Winter Fishing Thread.....

[SharkHart]

The "Dark" Egg Nog appears to be spiked

[vpass]

^^ This is why when people read that he manages some teen fish they think he has some sort of special deal with the devil.....and the simple truth is that he puts more time on the water, than most...he is also able to accurately predict when most of the fish should be leaving, or when they may be around......all this, and more, in the upcoming......





Finchaser seminar.......
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...seminar-series

Finchaser tentative topics will be...Check the schedule for times and order..
Note....anyone late for a Finchaser segment of the seminar will be forced to wear a shirt saying "I'm with Dark...in the Dillydock Club..."

1. How to catch fish without using bait.
2. How to outfish all the surfcasters on the beach. (hint - carry a bottle of bunker oil in your pocket)
3. How to avoid being mugged, Parking at one place, fishing another....
4. How to put up with the Googans and Dillydocks....
5. How to read the water
6. How to read weather patterns.....
7. How to appear to be a Grouchy Basstard so folks don't ask you these questions while fishing.....





Special Guests. Speakers, and assorted Crabby Basstards........the Speakers are Tentative so far, subject to change..........


* COB Surfstix......How to catch big bass in inlets and rips with eels....bonus session on becoming a Crabby Old Basstard

* OFFC...Old Farts Fishin Club....How to catch bass that don't appear to be there and make the young fishermen on the beach drool with envy.....

* Shark Hart - Explaining the Obvious differences between Northeast fishing,..... and getting cold and wet, and Northwest fishing, and catching 100 or more fish in 24 hours......

* White Water Monty.....Dual Seminars 1. How to fish Whitewater without drowning...2. How to fish big Hogys/Sluggos and hook and drop big fish, .....
(with a special bonus seminar for early registrants -- How to Pretend you're a Googan when you're really a good surf fisherman..... )

* Surfwalker...Dual Seminars...1. How to travel the whole Striper Coast, and catch big bass along the way
2. How to Properly Outline a Perimeter when dead things are found.....

* Vpass.... Seminars on how to read the Water, How to Fly Fish...and How to Fish at Sandy Hook at night without being killed by a runaway boat...

* Bababooey - How to Insult People and still have them laughing with you....

* Stormin Steve.....How to Bust Balls through Poems and Songs.....

* Madcaster and Surfstix......
Plugmaking 101.....with Special Bonus segment by Madcaster on Mad Photoshop.....

* Rip Plugger---- 1. Making big wood in insane colors....2. Catching blues and bass when most people have given up for the year.....


for the Hunters out there........
* Speedy...... Dual seminars....1. Plugmaking 101, guest speaker with Surfstix and Madcaster.....2. How to stalk and shoot birds when it's very freaking cold out.

* JonthePain.....Dual Seminars....
1. How to kill Crows, lots of em....
2. The Best of the Redneck Lifestyle, with bonus feature How to Put your car up on blocks in your Yard....







stay tuned for details.....
most important....no refunds., no whiners, no internet fishermen.....and no seminars on how to catch fish with clams....

You can't forget the most important seminar "Dark's Seminar on cleaning yourself Hobo style after a Monty Marathon".

[finchaser]

Arrived at one of my spots this morning to find Marathon man( DS) sleeping in the Googan Mobile in 26 degree weather after another one of his marathon nights

[Monty]

You can't forget the most important seminar "Dark's Seminar on cleaning yourself Hobo style after a Monty Marathon".

Rumors abound that he will discuss things like "finding places to nap when ya get sleepy while fishing" and "the benefits of stinky waders"
Maybe we could get him to stay on subject and discus some things like how he gets Stripers to be aggressive and hit his plugs in cold water....

[DarkSkies]

Whole lotta skunking going on....but the adventures continue......

Arrived at one of my spots this morning to find Marathon man( DS) sleeping in the Googan Mobile in 26 degree weather after another one of his marathon nights

(that old basstard really exaggerates things, it was at LEAST 28 degrees that night...) ...and maybe it was a little cold, so what?


Sun....PM
Fished the ocean.....Sometimes the conditions out there are so perfect you can get wood without throwing it....Sun was one of those nights....but someone forgot to tell the fish.....There were herring moving in the surf zone at the edges of the last breaker....this has been a pretty regular place for herring, smaller bait, and predators since the storm, with gaps in consistency due to weather changes......

I couldn't catch a fish, or get a bump, to save my life..... the fish seem to really have thinned out with the bad weather we have been having....more on this here
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...shing-patterns

Moved to another location, slept in the car...trying to intercept that grouchy basstid Finchaser .....(so I could save his spot on the RedX in the Surf Zone....) all for naught as none of us caught a fish....some bait activity but it was short lived as we threw small plugs and rubber...no love for any of us....









Mon PM....After Christmas Eve was over, tried to sneak away to look for some night bass chasing herring. Since all I found the other night was herring, I wasn't optimistic...but a friend was already down there scouting and looking to chunk some....With him anticipating finding a 20# bass among the thousands of smaller ones that are being caught right now, I promised I would fish with him....

He's a little obsessive, some say crazy, but who the hell am I to judge that obsession as I'm known to sleep in the car to fish 2 tides....

When I finally managed to meet up, he had one bass almost a keeper, and missed 2 more all on rubber...before the tide turned....very sluggish fish at night.....

As it turns out they would hit larger rubber on the one side of the tide,

The activity slowed to dead, picked up again as the tide came in....but once the tide turned they were feeding on small rainfish 1-2"......

3 hours of surface feeding bass on rainfish......Once we figured out the rainfish angle, we downsized everything we threw at them given the constraints of the surf environment....ending up throwing 4" plugs, small minnow-size rubber, bucktails, all on the lightest jigheads we could manage to toss out....for nothing.....

Magdarters, Smallest bombers, different colors, tiny bucktails, small fin-S, Mambo Minnows, small Yozuris....each blowup caused us to downsize further as these bass wanted nothing but those tiny rainfish deep in the night......

Still frantic as this periodic feeding activity was going on, I "MacGuyvered" the little gear I have left with me to come up with a black teaser, 2"..... either made by Finchaser or Surfstix....

Still no action, hits or misses.....

I finally gave up, out of steam constant casting for hours,,,,,,my friend gave up soon after......

**Sometimes, the fish win, and you have the feeling that you suck........and have forgotten how to catch.....







(The only thing we didn't throw was a pink Fin-S....in a motivated rush to declutter my car have been taking things out with every trip..am now down just to bare minumum waiting for the inevitable Fat Lady singing......)

It was humbling and dismal...The rainfish were the primary forage and there was no way to tempt at least one of these fish with artificials or at least claim that we lost one.......but that's how it went down, and thusly gets reported.......


Unhappy at getting beaten like that. I slept for 2 hours, hit the beach with a little renewed energy....and continued my streak........did not see anyone else at the beach we were on catch anything this morning either....... Hey, that's fishing......

[DarkSkies]

Maybe we could get him to stay on subject and discus some things like how he gets Stripers to be aggressive and hit his plugs in cold water....

Thanks for the laughs, Monty.....last night the only thing I got...was there are times that I suck, more than anyone else on the planet....I have googan cells in my blood.......

There was no relief from the pressure I put on myself as we kept downsizing and casting, casting, just trying to crack the code.....we couldn't.......

[storminsteve]

Hey dark at least you gave it your best. You can't hit home runs every time. Thanks for the report. Remember if you are ever too tired to mug finchaser I will gladly take over, because that's the kind of friend I am.

[finchaser]

After busting DS on the phone about not throwing a pink Fin-S when bass are on rain fish. i decided to heed my own advise and like the other days dusk trip I got a 26" bass on guess what a pink fin-s fished from 4 to 5:15 pm had 2 other bumps andlike the other day all activity died at dark. Was going to sleep in my truck over night and wait out the fish but figured what the hell I'll go home eat shower and sleep in a bed what a concept.

Hey DS bet you i wouldn't have to fish up wind of SS

Storms rolling in this should bring out Marathon Man to seek his so called window but then again nothing like spending a windy rainy night in a damp car

[buckethead]

DS you should make up a King o Rubber award for finchaser. Nicely done finchaser. I have dropped the time spent out there. as you guys said I think we have that hour at the end of the day and not much more. DS don't feel bad about the rainfish on the dark side been there done that. Some of the most frustrating blitxes I been in on were ones where all I could do was watch them feed on those stupid rainfish.
Sometimes its cool if they are schooled up tight enough the bass will run through them with open mouths. I have had much more success targeting them in the day when they are snacking on those little popcorn bites.

[clamchucker]

Finchaser called it with the pink fin-s. You can give them an erratic retrieve if that helps. I do better also when the rainfish are in thick pods and the bass are most aggressive. You can then soimetimes pick them off with something different like a big danny. It is all about the level of activity. When the water is cold it can get very frustrating. These are the times when a fly caster will outfish a surf caster.

[DarkSkies]

Hey dark at least you gave it your best. You can't hit home runs every time. Thanks for the report. Remember if you are ever too tired to mug finchaser I will gladly take over, because that's the kind of friend I am.

Yes, I am so lucky, ain't I?......




*********

Hey DS bet you i wouldn't have to fish up wind of SS

I told the you the next time I find ya out there after I'm on an all night marathon, I'm gonna grab ya in a bear hug and release some deadly gas after eating eggs and beans.....

After busting DS on the phone about not throwing a pink Fin-S when bass are on rain fish. i decided to heed my own advise and like the other days dusk trip I got a 26" bass on guess what a pink fin-s fished from 4 to 5:15 pm had 2 other bumps andlike the other day all activity died at dark.


Was going to sleep in my truck over night and wait out the fish ...

but figured what the hell I'll go home eat shower and sleep in a bed what a concept.
Storms rolling in this should bring out Marathon Man to seek his so called window but then again nothing like spending a windy rainy night in a damp car

Grumble grumble....30 years ago you were doing that, fishing for 1-2 nights in a row....back when the Stevens Surfsters put fear into the other clubs because you guys got it done....if I could go back in time and do things over, instead of getting drunk and partying during those years....
I wish I coulda tagged along with Joe and the rest of you Grouchy Legends then.......I might have even taken a shower or 2....








** PS as Fin mentioned, the 4-5:15 window is becoming one of the only windows now if you want a real shot at fish activity.....the water is getting cold and fish are most active in late afternoons now......he predicted the latest NE blow might kill most of the action left in NNJ, leaving only SJ with action in limited areas.....and I'm inclined to agree.....

[finchaser]

Blowing an honest 40 now rain coming down side ways, evacuations under way again and power outages all over the place Quick Get Down Here Dark could be a mad dog bite of epic proportion going on. Bring the kyak you may be able to get them in the street if river overflows it's banks.

Also surprised White Water Monty isn't here there are white caps in the streets the inlet is pure white water

[DarkSkies]

^ Thanks for the heads up ya grouchy basstid... ..Just went outside...the wind is only blowing 20 here....I'm telling ya's, it 's gonna lay down....

Heading out now...

[finchaser]

you probably will come out chasing your so call intel Googans

[DarkSkies]

^^

.I'm telling ya's, it 's gonna lay down....

Heading out now...

soon as it lays down I'll be there...warming up the car now so I can go sleep in it....bringing extra blankets.....

So you gonna meet me there.... or not?

[storminsteve]

The wind was 30 miles an hour last night you guys are nutzo.

[finchaser]

^^

soon as it lays down I'll be there...warming up the car now so I can go sleep in it....bringing extra blankets.....

So you gonna meet me there.... or not?

not in this life time

[DarkSkies]

^^Cmon you gloom and doom grouch....I even took a shower last night.....no odor issues...but with the forecast 35mph NW wind it shouldn't bother ya anyway....

[cowherder]

^^ This is why when people read that he manages some teen fish they think he has some sort of special deal with the devil.....and the simple truth is that he puts more time on the water, than most...he is also able to accurately predict when most of the fish should be leaving, or when they may be around......all this, and more, in the upcoming......





Finchaser seminar.......
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...seminar-series

Finchaser tentative topics will be...Check the schedule for times and order..
Note....anyone late for a Finchaser segment of the seminar will be forced to wear a shirt saying "I'm with Dark...in the Dillydock Club..."

1. How to catch fish without using bait.
2. How to outfish all the surfcasters on the beach. (hint - carry a bottle of bunker oil in your pocket)
3. How to avoid being mugged, Parking at one place, fishing another....
4. How to put up with the Googans and Dillydocks....
5. How to read the water
6. How to read weather patterns.....
7. How to appear to be a Grouchy Basstard so folks don't ask you these questions while fishing.....





Special Guests. Speakers, and assorted Crabby Basstards........the Speakers are Tentative so far, subject to change..........


* COB Surfstix......How to catch big bass in inlets and rips with eels....bonus session on becoming a Crabby Old Basstard

* OFFC...Old Farts Fishin Club....How to catch bass that don't appear to be there and make the young fishermen on the beach drool with envy.....

* Shark Hart - Explaining the Obvious differences between Northeast fishing,..... and getting cold and wet, and Northwest fishing, and catching 100 or more fish in 24 hours......

* White Water Monty.....Dual Seminars 1. How to fish Whitewater without drowning...2. How to fish big Hogys/Sluggos and hook and drop big fish, .....
(with a special bonus seminar for early registrants -- How to Pretend you're a Googan when you're really a good surf fisherman..... )

* Surfwalker...Dual Seminars...1. How to travel the whole Striper Coast, and catch big bass along the way
2. How to Properly Outline a Perimeter when dead things are found.....

* Vpass.... Seminars on how to read the Water, How to Fly Fish...and How to Fish at Sandy Hook at night without being killed by a runaway boat...

* Bababooey - How to Insult People and still have them laughing with you....

* Stormin Steve.....How to Bust Balls through Poems and Songs.....

* Madcaster and Surfstix......
Plugmaking 101.....with Special Bonus segment by Madcaster on Mad Photoshop.....

* Rip Plugger---- 1. Making big wood in insane colors....2. Catching blues and bass when most people have given up for the year.....


for the Hunters out there........
* Speedy...... Dual seminars....1. Plugmaking 101, guest speaker with Surfstix and Madcaster.....2. How to stalk and shoot birds when it's very freaking cold out.

* JonthePain.....Dual Seminars....
1. How to kill Crows, lots of em....
2. The Best of the Redneck Lifestyle, with bonus feature How to Put your car up on blocks in your Yard....







stay tuned for details.....
most important....no refunds., no whiners, no internet fishermen.....and no seminars on how to catch fish with clams....

Attachment 15913
I also will do a craft demo on how to make your own. You must provide your own rock and string

hilarious!

[DarkSkies]

IMO it's over water this AM water was 42 and teens tonight

highs 35 lows in the teens the fat lady has sung.


Dark did a Marathon last night and not even a bump in 12 hours

You don't know the half of it....I even managed to hide part of the addiction from you.....




Thu PM 12-28.....
Since I knew of the pending storm....had to get out there....
There may not have been a feeding window...but I felt it was a fishing window......


Started the night off in true googan style...
The wind was 25mph variable, NW, W, N, NE.....very cold.....30 with wind chill putting it into the teens...
Was wearing many layers of clothes, and as I got on the beach and went to take a leak...I peed on my leg....


That set the tone for a miserable 2 hours in the dark.....fished it hard but the wind and cold were brutal, never letting up until it was almost dawn....
Had to stop every half hour b/c couldn't feel my fingers.....

Not a great night out there.....no action or excitement at all for me....other than a wet leg....
Finally ran out of energy and collapsed in the car for a few hours sleep.....
(Yes my leg was still wet where I peed on myself).........Good times.....