Fishing reports: Turd Ferguson helps the new guys

[fishinmission78]

I know people are just starting out, but I wonder if people think before they ask these questions. Or more specifically, do they even do any research before they ask the questions.?

7. Above all, patterns are made to be broken. The toughest thing about fishing this Spring has been the lack of a consistent pattern. You may have something working for 2 days, for the next 3 days it's something else. Remember that temp guages and stations in the bay represent the temps taken at one spot and don't reflect all the geographical variations for that area. You also have to think about how wind and developing weather patterns will affect the bite as well.

8. The fisherman/woman who wants to truly learn and become better through their own efforts will challenge themselves to think about "Why" some of these things happen, and learn to profit by placing themselves more frequently in places where fish are likely to be.

Hope this helps, people. They didn't have any of this info available at your fingertips 20 years ago...

Right on, Dark (or Turd).

Why should people learn, they have people like you, and every internet and spring seminar they can think of where they can learn all this without trying. They don't want to put too many details in their heads. Mommy and Daddy did everything for them when they were kids, now they expect the whole world to cater to them too.

[cardoc765]

Well fishinmission, thats only because they want to have somone to blame when they don't catch fish. No matter how much I know about the subject, I am always open to learn more. I also am the type of person who like to share my knowledge with others too. i have posted before in the fishing reports section, it is important to go out and do your own homework. What happens to those who rely on others to teach them and put them into fish when that person leaves town forever. I guess they stop fishing. Be a report maker not a report chaser is my motto. I t would be easy for me to change where i am fishing and go after the reports. But the fish are all over the bay. I right now I am focussing on one area and learning it. For the most part it's slow all over. But I have learned that where I fish i thought top of the tide was good because we got 3 fish that way. But, yesterday it was 2 hours into incoming and then RIP's son get his at the top.

All this to say, I totally agree with Dark. Fishing is not catching. If it were there would be no fish left to catch by now. It's more of a hunting experience where you scout out area, look for signs of life, check times of day, temps, etc. and then go try your thing. hopefully it pays off for you.

[rip316]

Well said Cardoc. You have to at the very least start to read up on the fish you re targeting. I am sure it is much easier now than it was back in the day with all of the information that is out there. I have only been fishing for bass for two years and only have,I would honestly say have 10 keepers. Rule #1 you have to put your time in. You have to ACTUALLY GET OFF OF YOUR DEAD *** AND GO TO THE BEACH AT LOW TIDE. Not have someone that knows take you out and say "throw it there"
Darkskies told me that before we would go fishing I would have to research the area I want to fish and give him 5 spots that could be productive or he would never speak to me again or be my friend. (thought u would laugh at that Dark) That is why we as individuals have to go out there and put in the time and learn how to catch fish.

[DarkSkies]

You have to at the very least start to read up on the fish you re targeting. ...You have to ACTUALLY GET OFF OF YOUR DEAD *** AND GO TO THE BEACH AT LOW TIDE. Not have someone that knows take you out and say "throw it there"
Darkskies told me that before we would go fishing I would have to research the area I want to fish and give him 5 spots that could be productive or he would never speak to me again or be my friend. (thought u would laugh at that Dark) That is why we as individuals have to go out there and put in the time and learn how to catch fish.

Hey I didn't say that I would never speak to ya, I said I wouldn't help ya any more!
I still feel that way, I'm always willing to help people who have the motivation to help themselves as well by doing the work to learn.

That's how I learned. It was valuable to me to have to get that info as little pieces of the puzzle. I'm still learning every day.



The reason I made ya do that is I wanted you to be able to transfer that knowledge and deductive reasoning to any opportunities you'll have in the future to fish a different area. The dynamics wouldn't have worked if I just gave ya some street names.

Ya done good man, you're learning the right way.

[rockhopper]

The reason I made ya do that is I wanted you to be able to transfer that knowledge and deductive reasoning to any opportunities you'll have in the future to fish a different area. The dynamics wouldn't have worked if I just gave ya some street names.

[rip316]

And I thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

[DarkSkies]

^ Anytime bro.

Tip for the day:

Eff the clams.
Find the bunker, chunk it.

Time to fish your spearing and small profile hard and soft plastics deep in the night too. Don't be shy.

[DarkSkies]

I visited the Belford pirates 2 days ago for some bait. They told me action had started to pick up in the bay and a new body of bass had moved in. Even though the water temps have gone down, now is the time to fish. It's worth it to be out there.

[DarkSkies]

Tip for the day:
Eff the clams.

Gotta retract that for a few days until the bunker are thicker. As crazy as it sounds, even though clams don't live in the bay, they still seem to be producing.

Tommy got 2 decent fish among others fishing way in the back, this morning. Nicest ones were 14, and 24. Clams
It might be shifting to an early morning bite, too early to determine it as a pattern, though.

[finchaser]

They are feeding on the last of the incoming tide and guess what thats early morning now. You bait guys are amazing

[DarkSkies]

Wish it were that easy Fin.

We fished the whole of the incoming last night till 9:30 or a little later this morning, and part of the ebb. If that pattern was golden throughout the bay we would have had dozens of bass, and/or guys fishing in the late afternoon would have scored big time as well... Yet we skunked so heavily you could have smelled us in Louisiana.

I think it's time...

We need to start the Finchaser seminar series...

to be continued in another thread...

[rip316]

Early morning bite sucks too.

[bababooey]

I visited the Belford pirates 2 days ago for some bait. They told me action had started to pick up in the bay and a new body of bass had moved in. Even though the water temps have gone down, now is the time to fish. It's worth it to be out there.

Right on the $$ with that call, dark.
This is from Ristori's column yesterday -


Stripers flood into Raritan Bay and Shore waters

By Al Ristori

April 11, 2010, 8:49PM

Striped bass have arrived earlier than ever along the Shore and in Raritan Bay. Several years ago there were a couple of seasons that opened with large bass on bunker chunks off Staten Island during late April, but that only repeated one more year -- and was later in the month than the present run. The last two springs have been poor in the bay, and the early clam fishing has been very inconsistent, but it now appears that a good body of larger bass has moved in.

[DarkSkies]

I really hate to say this, but there's a hot clam bite in the ocean right now. Some keepers 28-33" are being pulled in, beginning and end of day. If you're out there in the hot sun expecting a fish, good luck. But the times I mentioned are producing.

Good luck, I'm hooked on the arti action. Worse than a crack addict.

[rip316]

Here is the best thing that I have learned so far. YOU CAN NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ ON ANY POST, REPORT, BITE, BAIT, LURES, SPOT, AREA, BEACH, TIDE, or any other buts of information that is out ther. A report is just that. You have to go out there with your own knowledge and thinking and get REALLLLLYYY LLLUUCCCKKKYYYY.
I have been reading for a while now that at one moment there's a small piece of advise here and there but, all in all that info may have been good that day or that tide or on that bait. It doesn't mean jack spit when you actually get out there and put to the test the info in your own brain and catch some fish yourself and be your own report. I will no longer read the report section on this site until I post on what I catch myself and then you guys can run around and chase the fish I caught on clams today that tomorrow will be feeding on bunker when I caught them on the incoming when tomorrow it will be the bottom of the outgoing.
Sorry for the rant. I am just pist at myself for listening to everyone else and still not catching consistantly. Tomorrow or the next day, I will be the report.

[DarkSkies]

Sorry for the rant. I am just pist at myself for listening to everyone else and still not catching consistantly. Tomorrow or the next day, I will be the report.

You had to work late a few nights this week and missed out. You're always trying your best to learn, contribute to the site, and help others when you can. Family and work should come first though.

As for being ashamed at not catching, no one catches all the time, that's life! The only people who should have "fishing shame" are those who think they're somehow better people than others because of the fish they catch. You'll gettum soon, and whether you catch em or not good mojo will come your way.

A little bird tells me you'll be catchin fish by the beginning of next week.

[DarkSkies]

I really hate to say this, but there's a hot clam bite in the ocean right now. Some keepers 28-33" are being pulled in, beginning and end of day. If you're out there in the hot sun expecting a fish, good luck. But the times I mentioned are producing.

Good luck, I'm done with clams for now. I'm hooked on the arti action. Worse than a crack addict.

The clam blitzes continue, you mooks and googans.
Today I got a bunch of reports, bass were caught on clams in a 30 mile stretch from Monmouth to Ocean counties. Some places were pure bass, no bluefish. Catch em up.
Please try not to take more than you can use. There's no real purpose served weighing in (3) 8# bass at a tackle shop just because you have a bonus tag....

[DarkSkies]

Fin says this all the time, he's right.

When you hear the tackle shops hyping all the recent beach blitzes, remember that many of those blitzes happen because fish are in hot pursuit of adult bunker and end up near the surf line. When the blitzes are over, the bunker (survivors ) and the big fish move on as part of the seasonal migration. A guy buys the "special" clams and bunker from the tackle shop, walks on the beach hours after the report, catches no fish, and wonders why.

What we really need for sustained Spring surf action is the various whitebait...rainfish, bay anchovies, herring etc. Some have reported these in small amounts, and some members here have reported sand eels, thanks.

My point is that generally by this time of year the surf zone has a lot of this bait making its northern migration. We haven't seen the bulk of these forage fish yet, and that's why there will be large stretches of "dead water". If there's nothing to hold the fish, they move on.

Look for consistent action on artificials when you see these fish more consistently in the surf. I'm hoping that will happen within the next week or so, as these small fish are definitely late this year.

[wish4fish]

tuuuuuurd!
ferguson!
lol

[DarkSkies]

tuuuuuurd!
ferguson!
lol

Yup, and you're a young punk who can't stay out all night. I'd rather be Turd, it fits me.