As stiper season approaches...

[RodFather]

I like to wish you all the best of luck this season. May all your lines be tight and most important come home safe. Remember to be true sportsman on the water taking consideration for fellow boaters and fisherman. Also remember to be conservative with your catch and only keep what you can eat. For all you tournament junkies I wish you the best of luck, please please please be smart and safe. For a lot of you the few tips and tricks below are not new, please feel free to add anything to this post you feel might help your fellow barner. I left a lot meat on the bone ;) . Hope to talk to a lot of you on the water.

When fish the rips with eels I generally like to keep the eels in a black bucket. I do not keep them on ice or knock them out to slow them down before hooking. I pick the craziest wildest eel I can find, when it hits the bottom it will be dark against the sandy bottom and be doing the striper dance. Most times it will be the first to get hit.

When chunking remember to stay away from the fleets. Find your own spot away from the crowds and it will reward you. I like big baits but remember to be flexible with bait and weights, try different things on other rods. I allows keep one rod in my hand in free spool, its my way of listening to what's going on down at the bottom. When you have that one rod that keeps catching all the fish, its not a fluke (no pun intended) duplicate everything you can including leader length and tackle. When fishing in heavy blue fish traffic, every now and then try lifting your baits off the bottom about 8 feet and then drop them back down. You will be surprised with the results.

There are many many more tips to be had so add your own and keep checking back to learn. I know I will be. I 'll add more stuff as it goes along.

Come on Stripers!

[Rageboat]

Best of luck to you too Rod Dad. Hope to see ya out there again this fall. I'll be on vhf 78.

[Fluka Brasi]

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/atlantic_croaker.jpg+http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/sharpie1.jpg=http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Spot.jpg

:D

[RodFather]

Kev I really hope this is the year I need your services, stay by the mic ;)

[fishingfever]

Fluka B - that's hilarious!!! I am almost split my side open laughing so hard :D :D

those must be the $1.50 spot that everyone keeps talking about ;)

[Rageboat]

Kev I really hope this is the year I need your services, stay by the mic ;)
Gotcha covered bro!

[finaddict5]

GOOD POST RF!:) Good luck to you too!;)

[capt. ed]

Nice Post RF. I have anecdotally noticed that black eels seem to catch better, but hadn't figured out keeping them in a black bucket.

[Mongo]

Nice post. Thanks for the tips. Looking forward to your pics again this fall.

[TWIN D'S]

Cut the gills or stomp on bunker heads to get more oil out of em.

Don't forget, if fishing from a boat bring plenty of money as oil closed at $86 a barrel yesterday.:D

[RodFather]

Water temp is dropping so keep a keen ear to the barn for the latest updates.

During the early season when the doggies are just about ruining your day, try using a 6 to 8 foot leader. This will keep your weight on the bottom and allow you bait to rise a bit for some relief and a better shot at a bass.

During run & gun season in late Nov. and Dec. when you stumble upon a flock of birds working hard, don't be the fool who charges and fights his way through the crowd only to cast at the middle of the boil. Be the older bull and drag those baits/lures a couple hundred yards behind for the large cleaning up the scraps.

[phish4fun]

6-8ft. thanks for the tip but as i told ron i have a spy at the fort to follow you 2 around looking for that cow:p

[RodFather]

You don't need a spy, you can come with us anytime. Send me email and we will hook up.

[sweet release1]

rodfather nice post ,brings me back to the old days when the barn was young;) ,matt

[fshlot]

Thanks Rod Father...Best of luck to you also!!

Didn't you have a video a couple years ago??
That was AWESOME!!

[shadygrady]

Thanks for the tip on the 6' - 8' leader. It makes a lot of sense, which is probably why I would've never come up with it. Thanks again! C'mon cold weather......

[Huck Finn]

http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/atlantic_croaker.jpg+http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/sharpie1.jpg=http://www.myfishpix.com/gallery/data/500/Spot.jpg

:D

Now that's great :cool:

[RodFather]

Thanks for the tip on the 6' - 8' leader. It makes a lot of sense, which is probably why I would've never come up with it. Thanks again! C'mon cold weather......

Shady I hear about the cold weather however, water temp is really just a indicator, time of year has a lot to do with the starting of the run as well. Those large are very keen and have a much better sense then their youth. They will start to move and feed earlier. They know the bait is there and the season is changing despite the water temp. They also know that they need to get a jump on the youth so not to compete. From this day on I would consider it time to fish. Be patient, look for bait and structure, fish the right times of the day/night and tide and you just might be rewarded.

[DEEP POCKETS]

Shady I hear about the cold weather however, water temp is really just a indicator, time of year has a lot to do with the starting of the run as well. Those large are very keen and have a much better sense then their youth. They will start to move and feed earlier. They know the bait is there and the season is changing despite the water temp. They also know that they need to get a jump on the youth so not to compete. From this day on I would consider it time to fish. Be patient, look for bait and structure, fish the right times of the day/night and tide and you just might be rewarded.

Good tip, thanks.

[phillyfishing]

rodfather great post.. always like reading your post.. thanks for the tips and good luck this yr.. maybe we could fish together sometime.. again good luck

[shadygrady]

Rodfather, you're probably one of the most respected posters on the Barn. Your words carry a lot of weight. You just talked me into getting out there now, instead of waiting on falling water temps! Thanks and have a great striper season!

[RodFather]

Hey thanks guys!
By the way you always here about the golden hour before each side of the tide and for good reason, however checking my log I have caught my largest bass during mid-current while chunking with 8oz or more. I recall having the rod in my hands during those catches and remember feeling a slight bump almost like a Sea Bass bite. My guess is this is the inhale, then just a slow walk off. That's why I keep my reel in free spool, give a couple seconds then I would set the hook and it would be off to races. On one occasion I felt a similar hit however my line felt free and loose. I started reeling in slow and realized the big girl inhaled a whole bunker and just kept swimming up stream towards the boat like nothing happened. I had more then half my line reeled in before the hookset and fight started. I originally thought I missed it. She turned out to be 51 3/4 inches, TwinD's took the picture and off she swam. Moral of the story is do not be afraid to use heavy weight, keep your hand on the rod and pay attention to every little bump. The Large are generally not screamers. I do not set the hook right away to allow for a possible tail swipe for positioning by the bass and since I use big baits I want to make sure she's got it. Everyone has there own style, this is just mine.

[Hurry Sundown]

ron that was a dam nice fish you got last year.can you get another?ill be looking for some pics.

[Partnership]

Good to have the old RodFather back where he belongs.....posting in the SB Forum. Joe- best of the season too ya. We have so many memories..so many good times. Let's reunite at Canole Hill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[reelayer]

rodfather nice post thanks for the tips.
tight lines

[anotherchance]

Thanks Rodfather im new to this site been bass fishing for a couple of years now and cant wait for them to show up. To all that is bass fishing this this fall good luck to all

p.s. my boat name is AnotherChance 24ft grady my home port is Waretown always on 68 thanks guys and best of luck

[Flyguy784]

Great post Rod Father. Don't know ya, but I like the sentiment. See ya at the Barnfest. Best of luck to all.

[RodFather]

Ahhhh Barnfest, just around the corner :D This one could set records. We have a couple surprises we are working on ;)

[WetSideShawn]

thats if this fall ever comes..... we should already be slamming them its been slow.. i mean some more than others I got 1 short and 1 keeper this fall.. but usaly have alot more by this time of the year..