NJ Fishing Reports for December 2012..www.StripersandAnglers.com

[DarkSkies]

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

NJ fishing reports for December 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]

Seamonkey,
you won the plug in the November 2012 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)

[cowherder]

I went to nomoco this morning and practiced casting from 6:30 to 8:30. Man the surf was big! I did see some birds diving far out but nothing breaking. Even if they were I don't know if you would be able to see them as the surf was pretty rough. Big goose egg for me. I was using avas. :skunk:

[jigfreak]

Yesterday 4-5 moco. 3 dinks on rubber.

[buckethead]

Fished nomoco today sunrise to 8am, incoming tide. Water was a little dirty. Threw bucktails, rubber, and metal. One micro bass must have only been around 14". The death rats are here.

[porgy75]

What are death rats?

[buckethead]

The little rats that are left at the end of the run. I think dark mentioned they might be hudson fish that got blown out. I would "deathly" agree. Lol.:)

[vpass]

The little rats that are left at the end of the run. I think dark mentioned they might be hudson fish that got blown out. I would "deathly" agree. Lol.:)

I hope these tiny Striper are safe in there current environment. Does anyone know if they would have a good chance of surviving being in the ocean vs river.

[finchaser]

they can take the cold and migrate last signaling it's all over till spring been that way for ever won't be long now

[Shorelady]

One micro bass must have only been around 14". The death rats are here.

Today was who could catch the smallest bass. I won! 13 1/2 inches. Clams..

[Monty]

Fished Sunday morning 1:30 to 11:00 ocean side.
Ocean was unruly and muddy. Around 9:00 it was very fish able and starting cleaning up.
Had a bunch of bumps throughout the trip, finally around 10:30 I caught a short Striper on a Mag-darter.
Guys were catching shorts on Vision eels in tight, shorts were hitting very light.
Had a great time, nice weather.
More than likely this was the last trip for me this year, busy with work the next few weeks, some traveling too.

[finchaser]

Way to go white water^^^^^

[SharkHart]

Found a few last night, 4 fish in ocean county on shads, 2 were close to 30" my best fish all fall :scared:

[DarkSkies]

Monty, I bet you did a little dance when you finally caught that fish.....I wonder if there is such a thing as the White Water Dance? :laugh: :thumbsup: :HappyWave:
Shark, outstanding, catching 4, when others come up empty handed for the night bite, is pretty damn good....:thumbsup:
for the rest of ya's, great effort in getting out there......:thumbsup:

You all did better than me last night.....
Despite the old grouchy weather report, which I get twice a day....:rolleyes:
I was out anyway....

Air temps 52 all night,
Slight SW wind.....
Water temps 51 degrees,,,,,
How could I resist? :kooky:

4 hours hunting and pecking.....lots of closed areas made it tough.....had to expand the range and the stops I fished at.
The water was dirty, worked the bottom half of the water column....nothing at all for me. :skunk:

[storminsteve]

M
Despite the old grouchy weather report, which I get twice a day....:rolleyes:
I was out anyway....



Shorelady, at least you got a fish, good going. Shark and Monty way to go!
Dark, wondering how one might get this grouchy weather report, what channel is that?:HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

^ Steve, I believe you have to contact your Cable provider.
Just ask them for the Grouchy Channel, or the Old Grouchy Basstard Channel.:argue:..they'll know what to do.....:rolleyes: :HappyWave:

[finchaser]

^ Steve, I believe you have to contact your Cable provider.
Just ask them for the Grouchy Channel, or the Old Grouchy Basstard Channel.:argue:..they'll know what to do.....:rolleyes: :HappyWave:


:2flip::moon::2flip:

[Monty]

Way to go white water^^^^^


Found a few last night, 4 fish in ocean county on shads, 2 were close to 30" my best fish all fall :scared:
Nice! :thumbsup:


Monty, I bet you did a little dance when you finally caught that fish.....I wonder if there is such a thing as the White Water Dance?
It was a bit of a learning experience. Fished very hard for that one fish, should have caught a few more......Urghh.
It was murky out there... I liked it a lot.:)

http://rocksimpson.com/images/2012_12_3_WW.jpg

[finchaser]

Released 19 smalllllllllllllllllllllll bass today all on metal in day light wind came up out of the south and shut down the bite like some one flipped a switch

[cowherder]

Dark, does the grouchy channel come with smell-o-vision?:scared: :laugh:
I'm thinking the two of you could put on quite a show, kind of like beavis and butthead, or archie bunker and meathead! Finchaser awesome 19 fish is some great numbers congrats.

[finchaser]

this AM released 5 smallllllllllllll bass all on metal

[GeoffT]

Time to break out the sweetwater rods, lol. Tiny bass blown out from the Hudson all over off the beach too.

[DarkSkies]

Finchaser lighting up the daylight with numbers....WTG....:thumbsup:
Lots of little fish around, good for the folks who have been catching..:clapping:..one lady Fin and I know got 80 yesterday....none bigger than 22".
The OFFC were out the last 2 days and got some numbers as well.....with one even approaching keeper size....:clapping: :thumbsup: :HappyWave:

With all the small fish around, there is lots of opportunity for folks who don't fish a lot to catch them. Get out there in the surf, EOD bite,
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?1877-fishing-terms-dictionary/page6

and cast rubber, metal with teasers, (or small plugs if the winds and swell permits)....you will catch 'em....:fishing:

















Tue PM report...
Was looking for the needle in the haystack fish.....something a little bigger than the small fish that have been in the surfline lately.
I have gotten legal fish every month this year....it's been tough some months....during July and August I fished an average of 30 hours to get a legal fish. :kooky: for December, was wondering if I would be able to find one with all the small fish around....

I had a hunch, based on past logs, and some things that are going on now with different temperatures.
Many nights I play my hunches, and fail miserably...this night my hunch proved right.....

The biggest obstacle was the South wind...forecast to shift to SW....but it was a steady S all night....very rarely do you get ideal conditions lately....the other times I was out the conditions were perfect but the fish just were not there at night......

After about 15 minutes of casting swimmers, no action, getting slightly discouraged again. The last few times I was out at night I did poorly. Only a few small fish over the course of several trips.
I switched to rubber shads and nailed a fish close to legal size. This gave me the motivation I needed. I had been definitely feeling down about my night fishing trips. That activity continued for the next 1 1/2 hours.

I had one fish every half hour, no other hits or misses.
Nice clean migrating fish.
The fish seemed to be just beyond the last breaker.



15875

15876
Managed 3 bass to 11#.
Released all.
Biggest fish came on a bottle darter, the other fish came on rubber shads. First time for me, that I have gotten fish on shads, since the Spring.
A good time, I was happy. :cool:

I continued to fish for another hour after the bite died, hoping for another fish...not to be.
Still not having enough sense to go home, I went to another location...water was much dirtier here. Fished for another 2 hours with no action at all. Finally called it quits at the end of the tide....
let's call it a Monty Mini Marathon.....:laugh: :HappyWave:

[storminsteve]

Nice fish guys. I fished moco yesterday from 3-4:30. Got 17 bass on metal with redgill teaser. Missed a bunch as well. They would hit it quick and not hit again. Also, every fish had diapers on. Didn't see anything over 22" caught along the whole stretch of beach. Most fish were 14-16". I even saw one guy hook one about 10" long. Thought it was a hickory shad at first.

[cowherder]

..one lady Fin and I know got 80 yesterday....none bigger than 22".
The OFFC were out the last 2 days and got some numbers as well.....with one even approaching keeper size....:clapping: :thumbsup: :HappyWave:



On your marks!-get set - GO!:rolleyes:
Way to go guys nice catches.

[hookset]

Not a mad rush yet because its hard to get motivated to chase after the dinks. They are there. Smallest fish I have seen all year. 11 bass Wed fished the last hour of sunlight. Best action was right before the sun went down and then it shut off like a switch. Tsunami shads the small ones.

[hookset]

. Didn't see anything over 22" caught along the whole stretch of beach. Most fish were 14-16". I even saw one guy hook one about 10" long. Thought it was a hickory shad at first.

Same here. Smallest fish all year. Has anyone seen numbers of hickory shad lately? might be more fun to target them with light gear or a flyrod.

[buckethead]

^^ Hookset I bet there are a crap load of hickories up at the Hook. We won't be able to fish there till next summer. Oh well.

[porgy75]

Nice going!

[plugcrazy]

Awesome reports and pics, thanks for sharing. I fished Brigantine this am with metal and storm shads, the sunrise was beautiful but no fish for me.

[seamonkey]

Seamonkey,
you won the plug in the November 2012 random drawing!:clapping: :thumbsup:
PM me your address so I can send it out to ya!

Darkskies got my plug in the mail today thank you very much! Thanks for all you do and keep up the stories I really enjoy them.:HappyWave:

[finchaser]

This late afternoon 2 keepers to 9# and 3 shorts all on plugs all still swimming.

[vpass]

I fished for an hour yesterday, and 1 hour today till dark. Got 2 tiny bass yesterday, and 1 tiny bass today. all on fin-s. It was great to be out.


Nice going Fin 9 pounds among tiny bass is a big deal.:thumbsup:

[DarkSkies]

Thu PM....
The shift in a weather pattern sometimes turns on the surf bite...
That did not happen on Wed PM as Fin and I set out to find some bass in the surf. It had turned cold in the low 30's, little windy, and we both fished with gloves.
2 hours of our best efforts, not a tap for either of us. :don't know why:
It was dismal., but the company was enjoyable....:fishing: :thumbsup:

When He went home. I made one more stop...one short bass on a Tsunami bomber copy (with rattles).






Fri PM.....
Real dissatisfied with the inconsistent bite up North...
I made the drive to lower Ocean County....seems the bite may be a little better there as they have small amounts of sandeels in the surf....

Fished all night in the rain for a true Monty Marathon......9 hours....

Managed 14 bass to 28"...all fish released.
The 28" was the only keeper, but others were close.
Nice fish although they were skinny.

What worked:
Tsunami creamsickle colored swimmer
Storm Thunderstick ( when the wind kicked up after the tide change)
Mag darter.....


Fish were very light hitting,
I had to wade out on a bar to get them at low tide.
Didn't think to bring my dry top. Once the tide started coming in I got wet, soaked to the skin.....
There was no way I would stop fishing,,,,just suffered through it.....:headbang:

When you get wet and the water is colder you run the risk of cramping.....

The fish were very light hitting, and may have been pursuing herring in the area.
If you did not set the hook hard you would drop them......

Still, it was a lot of fun to play with that many fish......:fishing:
I dropped a few more, not that many.

[DarkSkies]

Darkskies got my plug in the mail today thank you very much! Thanks for all you do and keep up the stories I really enjoy them.:HappyWave:
You're welcome Seamonkey...fish it hard.....








This late afternoon 2 keepers to 9# and 3 shorts all on plugs all still swimming.


I fished for an hour yesterday, and 1 hour today till dark. Got 2 tiny bass yesterday, and 1 tiny bass today. all on fin-s. It was great to be out.


Nice going Fin 9 pounds among tiny bass is a big deal.:thumbsup:

It is...with all the very small fish being caught a 9# bass is considered one of the larger ones.....Seeing him work artificials is a privelege to behold....:thumbsup:

[SharkHart]

Friday was a day of "I thoughts" for me. Used up a vaca day to go on a party boat because I thought the shorts were 25-27 and i thought the surf action was dead. I also thought we would fish off Monmouth beach all day. I thought i could finally catch a fish over 30" for this fall this way. I did the marathon trip and they did stay out all day 6am to 345 we got back. Shockingly no bird life at first light, they gave up on that area kinda quickly and headed north, I assumed it be to the highlands bridge but it turns out an hour later we ended up well off Coney Island. Found some fish and birds, fast moving fish, the shorts were more like 21-24" when we got back to NJ for the last hour of fishing the action at the Monmouth Rocks area was better. We left with some good bird life going on in afternoon. We wasted 2 hours of travel time could have been used to pick at fish there. I only 5 all day my friend got about 12 with one keeper @ 29" 6 other keeps on board for 27 anglers. Shads on 3 to 4 oz heads worked for us. If you wonder if they lie on the reports :) The reports said we had limits and tons of shorts. Id say most guys got 3 to 8 fish a few may have got less.

[finchaser]

This morning 5:30 to 7 AM 1 keeper 33 inch around 15# also 2 shorts 18 and 27 inchs all released. One of my friends had a nice 35" fish that he kept and 4 shorts he released

[GeoffT]

Just got back after fishing 2:30-5 PM in MoCo. Light variable winds. Good clean water.

Ridiculous action once the current started moving. 22 shorts and 1 keeper at 28". Numerous hits and miss. All but one on a 5" shad in bunker (that one on a Vision sandeel). They wanted it retrieved fast.

Best part about it was I was completely alone. Which is kinda hard to do on a weekend with such limited beach access nowadays. :thumbsup:

[voyager35]

We trolled out to the Shrewsbury Rocks today. A few bass and blues to 10# on umbrella rigs. Once there we got into sporadic action by jigging a27s on marks. All small fish. They were not concentrated. Also heard on the radio of a boat hitting another while we were on the way home. We didn't see it so I don't know when it happened.

[storminsteve]

I fished nomoco today, 19 micro bass on storm shad. One bass was 23" woo hoo! The rest had diapers on.:laugh:
Finchaser way to go! you always seem to find the bigger fish.

[surferman]

Good going guys!

[jigfreak]

Fished the incoming tonight moco. Picked up 4 to 12#. Rubber.

[finchaser]

This morning 5 to 7:30 AM had 2 keepers 8# and 11# also 7 shorts all on rubber all released

[Shorelady]

Finally put a good amount of time in surf fishing this weekend. There are an awful lot of short fish out there. All on metal yesterday and rubber today. No keepers.

[finchaser]

Good for you^^^^^^

[DarkSkies]

Nice efforts, all. :thumbsup:
as Shorelady and others said, lots of little fish around.

If the swell is not big you will catch em....so easy even a Googan like me can do it....:rolleyes: :laugh:


Bigger fish are the needle in the haystack fish and take a little more effort....
















Monty Marathon report:
Sat - Sun.....
** Note...... edited with the gripping details of how I tracked down and mugged the OGB.....:laugh: :moon: :HappyWave:


Sat - went out for the AM Sun bite to the Southern area where I previously got action the other night.
As the tide was at the top at around 3am, I figured it would be no problem as I would work the drop.

Not that great of a strategy...wading was almost impossible as the surf, instead of receding, began to build with a bigger swell. Really a little nasty and ugly. Since I was by myself, didn't want to become a news statistic....decided on another course of action.

Went to Finchaser's front door....looking to see if I could bum a ride in the helicopter ride that brings him to better waters with bigger fish..turns out he was already out, and the helicopter driver was on strike....so I set out to find him in the surf zone....the surf in that area was a little better, except it was influenced by the
Googan Effect...when a googan/dillydock shows up and shuts the bite down.....:rolleyes:

When I showed up, the bigger fish moved offshore...and the little bass took their place....We had decent action on these small fish for about 45 minutes, until Googan #2 shows up, and the bite shut off for good...(allegedly)...

Picture this, Finchaser, one of the most competent Surfcasters on the NJ Surfline....flanked to the left and right by 2 Googans....:scared:

He said he had enough and cleared out....
I took a nap while Googan #2 didn't want to leave without catching a fish.....casted for 2 hours until he finally caught a short bass and sundial...which spurred me into action again...but the bite was really dead at that point.....all affected by the tide....












Sun report..
Found a buffet, got some lunch took a hobo shower in a nice bathroom...report in the nomad fishing thread....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?3857-The-life-of-a-nomad-tips-for-on-the-road-fishin

back out at it for the afternoon and night bite...

As the surf had gotten bigger and the E wind started howling, it became unfishable again....waste of time for most normal folks....:kooky:
I have a good friend who swears that any day now we'll be invaded by herring and bunker in the surf and some bay areas...some think he is delusional...but this does happen every year around this time,,certain key areas....on Fri a (few) fish were caught to 24# in an hour long bite in one of these areas......

So his logic, though seemingly insane...does have a point. Since he was working that night, I spent the next 3 hours at night searching some of our proven late season spots for signs of bunker, herring..... but most importantly the larger stray bass that we could be targeting....all I found was cold dirty water, and no bait.....




**However, this time of year, with fewer people out there hunting for these bigger bass.( as they are truly needle in a haystack fish, one out of every 1000).....you can't rely on intel....you have to be there when they are there with the bigger baits...and so far that has been extremely difficult as the larger schools that most are claiming are on there way here......are not...what I am talking about here is targeting the few teen or larger bass that are around because of some food source.... or just migrating through and touching down for a night or so.....like chasing ghosts in the night......

[finchaser]

This morning 6 to 8AM released 5 bass to 28" all on rubbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbba

Dark must be tired after his 60 hour marathon he didn't even tell how he tracked me down and mugged me yesterday

[baitstealer]

Awesome reports guys! I fished moco yesterday. the surf was big but I used clams and 8 oz. Got 4 bass to 21". With the 8oz weight if felt funny reeling in these little fish. Will have to try to get them with the rubber shads you guys are talking about next time.

[storminsteve]

:clapping:Nice going finchaser and jigfreak! Anything keeper size seems hard to catch with all the schoolies around. dark great marathon narrative as usual.
At least you tried.:HappyWave:

[finchaser]

come on guy's at least question how it smelt after 60 hours:upck::HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

come on guy's at least question how it smelt after 60 hours:upck::HappyWave:



The old Grouchy basstid doesn't know what's he's talking about..:moon: :kiss:...I took care of it all at a the bathroom of a restaurant buffet...full healthy meal and hobo shower for $16.....
post 112
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?3857-The-life-of-a-nomad-tips-for-on-the-road-fishin/page12

[buckethead]

come on guy's at least question how it smelt after 60 hours:upck::HappyWave:


The old Grouchy basstid doesn't know what's he's talking about..:moon: :kiss:...I took care of it all at a the bathroom of a restaurant buffet...full healthy meal and hobo shower for $16.....
post 112
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?3857-The-life-of-a-nomad-tips-for-on-the-road-fishin/page12

I don't know dark, the way you described it in your report you fished with him before you went for breakfast and your hobo shower, lol.
So finchaser what was the smell really like, or did you fish upwind again?:laugh:

[buckethead]

Fished last night, 8-10pm, pocket of deeper water in moco, 1 bass 30" on bucktail and grub.

[storminsteve]

Way to punch it through buckethead! I heard the surf was big and nasty. Kudos to you for making it out there.
Finchaser, yes please describe the smell of the dark one. lol Dark, hope you are not offended by this but it was too funny not to ask about it. :upck:

[finchaser]

A cross between a restaurant dumpster and a headboat bilge ^^^

Well the south wind:2flip: with it's swell brought the cold dirty and my 2 friends and I finally took the:skunk:after a week of good fishing.

[GeoffT]

A buddy of mine had good action this morning in MoCo. The NW wind kicked in and fish bit well, he said.

[hookedonbass]

Hey finchaser you can't win them all. You seem to have a line on the bigger fish. Those 9 and 11 lb bass you were catching were giant fish compared to the fish I have seen caught in the last 2 weeks. I fished twice over the weekend in monmouth county, got 15 bass the first time, 9 bass the 2nd time, all on clams. None of them were over 21". So even though you didn't catch fish today you would be the leader if there was a contest. Nice going and enjoy the reports.

[storminsteve]

A cross between a restaurant dumpster and a headboat bilge ^^^


haha very descriptive. Made me think of the dumpsters in the summer outside the chinee restaurants.:scared: You never know whats in them, dead cats, small blackfish racks, etc. all rotting away.

[storminsteve]

Hey finchaser you can't win them all. You seem to have a line on the bigger fish. Those 9 and 11 lb bass you were catching were giant fish compared to the fish I have seen caught in the last 2 weeks. I.

Yeah finchaser you have the larger fish dialed in. Nice going. So you had one bad day so what. The water got cold. Keep the faith.

[cowherder]

^^ What storminsteve said.
finchaser, you, sharkhart, jigfreak, dark, hookset, buckethead, storminsteve and a few others here seem to be able to catch nice fish consistently out there. You guys are an inspiration every time I read your reports whether you get the big skunk or not. No one catches them every time out or they are lying. Thanks for sharing the reports guys. I am really enjoying them when I can't fish. And buckethead thanks for the cool stomach content pic.

[finchaser]

Was reporting the skunk to let you know I'm human too and don't always get them as i usually report just catches as i fish once or twice a day(before and after work sometimes durning lunch). I wasn't complaining ,Dark always makes it sound like i always get them. Gotta go to bed now 4:30 comes fast thank god I only have to travel 10 minutes to this weeks spot.

[finchaser]

this morning 5 to7 AM released 5 smallllllllll bass all on plugs

[DarkSkies]

I wasn't complaining ,Dark always makes it sound like i always get them. .

I think what I try to convey to the readers here is when they see you managed double digits...that the way you fish, you're usually high hook, even among the other old farts......:moon:....so they shouldn't expect to catch the same numbers you do.....:HappyWave:






*******
Tue Report...
Weather forecast said cold and N winds....I got out there and it was relatively warm, 42, with no wind at all....
How could someone with surfcasting in their blood pass up a night like that?

High expectations.....managed 3 small bass on the Tsunami TS long Stick rattling swimmer in the first half hour.
That was at the bottom of the tide......unfortunately that was it....spent the next 3 1/2 hours casting working all levels of the water column....not another tap for me......

Probably should have realized that the water would be colder on the flood tide....with the temps down to 44 in some places these fish are close to the point where they could turn off for the night artificial bite......



**Clams and daytime fishing are your best bet if you want to catch numbers of bass now...
For some reason I keep resisting that routine.....would rather hunt for the few fish at night.....maybe I'll pick up a nicer one one night like a prize in a Cracker Jack Box....:kooky:

Maybe....being the eternal googan I am....I won't.....:laugh:
But I will keep trying.....:fishing:

[hookedonbass]

Its encouraging to me to see anyone catching bass even if they are small. I have fished in Cape May county for a week now and nothing. Thought for sure I would get at least one of the bigger bay bass. I think the run is almost over.

[DarkSkies]

Window in the night.....Wed PM....
The North winds in the day made it tough for some folks to get fish....some did....someone we know texted me and said they quit after 25 because they were tired of catching so many little fish and it got boring for them....I agree, unless you're fishing very light tackle for these fish it doesn't seem much of a challenge. Some of them are 10-12".

I have tried to target some a bit larger at night.....My last trip I got 3, but they were so small I felt bad catching them...

I haven't always been successful....the night bite is very elusive....many nights it's not there at all.....hours and hours of casting for no results.....

Very few larger fish around....
As Fin and others have explained it appears we are nearing the end of this Season.
There really isn't much food in the surf zone to hold these fish....most of my recent fish have been skinny, even the larger ones...the action could end any day, and next week's storm may very well be the end...

There are limited "needle in a haystack fish".......so that's why we're out there hoping for a mid teen fish or something close to it....freezing in the cold winds. and trying to pick nights when there is a better window.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8560-Discussion-FISHING-Window-and-What-it-Means-to-You&highlight=fishing+window








Last night was a pretty good window....the wind had died down to almost nothing....0-3mph.....W/NW...Because the area I fished the other night had smaller fish I changed my planned route.

Managed 6 fish at the bottom of the tide, still small, but relatively close to the 25" range....

Fish hit very sluggishly for me on swimmers. If you missed one it would not come back again.
My best producer was the Tsunami swimmer....Rubber and bucktails got nothing at all.
Had 1 1/2 hours of action where I got a fish or missed one every 10 casts or so....pretty damn good compared to the time and effort I have been putting in at night lately. :cool:

Once the tide turned, within 10 minutes the wind did as well. :( could not wade out anymore and reach the fish as the wind quickly ramped up to a steady 15, N/NE, with gusts to 20.....Air temps 33 degrees...water 48 degrees.

Got out of the water and went to another location with the wind behind me......fished that for an hour with no results,,,,packed it in early.....:fishing:

[buckethead]

Nice going good to see the plug bite still is strong. Fished nomoco 3:30-6pm. Picked up 5 bass to 27". Mag darter and vision eel got the job done. Water is cleaning up. Best of the day was around sunset.

[storminsteve]

Great going guys. Good news about the surf too buckethead thanks. I may be out there tomorrow, or maybe tonight. Trying to shadow dark or finchaser.:laugh:

[jigfreak]

Trying to shadow dark .:laugh:

Umm, rumor has it you might need a clothespin, or breathing mask like the painters use.:upck:

[cowherder]

Umm, rumor has it you might need a clothespin, or breathing mask like the painters use.:upck:

Hey he might:banned: you when he sees that! but funny, I can imagine steve stalking the trail or the jetty with a clothespin. Wouldn't he not want to have one, you know he might be able to follow the scent. just kidding dark.:HappyWave: great catches dudes!

[buckethead]

Fished moco last night. Cold and bleak out there but did find a few bass to 10#. Swimmers. Did anyone else see the meteor showers they were awesome.

[DarkSkies]

Outstanding job buckethead, and anyone else who is out braving the cold for the few remaining fish. :thumbsup:

I struck out big-time last night.
Returned to the previous night's action scene and it was dead. Made a few more moves in that area. Not a touch. Casted my aZZ off for 2 hours, believing against hope I could find at least 1....I couldn't. :skunk:

Conditions -
Air temp 30.
Water temp 46.
Wind not bad, light E/SE 0-5mph.
Swell, 3', duration was tough in that there was an intermittent period swell. Some of the waves were coming at a duration of 4 secs of less, with some periods of calm in between.









The water is getting really cold......ocean water temps in most of NNJ have dropped 4 degrees in the last 10 days.....that's a significant drop....anyone who is believing that the bass will be around all winter......:kooky: needs to think about where the water temps are now, as opposed to last year.......and of the forage currently available....

I reviewed the 2011 Stripers and Anglers Winter fishing thread. Beyond the mild weather we were having, the water temps stayed near 50 for a very long time.....and only gradually dropped to the low 40's at the end of January.....

Remember.... 42-43 is the cutoff point where bass are likely to hit artificials.....we got them last year to around that temp. Then they shut off for a week...the temp inching slowly upward was the only thing that kept the fish actively feeding.....
This was in addition to the abundant bait we had, the most abundant it had been in years.....

This year that is not the case......
And this means that the fish that are around, are mostly very skinny and small fish.....if they are not finding abundant food they will move on very quickly....
This is part of the conditions that make it so hard for me and others to predict the bite with any accuracy......so when someone tells me the fish will be here all winter, I have to question whether that person fishes often......:huh: and really has an understanding of the things that keep fish around for us to catch them....

More on that in
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?7174-NJ-s-resident-bass-why-have-they-abandoned-us







*******
Part 2.....
Slept in the car....
Up at 6:30 am to try to shake the skunk before work today.
There was a limited bite but it did not start till the sun was rising in the sky....lasted for about 1/2 hour......
I managed 2 small bass on small 5" plugs......yozuri and megabait.

The high hook on the beach got around 5 or 6...
He is an old timer and had some interesting things to say about the fishing this year...
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?7755-Candid-conversations-with-fishermen-about-striped-bass/page3&highlight=old+timers



Not many others were caught... bite was basically over as the flood tide neared the top.
This frigid water makes it smart for reasonable fishermen to shift their fishing time to the end of day.....after a sunny day.....:learn:
Unless you find herring or bunker coming close to the surf line, which has happened a few times in the last 2 weeks, it is a vast dead sea out there.....although as recently as today birds were diving on bait slightly offshore.....there are many areas which hold nothing at all other than the small sand crabs and a few pods of fast moving rainfish.

[finchaser]

Googan bunker are long gone

[DarkSkies]

Grumble, grumble, grumble......:rolleyes:
(I found some this week.......ssshhhhhhhhh!) :moon: :laugh: :kiss: :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Fished pretty hard in the last 48 hours.....

Fri Pm
Got down to the beach after work.

Decided to return to Ocean County beaches as the water is cleaner and periodically has been more bait there. The conditions were great, flood tide, clean water, no signs of fish.....
Casted for an hour, nothing for me.
Then went to another beach, met some old farts ;) We had the same results there...:skunk:

Got a call from another group of old farts....the OFFC....:HappyWave:
They did manage some fish during the day....:thumbsup:...but their chief complaint was the big intermittent swell interfered with presentation....I completely agree,,,,when throwing clams it doesn't matter, but when throwing artificials, if you are only in the strike zone for a part of every cast, or every 2-3 casts, it gets frustrating......
I decided the surf was so lame, that I was gonna take a nap and fish the other side of the tide......

[DarkSkies]

Sat AM...
I was rousted from a sound sleep at 2am by the local police....they were "worried" that I was ok....:rolleyes:
I never mind when they check on me....all good since in my sobriety I'm not doing anything in a drunken stupor that could get me into trouble.....:cool:

They did me a favor, my secondary alarm clock...if they didn't wake me I would have missed the feeding window.....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8561-Discussion-FEEDING-Window-and-What-it-Means-to-Land-Based-Anglers&highlight=feeding+window

Got ready and made it down to the water for low tide. This enabled me to wade out to the bar......

It took awhile, but eventually the bite developed.
The fish were extremely sluggish.....at these water temps they are almost comatose at night.

For example, bass usually hit on the front treble....all my bass were hooked on the rear one.....
Daiwa SM (smaller version of the SP) was the best producer. Things that had worked other nights did not work last night......not a touch at all on rubber...

As mentioned with a cold water night bite...the fish were very lethargic. My biggest fish of the night bumped the plug so lightly it felt like it sometimes does when a school of bunker goes by at night.....

It was a blast as she woke up and started pulling drag......:bigeyes: haven't had that happen in a while.....
Note to Finchaser....:moon: there were no bunker where I was in that surf....possibly herring, though......;) :HappyWave:




I missed an embarassing number of strikes. Once I got into a groove and began to see how these migratory fish were passing through the area (farthest end of the cast) I started hooking up and landing them better...........

It was a lot of fun, best sizes of fish and level of activity I have had in over 2 weeks......:headbang:


Total:
Managed 7 bass to 35" and 15+lbs.....
2 were legal, released one, kept one......



Eventually I had to leave the surf because the tide came rushing in as I was out on the bar.
I then went to another beach that I had found activity during that part of the tide....but got nothing at all there......packed it in around sunrise......A good night of steady action while it lasted.......:headbang:

Pic of the nicest fish of the night.....

15898



15899


15900


Conditions....
Air temp 43, about 12 degrees warmer than the night before....
Water temp 47
Swell, 3', and reported duration of 9 secs....the bad part of this was with the intermittent period swell., the duration was closer to 4 secs,,,,which really hampers your presentation....

[williehookem]

Wow good to see you are still getting them over there. Real nice fish!

[storminsteve]

:clapping: Fantastic job ds. that fish looks bigger than 15. Didn't think any that size were still around.you work hard at it and kudos are in order. Any idea why the SP was the only thing that worked?

I fished nomoco from 7-9a, it was like the dead sea in the wash. Even the little ones seem to have moved out. I stopped at a few places on the way home and heard talk of a few on clams and a 25lber further south. Lots of guys fishing today but not many catching. I was one of the ones not catching.

[cowherder]

Beautiful fish dark! Thanks for sharing the pics. Like steve said you put in a lot of time out there and deserve it. Striper cakes!

[wish4fish]

dark dooooooooooooooood! nice now eny one that wants to follow him pm me and ill tell u wat he drives. jus kiddin pretty work dude

[bababooey]

Aah, I heard a rumor he bought that fish at the Philly market. They had it listed as the googan special of the day.:ROFLMAO
Nice fish dark, show your mug next time.

[basshunter]

Great reports and pics thanks for sharing. Looks like there may be a few more. The party boats did ok today with some bigger fish. I went to Jack's today, bought some sps, and tried them in the lb surf. Got the skunk but it was a great day to fish anyway.

[jigfreak]

Fished outgpoing moco tonight from 10-1am. 5 bass to 9#. Rubber. Nice bass ds.

[Monty]

Great reports guys. Dark congrats on the nice bass!

[vpass]

Nice going guys, Wow Dark nice action. Hope it will continue for you like last year. I heard that the bass are loaded with Mole crabs.

[GeoffT]

Aah, I heard a rumor he bought that fish at the Philly market. They had it listed as the googan special of the day.:ROFLMAO
Nice fish dark, show your mug next time.

Noooooooooooo!!!! Don't!!! :scared:






:wheeeee:

Nice fish, Rich! :thumbsup:

[finchaser]

Aah, I heard a rumor he bought that fish at the Philly market. They had it listed as the googan special of the day.:ROFLMAO
Nice fish dark, show your mug next time.


Yep rumor has it

[DarkSkies]

^^ :moon: :kiss: :laugh: :clapping: :HappyWave:

Thanks for the kind, and not-so-kind....;) words, people.....it's all good, some of ya's should quit your day jobs and do stand-up....:rolleyes:
Feel free to lay it on.....but if you really want a challenge come out with me at night and see if you can put up with the rigors of a 5-6 hour trip, often coming up empty handed or with a few small fish.....:fishing:

I got those fish because I am obsessive about forage, weather, and swell patterns....but in the end no matter how good or persistent you are, you need a little luck, and have to put the time in.....

As I was explaining to someone else, these larger fish are the needle in the haystack fish for we who fish the surf....

To the newer anglers out there I would say you're more likely to catch a 15" fish than a 15# fish...lately even the numbers of smaller fish has dimished as our NJ season winds down.....some specific reasons for that....I'll try to explain it here

when I get a chance.....















*******
Sun AM report....
Got down to the water around 2am. The forecast rains didn't start yet, and the winds were E, but less than 2mph....

The problem was the building swell....and the stable duration of 9 secs still had the intermittent swell component.....
Which as I explained in my last report was a problem for presentation....there were a series of big 5' waves coming 6-8 at a time...followed by maybe 1 minute of calmer water. This surf action continued to build as I was there.

I casted into the calmer periods for 45 minutes. The frustrating thing was waiting for 2 minutes to get better presentation. Finally managed a short bass on a bottle plug. I knew it was not going to happen like it did the night before, so after an hour was up, I cut the trip short.

Went to another location where I could cast with my back to the building E wind...that location was weedy, and there were no fish there.....so that ended the trip for me......

I really don't understand those folks who drool :drool: over Northeast conditions....


It ruins the bite unless you're fishing clams or there is a lot of bait in the surf...and this is not the case right now....
IMO the best windows for the surf bite were Friday and Saturday.....the guys who knew that were out fishing hard, and some nice fish were caught,,,,,,,

Congrats to all who made it out there......:clapping: :thumbsup:

[finchaser]

Another DS fish less marathon but with a positive side it rained so you got to take a shower.:clapping:

Reason season is ending, very simple no bait, too much south wind which made water cold very quick then again it is mid December.

Way things are going bass fishing maybe permanently over before we know it ,I just saw a picture from Virginia of 20 fish over 40# laying dead on a dock. Oh yeah they were caught by recreational fisherman who always blame it on something or someone else

[hookset]

Reason season is ending, very simple no bait, too much south wind which made water cold very quick then again it is mid December.

Way things are going bass fishing maybe permanently over before we know it ,I just saw a picture from Virginia of 20 fish over 40# laying dead on a dock. Oh yeah they were caught by recreational fisherman who always blame it on something or someone else

They can always put the blame on others. As long as you get your 40lber who cares about anyone else?
Agreed finchaser. Am starting to see some of those pics. Fill the coolers with meat and get your citation fish. That's what its all about.:kooky:




I fished moco today, some jetties, from 4-5. Last of the outgoing tide. Big monster swells out there. Dirty water. Fished a bucktail and rind, nothing.

[fishinmission78]

Thanks for the reports and details. Am living vicariously through them.

[finchaser]

Marathon man will be out tonight to try and prove the world and the fat lady wrong

[DarkSkies]

^^ I can feel the love in that last post.....:2flip: :moon: :kiss: :bigeyes: :laugh: :HappyWave:

how do you know what my plans are for tonight? :bucktooth:
I am but a simple googan....any fish I catch are by accident....:ROFLMAO

[finchaser]

^^ I can feel the love in that last post.....:2flip: :moon: :kiss: :bigeyes: :laugh: :HappyWave:

how do you know what my plans are for tonight? :bucktooth:
I am but a simple googan....any fish I catch are by accident....:ROFLMAO


so true googan king so true

[hookedonbass]

Another DS fish less marathon but with a positive side it rained so you got to take a shower.:clapping:

Reason season is ending, very simple no bait, too much south wind which made water cold very quick then again it is mid December.

Way things are going bass fishing maybe permanently over before we know it ,I just saw a picture from Virginia of 20 fish over 40# laying dead on a dock. Oh yeah they were caught by recreational fisherman who always blame it on something or someone else

There is hardly any bait around at all. I think even the mole crabs are thinning out. Fished this morning nomoco. 2 hours of the incoming. One short bass on a bucktail and pork. conditions windy but fishable.
There was one guy clam fishing. he had 5 rods out. He was catching one short bass about every 15 minutes on those rods. They were all short bass. Since when do you need 5 rods to sit out there and fish for short bass with clams.?:huh: In all it was a beautiful morning. Could see scattered birds picking away, but they were about a mile off.

[buckethead]

Nice going hooked. One is better than none.

[finchaser]

Marathon man (DS) braved the elements last night all night ( in case the world really was ending today) for nada he is starting to hear her sing.

[DarkSkies]

^^ Aah....grumble, grumble, grumble....Gloom and Doom Finchaser...that's what they call him in Castaways at the Old Farts Table...:laugh: :kiss:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8138-Tribute-to-OLD-FARTS-The-GROUCHY-BASSTARDS-and-the-CRABBY-OLD-BASSTARDS-out-there/page5


But you do speak the truth....there are very few fish around because there isn't that much food for them.....
And the water temps are different from last year.....
Listen to the Old Grouchy Basstid....he knows stuff...:learn:....don't listen to me...I'm just a delusional dillydock...:laugh:







Met up with the OGB yesterday to work the end of day tide.....
It was dismal.....he ended up fishing 3 hours without a touch....I came late so it was 2 hours for me.....
In the end we realized it was futile as there was a building S/SE....getting cold......
He, having the sense of a normal fisherman....left at a reasonable time......:thumbsup:
As always, the grumbling and grouchiness made it worth the trip...don't know what I would do if I didn't have my daily dose of grumbling from the OGB...:HappyWave:
We both knew the best fishing windows this week were Wed, and Thu AM.
Just trying to get a few casts in before the storm.....

After he went home, I tried a few regular places that have produced in those conditions........
Gave it 2 hours more, packed it in for the night......

Slept in my car hoping for some action before I had to drive to work today...
It was not to be as the night rains were torrential....causing flooding in some areas....and the winds were up to 45mph,...rocking my car as I slept.....


As I said the best fishing window
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8560-Discussion-FISHING-Window-and-What-it-Means-to-You&highlight=fishing+window

was Wed, and Thur till the late afternoon.....
By that time the swell had dropped to 2.6'
Duration 13 secs......:drool:

Within a few hours of that the swell increased to 10', duration 7 secs...and by morning the swells were as high as 16' with duration of 4 secs......
This will kill the opportunity for numbers of fish on artificials the next 24 hours at least...and possibly till Sunday.
And with limited bait that is around....could be the final call for Finchaser's Favorite Fat Lady......:moon: :HappyWave:

You can still pick up some fish with clams....but some of ya's should start noticing that many keepers, if you can find them, will have nothing in their stomaches.....not a good sigh for those who are expecting those fish to stay here through the winter.....:learn:

[storminsteve]

Marathon man (DS) braved the elements last night all night ( in case the world really was ending today) for nada he is starting to hear her sing.

Boy she is a real beauty. Maybe she will get laryngitis warming up?
Good deal dark and finchaser at least you were out trying.

[finchaser]

Yep he tracks me down like a dog

[cowherder]

Yep he tracks me down like a dog

Possibly a rabid one? Be careful out there finchaser.

[storminsteve]

Yep he tracks me down like a dog

Haha I remember the story of Billy the Greek saying he had to change his boats when he fished because guys knew his and would follow him. Maybe you should use different vehicles to throw him off. Didn't they do that back in the day when the old timers used to fish Sandy Hook? One of the guys at Giglios said they used to park in one location and fish in another.

I went down to nomoco today for some casting practice. That's all it was because the wind was fierce but the water was dirty and it was cold and ugly out there. Fished from 3-5. skunk for me.:skunk: maybe some of you hardcores will brave it too but I would say it isn't worth it.

[finchaser]

Haha I remember the story of Billy the Greek saying he had to change his boats when he fished because guys knew his and would follow him. Maybe you should use different vehicles to throw him off. Didn't they do that back in the day when the old timers used to fish Sandy Hook? One of the guys at Giglios said they used to park in one location and fish in another.

I went down to nomoco today for some casting practice. That's all it was because the wind was fierce but the water was dirty and it was cold and ugly out there. Fished from 3-5. skunk for me.:skunk: maybe some of you hardcores will brave it too but I would say it isn't worth it.

We still do the park at one and fish another has worked for over 40 years.

Same skunk for me this am only it was brutal from 5AM to 6:30 AM but i promised someone I'd meet him even though I told him last night it would be a waste of time.

[surfstix1963]

We still do the park at one and fish another has worked for over 40 years.

Same skunk for me this am only it was brutal from 5AM to 6:30 AM but i promised someone I'd meet him even though I told him last night it would be a waste of time.
Your a good guy Bob meeting up knowing full well nada was going to happen.

[DarkSkies]

^^ This is why when people read that he manages some teen fish they think he has some sort of special deal with the devil.....and the simple truth is that he puts more time on the water, than most...he is also able to accurately predict when most of the fish should be leaving, or when they may be around......all this, and more, in the upcoming......





Finchaser seminar..:fishing:.....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?6421-Finchaser-seminar-series

Finchaser tentative topics will be...Check the schedule for times and order..
Note....anyone late for a Finchaser segment of the seminar will be forced to wear a shirt saying "I'm with Dark...in the Dillydock Club..." :)

1. How to catch fish without using bait.
2. How to outfish all the surfcasters on the beach. (hint - carry a bottle of bunker oil in your pocket)
3. How to avoid being mugged, Parking at one place, fishing another....
4. How to put up with the Googans and Dillydocks....
5. How to read the water
6. How to read weather patterns.....
7. How to appear to be a Grouchy Basstard so folks don't ask you these questions while fishing.....:learn:





Special Guests. Speakers, and assorted Crabby Basstards........the Speakers are Tentative so far, subject to change..........


* COB Surfstix......How to catch big bass in inlets and rips with eels....bonus session on becoming a Crabby Old Basstard :HappyWave:

* OFFC...Old Farts Fishin Club....How to catch bass that don't appear to be there and make the young fishermen on the beach drool with envy.....:clapping:

* Shark Hart - Explaining the Obvious differences between Northeast fishing,.....:bucktooth: and getting cold and wet, and Northwest fishing, and catching 100 or more fish in 24 hours......

* White Water Monty.....Dual Seminars 1. How to fish Whitewater without drowning...2. How to fish big Hogys/Sluggos and hook and drop big fish, .....:laugh:
(with a special bonus seminar for early registrants -- How to Pretend you're a Googan when you're really a good surf fisherman.....:thumbsup: )

* Surfwalker...Dual Seminars...1. How to travel the whole Striper Coast, and catch big bass along the way
2. How to Properly Outline a Perimeter when dead things are found.....:rolleyes:

* Vpass.... Seminars on how to read the Water, How to Fly Fish...and How to Fish at Sandy Hook at night without being killed by a runaway boat...:HappyWave:

* Bababooey - How to Insult People and still have them laughing with you....:laugh:

* Stormin Steve.....How to Bust Balls through Poems and Songs.....:clapping:

* Madcaster and Surfstix......
Plugmaking 101.....with Special Bonus segment by Madcaster on Mad Photoshop.....:thumbsup:

* Rip Plugger---- 1. Making big wood in insane colors....2. Catching blues and bass when most people have given up for the year.....


for the Hunters out there........
* Speedy...... Dual seminars....1. Plugmaking 101, guest speaker with Surfstix and Madcaster.....2. How to stalk and shoot birds when it's very freaking cold out. :scared:

* JonthePain.....Dual Seminars....
1. How to kill Crows, lots of em....:headbang:
2. The Best of the Redneck Lifestyle, with bonus feature How to Put your car up on blocks in your Yard....:kiss: :HappyWave:







stay tuned for details.....;)
most important....no refunds., no whiners, no internet fishermen.....and no seminars on how to catch fish with clams....;)

[madcaster]

15913
I also will do a craft demo on how to make your own. You must provide your own rock and string

[finchaser]

When the weather stone stopped swinging I decided to do the dusk thing. Water was flat got bass of 26" and 27" on jig head and rubber mullet tail shut off as soon as it got dark.

[surfstix1963]

I do teasers,tail hooks and bucktails on occasion I'm going to have to leave plugbuilding to Speedy and Madcaster or I will need a nap in between.:laugh::laugh::laugh: I'm almost 50 ya know:d :HappyWave:

[SharkHart]

The "Dark" Egg Nog appears to be spiked

[vpass]

^^ This is why when people read that he manages some teen fish they think he has some sort of special deal with the devil.....and the simple truth is that he puts more time on the water, than most...he is also able to accurately predict when most of the fish should be leaving, or when they may be around......all this, and more, in the upcoming......





Finchaser seminar..:fishing:.....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?6421-Finchaser-seminar-series

Finchaser tentative topics will be...Check the schedule for times and order..
Note....anyone late for a Finchaser segment of the seminar will be forced to wear a shirt saying "I'm with Dark...in the Dillydock Club..." :)

1. How to catch fish without using bait.
2. How to outfish all the surfcasters on the beach. (hint - carry a bottle of bunker oil in your pocket)
3. How to avoid being mugged, Parking at one place, fishing another....
4. How to put up with the Googans and Dillydocks....
5. How to read the water
6. How to read weather patterns.....
7. How to appear to be a Grouchy Basstard so folks don't ask you these questions while fishing.....:learn:





Special Guests. Speakers, and assorted Crabby Basstards........the Speakers are Tentative so far, subject to change..........


* COB Surfstix......How to catch big bass in inlets and rips with eels....bonus session on becoming a Crabby Old Basstard :HappyWave:

* OFFC...Old Farts Fishin Club....How to catch bass that don't appear to be there and make the young fishermen on the beach drool with envy.....:clapping:

* Shark Hart - Explaining the Obvious differences between Northeast fishing,.....:bucktooth: and getting cold and wet, and Northwest fishing, and catching 100 or more fish in 24 hours......

* White Water Monty.....Dual Seminars 1. How to fish Whitewater without drowning...2. How to fish big Hogys/Sluggos and hook and drop big fish, .....:laugh:
(with a special bonus seminar for early registrants -- How to Pretend you're a Googan when you're really a good surf fisherman.....:thumbsup: )

* Surfwalker...Dual Seminars...1. How to travel the whole Striper Coast, and catch big bass along the way
2. How to Properly Outline a Perimeter when dead things are found.....:rolleyes:

* Vpass.... Seminars on how to read the Water, How to Fly Fish...and How to Fish at Sandy Hook at night without being killed by a runaway boat...:HappyWave:

* Bababooey - How to Insult People and still have them laughing with you....:laugh:

* Stormin Steve.....How to Bust Balls through Poems and Songs.....:clapping:

* Madcaster and Surfstix......
Plugmaking 101.....with Special Bonus segment by Madcaster on Mad Photoshop.....:thumbsup:

* Rip Plugger---- 1. Making big wood in insane colors....2. Catching blues and bass when most people have given up for the year.....


for the Hunters out there........
* Speedy...... Dual seminars....1. Plugmaking 101, guest speaker with Surfstix and Madcaster.....2. How to stalk and shoot birds when it's very freaking cold out. :scared:

* JonthePain.....Dual Seminars....
1. How to kill Crows, lots of em....:headbang:
2. The Best of the Redneck Lifestyle, with bonus feature How to Put your car up on blocks in your Yard....:kiss: :HappyWave:







stay tuned for details.....;)
most important....no refunds., no whiners, no internet fishermen.....and no seminars on how to catch fish with clams....;)


You can't forget the most important seminar "Dark's Seminar on cleaning yourself Hobo style after a Monty Marathon".:beatin::beatin::thumbsup:

[finchaser]

Arrived at one of my spots this morning to find Marathon man( DS) sleeping in the Googan Mobile in 26 degree weather after another one of his marathon nights:kooky:

[Monty]

You can't forget the most important seminar "Dark's Seminar on cleaning yourself Hobo style after a Monty Marathon".:beatin::beatin::thumbsup:

:ROFLMAO

Rumors abound that he will discuss things like "finding places to nap when ya get sleepy while fishing" and "the benefits of stinky waders" :HappyWave:
Maybe we could get him to stay on subject and discus some things like how he gets Stripers to be aggressive and hit his plugs in cold water.... :)

[DarkSkies]

Whole lotta skunking going on....but the adventures continue......:rolleyes: :fishing:


Arrived at one of my spots this morning to find Marathon man( DS) sleeping in the Googan Mobile in 26 degree weather after another one of his marathon nights:kooky:
(that old basstard really exaggerates things, it was at LEAST 28 degrees that night...):rolleyes: :laugh: ...and maybe it was a little cold, so what?


Sun....PM
Fished the ocean.....Sometimes the conditions out there are so perfect you can get wood without throwing it..:drool:..Sun was one of those nights....but someone forgot to tell the fish.....There were herring moving in the surf zone at the edges of the last breaker....this has been a pretty regular place for herring, smaller bait, and predators since the storm, with gaps in consistency due to weather changes......

I couldn't catch a fish, or get a bump, to save my life..... the fish seem to really have thinned out with the bad weather we have been having....more on this here
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?5149-S-amp-A-Education-Series-Understanding-FALL-back-bay-bait-migration-and-fishing-patterns

Moved to another location, slept in the car...trying to intercept that grouchy basstid Finchaser ..:moon:...(so I could save his spot on the RedX in the Surf Zone....) all for naught as none of us caught a fish....some bait activity but it was short lived as we threw small plugs and rubber...no love for any of us....:skunk:









Mon PM....After Christmas Eve was over, tried to sneak away to look for some night bass chasing herring. Since all I found the other night was herring, I wasn't optimistic...but a friend was already down there scouting and looking to chunk some....With him anticipating finding a 20# bass among the thousands of smaller ones that are being caught right now, I promised I would fish with him....

He's a little obsessive, some say crazy, but who the hell am I to judge that obsession as I'm known to sleep in the car to fish 2 tides....:kooky:

When I finally managed to meet up, he had one bass almost a keeper, and missed 2 more all on rubber...before the tide turned....very sluggish fish at night.....

As it turns out they would hit larger rubber on the one side of the tide,

The activity slowed to dead, picked up again as the tide came in....but once the tide turned they were feeding on small rainfish 1-2"......

3 hours of surface feeding bass on rainfish......Once we figured out the rainfish angle, we downsized everything we threw at them given the constraints of the surf environment....ending up throwing 4" plugs, small minnow-size rubber, bucktails, all on the lightest jigheads we could manage to toss out....for nothing.....

Magdarters, Smallest bombers, different colors, tiny bucktails, small fin-S, Mambo Minnows, small Yozuris....each blowup caused us to downsize further as these bass wanted nothing but those tiny rainfish deep in the night......

Still frantic as this periodic feeding activity was going on, I "MacGuyvered" the little gear I have left with me to come up with a black teaser, 2"..... either made by Finchaser or Surfstix....:HappyWave:

Still no action, hits or misses.....

I finally gave up, out of steam constant casting for hours,,,,,,my friend gave up soon after......

**Sometimes, the fish win, and you have the feeling that you suck.....:bucktooth:...and have forgotten how to catch.....:(







(The only thing we didn't throw was a pink Fin-S....in a motivated rush to declutter my car have been taking things out with every trip..am now down just to bare minumum waiting for the inevitable Fat Lady singing......)

It was humbling and dismal...The rainfish were the primary forage and there was no way to tempt at least one of these fish with artificials or at least claim that we lost one....:beatin:...but that's how it went down, and thusly gets reported.......


Unhappy at getting beaten like that. I slept for 2 hours, hit the beach with a little renewed energy....and continued my :skunk: streak........did not see anyone else at the beach we were on catch anything this morning either....... Hey, that's fishing......:fishing:

[DarkSkies]

:ROFLMAO


Maybe we could get him to stay on subject and discus some things like how he gets Stripers to be aggressive and hit his plugs in cold water.... :)


Thanks for the laughs, Monty..:HappyWave:...last night the only thing I got...was there are times that I suck, more than anyone else on the planet..:bucktooth:..I have googan cells in my blood.......:laugh:

There was no relief from the pressure I put on myself as we kept downsizing and casting, casting, just trying to crack the code.....we couldn't.......:confused:

[storminsteve]

Hey dark at least you gave it your best. You can't hit home runs every time. Thanks for the report. Remember if you are ever too tired to mug finchaser I will gladly take over, because that's the kind of friend I am.:rolleyes: :d

[finchaser]

After busting DS on the phone about not throwing a pink Fin-S when bass are on rain fish. i decided to heed my own advise and like the other days dusk trip I got a 26" bass on guess what a pink fin-s fished from 4 to 5:15 pm had 2 other bumps andlike the other day all activity died at dark. Was going to sleep in my truck over night and wait out the fish but figured what the hell I'll go home eat shower and sleep in a bed what a concept.

Hey DS bet you i wouldn't have to fish up wind of SS :ROFLMAO

Storms rolling in:don't know why: this should bring out Marathon Man to seek his so called window but then again nothing like spending a windy rainy night in a damp car:huh:

[buckethead]

DS you should make up a King o Rubber award for finchaser. Nicely done finchaser. I have dropped the time spent out there. as you guys said I think we have that hour at the end of the day and not much more. DS don't feel bad about the rainfish on the dark side been there done that. Some of the most frustrating blitxes I been in on were ones where all I could do was watch them feed on those stupid rainfish.:mad:
Sometimes its cool if they are schooled up tight enough the bass will run through them with open mouths. I have had much more success targeting them in the day when they are snacking on those little popcorn bites.

[clamchucker]

Finchaser called it with the pink fin-s. You can give them an erratic retrieve if that helps. I do better also when the rainfish are in thick pods and the bass are most aggressive. You can then soimetimes pick them off with something different like a big danny. It is all about the level of activity. When the water is cold it can get very frustrating. These are the times when a fly caster will outfish a surf caster.

[DarkSkies]

Hey dark at least you gave it your best. You can't hit home runs every time. Thanks for the report. Remember if you are ever too tired to mug finchaser I will gladly take over, because that's the kind of friend I am.:rolleyes: :d

Yes, I am so lucky, ain't I?......:2flip: :moon: :laugh: :HappyWave:




*********


Hey DS bet you i wouldn't have to fish up wind of SS :ROFLMAO

I told the you the next time I find ya out there after I'm on an all night marathon, I'm gonna grab ya in a bear hug and release some deadly gas after eating eggs and beans.....:moon: :kiss: :HappyWave:



After busting DS on the phone about not throwing a pink Fin-S when bass are on rain fish. i decided to heed my own advise and like the other days dusk trip I got a 26" bass on guess what a pink fin-s fished from 4 to 5:15 pm had 2 other bumps andlike the other day all activity died at dark.


Was going to sleep in my truck over night and wait out the fish ...

but figured what the hell I'll go home eat shower and sleep in a bed what a concept.
Storms rolling in:don't know why: this should bring out Marathon Man to seek his so called window but then again nothing like spending a windy rainy night in a damp car:huh:


Grumble grumble....30 years ago you were doing that, fishing for 1-2 nights in a row....back when the Stevens Surfsters :thumbsup: put fear into the other clubs because you guys got it done....if I could go back in time and do things over, instead of getting drunk and partying during those years....
I wish I coulda tagged along with Joe and the rest of you Grouchy Legends then...:viking:....I might have even taken a shower or 2....:laugh:








** PS as Fin mentioned, the 4-5:15 window is becoming one of the only windows now if you want a real shot at fish activity.....the water is getting cold and fish are most active in late afternoons now......he predicted the latest NE blow might kill most of the action left in NNJ, leaving only SJ with action in limited areas.....and I'm inclined to agree.....

[finchaser]

Blowing an honest 40 now rain coming down side ways, evacuations under way again and power outages all over the place Quick Get Down Here Dark could be a mad dog bite of epic proportion going on. Bring the kyak you may be able to get them in the street if river overflows it's banks.

Also surprised White Water Monty isn't here there are white caps in the streets the inlet is pure white water:drool:

[DarkSkies]

^ Thanks for the heads up ya grouchy basstid...:kooky: ..Just went outside...the wind is only blowing 20 here....I'm telling ya's, it 's gonna lay down....:drool:

Heading out now...:ROFLMAO :kiss: :HappyWave:

[finchaser]

you probably will come out chasing your so call intel Googans

[DarkSkies]

^^
.I'm telling ya's, it 's gonna lay down....:drool:

Heading out now...:ROFLMAO :kiss: :HappyWave:

soon as it lays down I'll be there...warming up the car now so I can go sleep in it....bringing extra blankets.....

So you gonna meet me there.... or not? :p

[storminsteve]

The wind was 30 miles an hour last night you guys are nutzo.:kooky::HappyWave:

[finchaser]

^^

soon as it lays down I'll be there...warming up the car now so I can go sleep in it....bringing extra blankets.....

So you gonna meet me there.... or not? :p

not in this life time

[DarkSkies]

^^Cmon you gloom and doom grouch....I even took a shower last night.....no odor issues...but with the forecast 35mph NW wind it shouldn't bother ya anyway....:moon: :laugh:

[fishinmission78]

Find some clams and you will crush it. :rolleyes: Catching all those 20" rats no thanks I'm done in the surf this year.

[cowherder]

^^ This is why when people read that he manages some teen fish they think he has some sort of special deal with the devil.....and the simple truth is that he puts more time on the water, than most...he is also able to accurately predict when most of the fish should be leaving, or when they may be around......all this, and more, in the upcoming......





Finchaser seminar..:fishing:.....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?6421-Finchaser-seminar-series

Finchaser tentative topics will be...Check the schedule for times and order..
Note....anyone late for a Finchaser segment of the seminar will be forced to wear a shirt saying "I'm with Dark...in the Dillydock Club..." :)

1. How to catch fish without using bait.
2. How to outfish all the surfcasters on the beach. (hint - carry a bottle of bunker oil in your pocket)
3. How to avoid being mugged, Parking at one place, fishing another....
4. How to put up with the Googans and Dillydocks....
5. How to read the water
6. How to read weather patterns.....
7. How to appear to be a Grouchy Basstard so folks don't ask you these questions while fishing.....:learn:





Special Guests. Speakers, and assorted Crabby Basstards........the Speakers are Tentative so far, subject to change..........


* COB Surfstix......How to catch big bass in inlets and rips with eels....bonus session on becoming a Crabby Old Basstard :HappyWave:

* OFFC...Old Farts Fishin Club....How to catch bass that don't appear to be there and make the young fishermen on the beach drool with envy.....:clapping:

* Shark Hart - Explaining the Obvious differences between Northeast fishing,.....:bucktooth: and getting cold and wet, and Northwest fishing, and catching 100 or more fish in 24 hours......

* White Water Monty.....Dual Seminars 1. How to fish Whitewater without drowning...2. How to fish big Hogys/Sluggos and hook and drop big fish, .....:laugh:
(with a special bonus seminar for early registrants -- How to Pretend you're a Googan when you're really a good surf fisherman.....:thumbsup: )

* Surfwalker...Dual Seminars...1. How to travel the whole Striper Coast, and catch big bass along the way
2. How to Properly Outline a Perimeter when dead things are found.....:rolleyes:

* Vpass.... Seminars on how to read the Water, How to Fly Fish...and How to Fish at Sandy Hook at night without being killed by a runaway boat...:HappyWave:

* Bababooey - How to Insult People and still have them laughing with you....:laugh:

* Stormin Steve.....How to Bust Balls through Poems and Songs.....:clapping:

* Madcaster and Surfstix......
Plugmaking 101.....with Special Bonus segment by Madcaster on Mad Photoshop.....:thumbsup:

* Rip Plugger---- 1. Making big wood in insane colors....2. Catching blues and bass when most people have given up for the year.....


for the Hunters out there........
* Speedy...... Dual seminars....1. Plugmaking 101, guest speaker with Surfstix and Madcaster.....2. How to stalk and shoot birds when it's very freaking cold out. :scared:

* JonthePain.....Dual Seminars....
1. How to kill Crows, lots of em....:headbang:
2. The Best of the Redneck Lifestyle, with bonus feature How to Put your car up on blocks in your Yard....:kiss: :HappyWave:







stay tuned for details.....;)
most important....no refunds., no whiners, no internet fishermen.....and no seminars on how to catch fish with clams....;)







15913
I also will do a craft demo on how to make your own. You must provide your own rock and string


:clapping: hilarious!

[jigfreak]

Moco today water cold and dirty. fished before the rain. Rubber and bucktails. Skunk ola

[finchaser]

IMO it's over water this AM water was 42 and teens tonight
more run off and cold all week
highs 35 lows in the teens the fat lady has sung.

Gambler has given up found tons of herring yesterday which they live lined. with over 20 fares didn't catch even 1 fish
been like that the last 3 trips not even 1 short from the hook to the seaside piers.


Dark did a Marathon last night and not even a bump in 12 hours