Presentation and selecting the correct plug/metal rubber. Surftstix that's it in a nutshell for me.
Its what I need to improve on and its also the most fun aspect of surf fishing for me.
Learning, trying out what works and doesn't. Figuring it out. So much to learn.
Presentation, presentation, presentation, presentation......presentation.
White Water Monty 2.00 (WWM)
Future Long Islander (ASAP)
Fish the tides. I knew a little about this already, especially in the back of the raritan bay. I assumed the ocean was more flexible, but dark helped me dial in a little better. All I can say is I want to learn the hard and soft structure better. Learning that there are times when it will be totally dead and another time when its alive with fish. I give you guys credit for fishing all the hours you do. I would never have seen that from fishing 2 hours.
Steve, you already have a great natural instinct.
Honestly, it didn't use to be that hard.
I remember a few years ago, maybe 6, 7. The peanuts were thick in the back of the bay and you could go to Sandy Hook at night, throw a storm shad, and catch some nice bass into the teens, casting from most of the beaches there.
Because the fish were so thick and the food so abundant, it didn't matter much what part of the tide you fished. As long as you threw those shads in the dark you were assured of getting a few bass.
Now that things are different, it seems to me, in certain areas, there is a feed during a particular time. Finchaser is finding the feed related to beginning and end of day. I'm finding it related to the tide.
The food moves in and out with the tides, and when I can focus on some of that, I can find fish. Last night I went to some sure-fire places and the fish just weren't there....tide and lack of forage where I was probably had a lot to do with that....as they say.....hey that's fishing....
Great thread so far people, keep up the good work.
I'm also playing the cooler temperatures at different stages of the tide that turns them on sometimes as much as 10 degrees
Pay attention to what history has taught us or be prepared to relive it again
Fin makes a great point here. I'm finding the fish to be sluggish at certain tide stages. If you want to increase your chances of bass success during the hot summer doldrums, being a little obsessive about finding cooler water will help you. It's so important I will avoid places I feel the water is too hot for good artificial action.
And remember, this is in reference to fishing artificials.....it's my experience that when fishing bait this can be important, but is less critical.
The Value of the One...as Opposed to Many.....
There are times when you hear reports here about multiple fish....
Those are great times, and the adrenalin you feel if you're lucky to be in on a double digit (or, more rare, triple digit) bite is off the charts....
That adrenalin can be addictive.
I should know, because that adrenalin, and looking for that to happen, has me hooked...
It doesn't always happen that way, though...
Even for the best of the best, on an average night if you get a few fish, it's a good night....
What if you fish all night, and can't find any fish at all?
Sometimes that's just the way it is.
As we say, hey that's fishing....
Hovever, if you do get a fish, even one or 2....the feeling to me, is sometimes more triumphant, than catching fish after fish.....
Some put it in simple terms....
"Hey you found a lucky fish...."
Yup, I agree....
But sometimes it's much more, psychologically...
That one or 2 fish....that you hunted for and found despite conditions not being optimal....sometimes makes it all worthwhile....