Kayak Trips and Fishing Reports 2013

[DarkSkies]

Anyone who wants to post a kayak report or any intel that can benefit the yakkers..feel free to post up....:HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

A friend of mind was out in the Sound 2-14....for a Winter kayak trip. He caught nothing, but he just had to get out there......Nice going, Cheech, thanks for sending the pics.....
(pics courtesy of Cheech ) :HappyWave:




"A beautiful day on the water. The fishing was slow, salvaged this gear off the pier and pilings."


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[cowherder]

God it had to be cold out there! Looks like he had a wetsuit on so maybe it was not so bad

[buckethead]

X2 Too cold to be in that water unless you surf in it too. You should call him ironman.:headbang:

[DarkSkies]

^ Buckethead, funny you should think that. He and his wife participate in Marathons. I think he has done a few TriAthlons as well. He's older than me and in amazing shape. He can catch more fish from that paddle yak than someone fishing side by side with a pedal yak. He's been to Montauk in the yak many times, and I would say he is pretty tough...with a keen focus on safety.

He was out again on the 25th..

Report and pics courtesy of Cheech....:HappyWave:






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********
"Launched into sheet ice early this morning. After 75 yrd it was mostly clear sailing. No fish, but, I'm mostly out here to paddle on a nice day."

[williehookem]

Nice report i bet he felt good just to be out in the sun

[surferman]

X2 way to get out there!

[DarkSkies]

Cheech was out in the Hudson yesterday.....
He got one fat bass above 8lbs...........

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Pics courtesy of Cheech. :HappyWave:

[hookedonbass]

you could play football with that. solid fish way to go cheech!

[fishgutz]

Nice photos keep em coming.

[DarkSkies]

Man on a mission......
Cheech was out again today......no fish but you can't bat .500 every time out there.....
And you can't catch em sitting home on the couch.....:learn:
Pics and report courtesy of Cheech.....:HappyWave:



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"No fish today, but it was cold and windy as usual. Crystal clear morning untill 10 am then some clouds rolled in."

[J Barbosa]

That's one FAT fish.

[storminsteve]

That's one FAT fish.


I agree it's so fat its head looks freakishly small! Nice going cheech!

[DarkSkies]

Cheech was out on the Hudson again Sunday....pic courtesy of Cheech.....:HappyWave:

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[fishgutz]

For alll I have read about the Hudson being a dirty river those are some nice clean bass. Def looks worthwhile. Thanks for the report and the pics.

[DarkSkies]

1. Report 4-9-13 Pre-dawn

water was still a little cold for artificials in (much of) the bay..(on 4-9);) .. got out later than I wanted. Fished for two and a half hours. Fished real hard... Managed two short bass on rubber.



The bay had a wide variety of temperature ranges. Although the standard guages at that time were reporting anywhere from 45-55 degrees, the water temps where I landed at the end of the trip were 44 degrees, possibly colder further out in the channels.

First kayak trip of the year, 2nd fishing trip since the season opened. It was more of a shakedown run to see that everything worked and hoping for no mishaps or screw-ups. Catching the bass was a bonus but I felt they were sluggish for artificials by the limited fight they put up. That has since changed and bass have become more aggressive on the flats.


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2. 2nd Trip... was a non-trip
Today 4-12
Tried to get out before the rain. Got to the water and the wind was NE/E.....not bad as I drove but by the time I got to the water it was blowing steady 15 with higher gusts (The Ambrose Buoy registered gusts to 34...just too much to risk, too much can go wrong in building winds and rain.)

I circled around thinking the wind would minimize. Went back a 2nd time to try to convince myself to launch. :kooky: Although dying to get out there on the fish, no fish is worth dying for. Cooler heads prevailed. My compulsions are so bad that I can "see" the fish sitting on the bottom, as I lay in bed at night.

These early spring storms can be tricky, and you can get covered up by rough water pretty quick.
I have taken too many chances kayaking with all the places I have ventured to.....Orient Point rips on the NS of LI...kayaking the deep channels of the LI Sound, and other bays, on a new moon night.....watching the tankers come and go like giant behemoths......:scared:

Looking back on all I have been through, and the safety I preach to others....I'm not willing to make a deadly mistake.
I've set up certain rules when and when I will not launch. May talk about that in another thread. Wind is one of them, must be at most 15mph, without the forecast of it getting worse.

These Spring storms can sneak up on you real quick.
Pay attention to the forecasts and the progression.
I have made some stupid mistakes out there. I will try to talk about some of them over time to try and help the new guys.

If I tell you it's not a good idea, or dangerous, that is probably because I have done it, and learned the hard way, I am grateful that learning allowed me to keep living, and remember the lessons I've learned. To keep my memory green I'll be repeating those lessons to others as the need arises.

Be safe out there, folks, be careful.
Safety first, fish 2nd. :learn:

[surferman]

nice going and good advice thanks for the report.

[J Barbosa]

19 bass on the kayak mostly nice sized healthy keeper fish around 10-15lbs. One or two may have been a little heavier.


I got 10 in the boat on shads, Sebile magic swimmer, and sluggos. White and fast was the key.


My brother got 9 mostly on 4" shad and a few on 6" shad.


We must have lost another dozen that were not hooked well and countless hits.


Pics to come later.

[hookset]

Holy smokes Barbosa you found the pot o gold. Is there any Irish blood in your family?;) :HappyWave:
Nice work dude way to go. fished the ocean for 2 hours around sunset tonight managed 2 bass to 26" white bomber. Things are looking up my first bass from the ocean this Spring.

[buckethead]

Outstanding work jb, did you fish the whole outgoing tide? Pretty warm today the bay shot up 10 degrees guess the aggression of the fish proved that.

[J Barbosa]

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[Monty]

Great pics J Barbosa, congrats on the catching.

[cowherder]

I fished the bay last night 10-12 midnight incoming tide. 2 short bass on clams.
Wow John looks like you guys had an awesome time. Great job! About how far off the beach would you say you were?

[hookedonbass]

Jbarbosa crushing the bass nice work.:thumbsup: :fishing::clapping::clapping:
Hit the ocean in moco from 5-7 this morning. Last of the outgoing tide. Managed one 27 1/2" bass, clams, released.

[buckethead]

Outstanding report John Nice to see brothers fishing together. Last time you mentioned you beat him trout fishing. this time looks like you won too. If he is your little brother maybe you want to let him win once in a while too, or give him some pointers to equalize things. I always enjoy your reports and see that you both have a great time out there. Lots of enthusiasm. Thanks for sharing.:thumbsup:

[ledhead36]

Great job on the bass John thanks for posting. Well done.

[7deadlyplugs]

Nice job jb getting it done!

[7deadlyplugs]

iplayfair and the guys getting it done in jbay!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrtASlH-0gE&feature=player_embedded#!

[DarkSkies]

7deadlyplugs, glad to see you are a fan of Mark and Eli.....
Mark is one of the most approachable fisherman out there...no pretenses or holier than thou attitude as he both surf and kayak fishes....he's a composite of every guy you ever met on the street, with an enthusiasm that shines through on every video....

Eli, is a friend as well.....IMO one of the top 10 kayak fishermen on the East Coast.
One of the first I know of to successfully kayak the VZ, which has some of the most dangerous current in the area, and successfully catch bass and other species.......a true maniac who will fish in all kinds of weather and doesn't follow the herd....

I remember one early fall morning Eli and I we got caught in 3-4' swells in the front of JBay/NY Habor as the weather system came up on us in minutes, another reason to have a good idea of the extended hourly forecast and always be prepared with Plan B and C.....

Glad you guys like their videos......
No secret code needed to understand the language these guys use, and they love to fish the night tides,,,,,:thumbsup: :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Getting behind in my trip logs so here goes....

2nd kayak trip 2nd week of April -
Night trip - the bay had a harsh E wind, 20 mph+
Wasn't comfortable so I decided to stay in a protected cove.
3 hours of trolling, not a touch.
Water temp was around 46 at that time.



3rd kayak trip a few days later -
Got out there to calm conditions, pre-dawn.
As I was 1/2 mile out in the bay, the shear pin for my rudder busted, still hanging partway in the water.
Had to make it back to shore pedaliing without a rudder, using the paddle to compensate.
Trolled as I came back, not a touch.
Additionally, the winds went from 0mph to 25mph SE with the tide change. I barely made it back in time before conditions became dangerous.

[DarkSkies]

7deadlyplugs, glad to see you are a fan of Mark and Eli.....
Eli, is a friend as well.....IMO one of the top 10 kayak fishermen on the East Coast.
One of the first I know of to successfully kayak the VZ, which has some of the most dangerous current in the area, and successfully catch bass and other species.......a true maniac who will fish in all kinds of weather and doesn't follow the herd....

Glad you guys like their videos......
:thumbsup: :HappyWave:


Eli got out again yesterday in JBay....video and report courtesy of Elias.....:HappyWave:




"Good fishing the last two days. All fish around 12-15 pounds with a few shorts around. No bigger fish yet, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.



Took a cool video hope you enjoy it ; ) "



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iLjWboYahE&feature=player_embedded

[jigfreak]

The guy is pretty knowledgable as you said, and intense. thanks for sharing.

[nitestrikes]

he was fishing last night, nice job IPF.:thumbsup:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wjNx4mCdp3g

[DarkSkies]

Eli got out again this morning....He mentions it being a bit slow...I noticed that as well last night, feel that the S/SE pattern has curtailed the artificial bite for a bit. IMO guys fishing bait should have more consistent results for the next day or so. The fish that I managed seemed very reluctant to hit artificials and barely nudged the plug....another indicator of cold water fish behavior.....a few degree rise in water temps can change all that like a light switch.......


report and pic courtesy of Elias...:HappyWave:




"Snuck out quick this morning. Slack tide totally dead, but on the incoming I had one fish, dropped two others in the same size range. Great conditions but the fish weren't too hungry it seemed.


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Kept my first fish of the season, swallowed that leadhead deep!"

[hookedonbass]

Very cool have been following elias reports regularly. He is fearless!

[rockhopper]

That dude is a fishing machine! Here is a video he posted on bridge jigging.


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

[DarkSkies]

^ Rockhopper, IMO Eli is one of the best yak fishermen in this area when it comes to jigging and fishing structure and current. Now he has an Outback, You should see when he used to fish the bridges for tog with a Cobra Fish and Dive paddle yak and catch fish with his feet braced against the bridge to hold in current. His skills are outstanding. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

MSG Danny was out yesterday, hit it hard, 5 hours for a few bass. Here's the report courtesy of DannyV. :HappyWave:






************
It looks like the fishing in RB may be winding down a bit, with the fish heading out front and north. This morning was a bit snotty with only a handfull of fish caught between a small group. The fish that are caught are still a nice size, when you can find them. Almost 5 hours on the water and the only action was in a 90 minute window.

Here is my friend Bob with his first kayak striper ever on his first trip in the salt water with the kayak.

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Here is one of mine from this morning


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[J Barbosa]

On Saturday my brother and I took a buddy out for his first kayak voyage ever. We headed into the bay to look for all the big bluefish that have been around and sure enough since I invited a friend along not even one bluefish showed up for our party. A lot of happy bunker around thanks to those prominent winds we have been having. We also tried for fluke but came up empty handed.

On Sunday the three of us headed to a different location where we picked at short fluke until a school of nice sized weakfish decided to show up and save our day. Most were cookie cuter fish in the 16-18" range with one bigger fish in the mix.


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/9193403338_362fedb75b_b.jpg

[J Barbosa]

On Saturday my brother and I took a buddy out for his first kayak voyage ever. We headed into the bay to look for all the big bluefish that have been around and sure enough since I invited a friend along not even one bluefish showed up for our party. A lot of happy bunker around thanks to those prominent winds we have been having. We also tried for fluke but came up empty handed.

On Sunday the three of us headed to a different location where we picked at short fluke until a school of nice sized weakfish decided to show up and save our day. Most were cookie cuter fish in the 16-18" range with one bigger fish in the mix.


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/9193403338_362fedb75b_b.jpg

[J Barbosa]

On Saturday my brother and I took a buddy out for his first kayak voyage ever. We headed into the bay to look for all the big bluefish that have been around and sure enough since I invited a friend along not even one bluefish showed up for our party. A lot of happy bunker around thanks to those prominent winds we have been having. We also tried for fluke but came up empty handed.

On Sunday the three of us headed to a different location where we picked at short fluke until a school of nice sized weakfish decided to show up and save our day. Most were cookie cuter fish in the 16-18" range with one bigger fish in the mix.


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/9193403338_362fedb75b_b.jpg

[J Barbosa]

On Saturday my brother and I took a buddy out for his first kayak voyage ever. We headed into the bay to look for all the big bluefish that have been around and sure enough since I invited a friend along not even one bluefish showed up for our party. A lot of happy bunker around thanks to those prominent winds we have been having. We also tried for fluke but came up empty handed.

On Sunday the three of us headed to a different location where we picked at short fluke until a school of nice sized weakfish decided to show up and save our day. Most were cookie cuter fish in the 16-18" range with one bigger fish in the mix.


http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/9193403338_362fedb75b_b.jpg

[J Barbosa]

Took the kayaks out yesterday and both my brother and a friend had brand new shiny 2013 Hobies.

Got to the water early in the morning and the fog was so thick you could barely see the 30' yacht moving 20 yards away. We took our time to unload the kayaks and rig everything and waited for the fog to start thinning.

Once the wind shifted the fog thinned and we launched staying a few feet from the shore line. About 15 minutes later the fog was completely gone and we moved into the channels and drifted for fluke. Right away the croakers show up along with some fluke. Barley into our first drift I saw a few birds working far out so we decided to go check it out.

Get there and its bluefish practically everywhere feeding on the surface in only 6-8 feet of water. We had double and triple hookups for over 3-4 hours all mixed sizes but most were smaller in the 5-10lb size and some pushed 10lbs.

I still have no clue as to what they were feeding on. I didn't see any bait and none of them spit anything up. My best guess is that they are feeding on all the croakers that are around.

I have some great footage of my brother trying to keep a pencil popper away from the bluefish but unfortunately the video clearly gives away where we were fishing so I won't be posting it.

With our arms tired we decided to leave the blues and try for some fluke...buddy managed a 22" fluke and then we called it quits.

So much for all the bluefish being offshore :kooky:

First cast out there I did manage to open up another 5H Rasco split ring...this is starting to get old really quick.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/9283590367_792cda90cb_b.jpg

[J Barbosa]

Took the kayaks out yesterday and both my brother and a friend had brand new shiny 2013 Hobies.

Got to the water early in the morning and the fog was so thick you could barely see the 30' yacht moving 20 yards away. We took our time to unload the kayaks and rig everything and waited for the fog to start thinning.

Once the wind shifted the fog thinned and we launched staying a few feet from the shore line. About 15 minutes later the fog was completely gone and we moved into the channels and drifted for fluke. Right away the croakers show up along with some fluke. Barley into our first drift I saw a few birds working far out so we decided to go check it out.

Get there and its bluefish practically everywhere feeding on the surface in only 6-8 feet of water. We had double and triple hookups for over 3-4 hours all mixed sizes but most were smaller in the 5-10lb size and some pushed 10lbs.

I still have no clue as to what they were feeding on. I didn't see any bait and none of them spit anything up. My best guess is that they are feeding on all the croakers that are around.

I have some great footage of my brother trying to keep a pencil popper away from the bluefish but unfortunately the video clearly gives away where we were fishing so I won't be posting it.

With our arms tired we decided to leave the blues and try for some fluke...buddy managed a 22" fluke and then we called it quits.

So much for all the bluefish being offshore :kooky:

First cast out there I did manage to open up another 5H Rasco split ring...this is starting to get old really quick.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/9283590367_792cda90cb_b.jpg

[J Barbosa]

Took the kayaks out yesterday and both my brother and a friend had brand new shiny 2013 Hobies.

Got to the water early in the morning and the fog was so thick you could barely see the 30' yacht moving 20 yards away. We took our time to unload the kayaks and rig everything and waited for the fog to start thinning.

Once the wind shifted the fog thinned and we launched staying a few feet from the shore line. About 15 minutes later the fog was completely gone and we moved into the channels and drifted for fluke. Right away the croakers show up along with some fluke. Barley into our first drift I saw a few birds working far out so we decided to go check it out.

Get there and its bluefish practically everywhere feeding on the surface in only 6-8 feet of water. We had double and triple hookups for over 3-4 hours all mixed sizes but most were smaller in the 5-10lb size and some pushed 10lbs.

I still have no clue as to what they were feeding on. I didn't see any bait and none of them spit anything up. My best guess is that they are feeding on all the croakers that are around.

I have some great footage of my brother trying to keep a pencil popper away from the bluefish but unfortunately the video clearly gives away where we were fishing so I won't be posting it.

With our arms tired we decided to leave the blues and try for some fluke...buddy managed a 22" fluke and then we called it quits.

So much for all the bluefish being offshore :kooky:

First cast out there I did manage to open up another 5H Rasco split ring...this is starting to get old really quick.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/9283590367_792cda90cb_b.jpg

[J Barbosa]

Took the kayaks out yesterday and both my brother and a friend had brand new shiny 2013 Hobies.

Got to the water early in the morning and the fog was so thick you could barely see the 30' yacht moving 20 yards away. We took our time to unload the kayaks and rig everything and waited for the fog to start thinning.

Once the wind shifted the fog thinned and we launched staying a few feet from the shore line. About 15 minutes later the fog was completely gone and we moved into the channels and drifted for fluke. Right away the croakers show up along with some fluke. Barley into our first drift I saw a few birds working far out so we decided to go check it out.

Get there and its bluefish practically everywhere feeding on the surface in only 6-8 feet of water. We had double and triple hookups for over 3-4 hours all mixed sizes but most were smaller in the 5-10lb size and some pushed 10lbs.

I still have no clue as to what they were feeding on. I didn't see any bait and none of them spit anything up. My best guess is that they are feeding on all the croakers that are around.

I have some great footage of my brother trying to keep a pencil popper away from the bluefish but unfortunately the video clearly gives away where we were fishing so I won't be posting it.

With our arms tired we decided to leave the blues and try for some fluke...buddy managed a 22" fluke and then we called it quits.

So much for all the bluefish being offshore :kooky:

First cast out there I did manage to open up another 5H Rasco split ring...this is starting to get old really quick.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/9283590367_792cda90cb_b.jpg

[DarkSkies]

Eli is still out there catching bass in a month when most others have given it up in search of easier fish....he is dialed into time and tide....he has been doing it so long I believe he could do it with his eyes closed...jigging on the bottom for bass....again, time and tide are key components of his success...WTG, Eli! :clapping:


Report and pic courtesy of Eli.....:HappyWave:

"Conditions were ideal for summer bassing this morning. South wind and light drizzle would get some fish chewing.



Jigged 9 Bass up to 36" with majority in the 30" mark and a few shorts.



Nice to be able to do that in August.



Tried a few drifts for Fluke, but no luck there."


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[williehookem]

Awesome thanks for the info!

[DarkSkies]

Some of you mooks have been hassling me for fishing Ambrose at night in the yak....
While I admit it is a bit insane...it's doable if you pick a night where there may not be that much shipping traffic....and find a stable weather pattern...

Eli does whatever it takes to get fish...
He was fishing inside JBay and the back of Breezy Point, but as the bay got hotter the fluke and bigger fish are starting to move out into the channels, as they do every year...

He knows that intuitively, so today he paddled over to Ambrose, launchng from Brooklyn. ...
Talk about hard-core, here is his report......
(Pics and report courtesy of Eli...WTG! :thumbsup: :HappyWave:



***********
Kayaking the Ambrose:
Took the yak in big water today and bucktailed a few keeper Fluke in the afternoon, rounded it out with catching a bunch of weakfish to 28" and a southern croaker also joined the catch.

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Everything on bucktails and Gulp! today, wish I had some live spot for the channel.

[DarkSkies]

IN most parts of Jersey nearshore now we have a bluefish drought.
Not many in the surf, and they are small cocktails when you find some...party boats are fishing 5-15 miles offshore of us where bluefish are abundant...only to catch limits of peewees measuring in inches and not pounds.
'
While there are many who turn their noses up at bluefish, I absolutely love the devastation and destruction caused by the bigger ones....when they are around either you lose all your gear, tackle, and plugs in the frenzy, or you learn to deal with it and manage to score a few gorillas.

really enjoyed your report, Cheech...it's been way too long since I've talked to ya....
Thanks for the report.
You sound like you had a blast,,,as always a pleasure to read a Cheech report..WTG!

(pics and report courtesy of Cheech :HappyWave:)









*****************
Gorilla Blues in the Western Sound....8-12-13


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The bunker got slammed today by the ospreys, the bluefish, and my treble snag.

Had trouble getting a intact bunker back to the kayak to liveline on a steel wired tandem hook rig.

Huge acrobatic bluefish were everywhere, my 15#mono, and 65#braid mainlines got sliced many times. Within seconds my drags were screaming on every drop.

After losing several rigs, all my steel leaders and a snag, I took the rubber tube off a 18" ss wire tube n worm and fished that. Fished till my hands and wrists were shot. The nearby porgy/fluke boats were also killing them by all the noise those guys were making. Next time I'll have plenty of steel and a real boat rod and reel. Got two non keeper bass on the way back to the dock.

[storminsteve]

Awesome reports thanks for sharing!

[J Barbosa]

I love big bluefish

[seamonkey]

He knows that intuitively, so today he paddled over to Ambrose, launchng from Brooklyn. ...
Talk about hard-core, here is his report......
(Pics and report courtesy of Eli...WTG! :thumbsup: :HappyWave:



***********
Kayaking the Ambrose:
Took the yak in big water today and bucktailed a few keeper Fluke in the afternoon, rounded it out with catching a bunch of weakfish to 28" and a southern croaker also joined the catch.

17383

Everything on bucktails and Gulp! today, wish I had some live spot for the channel.

Sorry but I have to question this hope you are not offended.
You can't fish the Ambrose Channel in a kayak that's a major shipping lane!:kooky:

[DarkSkies]

You can't fish the Ambrose Channel in a kayak that's a major shipping lane!:kooky:

I know you and others may find it hard to believe, but some of us really have screws loose, and get tired of the usual places most yakkers fish...after awhile launching at the small handful of popular spot just doesn't do it for us anymore, and we look for new challenges....
I'm not saying that everyone should go out now in their yaks and fish Ambrose, but it has been done....
These are the reasons I would rather do it at night and pick the nights when the shipping traffic is much less.....so at most you will have one or 2 ships a night you have to worry about....
Again, I don't want to encourage anyone out there to do this...it's really not for the beginner, and you have to have a sober understanding of the consequences....not being aware could mean your death.....That's too much of a risk to try to explain to others....and the reason I would not encourage it....

However, you can see from the attached pic, that Eli was out there....
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**(This shot is not as severe as it seems because of the angle the pic was taken at)....he is actually further from the ship's path than he appears to be...anyone who knows the deep channels that Zig Zag back through the border of Staten Island would understand what I'm saying here.....
I feel more comfortable doing it at night...but have had some close calls......


**You really have to gauge how far away the container ship is and make sure you are completely out of the zone when they pass by.....There is no 2nd guessing or waiting till the last minute...
For this reason I would never encourage any others to try this as a mistake could lead to your death....

Eli and I have been yakking for years.
I want to stress that if your skill set for any activity is such that it causes you to question if you will be able to to it successfully, you should not do it.

[bababooey]

Sorry I agree with seamonkey. You guys are mental. Does the term death wish have any meaning here?:kooky:

[dogfish]

bababooey its not a death wish if you know the risk and execute a careful plan. Sometimes the fish aren't on the flats they are deep in the channels. Here in Ma we have some rip areas where if they are not careful folks can be washed off and killed. In fact some have drowned there over the years. Does that mean they should not be fished? Heck no.
You just have to have an understanding of the tides and the stage of the moon. Some are too dangerous to fish during a full or new, but fine to fish other times. Know the waters you fish. Know the risk. Balance your fishing against your level of acceptable risk. There is nothing mental about that.

[cowherder]

Dogfish you have more balls than I do because that looks pretty dangerous to me. To each his own. Good luck and be safe out there fellas.

[Shorelady]

Just got back from a trip to Salem Ma. Attended the Striper Shoot Out for the fifth year. What an absolutely beautiful area to fish. And a great Fun tourney! All about fishing and having fun.... Laid back group, and some wonderful folks up there. Fished Friday thru Sunday. It was so nice to take a break from bottom fishing. Friday was excellent with all shorts, but the fish are on steroids up there. Great fighting fish. Sat, a little slower and Sunday we found some bigger fish. If you ever get the chance and enjoy camping and launching a couple hundred yards from your campsite, give Winter Island in Salem a try. GREAT TRIP!

[dogfish]

It's good to hear some Jersey folks came up to enjoy our beautiful beaches, shorelady. Salem Sound offers great fishing this time of year, from the Danvers River and Beverly Harbor all the way south to Ft Sewell. The water temps are great and the harbors and coves are full of bait. As you noticed the fish are aggressive. Glad you had a good time in our beautiful state. :HappyWave:

[dogfish]

Dogfish you have more balls than I do because that looks pretty dangerous to me. To each his own. Good luck and be safe out there fellas.

as dark mentioned its not about having balls or being the craziest one out there. Those who have that mentality end up dead or in trouble. These are calculated risks. You have to understand the tides and current very thoroughly at your launch and the areas you will be fishing. This is not for the kiddies, it is for advanced yakkers only. Every year some one gets in trouble by pushing their limits beyond their skill set. I like fishing at night because it is a lot more peaceful and I don't really like to fish in a plastic navy with others. But you have to have all your safety issues covered, cell phone, VHF radio, float plan, safety gear and lighting, etc. Be careful out there and you will be likely to come back safe and sound.

[ledhead36]

Awesome reports guys and gal's.

[ledhead36]

Just got back from a trip to Salem Ma. Attended the Striper Shoot Out for the fifth year. What an absolutely beautiful area to fish. And a great Fun tourney! All about fishing and having fun.... Laid back group, and some wonderful folks up there. Fished Friday thru Sunday. It was so nice to take a break from bottom fishing. Friday was excellent with all shorts, but the fish are on steroids up there. Great fighting fish. Sat, a little slower and Sunday we found some bigger fish. If you ever get the chance and enjoy camping and launching a couple hundred yards from your campsite, give Winter Island in Salem a try. GREAT TRIP!

Very nice report made me want to drive up to MA. About how much do the campgrounds charge for nightly sites?

[Shorelady]

$32.00 per night. Nice big sites. Not sure about RV's prices. Clean shower facilities also! General store also.

[Shorelady]

It's good to hear some Jersey folks came up to enjoy our beautiful beaches, shorelady. Salem Sound offers great fishing this time of year, from the Danvers River and Beverly Harbor all the way south to Ft Sewell. The water temps are great and the harbors and coves are full of bait. As you noticed the fish are aggressive. Glad you had a good time in our beautiful state. :HappyWave:

We had a really good group from Jersey and NY. Already thinking about next year. Wonderful structure. Can't say enough about Winter Island... My brother lives in Salem and kayak fishes... when he can.. So it always a great trip.

[BassBuddah]

Nice report and account of your trip shorelady,Thanks for sharing, enjoyed it.

[DarkSkies]

^^ Very nice report, Shorelady. Thanks for sharing with our members. Glad ya had a good time. :HappyWave:

[DarkSkies]

Eli was out Tue PM and got into some bass and big blues. Report and pics courtesy of Eli....:HappyWave:


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"Fished for a few hours last night, and the fishing was very good. Livelined some spot for a mixed bag of Weakfish, Stripers to 34" and managed to land my personal best Bluefish around 38". Fat tank, figured mid to high teens?



Lots of fun.



Incoming tide was best, and spots just off the bottom."

[seamonkey]

Man that is a GIANT!!!!!
Congrats awesome!!

[hookset]

Great catch. According to the chart I just found it is around 19lbs or bigger.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?154-Helpful-Fishing-Links

[buckethead]

I remember last fall right before Sandy we had bluefish like that right in the surf. Mid to high teens mixed in with the bass. Good times. Nice report thanks for sharing.

[storminsteve]

That is a pig of a bluefish. Gorilla size, every bit of 19lbs. Great catch!

[J Barbosa]

Those Hobie Outbacks are very wide and make big fish seem Normal sized.

That is a monster sized blue.

[DarkSkies]

^^Many people have no concept how different it is catching big blues from a yak. They are ferocious enough from the surf or boat.......much more intense when you are up close and personal on the water like that. That bluefish had to be close to 20 lbs. IMO 20 lbs is the trophy mark for bluefish...even a 15-17lb blue is a monster, above that they are not that common unless you are on a party boat chumming for them.

Congrats to Eli for pushing the envelope. :thumbsup:










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Here's his latest report from the NY Bight yesterday. Pics and report courtesy of Eli. :HappyWave:





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"Ridiculous bass fishing today. I will take being the only boat in sight and pegging 40" + fish any day over the madness out east.



Landed 7, ran out of spots (and time) broke a few off and had a sprinkling of big bluefish. Biggest ran 42" (probably around 30 pounds very fat and released) and had to take home one around 40" that just wouldn't swim off.



If that is the best day I have all fall, I can't expect more."

[robmedina]

nice!!

[finchaser]

http://www.woofish.com/BLUEFISH.html

a 20 pound bluefish is close to 37" my club record 21# was 38 1/2 inches

[porgy75]

Stripers to 44" this guy is phenomenal! Great catching looks like using live spot is the way to go for the big ones.

[DarkSkies]

^^Spot and eels are the surest way to getting a bass in some of the deeper or faster water. porgy. In South Jersey that is the only way some of the fishermen there will fish the Rips in the Fall. Woe to the S Jersey fisherman who doesn't have a spot pen at his dock. ;)



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Eli's latest....courtesy of Eli....:HappyWave:


Went Bass fishing this morning, and fishing was good towards slack tide. Bass gobbled up live spots as usual. Biggest fish ran at 36"-37" and wasn't able to swim away. A few others between 26"-30"

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17599

Nice morning for sure.

[J Barbosa]

Went kayaking with my brother and friend yesterday looking for something actally capable of pulling drag.

When we launched at a southern location in the RB the water was dead flat . Launching in the surf was not a possibility with the forecast of 15-25mph winds predicted.

We started by splitting up and trolling around for a while with no hits. Lots of smaller bait around including spearing, peanuts and mullet. I also saw some scattered bunker around. We ended up just shy of the coast guard station at the hook about 5-6 miles from where we launched before we decided to turn around.

After a while we switched over to some bottom fishing. Spots and croakers were coming up with spots greatly outnumbering the croakers for once.

I ended up getting a nice weakfish and buddy caught one as well.

Wind was kicking up and we started to make our way back against a 15-20mph wind and a full moon tide. The waves were pretty bad..took a few dozen over the bow and go totally soaked. I had 4-6" of water in my hull that I'm not sure if it was from taking water over the bow or a leak. I've suspected I may have a small leak since two trips ago but I never got this much water.


17597

[Monty]

Real nice weakfish JB

[storminsteve]

Nice going on the weakfish JB! Question when you were getting the croakers and spot were you using clams or worms and what worked better?

[jigfreak]

Good catching guys.

[J Barbosa]

Question when you were getting the croakers and spot were you using clams or worms and what worked better?

Sand worms.

I was getting severely out fished by a friend at first and took notice. The difference was that he would jig his bait occasionally.

I started to do the same thing and noticed that often when I went to lift (jig) the bait the spot was already on the hook but I never felt the fish take it. I'm not sure if this is a "spot" thing or if the fish were just lethargic.

[ledhead36]

Seems like the weakfish are thinning out too. Spot and croaker in the Navesink seem to be less. The harbors and places near deep water still do hold some nice ones though. Nice weakie JB.

[DarkSkies]

Eli's latest....pic and report courtesy of Eli......:HappyWave:



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Decent pick of Bass this morning into mid 30 inch range. Lots of fish around not that active just yet.


17608
Nice weather at least.

[storminsteve]

nice!

[DarkSkies]

Eli's report from this morning.....pics and report courtesy of Eli. :HappyWave:



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Excellent Bass fishing for this time of year still. Best September for Bass and Weakfish I have ever seen. Managed a bunch of fish on the last two morning tides up to 20 pounds.


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17619
Can't wait for Blackfish season.

[baitstealer]

Awesome catches that dude is a fishing machine