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Copyright DarkSkies 2013
There is a book called "Night Tides" the Striper Fishing Legend of Billy the Greek.....
It talks about the fish he caught during the night tides....
This thread will be about following the night tides, especially when there is a bite in your area......:drool:
Many people will say:
"Fish move, no need to chase reports"
Very true,,,,,but you can chase or follow the tides.....if you have paid attention......
In my experience, other than the absence of presence of bait, knowing the tides in your area, is one of the single most determinants to fishing success, or failure.....If you are not there at that specific window when the fish are feeding.,.....you may never know,,,,,that they were, or could be, there.....:learn:
Rather than Spoon-feed ya's the How's Why's, and Wheres.....and making it too easy for those out there who don't want to do the work....
This thread will be a story about the guys behind the fish.......
And the Sights,,,,:wow:
Sounds....:drool:
Awful Smells coming from your body and vehicle when you fish for days at a time.....:upck:
Lack of sleep, and what that does to your life....
Determination to Find the fish, on your own or away from the crowds.... without help from Facebook, Twitter, or your buddy the fishing guide's phone call? "Yup I slayed 32 fish at xxxxxxx Beach tonight....it's on!!! it's time to go out NOW!!!!!!!!!
Sacrifices that are made....when the activity is highest in your area.....and you know that this is the time to be out there....if you want a bigger fish.....
Smells....have to repeat this again...because there will be lots of talk about the different smells, it wouldn't be a DS story without that.....:laugh:
Marathon Fishing....and the toll it takes on your body.......:kicknuts:
In short, it will be a chronology, an inside story....of what some of us do....to keep after the fish...once we realize there is a chance to catch more than 1....and the lengths some of us go to.....to keep that Action going....... long after we should quit and give it a rest till the next batch of fish comes in......:kooky:
Some of ya's may read this, and say...."Oh it's a DarkSkies story,,,,no one could be that obstinate, or delusional, in pursuit of a stupid fish!!!!:huh:
I have met a lot of characters over the years....some funny, some sad....some scary, some so obsessive about fishing that they come in from other areas,, and sleep in their car, truck, or van for a few nights when the fishing is good.... and some that could be on the Most Wanted List, if they were not fishermen.....:laugh:
So this thread, and the posts here....will be a cross section, a composite of the fanatic fishermen I have met in my travels....
And the lengths some of us go, in our quest to catch the "big one"...or find a level of action at night...that most people never think is possible......
Caution - Sensitive Personalities, please do not read any further........:ROFLMAO
There will be diisgusting stories......stories of human success, failure, self-doubt, extreme stench moments......:scared:
Suitable for men, enlightened women, and anyone who ever wondered what it's like, to fish all night, sleep in your car, and have folks look at you in the WaWa at 3am like you are a homeless person.....:)
This is what some of the folks I have met have done, or how they have lived....to chase the right tides......
* If your sensibilities are easily offended.....please turn back now......
* If you are the type of fishermen who need gloves to fillet a fish or cut bait,,,,,,,,or you carry Purell hand santitizer in your truck....you may be offended here....and might want to take up another hobby, like knitting.......
* If you are squeamish about natural human body functions and don't enjoy that type of honest story.....please turn back now.....:waaah:
If you have a real interest in learning more, becoming the best fisherman you can, and really delving deep into the reasons why some of us do this.....Hint..it ain't the tackle shop weigh-in, either......;)...Then by all means continue on......and have some fun..........
Feel free to poke fun at me or anyone else in this thread.......
Hope ya's are entertained.......
And thanks for reading, as always.......:fishing: :HappyWave:
**Keep tuning in....there will be new installments as I get time.....:HappyWave:
I say it takes you 2 months to finish it. Over, under, anyone?:)Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
2 months 1 week!
Totally onboard for any story that has stench moments.:ROFLMAOQuote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
I'm in at 2 months and 2 weeksQuote:
Originally Posted by bababooey
I was just thinking about this yesterday. I look forward to the time when I have more experience and can gun and run the beach. I know Billy the Greek says if you don't have a bite in 15 minutes, move. So looks like I will be somewhat ready to rty next season. I look forward to hearing this story in the mean time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bababooey
figures.....:laugh: :HappyWave:
I'll try to be real descriptive, just for you....and promise you that if you're squeamish or highly sensitive....ya might not like it.....:d
For the rest of ya's.....taking bets on how long it will take..:2flip:..remember that in about 30 days there will be no more numbers of bass here at all save the one or 2 ya might find fishin all night...
I don't have much time to post.....now is the time to fish...in 30 days to make that choice it may have to be Montauk, Block, MA, or Rhody.....:fishing:
Just because some of us sleep in warm beds at night and not in cars or porta-johns does not make us metrosexuals.:HappyWave:
^^ Fair enough, bababooey..:)..but the men growing up today, sure are a lot different when I grew up....IMO too much coddling by Mom and Dad both.....the best experiences in life I had, was when my parents let me fall down, and pick myself up.....it's hard for a parent to do that......and understandable they don't want their child to come to harm or danger....
However, my biggest learning moments, were when I went through something painful. I screwed up, and had to work my way out of it....without my parents paying for it, or coming in with hand sanitizer to scrub the germs away......
Food for thought....I'm part of a whole generation that grew up without hand sanitizer....when we got a bad gash on our knee or arm we were not driven immediately to the hospital.....at most some peroxide was thrown on it, wrapped up, and we went back outside to play....only if it got infected was a hospital in the picture.....a whole generation of us grew up, without being coddled by parents...
I was working at 13 years old, doing odd jobs to make money to buy the things I wanted to buy....
and at 16 got my first official job, peeling onions and washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant......
I don't see too many parents around who encourage their kids to work at 16 today......
Again, just my opinion...but I feel the generation I grew up in...had to learn things through sweat and blood, and we appreciated it more....that's all.....on with the stories....and thanks for your contributions here, bababooey....although we don't always agree......ya can fish with me anytime....:HappyWave:
Its simple.Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
If it don't kill ya it will make you stronger!!!
^ Monty would know, because his Marathon trips would crush the stamina of most normal surf guys.....:thumbsup: :headbang:
I'm glad we came from the same generation.....they don't make em like us anymore....starting to think we are the dinosaurs that are slated for extinction.....:laugh: :HappyWave:
About ready to move forward with some more posts in this thread.....
I've decided to break it down into 5 main areas.....
1. The getting ready, the Preparation...the aches, pains, and sacrifices some of us make,,,,the committment to be out there...while the fish are there.....and the toll it takes on our bodies.....
2. The Sights, the Smells, the Sounds...of the lifestyle....(you know I'll be focusing a lot, on the Smells....:rolleyes: :moon:)
3. The Bite, the Action.....the one fish, or the few fish, that you get to see, lose, or catch,,,,and keep you coming back again and again...until that bite is dead, and you must move on to another area...for anyone who has addictive tendencies,,,you understand what I'm talking about....you don't have a choice...you need that action....and you search for it...till you are out of energy....there are times you become Obsessed...because you know it's not guaranteed...and if you are lucky enough to find it....it could last for hours, days, weeks...but the likelihood,,,is that it may last for hours, if you are lucky.....and that's all you get.....
4. The Fish.....some of the biggest fish of the year, will be caught when the bite is strongest....and having spent time out there....if you want one....the Fish Wait for No One.....
5. The Thrill of Victory, and the Agony of Defeat......Why some of us push ourselves....
And some cautionary warnings of how it can affect your life negatively.....if you let it....Segue into the Dark Side of Surf Fishing....:learn:
OK. here we go folks....as you read these posts remember that I'm trying to capture a cross section of experiences, of some obsessed surf fishermen I know...I hope some of ya's can try to identify with the experiences here....good and bad...
**This is your last warning, that some of this may be uncomfortable to read...if you have a sensitive stomach or you fish in a world where everything has to be sanitary..... it's best that you turn back now...and do not continue reading.....;) :ROFLMAO
Hope that ya's Enjoy the Ride.....:drool: :wheeeee: :wow: :fishing: :HappyWave:
1. The getting ready, the Preparation...the aches, pains, and sacrifices some of us make,,,,the committment to be out there...while the fish are there.....and the toll it takes on our bodies.....
************
How many of ya's have been here before?
The alarm rings at 11pm....you went to bed at 7 just so you could get up and fish all night......your wife or girlfriend (if you still have one at this point) thinks you are certifiably insane......:kooky:
You know the tides will be perfect tonight.......and the bass will be feeding, if you can find them......
You get up as the alarm rings......and you really don't feel like it...you just spent 6 hours last night fishing the night tides....had a full day at work.....and as you get out of bed....your body aches.....
Your bed calls seductively...."Sleep, Sleep!!!!!,,,,it would be so nice to crawl back in there......and as you hear the light rain/wind rustling/ etc..outside....it's easy to convince yourself to lay down for just 5 minutes more......
But you know that if you do that....you will be toast....and sleep through to the morning....you will miss the tides...never know if the bass came in to feed...and you will play that game where you are the biggest loser, and no one else is in that world of losing, just you, isolated all yourself, as a moron, because you couldn't find the discipline to be out there on time.....:bucktooth:
As you get out of bed, every bone in your body aches....
From the Jetty Hopping
Sand Pounding
Bulkhead Jumping
Bridge stakling in the Shadow Lines
River casting
White water casting
or walking the Bay Flats, walking the oozing muck, moving from place to place with the tides.....
Any or all of that, that you did, to find the fish and the bite last night,,,,you know you must do it all over again...as there are no guarantees in fishing...
Your body aches so much, you immediately pop 2 advils.....just to dull the pain and you can keep moving......
You say to yourself..."Man I must be getting older...when I did this 10 years ago it never used to ache so much!" :huh:
Then you remember, 10 years ago you fished the night tides...it was easy...like taking candy from a baby, when you found them...and when you found feeding fish you could nail 15-30 a night....and some nights your numbers were 40-50.....aah....those were good times......gone as a distant memory that not many can relate to...
Now...There are less bass around....you know that because you have to work twice as hard, to put up the same numbers....
To learn more on this do an internet search for the phrase
"Honey the Striped Bass are Shrinking How to Recognize the Signs"
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...nize-the-Signs
You struggle to put a catch together at night...if you can find 5 decent fish..it's a good night...if you can find 10 or 20, it's an outstanding night...and you know you will not have many nights like that, this season....
But you are in the game anyway...
Can't catch em from the couch, you tell yourself......
and you are iin, balls deep, a full blown addiction....you have learned, over time, that if you really want big fish from the land...the night bite is the only bite for you...one where you have a real shot at a trophy...your personal best....and that with the big fish few and far between....you have to spend the time, when they are there....
Your Gear.....
Before you hit the road...you double check all your gear.....
You check your leader...if you were using it for the whole night before,,,,you either toss it, and tie on a new one...or inspect it for nicks...knowing that any small oversight, could be the one that causes you to lose the fish of a lifetime.....
At the very least, you cut your leader, cut off a yard or 2 of braid......knowing that although braid is strong, with the kind of fishing you do,,,,you may have rubbed some rocks, bridge ice breakers...or just rubbed the sand a tad too much...and that could be the weak link, that causes you to lose that big fish......
You re-tie your leader, checking all your terminal hardware,,,,replacing it if there are any doubts....constant saltwater use has a deteriorating effect on gear and hardware....and you know that, because you have screwed up before....from not paying attention.....
You quickly check all the plugs you will be using,,,making sure you have no weak or rusty hooks, weak split rings....or anything that would cause you to lose that 30lb bass that you didn't think would show up......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4fqb9hr7L0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4fqb9hr7L0
Enjoying it so far ds.:HappyWave:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
You are so obsessive that you periodically run a Q-tip, through the eye of the guide at your rod tip....making sure there is no way you will lose that big fish...
As mentioned, you double check all your hand tied leaders, knots, terminal tackle,,,,knowing that if you screw up, it will be that moment, that little mistake,,,,that will bring you clarity,,,and the agony of defeat...further reinforcing your life long struggles as a googan...and making mistakes when it is most important not to......:)
I mention the above to make us all aware of the fact that no one is perfect....
We try our best to be prepared, and think of all these things....
But when big fish come calling....they frequently take you by surprise.....big fish are solitary by nature....and you never know when you may get the chance to see one or feel one at the end of your line.......
So like the Boy Scout motto...
Be prepared.......:learn:
The Committment to be out there...when the fish are there......
In my experience, the night bite, is very different from many other bites.....it is a study unto itself....
I was trying to explain to some newer guys I met the other night...:HappyWave:...that if you want to be successful, you have to know the tide.....
You can't learn it in an hour....or expect to catch fish with only a one hour committment.....unless you are concentrating on dawn and dusk.....
The biggest fish I have found while fishing, other than the bunker blitzes, are ones that I found deep in the night...
and usually when I was least expecting one....half asleep from the lack of action....until your arm gets the jolt of a solid hit on your plug.....a real solid hit....and after you manage to set that hook hard, you feel the fish start to fight, the drag starts to sing....zinnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg..........:drool: ....to me there is more adrenalin in that moment than drinking a whole pot of coffee....:viking:
As to the Committment....I have tried to help hundreds of folks over the years....some of them get it....they know the feeding opportunities are limited.....there will be one window per nght if you are lucky...if you find more than one....you have hit the jackpot......
The standard complaint of today's harried angler (family...job, social obligations, etc, etc) is "I fish when I can"
That's a great path to follow, if it is the only path that gets you out there., and you are able to get some relaxation from it....all good....:thumbsup:
However, the fish feed when they do.....the fish wait for no one....and the tides...wait for no one....
So if you are ready to take it to the next level, you have to understand that clearly......and learn to make more of a committment...to be there when the fish decide to feed......:learn:
"Why is that Committment necessary?
Can't I just get that info from Facebook?---there is a cool new surfcaster group I joined....they are catchng large all the time, if you believe the pics they are posting.....why I can't just go to the beach, and shadow them? Why do I need to learn all this extra stuff? It just seems too frivolous to me....too obsessive!"
This is an earlier thread I did....
"How Hard are you willing to Work, to Learn?"
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...-work-to-learn
Good reading for the newer members here.....
You need to learn these things, and fish a whole tide at a time.....so you will understand how a bite develops, how and why it sustains itself, and how and why it shuts down...and what you can do at that point.....you can't learn this on facebook, an internet seminar, or even here, for that matter...the only way to learn...is to go out there....put in the time....and see for yourself.......
Usually, when a bite dies....it is about the food lessening, or stage of tide lessening...or some factor that you are possibly not aware of....but you have to train yourself to "see" when this happens, and when it wanes.......
"What are the Benefits, besides me investing a sh*tload of my time, with no guarantees?" :don't know why:
My answer to that is that there are no guarantees in life....
When you asked that beautiful girl to become your wife, there were no guarantees that she would say "Yes!"
When you went for that promotion at work, there were no guarantees you would get it.
When you climbed that mountain ridge to scout for signs of that trophy deer, bull elk, etc...there are no guarantees that you would find the trail....
When you tried that new path in life, unsure of every step, there were no guarantees it would work out either....
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
Amen,dude. When its on its on and when dead is like a funeral.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
Bored at work today. Would definitely be interested in hearing about more of this. Thanks for the thread, dark
I hope you put in a post or two about sitting on a white bucket. That can work out when there are bunker in the area and you sit tight for the whole tide. Have gotten bass up to 38# this way in the spring when they pass by.
^Ledhead, there's nothing wrong with sitting on a white bucket...you, me, and the guys know I did that for many years....:HappyWave:...and I always managed to find a source of bait when you ran out for the night....;)
I have a few friends like you who consistently catch large by tossing bait at night and waitiing...one such friend gets bass in the 30-40# class every year by tossing bunker heads during the right time and tide.....
He knows all too well the importance of following the night tides.....:thumbsup: :learn:
he has it down to a science and knows what week, to be in which location....we have discussions about fish migration and fishing all the time.....every year he correctly predicts when bunker will enter the bay in numbers...and he can see fish underneath when it looks like there is no activity above.....
He has been getting fish to the high teens in the ocean in the last 2 months on bunker heads...but the other night he called, grumbling that this is his worst year in a long time....
Also, a bunch of his fishing friends just went to Montauk, and did poorly in the surf....June has always been the traditional month when bass turn the corner at the Point...While the boats are doing OK...many have not noticed that their "split trips" are a relatively new phenomenon because you can no longer catch bass all day at Montauk...even in a boat...if that doesn't say the numbers are down., I don't know what does.....:don't know why:
There is another thread here that talks about the decline of fish in Montauk....
or you could just do an internet search for
"Why are there no fish in Montauk right now?"
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...tauk-right-now
Despite all the internet cheerleading by folks who say they are having a relatively good year for striped bass....I'm not.,...have to travel further and longer trips to still find bass...and am not finding the numbers I usually run into.....he told me his trips are 8 hours or more at night,,,,,all for one 16-20# bass.
He claims this is his worst year in decades....
I would have to agree with him...those are my sentiments as well...
I wonder where this year stands for you..relative to your past years of success?
Fishing the Moon Tides.....
Anyone who begins to develop an addiction to fishing...and starts to plan out their trips, as to which place they will be fishing, at which stage of the night tide....knows all too well the importance of the moon tide....
Every time I see someone claim, on the internet
"Well I didn't catch fish last night, damn full moon!" :mad:
If you are using that excuse, maybe you need to re-think your skill set, and ask yourself why you are not finding fish...because most likely it ain't the fault of the moon....:rolleyes:
1. You may want to blame fire in the water, phosphorescence...(a common occurrence during warmer months and exascerbated by the brightness of a full moon)
2. You may want to blame lack of bait, forage....all good reasons for fish not to be there...
3. You may want to accept that there are less fish around than there used to be, even at night,
4. You may want to consider that with all the new guys in the game today, there are less fish to go around for us all.
5. You may want to consider that weather or storm patterns have affected migration in your area...
All of the above would be valid reasons why you may not catch duriing a full moon trip...but if they are not factors...please don't blame the moon.....
The one caveat is that I try to be more cautious in my movements at the waters edge, during a full moon...because I know if fish are in close, they can see me,,,and my movements might spook them....
For a full moon trip, I'm most happy when there is a "full moon obscured by clouds".
The cloud cover gives me more confidence, and knowledge that if the fish are spooky that night, they will be less wary with the cloud cover...again...this is just my experience,,,yours may be different....
Fishing during the moon tides....
There are a whole host of things to get excited about.....
1. Many major bait migrations or movements occur during moon tides.
2. One needs to only briefly scan the internet fishing reports to see terms like "June New Moon" and "October Harvest Moon" as times of great anticipation among fishermen...and times of great bait migration and movement....
3. Even without a major bait migration, whatever bait that is available, will be on the move, and at a much faster rate, in the rivers, bays, ocean, and inlets and inlet points,,,
4. The rapidness with which this bait moves, tends to have it disoriented and less organized in areas of stronger current or turbulence...
5. This presents perfect ambush opportunities for predators to feed aggressively on fish that may previously have been harder to catch....
6. With the predators being more active, you, the fisherman who studies these things, has more opportunity to catch them.
As you get more into the game, and see fishing as a challenge of opportunities and openings, it becomes like a big strategy game.....if your strategy is correct you are a genius and will find fish when no one else seems to be able to...if your strategy fails.....you are just another loser, with a fishing addiction...:laugh:
The best of the best know this....there is a video where Bill Wetzel talks about the conditions that drive him to be out there....
He describes sitting at work...and the feeling that a particular weather pattern, will bring bigger fish to the beach.....making for the possibility of a great night ......
I have these same compulsions driving me too....
How many others out there, have felt this as well? :drool:
The times, when you know, you just HAVE to be out there.....
The days before and after the Moon Tides......
You will find discussions ad nauseum on internet fishing forums on most preferred moon fishing cycles.....
Waxing
Waning,
Gibbous, etc, etc......
I'm gonna simplify it all for you folks reading this...this is what works for me....
I make it my business to fish at minimum the 2 days before and after each moon tide.....
This puts your committment to fishing, to 8 nights per month....
If you're compulsive like me, you can make it 3 days before and after...which makes 12 nghts a month, that you absolutely must be out there fishing...
If you fish a lot, you will notice that the tides in between (this is why it's helpful to keep a log...) are generally less productive....
I call these "weak tide" nights because I feel that's exactly what they represent...weak tides, weak opportunity to catch fish....
Can you catch fish during these "weak" tides?
Absolutely, if there is a lot of bait around...
Whenever I am trying to illustrate a point in fishing theory, or what works for me...the absence or presence of bait., trumps all other factors... :learn:
So, to recap, if you want to increase your catching results, and are serious about your fishing....at the very minimum you should be fishing 8 nights a month, assuming the weather permits.....
For more discussion on this, do an internet search for:
"Let's talk about Full Moon Surf Fishing (and New Moon as well....)"
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...w-Moon-as-well-)
**This is an important point....the weather will sometimes blow your plans to shreds....you need to accept that as part of fishing....,there is no sane reason to be fishing in a lightning storm, beginning of a severe noreaster, or when a dangerous storm is building, or right after....no point in fishing any conditions that may affect your safety...too much foolishness and macho posturing on the internet about fishing in hardcore conditions...there is nothing hardcore about it, if you don't come home to your wife or family......http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...cons/icon3.png
Spot on ds. Simply making a shift to all moon tide fishing would probably put more large under your belt than anything else. Expecting folks to go out and fish 12 nights is almost impossible though, you must be dreaming.:laugh: I do this when the weather lets me though so I must be as crazy as you. I hate when the weather keeps me from the water.Quote:
Originally Posted by DarkSkies
Yep, dogfish....It's unreasonable to assume everyone else is as addicted to this, as I am..;)..but I know there are some of us out there....hope you are having a good year up there.....:HappyWave: