Following the Night Tides......Do You have What it Takes?

[DarkSkies]

- if you had to hitch hike you would be easier to notice.
I don't go on or in the water at night- but I am considering taking my yak out with you at night- there is no way I am shark bait with you around!

In the last 6 months you have been one of the best free advertisements for having full amounts of car, homeowners, and life insurance, pal.....
I'm not so sure that being around me is more dangerous than hanging with you...

I know I push the limits when I'm out there.....probably too much at times....
If it makes ya feel safer to point out how wacky I am...feel free.. ..and thanks for the laughs... ....I really do appreciate the ball busting.....I can't tell ya how many laughs I got out of reading that post....

That doesn't look that bad...a bloody picture would have been better.
How do you like that Kuzia style bucktail jig?

Someone who pays attention.
Yes I like the Stan Kuzia style bucktails very much. IMO they have a nice sink rate when fishing deeper water and a nice roll to them.

You sure there is no bloody pic??? A waste of blood without a pic.
First S and A hooked body part of the year and no hook in flesh pic....

I can't bring myself to steal your thunder...given your history....I know a few big time screw ups are in store for ya before the end of the year....
and I am looking forward to each and every one.....complete with pics....I have to say when you post something that's bloody...it really stands out.......we should have an award here just for bloody pics.....
So many worthy examples on Monty's trips out there....
(post 42...Bloody Skunk)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ctionary/page3



It's so refreshing to post about my harrowing experiences out there....and some mooks are telling me there wasn't enough blood in the pic . Thanks for keeping it real, people......I appreciate the ball busting....next time I'll try for a deeper hookset and bigger holes so there is more blood.
Thanks for the laughs...you guys are the best....just what I needed to pull me out of my slump....















** Thanks for the other fishing comments as well...
I put that time in...because it was worth it to me......
Some 20# and bigger fish were scattered through the bunker schools,,,,those were the targets for us.....
In the last 2 weeks it has changed drastically.....
Mostly bluefish....occasional bass....all for a lot of effort.......

The latest obstacle is fire in the water....
It has returned and is plaguing many bay areas.....
I spent the last 2 nights, presenting to fish, in water that was filled with these dinoflagellates....
and filled with bait as well.....very frustratng.....

Fire in the water is a real problem when fishing artificials.
I may have to re-think my strategies for fishing at night....
Maybe even take the kayak out to get far away from the shoreline and into the deeper channels...

[DarkSkies]

Some more night tides pics.....

This is a friend from Delaware......fishes every chance he gets, when he's not working....All pics courtesy of him....
His new addiction is bunker heads...before that it was live eels at night...as he travels the Coast to put himself where the biggest bass are feeding at night......
Note the size of the hooks he is using......







He sent me some pics of bass he was catching Cape May area...in June....
long after everyone else had given up catching larger bass down there....he was getting bass to 30#...at night,,,,by fishing up to 8 hours at a time...

(and if he was lucky...... was only catching one of these nice fish, per trip) all on the night tides......

[baitstealer]

Wow nice fish - that is a monster hook! Looks big enough to catch a shark.

[ledhead36]

....he was getting bass to 30#...at night,,,,by fishing up to 8 hours at a time...

(and if he was lucky...... was only catching one of these nice fish, per trip) all on the night tides......

Thats what its like in March in the rB. No one wants to get off the couch and go out there in the cold. We still manage to find some 20 pounders though. You have to put your time in. Awesome striper. congrats to the guy from Delaware.

[DarkSkies]

Another good night for a NJ friend fishing the night tides.....
He hunts big fish exclusively....he was very disappointed this year because he spent countless hours early season looking for bigger fish.....many 8 hour nights out there with nothing....We've had many conversations how the fish are not available in numbers like they used to be for us.....

He did have some good nights.
Most of his fish were caught within a 30 night period from May-June....
And every one of them had to do with large bunker schools passing through....
The latest of his big fish......mid-June.....he had a 1 1/2 hour window to catch these fish....after that the activity was completely dead...
He got 3 large fish to 35# in that short window.






I got there a little late for the party....and as a result got nothing.
All fish caught on bunker heads....he released the 2 largest, and kept this one, about 30#.

[buckethead]

That's a quality fish there, congrats to your friend.

[DarkSkies]

Thanks for the feedback, people. Remember that this is like finding a needle in a haystack....lots of hours needed to be put in, to be on the beach when these fish rolled through......
Here's a summary of my night tide reports for the first 2 weeks of July...
If you look at the 2 weeks prior to that on the previous page, you can see a definite difference in the quality and quantity of fish. The latest night menu is mostly scattered blues...with a few occasional bass thrown in.

You never know when those conditions will change for the better....even if just for that night.....hence the push to be out there as often as I can....







7-2-14 AM
Fished 3 hours, managed 6 bluefish to 7#.
Nice to see blues that were somewhat larger.
Initially, I was getting frustrated, no fish on any of the usual plugs. Finally went back old-school and started throwing a black magnum redfin, slow retrieve. Under the new moon darkness that seemed to be the ticket, (though I was throwing other black plugs, with no results)



** Sometimes it is what it is, and figuring that out.....is one of the biggest challenges the surfcaster faces at night. There were no bunker around at all, and all the small fish that were nipping at the bucktail the other night were gone.


7-3-14 AM
Fished 2 1/2 hours. 5 bluefish to 6#... black bomber. One bass 13# on rapala swimmer, All released.
Bunker were around this time, but the little mystery fish were not.


7-4-14 AM
Fished 3 hours. 4 bluefish to 5#. 2 bass to 14#. Small swimmer. All released.


7-5-14 AM
Fished 2 hours. Wind was from the N, and kind of strong, steady 15-20mph.No fish at all.
**(North wind in NNJ is my least favorite wind)

7-8-14 AM
Fished 2 hours. Fished hard, some bunker around, not a touch from a bass. Finally a small bluefish on a black redfin. Very happy as that lone fish saved me from the skunk.


7-10-14 AM
Fished 3 hours, bunker around. No action at all. Skunk
Did run into an old time mentor I hadn't seen in 20 years. We spent the down time talking about the way things used to be, and how easy itwas to catch fish at night.....almost year round in NJ.
Sadness crept over me like a dark cloud.


7-11-14 AM
Fished 2 hours in the ocean. 4 hours total.Scattered bunker around. Great conditions, wind slowly shifting to NE pattern. Still no bass to be found (for me). Lots of small bait. Spearing 2-3" Tied a teaser on and caught a hickory shad.

On the way home, I was frustrated at the time and effort I was putting in, and the very spotty results of the last few days. Stopped at a back bay spot that had held some bluefish for me. Water dirty and weedy. Had to wade out very far. The possibility of meeting up with a brown shark was in the back of my mind.
Tried small bottle popper. Only raised 2 fish in 1/2 hour. Almost ready to give up after running through all the small plugs I had, not a touch.

Put another popper on, this time a sinking popper, with a teaser.
(Brand: Monty Super Special Tube Teasers)
That setup got me 2 bluefish in the next hour. Was very happy to have that teaser. Without that teaser there would have been no success that night.
What was also notable is they hit the teaser, in front of the popper, in the dark, cloudy sky, at night, preferred that over the popper.
The popper I believe..... just had the effect of drawing scattered fish to the area I was casting in.
Total ...one hickory shad....3 small blues, all on Monty's teaser.


7-13-14 AM
Fished 3 1/2 hours.
Got out too late to fish the ocean and the winds weren't what I was looking for. Settled into some back bay flats fishing. Found some fish in the first few minutes but the pattern was different than 2 nights before.

That night, they all hit the teaser, only the teaser. This trip they would not touch it. I finally settled into a routine where I pissed off each and every fish to get it to smash the popper. The action was pretty good, with long periods of inactivity. Seems like they were coming into the flats and feeding in small groups.





Note the Surfstix teaser tail hook that got these fish...thanks Surfstix!
Managed 10 blues to 6#...missed at least twice as many.


What was exciting:
1. The size was notably bigger (we're still talking about small bluefish here, but some were fat from feeding on the small bait, up to 6#), There were no real small ones, with the smallest going around 3#, and the majority closer to the larger size.

2. These bluefish, once hooked, went crazy, tail walking and jumping out of the water. Even some of the ones I missed.... Were spectacular misses....incredible top water savage strikes in the dark....very high adrenalin level for me.
When people talk about how easy bluefish are to catch, I challenge them to catch 10 bluefish in a night on artificials, when they are scattered, and the only thing that calls them in is your skill at presentation..

3. It was damn hard, I worked for every fish......Also notable is that this is a pure night bite.Even with overcast skies, all activity turned off an hour before dawn.




7-14-14 AM
Couldn't fish the ocean as the winds were not favorable.
Went to the bay instead. When I got down to the water, there were some lightning storms forecast on the radar. I geared up to go out, after having looked at the pattern. Thought better of it when I saw the big lightning coming my way. Decided to go back in the vehicle and wait it out.
Fished 2 hours as I waded out and looked for some fish.
Within 5 minutes I knew it would not be the same as the night before. Kept at it for 1 1/2 hours and could not even raise a fish with a popper. Finally 1/2 hour before I was set to leave I managed 1 small bluefish around 5# on a popper. There were fish sporadically feeding around me but nothing like the night before.

My thoughts --
1. The winds muddying up the bay water has the effect of scattering the bait and greatly affects the fishing. Also the water seemed a little colder than the night before. In my experience a temp drop of as little as 5-7 degrees can shut the activity off as well. The end of day bay temps are much higher. I believe that's why I have been having a bit of success doing this fishing deep in the night.

2. The current colder ocean temps have caused some fish to stay behind that in warmer water. I noticed this the other night when I ran into thousands of spearing in some bay areas and marinas. When I got to the ocean the ones that should have drifted out with the tide, were not there.



7-15-14 AM
**[I want to caution anyone reading this who's thinking of fishing at night.......that you need to understand and be dialed into the weather.
I obsessively check 4 weather sources before I head out. Some of ya's have gotten calls from me asking what's forecast on the radar. Lightning on the beach can kill you in an instant Every year another fisherman, swimmer, or surfer dies from lightning....
So please be careful out there....
Any time I feel nervous, I hold off for awhile and take a nap till it's over....being a tough guy when lightning is forecast...could be the end of your life.]

There were intense thunderstorms predicted for early evening. Got down to the water and it was pouring. I had looked at the radar pattern and wanted to time it so I was heading out as the last one was past me. Thunderstorms were way too intense. Took a nap.

When I woke up it was too late to fish the original place, so I had to drive somewhere else.
Got out on the water, it was beautiful....ocean not bad...not too roiled up at that moment...I was very optimistic about catching..
Fished 1 1/2 hours. That was the window for that night..not a touch for me.
I think the storms scattered some of the bait that was around, and it may need 24-48 hours to re-group before the fish are actively feeding at night again.

[jigfreak]

Lightning on the beach can kill you in an instant Every year another fisherman, swimmer, or surfer dies from lightning....
So please be careful out there....
Any time I feel nervous, I hold off for awhile and take a nap till it's over....being a tough guy when lightning is forecast...could be the end of your life.]

Good point you don't want to mess around with lightning. It's very unpredictable. Nice reports dark.

[seamonkey]

Had to wade out very far. The possibility of meeting up with a brown shark was in the back of my mind.

That brown shark is more than a possibility. Dark I don't know exactly which bay flats and channels you are fishing but the sharks are in the bays. Here is a pic of a striper that got bit in half by a shark! He was fishing in the back of brigantine. Some guys were recently discussing having caught bull sharks in the past from the bulkheads of LBI. They are among the most unpredictable and nastiest of all sharks. I really enjoy the stories and reports but please be careful out there dude!

[Monty]

^^^^^
Wow, great pic. Thanks for posting that.

[DarkSkies]

Seamonkey thanks for the warning. I have a friend who yells at me every time I go out there. He keeps saying it's only a matter of time.
There are some sharks where I fish. Friends who were fishing bait all had their wire leaders sliced through about 2 weeks ago.
I'm aware that the Manasquan Creek attack of 1916 was the work of a bull shark.

The thing about most sharks is they are attracted to movement, blood, and bait smell. Once I'm out there I try not to move around too much. Don't carry bait with me, and whenever possible try not to bleed into the water.
I know people who skish who take much bigger risks. Just Ed, Jake Freeman, and Frank Blasko are some of the most hardcore skishers out there.
Of course we don't want to forget the Godfather of Skishing, Paul Melnyk.

Take a look at some of these threads. These guys take much more risks than I do.
The life of a skisher
skishing?

Thought some would like to see the skisherman videos again.
Frank and Paul really ramp up the shark encounter risk level, bobbing around there at night with wetsuits.






The trailer....dedicated to the exploits of Paul and Frank....
Warning, graphic language...if you are easily offended, don't watch......











**I have consistently shared my experiences that bass are not around in numbers that they used to be, I and some others are really pushing it during the night tides to catch some fish. I want folks to understand it's not that easy, and that we do take precautions to try to minimize the danger.

As for me, I try not to think about sharks. put them out of my mind while I'm out there....
If I focused on the danger, I would never be able to successfully fish some of the places I do.....
The reality of it is....except in the cases of bull sharks....many of our local shark species are much more wary and afraid of us, than we are of them.

I have been wading the flats at night for years and have yet to run into a dangerous shark.
Thanks for the words and thoughts, they are appreciated..

[Monty]

[/B]As for me, I try not to think about sharks. put them out of my mind while I'm out there....
If I focused on the danger, I would never be able to successfully fish some of the places I do.....

I don't consider sharks a danger to surf fishing, even when wading out far.
Has there been any shark "events" with surf fisherman?
Lightning is dangerous, current and drop offs, soft sand and jettys all dangerous.

[J Barbosa]

I am more worried about getting hit by a boat when wading or on a kayak in New Jersey...

In fact a few people have almost been hit by boats running aground while fishing the tip of Sandy Hook at night the past few years.

I haven't heard any close calls with sharks recently.

[DarkSkies]

In fact a few people have almost been hit by boats running aground while fishing the tip of Sandy Hook at night the past few years.

John.....Vpass is one of em......when people talk about "that guy who almost got killed by a boat at Sandy Hook"....his close call comes to mind....
(post #18)
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...up-boats-on-SH

[surferman]

I hope no one takes this personal. For the guys who fish a lot and also the ones that skish what do you do to prevent swamp a**? Must be a lot of moisture in the crotch area. I know when I am fishing for more than 3 hours I get all sweaty and funky. How do you deal with that if you are out almost every night? do you have 5 pairs of waders or 5 wetsuits? That could get real expensive.

[DarkSkies]

Surferman, Finchaser may have 5 pairs of waders. All neatly organized and hanging upside down in his garage on special hangers. The man has every single thing in his life organized and categorized. You wouldn't believe the amount of dyno label maker sticky tape he goes through each week. For the rest of us, we have to make do, with one or two pairs. My gear gets wet, a lot. My body as well.

I can't answer for the skishers out there, but one thing that has helped me greatly is cornstarch baby powder.



I'm dumping that in my crotch every time I go out there. Also have a small container in the milk crate where I keep my surf gear in case I need it. Without that, I think your personal parts could get moldy. Hope that helps.

[J Barbosa]

The water is over 70 degrees in the bay right now.

Get a pair of swim shorts, a t-shirt, and some sandals.

[fishinmission78]

^^^^ Aren't you the guy that was talking about the horseshoe crabs tickling your toes in the spring? No offense meant but no thanks to the sandals. If you tried that at island beach the critters would eat you alive. Skeeters no see ums and black flies here. Biggest in NJ. You would have so many welts on your legs it would look like chicken pox. I guess you don't have to deal with that. You don't know the agony you are missing. The sedges at night can be brutal. Try to fish here one day with those clothes. I bet you will buy a case of Off before you do it the next time.

[bababooey]

^^^^ Aren't you the guy that was talking about the horseshoe crabs tickling your toes in the spring?

Hey didnt you ever hear of the phrase different strokes for different folks?
Some like to see women trampling bugs. Some like horseshoe crabs. Maybe its a fetish or something. Leave the poor guy alone.

[J Barbosa]

Certain winds make the bugs intolerable up here too but I bet those sedges are a great breading ground.

There is a favorite spot of mine that I know holds some bass through the summer...god help anyone who tried to fish it during the summer. The mosquitoes are brutal and there are too many ticks!