Flowers that Say When Fish are Here......

[clamchucker]

Spring flowers - dogwoods, lilacs, and forsythia. Each signals the arrival of different fish.

[voyager35]

dogwood has always been the ticket for me.

[DarkSkies]

When will the fish be here?
When will the fish be here?
Are we there yet?

(Ya won't know unless you're out there fishin) :d


For those who can't be bothered with finding their own fish...


Sent in by OGB, thanks!

Crocuses - fishing for first spring resident bass

Tulips – arrival of winter flounder

Lilac – weakfish are in town

Forsythia – bluefish and fluke are on the move

Dogwood – arrival of migratory striped bass

September’s full harvest moon has a tremendous effect on both weakfish and striped bass which take it as a sign to start their annual southern migration. During this lunar period juvenile species of both predator and prey are driven outward along the shoreline.








Wind from the North, fish come forth
Wind from the South, fish shut there mouth
Wind from the East, fish come to feast
Wind from the West, fishing is the best

[DarkSkies]

When will the fish be here?
When will the fish be here?
Are we there yet?

(Ya won't know unless you're out there fishin) :d


For those who can't be bothered with finding their own fish...


Sent in by OGB, thanks!

Crocuses - fishing for first spring resident bass








Learn your flowers ;)

10326


Just an FYI that every year when I see these crocuses start to sprout up, I know it's time to get out there because somewhere the bass will be active.
There are some variables that will affect this, yes.... such as a cold winter which could delay the action in some bays and rivers...

Generally speaking, though, when I see those flowers I know it's time to fish....:fishing:

[DarkSkies]

Learn your flowers ;)

Just an FYI that every year when I see these crocuses start to sprout up, I know it's time to get out there because somewhere the bass will be active.
There are some variables that will affect this, yes.... such as a cold winter which could delay the action in some bays and rivers...

Generally speaking, though, when I see those flowers I know it's time to fish....:fishing:




1. You can't catch fish when the moon is full and bright. :rolleyes:

2. You can't catch fish on artificials in March. :rolleyes:

3. Clams are what ya want to catch the big early Spring bass. :rolleyes:


What's the common denominator to beat the odds in the above scenarios?

Find bait and actively (or sporadically) feeding fish. http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon3.gif
Find water that's at the right temps.


Pic courtesy of OGB, 3-31-10 :thumbsup:

32" bass taken on a yozuri. :lookhappy:
Water 48 deg.
C&R to grow bigger.

10619

[bababooey]

I visited the Belford pirates 2 days ago for some bait. They told me action had started to pick up in the bay and a new body of bass had moved in. Even though the water temps have gone down, now is the time to fish. It's worth it to be out there. :moon:

Right on the $$ with that call, dark.:thumbsup:
This is from Ristori's column yesterday -


Stripers flood into Raritan Bay and Shore waters

By Al Ristori (http://connect.nj.com/user/ajristor/index.html)

April 11, 2010, 8:49PM

Striped bass have arrived earlier than ever along the Shore and in Raritan Bay. Several years ago there were a couple of seasons that opened with large bass on bunker chunks off Staten Island during late April, but that only repeated one more year -- and was later in the month than the present run. The last two springs have been poor in the bay, and the early clam fishing has been very inconsistent, but it now appears that a good body of larger bass has moved in.

[DarkSkies]

The Fall Fish flowers for NJ..... - Mums for Bass...


I haven't seen these flowers described anywhere....
but have been guaging my fishing the last 10 years by making sure I'm out there as soon as they bloom....

They are some kind of mums, I believe, but they are the early mums....not the ones you see in October....

These mums bloom somewhere around the last weeks of Sept.
This has held as a pattern, according to my logs., for the last 10 years that I've been keeping note of it....

What I am saying to you folks out there, is that as long as those flowers were in bloom, I could go out and catch striped bass along the NJ Coast or bays, inlets and rivers.....

Not just one or two 22" bass.
Nor just one 28-32" bass....

Nope, these flowers, about a week after they bloomed, signified the start of the resident fish good Fall action in NJ, waking up and coming in closer to where the surf guys were, making them more accessible, and multiple catches per night more reasonable....:drool:

[DarkSkies]

Exceptions??
For the last 2 years, these flowers bloomed, and the bass just weren't there in numbers....

I know folks have gotten a sense of my disappointment..."Hey if you want numbers of fish, dark, go to Montauk right now".
Yeah, I understand that...

The grouchy basstard inside of me is not looking to ruin everyone's enjoyment....but as I fish more than most anglers, I have to put it out there, that the numbers of bass we are used to seeing at this time, in NJ. are just not here....

these are the flowers....no internet needed, I could just time my trips by when these bloomed....

15555


15556



And for the last 2 years, they have let me down.....
Another reason for me to raise the issue to you folks, that there is a real possibilty of there being less bass around overall......http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png

I know this subject irritates some, and others don't want to talk about it,....but the reality is supported by lesser catches, and lesser chances of action, here in NJ for the Fall....

We are now waiting on the Migratory fish for sustained Fall action in NJ...and I'm telling ya's it didn't use to be that way... just 6 short years ago fishing was exceptional...and 10 years ago even better than that.....
I wish folks who talk about the "Epic" fishing they see right now, had those 6-10 years back into the past, as a framework, for what Epic really used to mean...




Food for thought, folks......:learn:

[jigfreak]

This last 2 years has been lousy early fall for me, with the exception of island beach and some of the moco rocks, and one or 2 other pieces of structure in the back. I don't think there is anyway to understand that other than fish a lot.

[storminsteve]

I haven't been doing it as long as some of you guys. I do remember it being better around 3 years ago. The fall action at the Hook was fantastic. Now, not so much.

[dogfish]

How many of you have flowers on the mind right now. :laugh: Me, I wait for the herring. When they are in it's a go.

[Monty]

How many of you have flowers on the mind right now. :laugh: Me, I wait for the herring. When they are in it's a go.

I am a huge fan of Dogwoods :)

[storminsteve]

Sent in by OGB, thanks!
Dogwood – arrival of migratory striped bass



I am a huge fan of Dogwoods :)

Me too, hope we get into some nice bass this year fellas, keep your fingers crossed. Hope they open the hook soon as well.

[finchaser]

Crocuses is a DS saying never heard that it's always been Dogwood, then again we never targeted juvenile fish with snot that's new school along with crocus. We waited for the bigger migrating fish never saw a need to harm the small hold overs looks like they are being wiped out too before they can get big enough to breed.

[albiealert]

Up here in the Sound it is the dogwood.

[finchaser]

What he said^^ been dogwood since I was a kid, DS came up with the Crocus which west wind wally told him.

[DarkSkies]

DS came up with the Crocus which west wind wally told him.


He's been telling me a lot of things lately...is it abnormal to take advice from a rubber lizard? :don't know why: :kooky: :laugh:
Just know that he will be coming back and making his presence known....You, Speedy, Monty, Surfstix. and some of the other mooks here will be the topics of discussion in the new videos I'll be shooting this spring....:moon:

Stay tuned.....:HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

I haven't seen these flowers described anywhere....
but have been guaging my fishing the last 10 years by making sure I'm out there as soon as they bloom....

They are some kind of mums, I believe, but they are the early mums....not the ones you see in October....

These mums bloom somewhere around the last weeks of Sept.
This has held as a pattern, according to my logs., for the last 10 years that I've been keeping note of it....

Nope, these flowers, about a week after they bloomed, signified the start of the resident fish good Fall action in NJ, waking up and coming in closer to where the surf guys were, making them more accessible, and multiple catches per night more reasonable....:drool:





1761117612

Well, the mums bloomed this week....the the fishing is still pretty inconsistent.....downward trend (last half of Sept for consistent night bass/bluefish action) for last 3 years for me....:(
A few small fish are starting to be caught....but that's not the action I'm referring to......these Mums, have failed me....:laugh: :kooky:

[finchaser]

this is the one I copied down from the person who taught me to fish 48 years ago

Tulips -arrival of winter flounder
Dogwood - arrival of striped bass
Lilac - weakfish are in town
Forsythia - bluefish and fluke are on the move
Dandelions - Blackfish move inshore

September?s full harvest moon has a tremendous effect on both weakfish and striped bass which take it as a sign to start their annual southern migration. During this lunar period juvenile species of both predator and prey are driven outward along the shoreline.

Wind from the North, fish come forth
Wind from the South, fish shut there mouth
Wind from the East, fish come to feast
Wind from the West, fishing is the best

[DarkSkies]

September?s full harvest moon has a tremendous effect on both weakfish and striped bass which take it as a sign to start their annual southern migration. During this lunar period juvenile species of both predator and prey are driven outward along the shoreline.



The harvest moon didn't do us much good this Sept....did it pal,,,,:don't know why:
Hoping for better results in October.....
Thanks for the updates.....
I thought you were going to go ballistic when I posted those mum pics above.....:argue: :)
You're really getting mellow in your old(er) age....:kiss:

[finchaser]

Once a googan always a googan:kooky:

[hookset]

Once a googan always a googan:kooky:

DS your reputation precedes you where ever you go.:laugh: :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Once a googan always a googan:kooky:


DS your reputation precedes you where ever you go.:laugh: :HappyWave:

Pffft.....the old grouchy basstid can't make up his mind....one day I'm a goog, the next day I'm a dillydock.....he should just pick one name for me, and stick with it.....:)

[Monty]

Pffft.....the old grouchy basstid can't make up his mind....one day I'm a goog, the next day I'm a dillydock.....he should just pick one name for me, and stick with it.....:)

:HappyWave:

dilly-goog-dock?:huh:

[storminsteve]

:clapping::clapping: Dark, you're slipping. You forgot when he called you a ben goog and a shoobie goog.;)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?1877-fishing-terms-dictionary/page4

[finchaser]

:clapping::clapping: Dark, you're slipping. You forgot when he called you a ben goog and a shoobie goog.;)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?1877-fishing-terms-dictionary/page4


your right those are his true names and he still hasn't picked one although dilly goog fits him to the tee I think we should go with that:clapping:

[DarkSkies]

^^ Gosh darn....just can't get any respect around here.....Eff ya's all.....:2flip: :moon: :)
Thanks for the laughs....:HappyWave:







I was just looking at those flowers again today....they're in full bloom...a few bass are being caught, but the numbers and sizes are just not there.....and despite the hype from some of the Charters (who are primarily fishing the Rips), they're not catching that many from the sand and rocks at Montauk either....
Think of the "M&M bowl" example that is often mentioned here and elsewhere......there are always fish in the middle of the bowl....but on the sides....not so much......sorry to seem so negative, but that's what I'm seeing........:learn:

[buckethead]

Think of the "M&M bowl" example that is often mentioned here and elsewhere......there are always fish in the middle of the bowl....but on the sides....not so much......sorry to seem so negative, but that's what I'm seeing........:learn:

No need for apologies, dark. The fishing is what it is. The thing that's hard for folks to relate to is they read stories about who's crushing them and who isn't on the head boats and charters. Based on those reports they assume the healthy status of the bass. I don't know if every one has heard about the m&m analogy or not. Without that explanation it may be hard for them to understand.
Here it is-
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?760-Where-are-the-Striped-Bass/page3

[seamonkey]

Anyone think it will be different this year? I had crocuses in my yard 2 weeks ago but there were no fish around. Other flowers that you guage it by?

[dogfish]

When I used to visit jersey I think it was the yellow daffodils that signaled the bass being around. Here it's around the first of may for the real bass though you can get some in the rivers on a mild winter. Dogwoods or lilacs are a better indicator the more north you go.

[williehookem]

What are the flowers for fall bass?

[DarkSkies]

Exceptions??
For the last 2 years, these flowers bloomed, and the bass just weren't there in numbers....

I know folks have gotten a sense of my disappointment..."Hey if you want numbers of fish, dark, go to Montauk right now".
Yeah, I understand that...

The grouchy basstard inside of me is not looking to ruin everyone's enjoyment....but as I fish more than most anglers, I have to put it out there, that the numbers of bass we are used to seeing at this time, in NJ. are just not here....

these are the flowers....no internet needed, I could just time my trips by when these bloomed....

15555


15556



And for the last 2 years, they have let me down.....
Another reason for me to raise the issue to you folks, that there is a real possibilty of there being less bass around overall......http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon9.png

I know this subject irritates some, and others don't want to talk about it,....but the reality is supported by lesser catches, and lesser chances of action, here in NJ for the Fall....

We are now waiting on the Migratory fish for sustained Fall action in NJ...and I'm telling ya's it didn't use to be that way... just 6 short years ago fishing was exceptional...and 10 years ago even better than that.....
I wish folks who talk about the "Epic" fishing they see right now, had those 6-10 years back into the past, as a framework, for what Epic really used to mean...




Food for thought, folks......:learn:



I wanted to re-visit this post....made back in 2012.....
I noted that this year, again, my flowers were dead, past bloom, when numbers of bass became available to most of the surf guys.....
We did have a large wave of migratory bass that hit NNJ around Oct 3..some large fish in the 20-40# class were caught by boaters....

That wave was fast moving and following bunker.....within a few days it was far South...and now is part of the fish they are seeing in the Delaware Bay....
Some other migratory fish have since hit our area...documented here...
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8379-Stripers-amp-Anglers-Education-Series-Understanding-Spring-Fall-Bass-Migration-for-NJ-NY







But the bite of resident fish, that these flowers always were guaranteed to tell....has been off...since 2012...where I am fishing......


Any other thoughts...feel free......:HappyWave:

[buckethead]

I agree. Many of the resident fish in monmouth county and upper ocean county have disappeared. There is no rhyme or reason for it. Plenty of bait. I saw acres of bait this morning with nothing on it.

[finchaser]

This has worked since I was a kid as the temperature needed to make the flowers bloom usually causes the water to rise to each species liking causing the larger schools arrive

Tulips - arrival of winter flounder
Dogwood - arrival of Striped Bass
Lilac - weakfish are in town
Dandelions- Blackfish come inshore
Forsythia - bluefish and fluke are on the move

September's full harvest moon has a tremendous effect on both weakfish and striped bass which take it as a sign to start their annual southern migration. During this lunar period juvenile species of both predator and prey are driven outward along the shoreline.

[clamchucker]

this is the one I copied down from the person who taught me to fish 48 years ago

Tulips ? arrival of winter flounder
Dogwood ? arrival of striped bass
Lilac ? weakfish are in town
Forsythia ? bluefish and fluke are on the move
September?s full harvest moon has a tremendous effect on both weakfish and striped bass which take it as a sign to start their annual southern migration. During this lunar period juvenile species of both predator and prey are driven outward along the shoreline.

Wind from the North, fish come forth
Wind from the South, fish shut there mouth
Wind from the East, fish come to feast
Wind from the West, fishing is the best


The dogwoods and forsythia are just starting to bud. Good rule of thumb you posted here finchaser