The life of a nomad, tips for on the road fishin

[speedy]

Dude, I know you and you still make me nervous.

For the pants in the waders I use velcro straps that my electrician friend gave to me. Hodgeman sells these neoprene straps with velcro that do not cut off your circulation.

thats funny you know him too

[storminsteve]

I don't want to be the one waiting in line after you at the bathroom after you eat all that. Or do nomads just crap in the woods, like bears do?

[DarkSkies]

I don't want to be the one waiting in line after you at the bathroom after you eat all that. Or do nomads just crap in the woods, like bears do?

Steve, us nomads are usually people who like to fish by outselves or maybe with a select 1 or 2 who think like we do. If the odors coming from me are something that causes others to stay away, it's all good. I don't want anyone crowding me when I'm fishin.

As for the bears thing, I've got years of outdoors and camping experience and always have an extra roll of toplet paper or 2.

[DarkSkies]

The next few weeks I'll be fishin the waters of LI Sound, from the boogie down Bronx to the edges where the wter comes in.
I thought of some tips for anyone who wants to get in in the good fishing in that area, which is arguably the best place to fish for big blues and bass right now. As I sat in 4 hours of traffic yesterday, to drive a total of 20 miles on the last leg of the short trip. I realized I need a better plan.

I made some mental notes for me to follow, thought some of ya's could benefit from my experiences if ya wanted to do the same thing. I'll add to them as I have tiime. If anyone cares to add to them, feel free.


For now......

DarkSkies' NOMAD tips for fishin the LI Sound....

1. Have a plan with a backup, not only for fishin but driving. I have a lot of contacts in the area, but don't like to be spoon-fed intel. If someone gives me a great tip for an area, I will spend hours on Google searching what other places near that are promising, in case the plan doesn't pan out. Alternate plans make for happy trips.

2. Driving - avoid peak hours, your sanity will thank you!
For those who don't live in LI, your primary roads will be I-95 and/or LIE. Rt 27 (Sunrise Highway) is another great alternative for those who live near Brooklyn or the Rockaways, but the lower end is filled with traffic and beach-goers during peak times. Run it at 2am if you must, or on a weeknight.
Weekends, stick to the main roads at off-peak times, or stay home.
Especially avoid the hours of 7-9am and 3-7pm on weeknights and 3-7pm on Sundays.

3. Hot fishing - locals will know the generalities...
They may not know all the details, and if cows are around will probably not want to let you in on it, very understandable. I speak several languages, some only a few phrases, and can have decent conversations with people on many levels.
The other night I was disoriented and stopped at a Gujrati food store/gas station to ask about some public beaches I was scouting. The Gujrat worker behind the counter could only tell me that lots of guys were in there in the morning, buying ice, and catching fish.
A local couple followed me out to my car, we had some nice conversations for 10 mins. They told me the beach I was going to was locked up as far as access went, but then suggested 3 other places I might be able to access. They were extremely nice to a stranger, and I definitely appreciated it.

4. Good GPS is a valuable tool. I not only obsessively research beaches, coves, and drain areas for access, I carry around several pre-printed destinations I want to go to and scout. If I get sidetracked, I can always get back in the groove.

5. Don't underestimate the value of asking the police.
If you're not doing anything illegal, why fear them? They're there to protect and serve. The other night, at 3am, I rolled up to a cop and asked about public access. She (pretty hot, about a 9) not only helped me with the access, she drove down the street and found me a parking spot.
Again, I have run into LE at a lot of locations, or sometimes they come to check me out when I'm sleeping in my car, tucked away somewhere. I have no problem showing them ID and explainiing why I'm there. At times you hit the jackpot and get an officer who's into fishing, and may develop some golden intel from it. So don't be bashful. It also helps when they know who you are and why you're poking around ritzy neighborhoods at night. Eliminating the criminal intent aspect from the situation makes all involved a lot more friendly.

[DarkSkies]

6. If people are nice enough to clue you into intel as to fishing limited access areas, don't blab it on the internet and ruin it for those who came before you! If you need this explained to you, maybe you should be golfing, not fishing. JustEd recently lost some prime access because some used his name as a reference, went there and mis-behaved, ruining it for a whole group of hard-core anglers who fished there for years. If fishing is so important to you that you NEED to fish, rather than WANT to fish, think before you try to be "helpful" to another angler who's looking for a spot to fish.

7. Pay attention to parking and residency regulations. Police in these towns get a large portion of annual operating revenue from ticketing out of towners. Unless you're aware of the nuances of how the police run their shifts and their levels of aggressiveness in certain areas (a topic best discussed privately), assume that any violations will result in stiff penalties, and always try to comply with the law when in another state.

8. Have all your licenses and fishing info handy and visible. This week I made sure I had all licenses and was listed on all the registries in the places where I want to fish, except for MA and RI. I also registered Pebbles, in case she wants to come on one of those trips.
Know the laws of EACH state you intend to fish, and carry them around with you so there is no confusion.
When I am kayaking and away from my vehicle an area where I feel I COULD be hassled, my info will be clearly visible in the windshield of my car along with my cell phone #. Another smart step to let LE know they don't have to worry about you breaking into the ritzy houses that usually cover those areas.

9. Know that the words "public access" and "Public trust" can sometimes open doors for you. The authorities in many areas know their policies are restrictive and they will hear it from the homeowners if you are tresspassinig. However, even in the tightest communities there is usually some token type of public access. They will even sometimes help you to find these places as they don't want you poking around in non-public access areas, or complaints from homeowners. Your job as a NOMAD is to find those places, keep them close to your vest, and benefit from fishing there. Again. please do not blab them on the internet as you or others who fish there will NOT benefit.

10.

[DarkSkies]

more...

[surfstix1963]

Thats why I don't bother on the north shore the access is so limited you just collect tickets and headaches from local cops and homeowners.