So you're saying it's not possible for fish to be in limbo?:whoo::HappyWave:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efvzPNVl5Jk
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So you're saying it's not possible for fish to be in limbo?:whoo::HappyWave:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efvzPNVl5Jk
today Barnegat bay frozen and remember saltwater freezes at 28 degrees
My rule has always been 3 straight days never above 30s is bad bad bad, guys are on Facebook saying they will stay all winter too :) like Colonel troutman said to Rambo.............It's over johnny!!!
Wow a frozen Barnegat Bay! The ice boats will be out soon. Guess the fat lady is here to stay. Thanks for posting finchaser.
I agree sharkhart. thanks for the right on opinions finchaser. ds thanks for the effort getting out there. Fishing the salt in 13 degree temps is a little off the charts for me. I think I am done till the Spring.
5 year Timeline for becoming a successful Facebook or Internet fisherman:
Year 5 - sit on bucket, catch bass on clams. Only go where the fish are thickest in spring and fall. Base all your fishing on fishing reports and following them.
Year 4 - sit on bucket, catch bass on clams, find bunker pods in spring, catch a few 30 lb fish in spring blitzes with your pencil popping skills or snag and drop.
Year 3 - after 2 years of sitting on bucket, become curious about throwing plugs and artificials other than a bunker blitz. Learn how to throw diamond jig at fall Island Beach Blitz. Catch 200 fish doing that. Start reporting on the internet and facebook about how you have been killing them for years at Island Beach in the fall blitzes. Make one trip to Montauk in October. Catch 25 fish. Start reporting on your epic fishing at Montauk. All of a sudden, having been up to montauk one time during a blitz, you become an expert on montauk and fishing in general.
Year 2 - the striped bass become harder to catch on artificials because there are less. You go back to catching fish on clams because you don't want to fish at night and it could be dangerous. You have fair success with clams when the water is cold or fish are hungry. Clams are the way to go you tell everyone.
Year 1 - Start your own Facebook page, claiming you have been fishing for almost 10 years :kooky: and have fished all over (Doesn't going to Montauk once or twice count?) Start making fun of other fishermen who you claim are less than you. Read everything you can about fishing on the internet, rather than putting in time on the water to learn different skills. Tell everyone you are crushing all the bass everytime you fish. You never get skunked. You are too good to get skunked.
You have finally arrived - you have become a facebook fishing expert.:rolleyes:
:clapping::clapping: Wow buckethead that was harsh! Loved it! Wonder how many guys ears are ringing today? You would not believe how specific they are on facebook. Every detail about the report. GPS coordinates, even. Dark and some of you others who are against spot burning would blow a gasket if you saw some of these and their posts. Unbelievable.
Dark you are crazy for being out in that cold be careful! Finchaser thanks for the iced up bay photos.
I don't know if any of you are interested but they are still catching stripers in delaware. Last week the water temperatures down there were 46 degrees and there were a lot of spearing around. I caught 3 stripers. One of them was a keeper at 31". Nice healthy fish on storm shads. Some were caught on avas with green tail too.
I just checked the raritan bay temperature on the USGS site. 28 degrees.
Took a ride to the ocean this morning because I was bored. Not a soul out there. The ocean temperature was 34 degrees. Fat lady in full effect. Even whiting are a little slow to hit at those temps. Does anyone remember frostfish and picking up whiting on the long branch beaches in the winter?
seamonkey thanks for the heads up I might take a ride down there. Congrats on your fish.
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Sure do we were talking about that this morning in the shop even the part about bushell baskets before spackle buckets . Most people can only read about it at least we got to live it.
Sea monkey water down there this week in in the upper 30's
^^^I don't think we will ever see whiting in any kind of numbers. They are mostly an accidental catch with ling now. Some better catches out of Ma and RI. If you are on any kind of groundfish trip the whiting might account for 5% of the catch, rest is ling, cod and other species. I think the draggers continue to hammer the whiting numbers. Even the smaller fish that they throw back and end up floating dead on the water. Maybe finchaser could shed some light on that.
I remember when I was a kid and my Grandpa and I would go pick them up off the beach in Long Branch. A lot of folks would do that back then. The fact that not many remember actually doing it shows you how quickly they forget. Folks can't even remember what the fishing was like 10 years ago let alone 40. I hope that answers your question vpass, those were good times for me. gone forever.
what he^^^said it sure is sad my son is 40 and barely remembers it
Sad Thing about the Whitting. I do love eating them they make great tasting soup. If we don't watchout the Stripers will be in the same boat as the whiting for next generation of fisherman.:soapbox::burn::waaah:
Absolutely vpass......thanks for making that point..:thumbsup:...I know you have been fishing for them your whole life, since you were a kid.....
The educatlon of the younger anglers out there is a critical part of the process......
There are some of the newer guys in their 20's starting to understand...and seeing the benefit of C&R...but the thing about C&R fishing is you can't push it on anyone...nor should you try...
...the best way to reach people is through education.
We try our best to do that here....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...release-thread
There are a core group of fishermen who refuse to believe there is anything wrong with the bass stocks.....
Such as the ones that point to the Hudson YOY 2011 # as proof of a strong biomass....
What folks need to understand is that the most important stats are not a single YOY tally....but the trendiing upward or downward of stats as taken over a broad time frame, like a 5-10 year period.
And when you look at it as an aggregate of YOY stats in combination of what it harvested, over a minimum period of a decade or more....
It's hard to argue that the bass stocks are as healthy as they were...because overall, there has been a decline.....
Most importantly, as the old timers here keep stating over and over....
We are harvesting at a greater rate, than the bass are being replaced......
This is the critical trend that we need to help the folks out there understand...before it really is too late......:learn:
Because of the trends I was seeing, 2 years ago I decided to document Coastwide what was happening with the bass stocks...broken down by regional observations, with a bi-annual assessment period.
Admittedly it's a crude attempt....as there are no scientific data points that would allow scientists to accept it as valid........
but folks reading it should know that somehow, over the years, I've managed to meet and befriend hundreds of fishermen who fish regularly......
This thread, which attempts to qualify this decline on an annual basis.......is the result of hundreds of conversations every year, with fishermen who fish regularly, and have been fishing for decades.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...***+assessment
From our thread, "Striped Bass have never been healthier"
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...Been-Healthier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Cc8bCOOfFs4
This is just a paraphrase of what Bill Wetzel is saying........
**I agree with it all, as I have seen it, and every year have to try to explain to guys who are new to the sport, why the fishing they are saying is "Epic" at Montauk is but a mere shadow of what it was, just 7 short years ago
Bill Wetzel.....
"There are thousands of sandeels at Montauk in the Spring, thousands of them......
Fluke blitzing on them, all over, but not one bass.....
This is a common occurrence......
A smorgasbord of fluke, sandeels, bait...but no bass........
This summer, there was tons of bait on the North and South shore, no small bass on them....
Some blame the water temps....F*** that! I take the water temps every time I go out, and it was not the temperature...
I'm out there all the time, 40 hours a week, and I know what I see....If striped bass are so healthy how come they haven't expanded their range?
Guides in Maine are quitting there are so few bass there they can't make a living from them...
Last year fishing at Montauk was terrible...this year we got some nice fish, true, but where were all the smaller bass? ..7 years ago it was a no brainer to catch numbers at Montauk"
Additionally, the other threads you see listed below, are some of many here that try to educate folks who may not know, understand, or may only have been fishing a few seasons and may not have this perspective....
1. Candid conversations:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...t-striped-bass
2. Striped Bass have never been healthier?
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...Been-Healthier
3. Back Bay and Bait Fishing and Migration Patterns
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...shing-patterns
4. Where are the Striped Bass?
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...e+are+the+bass
5. Honey the Striped Bass are Shrinking!
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...e+are+the+bass
6. www.StripersAndAnglers.com Coastwide Bass Assessment
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...***+assessment
What's important is these are not random opinions by me on a soapbox, but a compilation of hundreds of critically honest observations by Captains and Anglers...all along the East Coast, who I have been fortunate enough to meet and remain in contact with. I'm very grateful for their opinions as these are the folks who fish more than most.....:thumbsup:
And absent quantitative data, or data that is sometimes flawed or skewed (look at the recent dispute in the Seabass assessments and biomass calcs)
I would submit that this Qualitative method of gathering and presenting assessments of hundreds of anglers...is as accurate a picture as you wll get at this time....and can been seen as a compelling indicator of
1. Trends
2. Concerns
3. Rationales
4. Critical Field Observations
DS 615 to 618 IMO should be in the conservation corner thread
^ thanks for the feedback, OGB...but folks are more likely to read it here....copied the posts to the CC thread as well.....:HappyWave:
*********
Late report....
Fished 2 hours Sat night....
There have been some very brief windows to catch the small fish that are left. The larger fish that some of us were catching are gone from all the legal areas.
I wanted to get out earlier, but Sat was a 14 hour work day to catch up on a lot of things I had put aside to go hunt after the fish when they were there.....some who are jealous of that often don't realize the hours we put in, or the other prices we pay, to go after the fish when the bite is hot......:learn:
The dark side of fishing thread here is an illustrative example of that.......
Sometimes, even though you know it will be a waste of time, it's good to get out there anyway.....
The solitude to me is a big part of that package of what it means to me to get out there for a few hours.....
It was damn cold, but not as cold as the brutal temps the last time I fished a week ago, 12-15 degrees.
Comparatively speaking, it was mild, "only" 27-25 degrees out. :kooky: :ROFLMAO
The great thing is there was no wind at all. This made it manageable. Not a soul fishing either along 10 miles of beachfront.
Water was crystal clear. 1" of snow everywhere.
I knew I didn't have a shot in hell at catching, but just going through the motions, casting and retrieve, was enough for me.
The beauty, and the solitude, under the waning moon, was all I needed to get my fix.....:cool:
Fished 2 locations, didn't have the energy to fish any more....there was no activity for me whatsoever.
Did not take the water temp till I was ready to leave, as I already knew it was too cold for the fish.....
Final water temp - 38degrees, crystal clear water.....
**Death comes to the surf zone at those temps and below.....
(Actually, below 42 you really don't have a shot of catching bass on artificials, and below 40 your chances even of catching on bait or worms are less than winning the lottery.....):)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...-the-Surf-Zone
The forecast weather for the next 10 days isn't promising.....even friends who have fished clams in the last week have not really had any action.....
Ocean temps are pretty stable this time of year and take a very long time to increase or decrease, absent a storm system.
As previously mentioned, the limited windows are at the end of a very sunny day or 2, when the shallower water can warm up to the 42 degree range. Although possible, that's not likely going forward in the next 2 weeks...
I'll probably give it a rest for a week or so, get the work done that I put off for so long.....:( and maybe give it a shot during the last weeks of Feb.
25 degrees, 12 degrees dark you are a madman.:HappyWave: Its over johnny. I'm hanging it up till March 1.
^^^as did 99% of the veteranshttp://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...know%20why.gif but the Googans like DS push on.
^^^Same here, I'm going to wait to Mid March to start up again. Might Fish Bait in My old Spot that is known to give up a few Cows every Year. Will have to fish Bait which I haven't done in 10 years at least.
Bass stop hitting lures when thewater drops below 40-42. The Stripers Metobolism slows down so much that there might be days between feeding, when below 40. I read that Bass could tolerate water temp between 32 and 92 Deg. and optimum Temp is between 55 and 70 Were the stripers grows the fastest. Below 40 is a waste of time for catching one, but I could understand getting out anyway to enjoy the Surf. it all good.:thumbsup:
I want to thank you for the knowledge you are sharing here. It is obvious to me you guys really know the stripers. This gets confusing to me some times because other people are saying the stripers are still here. Over and over they keep saying this and still no one is catching.
When you guys catch you seem to do pretty well so you must be dialed in to when they are here and when they are not. The one thing I would like to ask you with all due respect is how do you get to know so much? I am not asking you to reveal your secrets, but if you could share a little about how you know when and when not to fish that would be appreciated. Some of the other internet posts I am reading are so confusing and seem to have no substance. I mean no one talks about water temps to the extent that you are talking about them on here. So I would tend to believe what you are saying. Thanks for the help. Also for the informative posts. Have learned so much just from these winter fishing posts alone.
lostatsea you have to know who to listen to and who is full of crap. Betty and Nicks site was saying on Jan 24 there were still bass being caught north of Manasquan. Another tackle shop swears bass are still being caught on clams and metal and teasers. I don't know where these bass are being caught.
This has been a plug bite this winter. Hardly any fish for me on metal. I have been fishing from seaside to sea bright for the fall and winter. My last bass was around feb 2d and that was a runt. Caught on a plug. It was sunny that day and I was fishing at 4:30pm right before sundown. The water temp was exactly 42. that is the minimum I have caught striped bass at. I know because I took the temperature when i got there. Before that my last bass was on Jan 21. There was someone else saying the water temperature was 45 degrees. It hasn't been that temp since the end of December. Anyone can read from a book or an internet site. If you really want to know you have to be out there fishing. I fish about 200 days/nights a year so I know.
The facebook reports are total fabrication as well. Guys talking about the striped bass being suspended, and sleeping. I tell you what you facebook idiots you find me a 13lb bass in the ocean right now from the jetties and I will give you $5000. Most larger bass right now will come from the power plants or are more than 3 miles offshore. Nothing but small runts left in the ocean. I think finchaser and dark mentioned it the big bass can't take the cold. Any body saying anything else really doesn't know what they are talking about. vpass by the way, nice breakdown of when the bass will and will not hit. I agree.
:clapping: Internet fishing, gotta love it! Right from the safety of your cozy chair you can throw down with the best, all you need is a computer and google! I have learned from the guys here to keep a log. Finchaser talks about it all the time. Now if I was only part of his cell phone chain I would be a sharpie! Vpass great observations.
John and Tommy from those 2 shops are both nuts if there were fish around trust me I'd be out there . John believes his want to be INTERNET hero's and Tommy is going out of business and trying to sell stuff. The 3 shops I repair and build rods for haven't heard a report of fish from the surf from there regulars since 1/24/13. Every morning I have coffee and or breakfast with some of the top guy's from the Shark River Surf Anglers, Asbury Park Fishing Club ,Berkley Striper Fishing club and Spring Lake Live Liners fishing club and all is quiet. Every Saturday this time of year about 20 of us meet for breakfast and not one of us has heard a peep from any one or any of the shop we hang at. Oops forgot Al Ristori he joins us most weekday mornings and he has had nothing reported to him either
As far as log books that is one of the most important things to become a consistent catcher of bass with out a phone call or blitz. I had kept a paper hand written one until 1997. I purchased an electronic program for the computer in 1997.
Since then I can tell you every bass,bluefish,weakfish and tuna that i've caught where when on what etc.etc.etc..
I also log when the bass leave making it a waste of time to fish for them and except for last year when they really didn't it's been in December .There are 3 other years in January.
My meaning of a waste of time to catch is when you target the 12 to 16'' fish that are left putting added stress on them and sending them into shock in the frigid air to prove to people on the internet you can catch a fish.
^^^Very informative finchaser and you other guys thanks so much for sharing that.
thanks
I guess the fat lady finally sung on the stripers you guys were catching.:moon: Well it was a great run while it lasted. Still officially jealous that you had decent fish that late in the year. Or should I say early in the year. January fish. Congrats to all especially finchaser and dark you wracked up some impressive numbers
They sure did wish I could have caught 1/4 of that but Sandy messed us up in NJ. I had one or 2 good nights at sandy hook before the storms hit and that was it other than a few fish. Hope all of us have better luck in the spring. If not follow ds and fc !:HappyWave:
As of Dec 1 the reports will be (gradually) switching over to this thread....thanks.
Trip down memory lane...back to 2011...:fishing:
Ouch!
Yep, I don't fish a lot lately, you who know me know why.....:2flip: :moon: :kiss:
Let's go back to those 2 Winters.....when the fish were here...and "committing suicide"...as you tough guys like to say.....:kooky: :ROFLMAO
1. It was a night bite for the bigger fish....
2. Scores of fishermen were fishing the 2 hours before dark, catching smaller fish..and then went home. A handful of us were part of the 2nd shift, every night.......starting at 12, and ending up at 4am.
3. I was missing sleep at least 5 nights a week to find those fish...... severely sabotaging business and personal relationships to be in on that bite.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...f-surf-fishing
4. Every night the bite was different....at times I would have to climb on and off up to 8 jetties to find them.
5. The best and biggest fish were centered around the tips of the jetties...there was a lot of areas where the fish just weren't.....
6. Eventually a lot of people heard about it....Rich Swisstack even came out one night.....I think he got a fish close to 30#...the largest fish were few and far between.....
7. Despite the "chatter" about how great that bite was....very few were out there...
There were the same guys you would see every night....Nick from Luna Lures...Sergio, and a few who will remain anonymous......You had to work your *** off if you wanted a big fish......
8. There were nights when it was brutally cold...I logged catching fish with air temps as low as 17 degrees, when it was so cold if my hands were out of the gloves for a few minutes it was painful.....had to wear layers and layers of protection on those cold nights....Let's not forget the cold Winter W/NW winds common at that time of year...
9. Hopping from rock to rock with a moving tide ain't that easy....I got wet or fell in more than once....:bucktooth:
10. If it was so easy.....how come only a handful of us were out there??.....:huh:
Eff you tough guys!....:laugh: :kiss:
Yup........
Easy fish?....:burn:
Arm Chair fisherman?....:kicknuts:
You basstids! :beatin:If it's so easy.....Come fishing with me on the jetties one night.....:2flip: :moon:
Oh...I just remembered..:whoo:.....there are very few NJ beach jetties that hold big fish anymore....:( :HappyWave:
Well this may not come true but after reading some of those catches have to hope for at least a few stray bass this winter with all the warmer weather and bait. I went down to long branch today. No fish but it was cool to check out the ocean, make a few casts, and see a xmas tree on the beach. Tight lines and good luck gents.
snowflake stripers. After reading this I hope y'all don't come running up to boston harbor. It's cold out and some of youse might get frostbite and drown.:plastered::ROFLMAO
http://www.onthewater.com/snowflake-stripers/
No need to come to MA! This guy was fishing somewhere in jersey.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz-aUWLdvTE
That must have been down south near atlantic city. Don't remember them being that close in monmouth county at that time. Thanks for the share it was awesome!
I believe that was just north of the seaside pier as seen in background. We had them in Normandy beach