Surfcasting 201 - The Surfcasters' Bible....Artificial Only thread....

[DarkSkies]

We already have a thread here called Surf Fishing Tips 101....
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...rf+fishing+101

Very helpful, informative, and I thank all the folks who contributed to it.....

[DarkSkies]

However, throughout my travels in different states, I have run into a lot of folks who are really trying to catch striped bass on Artificials.....

Some of them, unbelievably, have never caught a bass this way.

I imagine them reading the reports of some of us, and saying to themselves...
"These guys are full of BS.....HOW the HECK can they catch all those fish, when I can't even catch one?"



First off, I want to let you folks out there know that if you can't catch bass on artificials, you aren't alone....
There are many times I walk the beach on the way home and see people trying, and not a lot of catching going on...
I feel bad for these folks...especially when I see a Dad with his Son, and see they are both trying, giving it their best....

[DarkSkies]

I think back to when I started using artificials. to catch my first keeper bass, and remember the difficulties I had,....the days turned into months, and finally years.....

Because I have to be quite honest here....
I have been fishing for striped bass since I was 10 years old....
And caught plenty of them using clams and other bait....

But once I made the transition to artificials....
It took me two years of effort to catch my first keeper bass....

Plenty of short fish, bluefish, and "almost" keepers during that time...
But I really didn't understand the big picture, and didn't have enough skill to know about time, tides, moon phases, where fish were feeding in the water column, and most importantly, presentation skills.











And, there was no internet to help me, had to do it all by trial and error, and some mentors I was lucky enough to meet along the way.....

[DarkSkies]

So I thought this thread could be Strictly about Surfcasting Tips for Using Artificials....
and maybe the thoughts that go through your head when you are out there....


I have some things I may be posting here from time to time as I get a chance...
For example, some may recall me saying "A good surfcaster...." as a preface to many of my reports, etc. As time permits I will try to search for them and post them here.....


In the meantime if any of you want to talk about what works for you when using artificials, and any general or specific suggestions about what you do to catch fish, feel free to jump in....thanks!

[storminsteve]

Learn one beach at a time-
I think one of the things you told me is to learn one beach at a time. I am amazed at the subtleties you get into, the level of detail in your thinking. Your advice to me the other night was spot on. I am beginning to think you can see them under water. And to think that way back when you were a googan who took 2 years to catch a keeper!

[paco33]

Don't be a superman with your casts. Sometimes the fish are right at your feet.

[DarkSkies]

Thanks and good suggestions guys, keep em coming....

Learn one beach at a time-
I think one of the things you told me is to learn one beach at a time. I am amazed at the subtleties you get into, the level of detail in your thinking. Your advice to me the other night was spot on. I am beginning to think you can see them under water.

Steve, that's part of my problem, part of the addiction. I have gotten to know the places I fish like the back of my hand. I really have a sense of where they might be when I'm casting. There are times when I'm home at night, and the winds and the tides will be such that I feel the fish are calling me.. I'm compelled to be out there, whether I catch or not, because the conditions compel me to......


Once you get to that point, a good surfcaster looks to travel to different areas and apply what they have learned to these new places, making note of conditions that are similar and trying to see if the fish will be there as well.




*******

How many times have you been out there, and praying for a fish?.....






"Lord Save me from the Skunk...."

It's 3am....
you've been fishing all night....

Your body is soaked with sweat....
Been hit by a few waves...each time reminding you how good it feels to be alive....and out there fishin......

You're casting, and casting.....
Not a tap.........

You put in a Prayer to King Neptune....
even that doesn't work....

So you say the words, out loud..or maybe you mutter them under your breath.....Lord, save me from the Skunk...."

You continue casting and casting....
Some casts, you actually close your eyes,,,,trying to sense, when a fish may be near the end of your line......

And Finally..... you get that hit.....
The one you've been waiting for, at the end of your line.....

Your Adrenalin pumps up.....
The groggy half-asleep head on your shoulders shakes itself into action....
Your fingers and arms, instinctively know what to do......
Your hookset is solid.....
and you have that one fish...that you asked for...to save you from the Skunk....

[storminsteve]

Amen, brother!

[hookset]

Your Adrenalin pumps up.....
The groggy half-asleep head on your shoulders shakes itself into action....
Your fingers and arms, instinctively know what to do......
Your hookset is solid.....
and you have that one fish...that you asked for...to save you from the Skunk....

I hear you, know that feeling.

[surfstix1963]

Learn to present the plugs properly,then learn when to use them and have a good understanding of why you chose them.Learn everything you can about a specific plug the how and why it is designed the way it is,if you do this presenting it will give you a head start to the learning game.You don't take a metal lip in a heavy heave and if you don't have current a darter is a waste of time leave it home etc.

[CharlieTuna]

Learn to present the plugs properly,then learn when to use them and have a good understanding of why you chose them.Learn everything you can about a specific plug the how and why it is designed the way it is,if you do this presenting it will give you a head start to the learning game.You don't take a metal lip in a heavy heave and if you don't have current a darter is a waste of time leave it home etc.

Spot on advice surfstix.

[Monty]

"Quote Originally Posted by surfstix1963 View Post
Learn to present the plugs properly,then learn when to use them and have a good understanding of why you chose them.Learn everything you can about a specific plug the how and why it is designed the way it is,if you do this presenting it will give you a head start to the learning game.You don't take a metal lip in a heavy heave and if you don't have current a darter is a waste of time leave it home etc."

Spot on advice surfstix.

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.

[storminsteve]

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.

[DarkSkies]

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.

[finchaser]

I'm also playing the cooler temperatures at different stages of the tide that turns them on sometimes as much as 10 degrees

[DarkSkies]

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.

[DarkSkies]

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....

[DarkSkies]

I was talking about this with a sitemember and friend the other night. He mostly fishes the LI Sound.
He's a very good fisherman in his own regard, and seems to catch fish when not many others are able to....

He's recently gotten addicted to sight fishing the bays, coves, and shallow rockpiles of the Sound.
He explained to me that on a normal trip, they may raise a few bass.
The hookup and release may only be one fish, for the whole day.
What they try to do is find feeding bass in the shallows, sneak up on them,, and then target the largest bass to try and catch......
Sounds do-able, but in reality it ain't that easy.....


And that, therefore, was the challenge, as he explained to me....

"Rich, I know how to catch bass...I've caught thousands in my lifetime.
At some point I asked myself....OK now what's next, what is my next challenge? And this is it for me.
Even though I know how to catch bass on flys, the yak, and from the surf, the chasing after and hunting down of the fish, really gets me going.
I get more satisfaction out of going out, hunting bass all morning, and maybe landing just one.
The feeling of teasing that one fish, to hit your artificial presentation, when it is normally feeding on crabs and live forage, is addictive! I would rather do that, than catch 10 bass in a blitz...."














So, in a sense, he explained to me his new-found perspective, of hunting for fish...
Not the easy ones, but the difficult ones...

And the satisfaction, and the adrenalin rush he gets, from targeting and catching these bass.....

I couldn't agree more....
Monty mentioned something about perspective, and I wanted to tie that comment into this conversation I had with my friend from LI.

Good stuff guys....

[paco33]

ISo, in a sense, he explained to me his new-found perspective, of hunting for fish...
Not the easy ones, but the difficult ones...

And the satisfaction, and the adrenalin rush he gets, from targeting and catching these bass.....

I couldn't agree more....
Monty mentioned something about perspective, and I wanted to tie that comment into this conversation I had with my friend from LI.

Good stuff guys....

I agree too. Finding one bass or even a blue when there are no fish around is a good feeling.

[Monty]

I agree too. Finding one bass or even a blue when there are no fish around is a good feeling.

I'm with you on this too. I have many outings where I'll catch one Striper (not stripper SS), and sure feels good catching that one.
Seeing Dark (or others on this site) on some of the outings land one bass, I give credit for resiliency and skill to find and fool that fish with an artificial. Takes more skill in catching one bass than 5 or 10 at times (at my skill level catching that one bass is pretty good for me (blind squirrel finding a nut) at times).
The degree of difficulty can be pretty high based on the location, weather, tide, bait present and lack of sleep.
Never mind the fact that most of the bass are dead.