HOW TO: fish a Noreaster!

[DarkSkies]

Allright I know a lot of you guys are upset, it's nasty out and ya can't fish.

And when the weather clears up, it will be chocolate milk and pea soup in the water for a day or so.....

So does that mean ya can't fish?
That's up to you.

The following are some tips and some sage advice that came from some of the sharpies I know in real life and on here.


We're giving you some valuable and secrit advice in this thread. A road map if you will....

The rest is up to you.....

Cable TV?
OR
Noreaster fishin?

[finchaser]

Satellite TV

But this was a southeaster so instead of my clam and bunker head hi-low rig with 16 ounce storm sinker . I guess I'll use my heaver and conventional reel with the super secret clambrella rig

[DarkSkies]

I'll break this down into bait fishin, and plugging, to specifically address the different tastes out there. You can fly fish in a noreaster as well, but you have to use sinking Clousers that weigh 12 oz each. We'll try to cover that topic in a more advanced thread later on...maybe at the Spring Shorebird seminar I'm thinking of doing.


Bait fishing: Gear Needed


1 or 2 tuna rods.
You only need one, but for the hard-core guys who can handle it I recommend 2.
Sand spikes
Make sure they're specially made for noreast fishing, or make your own with 4' of rebar cut on a diagonal to deal with the required deep-set anchoring needed for fishing bait in big surf.
Sinkers - 24oz - 48oz
8 oz sinkers are for sissies and googs. The hardcore noreaster fishermen know that the real fish are caught by clams that are anchored into the sand, so the fish can find em. If ya can't find a sinker that big, a window sash from an old window will do.

Strong line - 100-150# test
When those big cows come through in the surf looking for your offering, you don't want to lose the fish of a lifetime. Al McReynolds caught his allegedly during a noreaster, ya never know when the next 75# fish will be swimmin by in all that dirty cloudy water with the sand that irritates their gills.

A big pot of coffee to keep in your beach buggy - you can also mix with hot chocolate if ya want.
Remember that ya need access to a quick toilet if ya get the runs. Nothing is more uncomfortable than trying to pull your wet sweaty rain soaked clothes down in a hurry when the Hershey squirts feel like making an appearance.


Bait of choice - stinky clams, and stinky bunker
Let it sit outside for a day or 2 before the noreaster. Then, right before you leave the house, pop it in the microwave on "high" for 10 minutes. This will guarantee a most pungent aroma for the fish, and that your wife or girlfriend will be glad to have you gone a day or 2 as you pursue the cows on the beach during the noreasters.

Method of fishing - clam and bunker buffet rig.
Why bother fishing them separately? Put them together on a hi-low to increase your chances. This will also keep the cow nose rays away, as the clam swinging near the bunker acts like a scarecrow to spook them.

[DarkSkies]

Don't worry about bringing your $400 honey lami to the beach during the noreasters. You will just feel out of place with them unless you're at Montauk, where you have to prove 12' Lami ownership when you get the permits at the County golf course.



For all of NJ, Delaware, and LI with the exception of Montauk, the following gear will work just fine:

13-16' surf rod -
You can get them at Wal Mart. They frequently have them on special, and it won't be too much of a tragedy as the 12' waves toss you on the beach and rocks and break the rod.

VS 250 -
You need a reel at least this big to get out past the breakers. Most of the hardcore guys who fish during a noreaster catch their fish past the 3rd breaker, about 200 feet out. If ya can't cast this far, don't bother, stay home. Only use 10# braid so you can pack on as much line as possible to get your presentation out there.

Presentations:
Metal - 12-16 oz diamond jigs with green chartreuse tails. -
Bucktails - 8-12 oz with bright pink 8" grubs attached to them -
Don't bother with teasers in rough surf, unless it has 24 hours to settle down, then you may use the teasers. However, everyone knows big cows want big meals, and that's what you want to be giving to them.

Fishing method:
These presentations will be very heavy. You will not be able to work them like regular fishing in normal surf. What you need to do is toss them out as far as you can, and then run very fast along the beach in the direction of the sweep (this is important).
As you are running along the beach in the sweep direction, you will feel the presentation grab bottom. Your job in running at full speed is to either attract those big cows, or, failing to do that, snag a wayward one in the head as the fish is wondering what the hell it is doing in that cloudy surf with the suspended sand particles.


This is a fool-proof method, and guaranteed to produce at least a cow or 2. At the very least, it will keep those pesky schoolies away, allowing you to expend your efforts only for the biggest fish.






Well, that's it folks, those are the secrets handed down by the sharpies. Please try not to pass this around to too many people. We can't have everyone catching the big cows so quickly.
(If people knew how effective these methods were, everyone and their brother would be out fishin right now bailing fish, so keep it quiet, please! )




This has been another in a series of threads designed to help you guys and gals catch fish out there. If ya have anything to add, or some fine-tuning tips that you use to catch those cows, feel free to post up.


And let's be careful out there, folks! on the beach might be OK regularly, but not during a Noreaster!

[jigfreak]

Satellite TV

But this was a southeaster so so instead of my clam and bunker head hi-low rig with 16 ounce storm sinker . I guess I'll use my heaver and conventional reel with the super secret clambrella rig

Ha love that clambrella rig, classic! Do you ever put mullet chunks or bunker heads in the middle? And what kind of retrieve do you use when you are on a sandy beach, as opposed to fishing near one where there are some jetties? Do you ever work it around the sides of the jetties or do you think that's too risky? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[cowherder]

Hilarious, guys that was too funny!

[DarkSkies]

Hey guys this is serious stuff, handed down by generations of sharpies. I had to get special permission to post it up here.

************

I almost forgot, the most important thing when you go out in bad weather....
Prayer to King Neptune:
@C DarkSkies

O King Neptune hear us now,
please help us catch that cow,

Keep us safe from wind and waves,
even though some may splash our face.

Please take care and watch over,
that we don't accidentally crunch a piping plover

Look out for us in our addiction,
so that we don't become part of fishing fiction

We believe in you and ask your support,
because we're compelled to look for fish in any port

So when we're out there, fingers cold, frozen, and seem to have lost our way,
We ask you to help us survive another day

And if you can't control the weather here and now,
we ask for some help when we bow to the cow.

[finchaser]

Ha love that clambrella rig, classic! Do you ever put mullet chunks or bunker heads in the middle? And what kind of retrieve do you use when you are on a sandy beach, as opposed to fishing near one where there are some jetties? Do you ever work it around the sides of the jetties or do you think that's too risky? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

On a sandy beach I usually walk back and forth and troll it through the troff
Too risky to use on a jetty and snags too easily .

[fishinmission78]

On a sandy beach I usually walk back and forth and troll it through the troff

I've heard guys sometimes use thier pickup trucks and troll them, ever try it that way?


The search key is your friend -
How does the clamzilla factor into all of this, Dark, can we make the same applications to the fall as in the spring?
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...amzilla&page=2

[stripercrazy]

I like the switch-up to larger weights, that makes sense in big swells. Very creative use of the window sashes too.

[rockhopper]

A big pot of coffee to keep in your beach buggy - you can also mix with hot chocolate if ya want.
Remember that ya need access to a quick toilet if ya get the runs. Nothing is more uncomfortable than trying to pull your wet sweaty rain soaked clothes down in a hurry when the Hershey squirts feel like making an appearance.

You people are sick! roflmao! Do you have any picss?

[dogfish]

^ Hey, **** happens it's a part of life. Just for you, rockhopper. Great thread btw. We don't have much use for clams up here, but I have fished that clambrella rig with eels, its deadly.

[storminsteve]

The levels of sickness here are astounding.
Hilarious, thanks for the entertainment.

[rip316]

I don't see any toilet paper. EWWWWWWWWW.

[VSdreams]

I don't see any toilet paper. EWWWWWWWWW.

better than a bathroom in India


Bathrooms are “unclean” places
It must be remembered that most bathrooms in India have cement or tile floors and do not have rugs or mats. Bathrooms are “unclean” places in India and not a place of comfort as in the USA. This is not where you would got to read Time magazine. The floors have a drain in the corner of the room. This makes the bathrooms easily washed down. Therefore, splashing water all around is common place and not of any concern. Body fluids on the floor are the norm. Another issue regarding the bathroom is that in India, toilet paper is not used. Many Indians have no clue as to what toilet paper is or how it is used. The toilet itself is usually not to be sat on this is a very dirty thing to do.

Often washing after toilet use is done by filling a bucket and then taking a small utensil, filling it from the bucket, wetting down the body, soaping up and then rinsing off using the utensil and the bucket of water.

[CharlieTuna]

stinky clams, and stinky bunker
Let it sit outside for a day or 2 before the noreaster. Then, right before you leave the house, pop it in the microwave on "high" for 10 minutes. This will guarantee a most pungent aroma for the fish, and that your wife or girlfriend will be glad to have you gone a day or 2 as you pursue the cows on the beach during the noreasters.

If I did that I would be a dead man, my wife would kill me. Although I suppose you could double bag the stuff, and use clam string to keep it on the hook. Maybe bring some super glue along with you in case the string didn't work.

[Pebbles]

This is all I have to say!!!!!!!!!!

[gjb1969]

DID NOT NEED TO SEE THE PILE OF CRAP

[bababooey]

Boy you folks really know how to turn a post into crap!

[bababooey]

Hey can anyone get in on the northeaster advice, or is it just for you surf nuts?

Here's what I do - I look for the biggest waves, maybe 6-10 feet, and run my boat through them. I have whole bunker rigged up, with a bowling ball attached to keep it down. The key to this is to let the wave action of the boat jig the bunker so it looks like it's live. Maybe I can catch a 50 pounder this way. I'll be trying again during the next northeaster, and will let you guys know how I do. Here is a pic from the last time I was out.

And thanks again fellas, your posts really inspired me.