How has Sandy affected fishing for you this year?

[porgy75]

I read a post here about sandy and the spring bass. Have you noticed anything different? I don't fish a lot like some of you guys but have only got a few stripers. I look back where I caught them and it seems they were mostly near the inlets or the beaches there. Not many from the open beach. How about the rest of you guys how are you doing this year?

[hookedonbass]

I have caught most of my fish on bait. Not to many big ones either. Have not done well at plugging or shads maybe I am fishing the wrong spots.

[buckethead]

Sandy has killed so much of the life we normally see. The beaches are all different. Inlets have not been that great either a surprising amount of them have sand on the northern sides. They are doing a lot of dredging hope they don't forget the intlets. My numbers are about half that of last year at this time.

[fishinmission78]

Sandy ruined the good fishing I once had. Island beach has been scrubbed clean of holes and cuts. Some recently came back with the noreasters. Still poor. Did some back bay fishing near structure in april for some bass to 20lbs. There were a few afternoons bigger bluefish came in but they are gone now. Heard they are offshore at the mud hole spawning. Fishing for fluke would be fun but I think we need some warmer days and this weather pattern definitely isn't helping. my .02

[Monty]

Beaches are different that I fish. Some spots better, some worse as far as structure.
I don't think there is as much bait around as the past. As far as catching bass on the ocean beaches, the bass that I have gotten there have been on teasers, and small.

[DarkSkies]

Porgy, I posted a whole series of thoughts and copied posts of other members to the following thread...

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?8379-Stripers-amp-Anglers-Education-Series-Understanding-Spring-Bass-Migration-for-NJ-NY

You might find it interesting reading to supplement what is being said here...btw good thread, thanks for starting it.....:HappyWave:

[jigfreak]

Sandy has killed so much of the life we normally see. The beaches are all different. Inlets have not been that great either a surprising amount of them have sand on the northern sides. They are doing a lot of dredging hope they don't forget the intlets. My numbers are about half that of last year at this time.

There was a thread on another site where guys gave the fishing a B for the year as opposed to last year. Are you freaking kidding me? if you think that you must be a newbie or a dude who only fishes once a month. Absolutely agree buckethead my numbers are off by at least half as well. Hoping for a good fall with some sand eels to make up for it. Other than that a lot of the things I read here I am in agreement with. Too much sand in the back bays, changing migration pattern, hardly any bass moving inshore. The early spring was good because some bass came in but that was the highlight for me.

The main reason is too many bass being killed. I read an internet discussion where guys were again blaming the bunker boats. Come on people the answer is is front of your faces. Bunker have been all over the coast for the last 5 years and each year folks have been crabbing about there being less stripers in the bunker pods. If there is plenty of bunker and not enough bass that means we killed too many of them. Duh.

[Monty]

The main reason is too many bass being killed. I read an internet discussion where guys were again blaming the bunker boats. Come on people the answer is is front of your faces. Bunker have been all over the coast for the last 5 years and each year folks have been crabbing about there being less stripers in the bunker pods. If there is plenty of bunker and not enough bass that means we killed too many of them. Duh.

Agree 100%

And also agree back bay there is sand up the wazoo.

[ledhead36]

Agree with jigfreak.
Not so great for me this year either. Some good weeks in march and april but may went downhill. There is also a lot of algae in the bay on the edges. Almost like a red tide but brown.

[storminsteve]

Agree 100%

And also agree back bay there is sand up the wazoo.

I think that sand is a big reason why a lot of the back bay is not holding bass. In past years you could get bsss in the summer from perth amboy to port monmouth This year there seems to be a big void back there for bigger fish. Croakers, spor and rays, yes, But as far as bass, I think the spearing that you see have been greatly impacted. Very glad for the peanut bunker and mullet but I think the lack of spearing is directly an affect of Sandy. Even the fluke have not been in the back half of raritan bay most of the boats are fishing toward the front and Sandy Hook.

[buckethead]

Good points steve. I think with the storm surge a lot of the baitfish were pushed up into places they had never been, When the surge subsided those fish were left high and dry. I remember reading one post where a guy said bunker ended up in his swimming pool. You would think that a big percentage of the bait had to be harmed by all that. Definitely a negative impact.
for some strange reason as you said it hasn't affected the croakers and spot. Some guys are saying it is the most they have ever seen. Mother Nature works in strange ways.

[ledhead36]

I think the spearing that you see have been greatly impacted. Very glad for the peanut bunker and mullet but I think the lack of spearing is directly an affect of Sandy. Even the fluke have not been in the back half of raritan bay most of the boats are fishing toward the front and Sandy Hook.


Definitely a negative impact.
for some strange reason as you said it hasn't affected the croakers and spot. Some guys are saying it is the most they have ever seen. Mother Nature works in strange ways.

Steve you are right on the $$ when it comes to the spearing. Every year there are thousands of them in the harbors and creeks, maybe even millions. You look near the marinas or sod banks and they are there. This year I have only seen a few big pods. You can tell something has happened. buckethead that puzzles me too. The croakers and spot are in higher numbers than I have seen in years. That includes way in the back where there is some brackish water near the rivers. Very puzzling. Must be something else they are eating like the grass shrimp and the small baby crabs. This has been a very good year for crabbing so maybe there are lots of babies around. The ones I am talking about would be 1/4 the size of a dime.

[Monty]

Well if you can attribute the beach replenishment of what I think is most of central and north Jersey to Sandy it will
Screw Up my Fishing to a HUGE degree.
Unreal levels of being disgusted with this beach replenishment. Complete disgust.

[captnemo]

I agree monty as far as inshore fishing has been going for me (from a boat) fluke fishing is good but there seems to be a dead zone along the beaches. Yes there was a time in may and june when it was ok but it seems a lot of the bass migrated along the offshore highway this year and when they come back down they could follow the same highway. The replenishment just throws salt on the wound. I don't envy you who fish the beaches.