NJ Fishing Reports for October 2013.....wwwStripersAndAnglers.com

[DarkSkies]

The bass are dead because fishermen have killed them.
Another vote for Dark to stop apologizing for his opinion.

^^ Sorry for the late response here....
Bassbuddah, plugginpete, and Monty.... thanks so much for the kind words.

As some of you may know, there is no middle ground with me.....I can be very generous...have helped hundreds of folks over the years...given away enough tackle to newcomers to open a small shop....I can also be very moody and stubborn....even some of ya's who are friends....have gotten a hostile reception when you run into me at night if I don't recognize you.....(Monty would remember this... )


I know I can be very "preachy" at times.......
And have probably alienated some folks because of it.....
Every day Pebbles reminds me that I more and more resemble a younger version of the Old Grouchy Basstid Finchaser.. ..

I have done a lot of self-analysis over the years and listened to feedback from others...
It has become clear to me that many folks don't like to be preached at, or to....unless they pay you for the privelege...such as at a seminar....













Some things that I have tried to be expressly aware of...
1. I have seen there is a divide, between the perceptions of those who fish from boats, and those who fish from land.
2. There are many of us who do both....and those are the ones who I feel understand the big picture better....
3. Others only fish a small area for most of the time they fish, or base their understanding of where the fish stocks are at, based on what they read on the internet....
4. I am a strong Conservationist......There is a big difference between being a Conservationist, and an Environmentalist...anyone who knows me knows of the continuous battles I have waged against Environmentalists, the folks from PEW, and PETA...etc,,,
That being said, I have learned it is not effective to shove my views on anyone else.....

5. I am honored by the reference to Bob Pond..but really am not comfortable with it....
In my fights to preserve fishing for all, and fishing Access, I have traveled the East Coast to go to meetings in support....

However, I am simply in awe of Bob Pond and all he did. There is no way my minor achievements could ever hold a candle to them.....

I know so many more old timers, like Finchaser and his friends, (the original founders of the JCAA),,,,and some of the old timers here....like Surfwalker, the OFFC.. and others....these people, in my opinion, are the true unsung heroes of fighting for our fisheries....and again, although I hope when I am dead, some will recognize the work that I tried to do...in no way do I feel I will come close to having made the progress and overcome some of the obstacles that some of these people did....

6. If you want to give credit to someone...give it to them, and yourselves...
Bassbuddah, you were one of the original members who raised awareness about the closed Fishing Access at Shoreham Beach....you and other members here,. have fought in the shadows, in support of Conservation Goals, for many years....you all deserve credit for the strides we have made as fishermen....and helping folks to learn for themselves.....

[DarkSkies]

My biggest assets are probably
- determination,
- resilience,
- refusal to let folks out there, accept the status quo....
- communication skills
- getting to know many of the old timers in the world of Salt Water fishing, talk with them, and then summarizing and conveying what they have taught.....

* And most importantly, the ability to humble myself, when addressing others.....
...without that, there can be no progress or growth......






* None of this is gained by preaching, or shoving my beliefs down someone's throat.....
There are still people out there who are highly offended when they read posts about catch and release...or claims that the striped bass biomass is declining...
Some of my family members don't understand why I would go fishing and release the fish....it makes it that much easier to understand why folks we don't know, may judge doing that harshly.......

* I have found education to be the best way....but educating folks, is a slow process....
We are only now, starting to see many of the top people in the fishing world, starting to talk about conservation....
And drawing analogies between conditions now....and those right before the moratorium in the late 1970's....

It's so important to make that distinction between Conservation, and Preservationism/Environmentalism














When you see my apologetic way of writing....it's because I have become aware that folks who have different beliefs, are now checking in our forums.....

** There is an old phrase I try to live by, and look for, in times of uncertainty....."You can't please everyone..."
I do know that....but don't want to give anyone a chance to discount the message....simply because they are opposed to a small piece of what I may be stating on that particular day....

The message I am trying to get across, is so important.... that I want to feel I am reaching even the most critical opponent....
Hope that clears things up a bit, and thanks for reading.....

[surfstix1963]

Surf sucks in NY any fish that do come through are way out there, bass and blues are mostly in the rips out in Montauk, boats are doing well diamond jigging surf is pretty dead out there I hear.

[finchaser]

13 bass 16 to 28" all on jig head and salt and pepper rip tide mullet

[Monty]

Nice reports all

13 bass 16 to 28" all on jig head and salt and pepper rip tide mullet

Nice action, I am guessing Dark was not within 20 miles

[fishinmission78]

Picked up an almost keeper yesterday before dark. oc on the beach above the park. daiwa. Nice reports fellas.

[robmedina]

I fished LBI last night on incoming Wasn't really a get out and find bass kind of trip more of a - get out and fish period kind of trip. Got word of a pod of bunker on the beach in a certain area. Went there with a buddy and saw some dark areas in the water that as time went on seemed to be moving. Not sure if it was a pod of bunker as I have never seen one. I can tell you this- there was no bird or fish activity related to that mass. I through a bunker snag a few times with no results. I chunked some bunker I bought and caught an armadillo, well that's what the skate looked like- he was all curled up and made himself feel larger than it was. Went to the back with the remaining bunker, got some taps but nothing hooked up- hook got logged in the coral or a rock and I was done.

[finchaser]

Nice reports all


Nice action, I am guessing Dark was not within 20 miles

you are 100% right

This morning 5 AM to 7 AM released 11 bass between 14 and 27 inches caught on jig head and pink finesse as they were goring themselves on rain fish

[robmedina]

Fin are you fishing north or south? Not specifics of course, but if you are fishing anywhere south of IBSP- that would be of comfort to me.