How to: Reading the water

[DarkSkies]

This is turning out to be a primo thread Surfstix. Good point about the eels. I was in the middle of editing my post and decided to send you a pm. Look for it. Thanks.

What Surfstix said about eels is a killer piece of advice, guys and girls. Some huge bass have been taken on eels in inlets. The way to do it is wait until near slack, toss it out, and let it sit. Or ya can drag one in slowly if you know the bottom structure.

Primo times are dawn and dusk. The problem with inlets is that boat traffic really hurts the bite for quality fish. That's why it's best fo fish at night or when the weather is bad and a lot of boats won't be going out.

That being said, that magic hour before dawn in the morning is truly magic when there is bait around. Sometimes you may only get a 1/2 hr or 15 minutes of real action. And the action may not be consistent on a daily basis. That's part of the challenge. If you're there at the exact right time and you see it with your own eyes, you would agree.

[DarkSkies]

Last but not least. Let's talk about safety...

Safety is always the most important thing:
No fish in the world is worth you jeopardizing your safety or your family's future on those rocks in front. I have friends who have pulled in trophy bass right before a noreaster.

There are some mighty big bass to be had if you fish at or near inlets, at the right times. Tales of trophy sized bass bring guys out during every storm to give it a shot. And EVERY YEAR a guy is washed off or drowned from being washed off an inlet somewhere.

Especially if you fish the fronts, you have extremely powerful current out there. The rip can wash you out to sea if you lose your footing, and you could drown before anyone gets to you.

Some basic safety tips, feel free to add if anyone has any more:

!. Korkers always. I have made a lot of fast friends fishin inlets in the dark of night. However if you've ever walked on the front of an inlet or jetty with sneakers or bare feet and had a guy ask you what the hell ya were doing and how your family would survive without ya that guy was probably me.
(I know someone is gonna bust me about this sooner or later, so I might as well fess up now. In 2008 I fished the Spring bass season with old worn korkers. I got knocked down quite a few times as I procrastinated about buyin new ones. I was wrong. Some of my friends won't let me forget it. I make lots of mistakes. That was just one of a long list. Confession ever. Effumall! )


2. Try to wear something other than waders. Raingear, pants, boots, drytop, etc. If you feel the need to wear them, you should have a wader belt. There is no reasonable way you're gettin your waters off if you get washed out in strong current. They could become your grave marker.

3. Fishing plan. There's always one person who knows where I am when I'm on a jetty or inlet somewhere, or out in a kayak they know the general area I put in at. You night warriors would be well-advised to do the same.

4. Escape plan in your head. I've taken a bunch of headers over my head fishin rocks, jetties, and lighthouses. I know what I'm getting into when I go out there. You can't always plan the sizes of the waves if you get a rogue set in there. So you should anticipate what your first survival moves will be when you eventually get knocked down, or in the water.

Fishin with a buddy is good. I don't always do that, so I try to think what rock, what channel, what area I will try for if I do go swimming. Many bad experiences in life can be turned around by thoughtful planning ahead of time.

With all the above lecturing done, please don't be the guy below. What he did is not cool, or smart. And I haven't seen any jetty world records reported in 2009, so I know he didn't get the world record the afternoon he set out to fish that noreaster.



(As originally posted by Finchaser)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=5327

[DarkSkies]

Surfstix mentioned about there being some threads for the new guys to read and learn from. Don't feel intimidated by asking a question. That's the only way you're gonna learn.



Search feature:
The "Search" feature toward the right top of the user tool bar (under where the site lists your username) is also helpful for finding stuff. Type in a term, and you should find it if it's here. A little tip is to use " in front of the term if your search words are common or generic. That way your search will be targeted better. Do not use " at both ends of the search term or phrase because sometimes that will be too limiting. You might not find what you're looking for.

Hope this helps, guys and girls. Feel free to click on and add to any of the threads below to help our new members.

Some of your questions might be answered in the threads below.
They were all found by typing in the word Techniques in the search key.


Surf fishing 101.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=1824

We also have a lot of "New guy/Newbie/Just learning " threads:

You can find these using "Techniques" as the search term:

Bombers
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Jigging shallow water:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Jigging deep water:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Mag darter:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Fin-S:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Danny:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Mambo minnow:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Needlefish:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Pencil popper:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Sea Dog or Saltwater Spook:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Shad or rubber swimbait:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing a Sluggo:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

Fishing Swimmers in the surf:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ght=Techniques

[porgy75]

This is a great post guys. I have not been fishing that long and always get great advice here. This post is awesome. Thanks.

[Dreaminofishin]

Great information!!! I have spent a lot of time throwing black bombers into an inlet current running full blast, thinking I was doing the right thing to get into some big fish and catching skunks instead. Time to fish smarter.

One other question, is there anything that you just don't fish at inlets because it's a waste of time? I'm wondering about things like metals and even using bait.

Thanks to everyone for the lessons.

[surfstix1963]

Plugs:
Anything that is considered a swimmimg plug I like to fish as slow as possible.
If you think you're reeling too slow, slow down some more. Just keep the plug moving to keep slack out of the line.

The only exception would be a needlefish you need to try different things w/these.Those posts DS put up are a great read.

I like to throw bucktails and large rubber shads at night at an inlet.

I don't fish inlets much during the day. Fall and early spring there can be some action w/ big blues when the fish are using the inlet for migration. This could be some quick good daytime action. Just bring some heavier tins and poppers. This is one of those "I was at the right place at the right time" things. It probably won't repeat itself daily.

Bait:
If your going to fish bait use eels at night. If you have never done it try and pick up some tips on it. Eel balls are a nightmare. I fish fresh bunker during the day.
Bring lots of rigs because you will get hung up and lose them.

I like a fishfinder rig so the bass doesn't feel the weight when they pick up the bait

I use only circle hooks.
I use gamakatsu 8/0 and mono line 30 lb test.

This is one exception - on a jetty when I break out the 11 ft. Old Ugly Stik rod & a larger line capacity reel, a big bass will take quite a bit of line on its initial run. You need to try and get control w/o horsing the fish. They usually have a couple good runs in them before they wear down. You need to let the fish set the hook.

w/ circles don't rear back when the fish takes off. "Bow to the cow" and when the line comes tight hold on. Just think of every strikeout as a lesson learned. You never stop learning. Hell we all get skunked. Doesn't matter how long you've been doing it, or how much you know.


Family first:
One last bit of advice. Take it any way you want. If your a family guy, remember you have a family. This addiction, like any other could drag you down to places you don't want to be.

Been There Done That.

[surfstix1963]

Inner bar changes:
Another beach scenario that I have seen over the last few years is the inner bar getting pushed up on the beach due to erosion. You will have the situation of wading through some water to get to the exposed bar at low tide.

1-What you have at low tide is a sandbar on land, in which that water you wade through at low tide will be a trough at high tide(much deeper).

You are safer to walk to a break in the trough to enter the exposed bar. That break will be a cut when the tide is in(much deeper) The water your casting in is actually the outer bar.

If the fish are there thats the only place they will be unless they are way out where another bar is forming.

2-the bar you were fishing on will remain a bar just back underwater as the tide rises.

3-When the water starts rising the waves are going to start slamming that ledge of the bar and filling the trough behind you.
If you are not paying attention you could end up in a bad place. b Where you walked in will be going underwater. When that bar appears to be getting smaller to stand on, its time to pack up and get out of there.

4-Try not to stray too far from the break you came in on.
That will be your safest way out if you get side tracked. If it starts to get covered look for water rushing in and out that will be where you came in. That little bit of moving water can trip you up. be careful and the sand will be getting softer.

5-I don't mean this to sound totally unsafe but its not one of the best beach scenarios for the new guys. You just need to use your head and know the tides. Constantly pay attention to whats behind you as well.
You will learn how to negotiate these situations. If its real bad stay out of there. You will find fishable places somewhere else.

[dogfish]

Great information!!! I have spent a lot of time throwing black bombers into an inlet current running full blast, thinking I was doing the right thing to get into some big fish and catching skunks instead. Time to fish smarter.

One other question, is there anything that you just don't fish at inlets because it's a waste of time? I'm wondering about things like metals and even using bait.

Thanks to everyone for the lessons.

Metals are good any time bluefish are around. If they are chasing bait you will see them. If not use a heavier tin and vary the retrieve until you see what they want.

Bait is good for when the current slows down, like near slack tide. Otherwise you will spend all your time peeling weeds off of it. One difference is if you are going for tog in the rocks with crabs. They will find the bait in most stages, but tend to back off a bit when current is strongest, and i have not found them to be most active at exact slack, you need a small amount of current for them. Hope this helps.

[storminsteve]

Great thread.