NJ Fishing Reports for Winter 2014....www.StripersAndAnglers.com

[bababooey]

Just got back tried the fly rod with clams as it was a little brisk for a fly. just a bunch of shorts Even wore my Effum all hoodie to stay warm

Curious about the mechanics of the clam and fly rod combo. Did you use an inline egg sinker for distance against the wind or was the weight of the clam enough to get it out there with the 38mph winds?

[finchaser]

I use a littleneck clam on the 1/2 shell with hole drilled for hook to go through

[storminsteve]

I use a littleneck clam on the 1/2 shell with hole drilled for hook to go through

Still using bait, what a piker!

I got my first NJ keeper bass last night after midnight. Artificial only, baby!
How I did it - I went to an unnamed inlet, and fished the incoming tide which I thought would be warmer. After the warm sun yesterday it was probably in the 40 degree range but I did not have a temp gage. I was using a bucktail with pork rind after midnight. It was dark and cold but I did feel life out there, did feel some things bumping my line. So I brought my rig back in and put a teaser on. It was a very small one about 18" above the bucktail. I kept doing that for another 15 minutes as the bumps on my line increasd. I was figuring they were bunker or herring but I could not see them. Finally I got a hit!!! (or maybe I snagged it I am not sure)
It felt and swam like a herring or small bunker. I pluyed it out because I thought it would be my only fish of the night. When it stopped fighting so much I reeled it in to see what it was. BAM!!!!!! All of a sudden the line got hit like it was snagged. I tried to free it and it took off! I thought it was on the teaser so I was careful fighting did not want to lose it.
I fought it for a few minutes and gradually gained line. I think the bucktail and pork was near the bottom because as it got close I got hit again! Presumably on the bucktail. Then it was on! It felt like I had a giant shark or bluefish on because my rod was bowed in half and it was heavy!
I was thinking it couldn't be a bluefish because it is too cold for them now. As I got it close to the inlet rocks I could see it was a keeper striper that ate my herring, and a fluke!!!!! Fluke are out of season now. I took a pic of both of them, kissed them and released for good luck! I was the only crazy out there fishing.

Hoping to see more action, I pulled out my trusty clambrella rig that I made following the helpful hints on this site. Instead of clams I used popcorn. I casted it out and let the incoming tide take it into the channel toward the middle of the inlet. I got a few more bumps or hits but no takers. There were birds coming around to eat the popcorn that was falling off the hooks. I was cold and tired so i called it a night.

I want to thank buckethead and finchaser for their perseverance and advice on fishing this cold weather. Without their old salty advice I would have never hooked up in the first place. Check out my pic and tell me what you think!

[baitstealer]

Wow thats awesome congrats on the fish! North or South jersey if I may ask?

[hookset]

^^^^^^Total bs but entertaining none the less. You left enough clues in there for Hansel and Gretel to find their way out.

[Monty]

Still using bait, what a piker!
Instead of clams I used popcorn. I casted it out and let the incoming tide take it into the channel toward the middle of the inlet. I got a few more bumps or hits but no hookups. There were birds coming around to eat the popcorn that was falling off the hooks. I was cold and tired so i called it a night.

I want to thank buckethead and finchaser for their perseverance and advice on fishing this cold weather. Without their old salty advice I would have never hooked up in the first place.

I'm confused, is popcorn an artificial or considered bait?




You should be writer SS

[cowherder]

^^^That was the post of the week, SS!
monty not sure what class popcorn is if you go by the previous definition of jbarbosa. According to him everything is related to the earth so I dunno maybe even the flies you guys tie could be consider as descending from organic matter.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...-piece-of-meat
To me popcorn is a food and if it can be eaten it qualifies as bait. So if SS was using popcorn that would have to be bait, no?
fictionally speaking, lolol.

[buckethead]

I want to thank buckethead and finchaser for their perseverance and advice on fishing this cold weather. Without their old salty advice I would have never hooked up in the first place. Check out my pic and tell me what you think!

Who you calling old? Thanks for nothing.

[plugcrazy]

First keeper striper and no weigh in or prize claiming in the tackle shop? What a waste ss you need to get your priorities straight it's not official unless you can thump your chest and win a prize for it lol. I was bored today and looking for something to take that boredom away. Your report got me until I was 3/4 of the way through and you put the fluke in there. Without that you may have had a chance. Really enjoyed reading that good writing skills keep it up.

[surferman]

Plug I do agree with what you are saying there is too much results oriented focus rather than the joy of fishing out there. The one thing I do want to say in support of the tackle shops is that in the beginning of the season almost no one is fishing. Especially with cold like it is now. So those shops have to get people out there otherwise there will be no reports at all. And they do need money too so they have to get that marketing going and get folks in the money spending mood. Without the mom and pop tackle shops all we would have is walmarts cabelas and bass pro shops. And I do not think that would be a good thing. my .02

[fishinmission78]

Fished yesterday in the back for 2 hours mid day. one small runt on clams. Should be better this time of year but the water is still cold and this spot should have been holding a lot more fish. Very creative report stormin steve keep em coming.