying....can't catch fish from your computer screen or in front of a TV...
I spent 8 hours in a yak yesterday with only one small fish to show for it.,...hey, that's fishing.,,,:fishing:

The key thing to focus on now is opportunity....with the temps trending as high as they are and the different varieties of forage....

now is the time, to put in your time...

pay attention to your logs and previous patterns, make some adjustments for the early season temperature highs, and you will put yourself in the best position to intercept these fish..

If you are fishing the back bays,,,right now it's about putting yourself where the bunker are likely to be, or pass by....good luck all...

[wish4fish]

u said it dark the bunkies r here and da bass is under them! last nite was like the bunker were bein guarded by big bass that is the bass were guardin them to eat lol. me and 2 buds got 17 bass to 24pounds! it was a massacre all on bunkier! boo yah!

[cowherder]

:clapping: Outstanding reports guys I will try to get out soon so I have something to post.

[jeffw]

hate to do it, but what shops are open with fresh bunker along 35 or 36?

[storminsteve]

Hey Jeff welcome to strippers and anglers.:HappyWave:
When we can't catch fish we meet at Go Go Rama and tease the strippers with stories of how big our fish sticks are.:cool:
You might want to check the refrigerator at the clam shack. He usually carries frozen and fresh clams, $6 for a dozen. I got some there the other day, in PM. They didnt have bunker yet but should have it soon, the cheapest and freshest around.
PM me if you need more info,, where do you fish out of?

[jigfreak]

Welcome Jeff. Here's a stupid thought, why not bring a snag rig and snag some live ones. They are all over, Follow the tides and you can find them. They have been pretty thick so even if you're rusty with the snag you should be able to get one or 2 -and that's really all you need. Cut the chunks small till you get another. Good luck. Tonight should be good.

[jeffw]

Thanks for the replies guys; I usually fish the front in jetty country. Haven't been out back for a few seasons except for a couple times last fall, mostly along the Shrewsbury. Regarding bunker, if they're thick enough, snagging's fine, but if not it's a crapshoot so I'm more inclined to go out with a bunker or two for insurance.
BTW, hey Dark, been a while since we bumped into each other!!!
Great work on your site.

[gjb1969]

welcome see if fred got any

[cowherder]

Well I went out there last night and took my chances. Bunker came by, I snagged one, and put a chunk out. Only got 2 small fish. The biggest was 23". It seems like the bigger bass that everyone was talking about never came in. There were a lot of bunker though, you could feel them hitting the line.

There were also so many people it was a little scary. I have never seen this many fishermen fishing the bay in March.
Welcome to the site Jeff, did you get out last night? If so how did you do?

[madcaster]

I actually went out for 2 hour or so in the bay fished incoming.Lots of bait fisherman out and guys trying to snag bunker .There were only a few bunker out …very happy bunker:), no big pods I was throwing my bunker swimmers, but no takers. Didn’t see any fish caught. It was good to get out.

[jeffw]

Well I went out there last night and took my chances. Bunker came by, I snagged one, and put a chunk out. Only got 2 small fish. The biggest was 23". It seems like the bigger bass that everyone was talking about never came in. There were a lot of bunker though, you could feel them hitting the line.

There were also so many people it was a little scary. I have never seen this many fishermen fishing the bay in March.
Welcome to the site Jeff, did you get out last night? If so how did you do?

Didn't go, although a few friends did; popular bayshore spot with way too many folks snagging and chunking. A few quality fish taken.
Likely going tomorrow night to catch the ebb and outgoing.

[skinner]

Welcome aboard Jeff.
Fished a very popular and crowded spot tonight, Clams and bunker. Got skunked big time along with most of the other guys there. Saw 2 fish caught, not even that big.:skunk:

[fishinmission78]

3rd trip out so far, nothing at all. Back and front. OC

[madcaster]

Went out last night in the bay ,throw jigs and bunker swimmer :skunk:. Went to my local beach counted 62 poles and 20 people:kooky:
no signs of bunker pods just a few happy ones breaking the surface. Every spot I hit was very crowded ....except my secret spots :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Every spot I hit was very crowded ....except my secret spots :HappyWave:

And they will remain less crowded, as long as you keep the more isolated ones to yourself. :learn:

When I met you and your friends, Madcaster, I could tell you are someone who thinks outside the box....and while at this point, because of "tell all" books and internet articles on the jetties and "secret" back bay areas, there aren't many secrets out there anymore....the good thing, if you consider it, is that based on internet and tackle shop reports many folks are streaming only to the places where they hear the biggest fish are....

Meanwhile there are many places that hold fish, as a bay or ocean comes to life in the Spring...
There are those who have done their homework scouting structure changes, spending time during full and new moon cycles, and blowout tides..
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8284-Blow-Out-Tides-and-Their-Importance-to-Fishermen&highlight=blowout+tides


finding and marking how the structure has changed, and how they can use this to their advantage....this is a natural progression in the learning of a salt water fisherman....and something that many people don't feel it's necessary to make the time for......yet this simple process of scouting and paying attention to yearly logs will produce fish time and time again....

Congrats to all who are putting in their time now and catching....the bays and ocean are truly alive with life and the fishing as we know it may be abbreviated this year as things heat up abnormally quickly.....

Nice report, Madcaster......:thumbsup:
Those types of artificials are producing for the yakkers, and have produced some fish in the last 2 weeks for some friends.....they should start to produce for you on the flats very soon.



Congrats to all the others who are putting in their time now as well......:HappyWave:

[VSdreams]

I fished the rocky parts of moco this morning before sunrise. 8 bass to 30 inches using a daiwa and a black bomber.

[hookset]

Nice going VSD. Got 3 small runts last night, slow as molasses. Bunker.

[chas527]

fished the bay this week 2 keepers 3 shorts on clams.

[baitstealer]

Good deal chas I fished the bay last night and got one 26" fish on clams. It has been real foggy out lately. Spooky

[baitstealer]

Went out last night in the bay ,throw jigs and bunker swimmer :skunk:. Went to my local beach counted 62 poles and 20 people:kooky:


62 poles, 20 people, I hate when guys do that, they take up the whole beach!

[seamonkey]

I fished a cape may beach this morning on the incoming tide. Fresh clam, threw a lot of my old chopped bait in the water too. Nothing but 2 giant skates. Beautiful day to be out there. Later on after lunch I stopped by there again and could see the surf building up. Looks like we might be in for some nasty weather.

[ledhead36]

Plenty bunker tonite, the bass were on vacation. 2 stripers to 28", but one was only 16", Lots of small runts have shown up in the last 2 nights. All fish on bunker.

[ledhead36]

hate to do it, but what shops are open with fresh bunker along 35 or 36?

The guy in LH has some fresh but he is a thief. Wants $2 for a fresh bunker and $1.75 each for frozen. You are better off at Fred's B&T a little further West. When the co-op gets bunker they sell for 50c each but they don't have em yet.

[finchaser]

If save the bunker goes through you'll be lucky to get a $5.00 bunker. Bay is loaded with bunker and no fish so much for the shortage of bunker and the bass starving.

[surferman]

Fished above cape may today. It was sunny but windy and the surf was a little rough. The bass were around. Got one 28" first keeper of the season on clam. A few others were caught on the beach.

[wish4fish]

tha bay wuz loaded wit bunkies last night. u no u were going to catch. but all we got was bunker. not one stupid bass. we loaded up on bunker and brought them home in the frig will be back out tonight with the freshies

[stripermania]

:skunk:Skunked in raritan bay on the incoming tide. Used bunker. There were some bunker flipping but they were too far out. A guy next to me said he caught a small bluefish earlier. Crazy. I have never ever heard of blues being caught March 24.

[storminsteve]

Fished the rbay last night. Windy, rain, all the conditions for the bass to be in the back. Nothing but nasty weeds.

[Monty]

Fished out front from 1:30 till about 8:00. Nothing but ,lots and lots and lots of white water. And some wind and a little drizzle.
Nice night and morning to be out fishing:d.
http://rocksimpson.com/images/2012_3_25_WW1.jpg
http://rocksimpson.com/images/2012_3_25_WW2.jpg

[fishinmission78]

Fished Island beach this morning with metal and bucktails. Looked like a washing machine. Nada.

[xtreme_visions]

:skunk::skunk::skunk: :scared: :beatin: :don't know why:

[xtreme_visions]

hey guys! looks like everyone is awake again :fishing: i have checked out a few new places. good spots but no fish for me. have not seen anything caught but i did keep a good distance :kooky:4 short trips so far. incoming tides. clams, tried a few plugs. im ready to snag some bunker for the 1st time myself but more importantly some nice bass!

[xtreme_visions]

149871498814989

Im ready for some fish! :HappyWave: thanks to dark for all the advice and fin for the advice and some great merchandise :drool:

[jigfreak]

149871498814989

Im ready for some fish! :HappyWave: thanks to dark for all the advice and fin for the advice and some great merchandise :drool:




Dude, aren't you that guy who when he started out didn't have any surf gear?
Seems like you solved that problem. you're loaded for bear.:headbang:

[jigfreak]

Fished in the back last night.
2 bass on bunker. 12 and 17#.

[DarkSkies]

Extreme, you're welcome. You have really come a long way. It won't be too long before you're into a nice bass.
Folks, as mentioned previously, now is the time, to put in your time.
With the rapidly rising bay temps we don't know how long our fishing will last this spring.
Please don't base your fishing schedule on prior years because the bass may gone by then.

Congrats to all who are out there and putting in their time and making their own reports. :clapping:
Ya can't catch bass from in front of a computer screen.






Fished out front from 1:30 till about 8:00. Nothing but ,lots and lots and lots of white water. And some wind and a little drizzle.
Nice night and morning to be out fishing

Now I know you need mental help Monty. :kooky: Even I know not to fish the ocean when it looks like that...(but somehow I ended up there anyway...:laugh: :HappyWave: )



Skunk report:
Last night I set out with the realization that Mon and possibly Tue could be unfishable with the strong N winds forecast.
I had the yak set up. There are fish in the bay at night, they key is being able to get to them.
When I got to the water I knew it wouldn't be smart to attempt a yak launch. Winds steady E, 15mph with higher gusts, not a good night for fishing on open water.

There was another place I could have gone, a place where some friends have been doing well, but I didn't feel like taking the ride...







Also I was scouting some places that the OGB and I could fish from land from...
(Pssst - I really miss fishing with that old grouchy cantankerous gloom and doom complaining angry never happy critical SOB curmudgeon wizened old-salt basstard...but please don't let him know that...:) )


Finally found a spot that offered some lee from the wind....I fished it hard for 1 1/2 hours as sheets of rain rained down on me...water wasn't that bad, but it was a little cold and raw...

No activity for me as I worked the whole water column, other than the occasional bunker I could feel in the water...

I then took a drive to check the ocean. It was sloppy and basically unfishable for where I usually like to be....(I can't believe that nutcase Monty was out there in that slop) :HappyWave:

Decided maybe if I waited it out, the water would become more fishable...and went to sleep in the vehicle....waking every hour to the sound of the steady 15mph E wind....a NE or SE would have been relatively ok to fish, but a straight E, for me, is never a good time to be in the NJ surf because you lose effective presentation on the majority of your casts...

Kept waking up to the howliing wind, turning the heat on to warm up a bit, and going back to sleep, hoping....finally gave up a little before sunrise and went home.....

Monty, you are officially nuts.....when are ya coming out on the rocks with me? :blackeye: :cool:

[vpass]

Nice to see some of you getting active again. I'm hope to get out in a week or 2. Work sucks

[Monty]

I then took a drive to check the ocean. It was sloppy and basically unfishable for where I usually like to be....(I can't believe that nutcase Monty was out there in that slop) :HappyWave:

:HappyWave:
The water looked a lot clearer in the dark :wheeeee:
Can't catch a :skunk: if your not fishing :idea:.

[DarkSkies]

The
:HappyWave:
Can't catch a :skunk: if your not fishing :idea:.

Touche, Monty.....
The key thing I'm trying to get people to think of now is Opportunity...
There are fish just off the beaches every day now, rain or shine.....
There are some giant submarines circling the bays and rivers as well..

ya can't always get to them, but the first stages of the migration are in full swing....bass are moving with the bunker, herring, butterfish, rainfish, and squid,,,,

One thing for sure,,,
ya can't catch em sitting on your couch at home....
(One last thing.... You're still a nutcase.... :kooky: .....:laugh: :viking: :HappyWave: but I know your time out there is limited, glad ya had a good time.,.....):fishing:

[DarkSkies]

Thanks for the replies guys; I usually fish the front in jetty country. Haven't been out back for a few seasons except for a couple times last fall, mostly along the Shrewsbury. Regarding bunker, if they're thick enough, snagging's fine, but if not it's a crapshoot so I'm more inclined to go out with a bunker or two for insurance.
BTW, hey Dark, been a while since we bumped into each other!!!
Great work on your site.

Jeff, you have me at a disadvantage, since I don't remember meeting you. I'm sorry, I'm terrible with names, but never forget a face....

I met Jeffs from last year from Montauk, the NS of LI, Mass, Cape May area, NJ, and the SS of LI,,,so I apologize if I can't place your name to a face,,,but if I saw ya on the beach I would probably recognize ya! :d

Welcome aboard, always glad to renew connections with folks I haven't seen in awhile...:thumbsup:
And best of luck this season....:HappyWave:

[basshunter]

Fished raritan bay last night around high tide. I don't know why I ever thought the bass would be biting but it was sunday night and I was bored. Used fresh clams. Goose eggs was the result. It was cold as heck and I gave up after about an hour. I hope the temperatures this week will include some sun.

[jeffw]

Jeff, you have me at a disadvantage, since I don't remember meeting you. I'm sorry, I'm terrible with names, but never forget a face....

I met Jeffs from last year from Montauk, the NS of LI, Mass, Cape May area, NJ, and the SS of LI,,,so I apologize if I can't place your name to a face,,,but if I saw ya on the beach I would probably recognize ya! :d

Welcome aboard, always glad to renew connections with folks I haven't seen in awhile...:thumbsup:
And best of luck this season....:HappyWave:

Last time we spoke was in the 8th ave lot; we talked about your site, other stuff.....I think it was 2 springs ago.
Anyhow, I got a call and went to nomoco and witnessed the most amount of diving gannets I've ever seen, probably on sandeels. At any given moment there were at least a thousand gannets in the water; a few hundred would fly off and scout the local area, followed by 5 minutes of intense diving, with 20 to 30 birds hitting the water every minute. A few friends who live locally were there and said they'd never seen anything like it in 40 years. there was no sign of surface breaks by predators, and it all happened 300 to 500 yds out.
With all this sandeel action, and the impending bunker spawn, this spring could be early and epic.

[eltosoro]

Yeah, there was a pretty amazing gannet show at false dawn/dawn last Saturday am - always a treat to watch! I took a quick peek at some rocks at the incoming last night - all quiet. Too quiet.

DS - thanks for letting me know about this site. Great place!

[chas527]

fished the hook with clams this morning . nothing but skates.

[wish4fish]

fished last nite bunker was there but no bass not even a runt. back there tonite u no we will be there when the bass are.

[gjb1969]

well i could not get to the fish so i stayed close to home and i did a lot of casting and walking but no fish for me buti got to try rips plug it swam great but i did hope to see a bass get it but it was not to beejust got some pics15029150301503115032

[jigfreak]

Nice looking structure gjb. I would throw a bunker head in that rip rap if it's near the Kill. Bunker all over there by the Goethals.
Fished tonight for a few hours, 4 bass to 16#, big swimmers. Herring were in thick. Love those herring.

[gjb1969]

no bunker up my at tonignt:skunk:or bass

[finchaser]

The majority of the fish have moved 2 miles offshore where they are gorging themselves on herring and butter fish

[skinner]

Fished SH this AM. Right around the change of the tide, incoming. 5:30-7:45am I figured the ocean water might be a little warmer than the bay but it still felt cold to the touch. Tried bucktails, shads, vision eels, no fish for me.

Gannets, I saw some birds that looked like them diving this morning at the Hook finchaser. I had to use binocs to get a glimpse them as they were too far off. They were diving on something however, Herring I heard of, but butterfish? I thought they aren't around till the summer?

[hookedonbass]

I worked a few cuts in somoco last night. 12-3am. Nothing was interested in what I was cooking.

[storminsteve]

^ Maybe because your name isn't Dwayne Johnson aka the Rock. :laugh:
don't feel bad, I fished early last night before high tide and got absolutely nothing as well.

[cowherder]

Nice going jigfreak! I hope to have a fishing report this weekend.

[DarkSkies]

Last time we spoke was in the 8th ave lot; we talked about your site, other stuff.....I think it was 2 springs ago.


. At any given moment there were at least a thousand gannets in the water; A few friends who live locally were there and said they'd never seen anything like it in 40 years. there was no sign of surface breaks by predators, and it all happened 300 to 500 yds out.


Jeff, you jogged my memory, thanks for the kind words. I'm terrible with names, but never forget a face...
I think the first time I met ya was at the beach memorial service at Bradley Beach for Jay/Brewroom, in 2008 (RIP) :(
Now I remember what ya looked like, and I remember you from 8th Ave and some other moco beaches. Welcome aboard and best of luck this season. :HappyWave:


Yeah, there was a pretty amazing gannet show at false dawn/dawn last Saturday am - always a treat to watch! I took a quick peek at some rocks at the incoming last night - all quiet. Too quiet.

DS - thanks for letting me know about this site. Great place!

Eltosoro, thanks for the kind words...welcome aboard....now is the time.,..to put in your time....see ya's out there soon....:HappyWave: :fishing:

[DarkSkies]

Herring I heard of, but butterfish? I thought they aren't around till the summer?


The majority of the fish have moved 2 miles offshore where they are gorging themselves on herring and butter fish


Skinner, as Finchaser said, the area out there from 1-3 miles is thick with bait, butterfish, mackerel, herring and squid. The squid and herring boats have been out nightly since December. The butterfish, as I understand it, are a recent addition to the forage, and they are pretty abundant as well. Reports of bass and butterfish range from Brigantine to Sandy Hook, in that 1-3 mile band of water.

Closer to the surf line, we have had bunker, sand eels, and herring, in and out, since February....very unusual for this early in the year...but I ain't complaining....

[skinner]

Thanks finchaser and dark.
Fished the ocean last night, one 30" bass on a bomber.

[xtreme_visions]

fished the bay last night on the incoming :skunk: noticed alot of birds a good distance out. buddy almost lost his pole before he lost the fish :beatin: guy next to us caught 1. clams

[basshunter]

^^ extreme that was Murphy's fishing law - the exact moment you don't pay attention to your pole is the moment the fish will grab it and head for the other side of the ocean. Better luck next time.

[jigfreak]

Last night couldn't buy a hit if I tried. Tonight was a lil different, 3 to 31" on dannys.

[Monty]

Last night couldn't buy a hit if I tried. Tonight was a lil different, 3 to 31" on dannys.
Jigfreak, nice going:thumbsup:.

[storminsteve]

Nice job jigfreak. I managed 1 nice bass on rubber in the dark, oceanside. 32" Fished in the rain for 3 hours. About ready to give up when she nailed it. I guess rain doesn't matter when the fish are hungry.

[finchaser]

Nice job jigfreak. I managed 1 nice bass on rubber in the dark, oceanside. 32" Fished in the rain for 3 hours. About ready to give up when she nailed it. I guess rain doesn't matter when the fish are hungry.

Nope there already wet;):HappyWave:

[madcaster]

fished incomming for a few hours 3.30 in rb bay with worms :skunk: .Just got sun burned . tested some new plugs plugs
:)It was nice to get out

[vpass]

Nice going guys. Glad you all got out. It be a few more days for me, I hope!

[seamonkey]

Yeah nice going dudes. At least some of you are catching. I went out today in Brigantine with fresh clams, I got to the beach and it was nasty. Didn't even try as the waves were way too intense and would have washed it right back. Putting the clams in the refrig and will try later in the week.

[Monty]

Went bayside this morning, 1:30 - 8:30. Plugs, rubber and bucktails. Skunk. Did not see any bait in the area I fished. Another nice night to be out.