Cape/Atlantic Reports 12/21-12/27 2003

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

First Day of Winter and BANG!nailed my first BASS
of the New Season 30"/10lbs a little after Sunrise
This Morning...Fell for a Great New Lure we have
been throwing both during the day and at night...
Fished a little rip line during the out-going
cold(38degees)cloudy water in the back.
Which capped off just some amazing action the
last few days around our area....
On Sat.and both Sun.it was just some of the coldest conditions we have faced this year,
The Spring Tides just froze over the Saltwater
Marshes with Skimmed Ice when the tides lowered.
Air Temps in the 20's WindChills in the Teens
made facing the Cold Dark Waters almost impossible
to bare..But you know we just have to do it......

I walked into a scene out of Ducks Unlimited
at Sunrise,three Duckblinds surrounded me.
SteelShot rained down around me as shots were
heard overhead all over SouthJersey...Didn't Mine because
I also walked up on a scene out of Striper's
Unlimitd,Bass Swirling and Breaching the Surface
of the water,with their backs and tails coming clear into view in front of me.Easily Fish over
30"'s
Now ,if I told you I cleaned up on them I'd be lying
only because of the comotion going on.Meaning
trying to avoid the constant dodging and darting
around fleeing Decoys and Dead Ducks that were
coming down the ICW now with the tide...Fun..
Believe it or not even after the mobile DuckBlind
came after their flock the Stipers still seemed
to be feeding on something but then shorty thereafter disspeared somewhere....NaDa....
Next day My Friend Ronny wanted to get into maybe
his last day of the year fishing and I told him
I just know where to go and Quess What,No Duck
Hunting is Allowed on Sunday's.Good For Us and
Also Good For the Ducks....
Sure enough-My Man Ronny Caught over 45lbs
of Striper,taking me to school on this new
technigue/Lure we found..Very Impressive Catch
in just Horrible Conditions..Maybe Its Not
His Last Trip......
(4)Bass:
29"/9lbs
30"/10lbs
32"/12lbs
34"/14lbs
Great Job Ron !

Surely another memorable time fishing and having
fun ejoying what Mother Nature has given us...
Striper Fishing-Spring,Summer Fall & Winter.

Just Got To Love It !

*Note,in the the Stripers that were kept over
the weekend we found them to be just stuffed
with Sandeels and GrassShinmp and we also noticed
that some of the Females are holding Roe...
-------------------------------------------------

Everyone,
Have A Happy Holiday Season.. Best Wishes To All.

Take Care,,

[ 12-22-2003, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: NIGHTSTRIKES ]

[Brian E. Mullaney]

Hmmm - sandeels - can you say arkansas shiner sluggo smile.gif

[striper2278]

Originally posted by NIGHTSTRIKES:
First Day of Winter and BANG!nailed my first BASS
of the New Season 30"/10lbs a little after Sunrise
This Morning...Fell for a Great New Lure we have
been throwing both during the day and at night...
Fished a little rip line during the out-going
cold(38degees)cloudy water in the back.
Which capped off just some amazing action the
last few days around our area....
On Sat.and both Sun.it was just some of the coldest conditions we have faced this year,
The Spring Tides just froze over the Saltwater
Marshes with Skimmed Ice when the tides lowered.
Air Temps in the 20's WindChills in the Teens
made facing the Cold Dark Waters almost impossible
to bare..But you know we just have to do it......

I walked into a scene out of Ducks Unlimited
at Sunrise,three Duckblinds surrounded me.
SteelShot rained down around me as shots were
heard overhead all over SouthJersey...Didn't Mine because
I also walked up on a scene out of Striper's
Unlimitd,Bass Swirling and Breaching the Surface
of the water,with their backs and tails coming clear into view in front of me.Easily Fish over
30"'s
Now ,if I told you I cleaned up on them I'd be lying
only because of the comotion going on.Meaning
trying to avoid the constant dodging and darting
around fleeing Decoys and Dead Ducks that were
coming down the ICW now with the tide...Fun..
Believe it or not even after the mobile DuckBlind
came after their flock the Stipers still seemed
to be feeding on something but then shorty thereafter disspeared somewhere....NaDa....
Next day My Friend Ronny wanted to get into maybe
his last day of the year fishing and I told him
I just know where to go and Quess What,No Duck
Hunting is Allowed on Sunday's.Good For Us and
Also Good For the Ducks....
Sure enough-My Man Ronny Caught over 45lbs
of Striper,taking me to school on this new
technigue/Lure we found..Very Impressive Catch
in just Horrible Conditions..Maybe Its Not
His Last Trip......
(4)Bass:
29"/9lbs
30"/10lbs
32"/12lbs
34"/14lbs
Great Job Ron !

Surely another memorable time fishing and having
fun ejoying what Mother Nature has given us...
Striper Fishing-Spring,Summer Fall & Winter.

Just Got To Love It !

*Note,in the the Stripers that were kept over
the weekend we found them to be just be stuffed
with Sandeels and GrassShinmp and we also noticed
that some of the Females are holding Roe...
-------------------------------------------------

Everyone,
Have A Happy Holiday Season.. Best Wishes To All.

Take Care,, Nightstrikes,

Great job on the late season bass. I hope that it can hold out just a little longer. I will be out tonite. Good luck to all! ;)

[Dr. Bass]

Great report, glad to hear it.

[RyanF]

Couldnt give up quite yet and snuck out again today. Couldnt get out at night but i threw clams in Townsends without a touch. Didnt fish too long, but it was a nice day out and I was accompanied by a seal laying out on the rocks. Whats he chasin after?? Sea herring?

Good fishing,
RyanF

[Ardmore Bill]

Sandeels are a bass hunter's best friend :D .

[Bridge Kid]

Finally broke the curse of about a 4 day skunk....fished from 730-1130.....2 fish.....1 26'AN 1 33".....Caught them on bloody mary fin-s...hopefully with the warmer air...itll help a lil' bit...nice amount of bait tonight also

[West Ave Mike]

Nice report Steve! The Jersey saltmarshes are a sportmen's paradise and they're right in our own backyard.

Have a nice holiday and thanks for the reports this year.

Mike
------------------------------------------------
"I am what I am and that's all that I am"... Popeye

[Bridge Kid]

Fished 3 hrs of the outgoing tonight at a couple spots...saw fish at all the spots holdin in the shadow but couldnt draw any strikes :(

[BIGGESTJACK]

BK--YOU ARE AMAZING NOBODY GOES AT IT ANY HARDER THAN YOU DO,VERY GOOD.

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Severe Weather Alert from the National Weather Service

...ATLANTIC NJ-ATLANTIC COASTAL CAPE MAY NJ-CAPE MAY NJ-CAROLINE MD- COASTAL ATLANTIC NJ-COASTAL OCEAN NJ-CUMBERLAND NJ- DELAWARE BEACHES DE-EASTERN MONMOUTH NJ-INLAND SUSSEX DE-KENT MD- KENT DE-OCEAN NJ-QUEEN ANNE'S MD-SALEM NJ-SOUTHEASTERN BURLINGTON NJ- TALBOT MD-WESTERN MONMOUTH NJ- 429 AM EST WED DEC 24 2003
... AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN WERE AFFECTING THE REGION THIS MORNING...

RAIN WAS WIDESPREAD EARLY THIS MORNING FROM THE DELMARVA PENINSULA NORTHWARD THROUGH NEW JERSEY AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. SOME OF THE RAIN WAS HEAVY... AND WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND IN POOR-DRAINAGE AREAS FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS WILL NEED TO ALLOW FOR EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR DESTINATIONS.

SO FAR EARLY THIS MORNING... THE HEAVIEST RAIN... BETWEEN ONE HALF AND THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH... HAS BEEN NOTED OVER MUCH OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY OF PENNSYLVANIA, NORTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN POCONOS... AS WELL AS OVER MUCH OF DELAWARE AND WEST INTO CAROLINE COUNTY MARYLAND. THIS AREA OF HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT EAST TODAY.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TODAY FOR A LARGE PORTION OF OUR AREA... AND COVERS EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, MUCH OF SOUTHWESTERN CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY, AS WELL AS NORTHERN DELAWARE AND EXTREME NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND. CONDITIONS ARE SUCH THAT MINOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ON AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS. SOME OF THE LARGER RIVERS WILL ALSO SEE RISES LATER TODAY TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY....

[Ardmore Bill]

Man, it is like a broken record with all the storms coming thru, one after the other. I'm still holding out that we have some more fishing to do. Hope this one does not brown out the water again!!! I was jetty hopping on Monday, sand eels were present but not bunched and with no stripas on them at the time. Water was a murky brownish green.

Sand eels and water temps. are the key - if they hold in an area they will keep any bass in the area there too. If you find them, fish that area hard. The water temps have been holding and may rise a bit with this warm weather we are having. All the surf, from north to south is hovering between 43F and 45F as of a few days ago. Still plenty warm to catch stripers. Back bays are colder but it seems as if the stripers are still willing to bite.

The cold is expect to move back in tomorrow but then we are back to some warmer weather and South/SouthWest breezes into next week. If i had to pick a day to fish, I'd be hitting it hard just before the winds go south ;) .

[Flynn-S.]

Ardmore Bill,

Ardmore Frank here, although I just moved to Bryn Mawr. Question: How do you spot the sandeels?

[Ardmore Bill]

Sandeels make a ripple on the water when in big schools, that is similar to mullet but much less prominent or very much like peanut bunker but without them flipping out of the water. It is somewhere in between them and silversides which really don't ripple the water all that much.

Another way to find them is gulls - you will often see them sitting on the water but picking things up out of it - if it is long a slender at this time of the year it often is a sandeel.

The best way is to catch some bass that you have checked stomach contents on - if they are loaded with them your hunt is often over. Sandeels are not highly mobile like bunker or mullet. Once in an area they are often there for a while. They over winter and breed in our area thru the winter months in the surf and just off it. Once the bass are on them, they often have no reason to leave either - this can be some of the best and most consistent angling for stripers which is why many of us love them so.
Lets hope this will be so this year.

What to use: small and slender swimmers, teasers are very important when sandeels are around, small metal like Ava's, bucktails and fin-s fish are what works well. I got some to hit the redfin last week, but these fish were already slappin the surface, and needles like Gibb's stubby and Hab's needle also work. Sometimes the wake is what is needed, even in 42 degree water.


Flynn - I'm right over by Carlino's on county Line, where you at?

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Originally posted by BIGGESTJACK:
BK--YOU ARE AMAZING NOBODY GOES AT IT ANY HARDER THAN YOU DO,VERY GOOD. I Totally Agree,,BridgeKid is HardCore,Good Job..
Thanks For The Fishing Reports Bud....

Happy Holidays,,,

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

ArdmoreBill,,

Great Definition of Sandeels and How To Use Them
With A Artificial Presentation When Fishing For
Striper's,,, This Is One To Save,,, ;)

Thanks For Everything,

And It Looks Like I'm Not Going To Get Caught
Up On My Sleep This Winter With This Action Out
Front,I Think Will Be Busy... ;)

Take Care and Happy Holidays...

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Originally posted by West Ave Mike:
Nice report Steve! The Jersey saltmarshes are a sportmen's paradise and they're right in our own backyard.

Have a nice holiday and thanks for the reports this year.

Mike
------------------------------------------------
"I am what I am and that's all that I am"... Popeye Thanks Mike,Truely Is Great...
Happy Holidays To You and Your Family Also....

Take Care,,

[Bridge Kid]

Fished from 330-6 this evening (1/2 day at work)...thought id give it a shot....had about 4 hook ups on a yozuri crystal minnow(swimmer)..thats all i can tell u....id be lying if isaid i could set the hook good with them :confused: Needless to say i managed nothing but total frustration...kept telling myswlf i was gonna quit...now that i think about it ..it was kinda fun even though i was realllyyyyyy frustrated :D

[Bridge Kid]

1 more thing....MERRY XMAS EVERYONE

[billc]

Merry Christmas

[Bridge Kid]

Fished the end of incoming tonight...no luck at all,little colder than the past couple of nights...no signs of life..was going to stay and get the outgoing, but gotta work tommorrow morning...probably pull all nighters this weekend...good luck ;)

[Dr. Bass]

Skunked today. Fished the surf, soaking clams and chucking a bucktail. Caught about 5 skates, missed one good hit. A bit of a shame, nice conditions. Maybe tomorrow.

[Bridge Kid]

Fished from 9-1am tonight...skunked...Pretty sure the bite will be on around 3ish....gonna hit that...than get sunset tommorrow then go out after eagles game 2moro night....good luck

[Bridge Kid]

Fished a sod bank from 345-6 tonight...Started casting a fin-s...nothing....Put on yozuri crystal minnow...first cast with that i nailed a 34' 17lb bass....after that nothing.....changed the hooks after all those misses the other day on xmas eve an tagged the sh** outta that fish :D

[Bridge Kid]

Fished from 4am-8am this morning...saw some NICE!!!fish taken..i was bent cause I thought I was gettin skunked when my hopes were way up and I hadnt slept...finally at 715am got 2 in a row...34 and 27 respectively :D Had to get home ,shower and shave than off to Philly for a family function....got home around 830tonight,and got their at 11am i was super antsy to leave ALL day...got home fished,missed a hit....gotta desperately sleep an be at work by 730am :(

[Bridge Kid]

IS IT ME OR IS THE ACTION HEATING UP?????

[barnaby]

BridgeKid,

I know of one spot in particulair that has definetley heated up, mostly slots. However, it happened to turn on a little late considering the back is now closed.

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Kid,Bern,
Would You Agree That These Fish We Are Seeing
This Time of the Year are Resident Fish of
Our Water's???
Or Migrating Fish Passing Thru???

Just Curious,
Thanks,

[BIGGESTJACK]

NIGHT---DO SOME OF THE REGULARS CATCH AND RELEASE IN THE BACK. IS THAT ALLOWED?SOME OF YOU GUYS RELEASE ALMOST ALL??

[ 01-01-2004, 04:43 PM: Message edited by: BIGGESTJACK ]

[hipkvw]

Originally posted by NIGHTSTRIKES:
Kid,Bern,
Would You Agree That These Fish We Are Seeing
This Time of the Year are Resident Fish of
Our Water's???
Or Migrating Fish Passing Thru???

Just Curious,
Thanks, Most likely resident fish but who can say for sure? Fish were caught under the ice last year. They are usually small to 30". Some cows winter over in the backwater. Apparently people used to snag them. That is why the back has a closed season when the stripers in reality should be long gone. At least that is what I have been told by some pretty good sources. All species have fish that stay in areas year round when the mass of fish have migrated. Tarpon can be caught year round in the Keys when the majority are gone. Same goes for Redfish in the South. I know the rivers in our area have stripers year round. There really is no way of telling if a fish is a resident or just moving through. Some people think the shade of color is a good indicater but the shade is easily changed in a fish. If you catch a fish with sea Lice it obviously has moved in from the ocean but I still dont think that is evidence that it is migrating fish. Who knows....

[Longcast]

Steve,
I think there is a mixture of resident fish and migrants. The bait is the key how long migrant fish stay in our waters. Look at what happens in Connecticut on the Thames River. They catch fish all winter since the power plants keep the bait in the area. Sometimes that are stacked like cordwood there. I have also hit tagged fish in early March that were from Virginia. There really is no way of telling unless the fish's genetic code is looked at to tell which population it came from.

Jeff

[Keeper Seeker]

NS, Yes and yes.

Biggest, NO.

Hip, good question... Who knows?

Longcast, I concur.

If they're living here now, I consider them resident. They could be traped in the back by any cold front at this stage in the game, if the water temp should drop a few more degrees suddenly. They're all fattened up and ready for a nap.

T'was a good year with the overall quality of the fish continuing to improve as it has been over the past few years. Let's pray that the trend continues..... :cool:

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Thanks Guys,,

I guess one way to find out would be to start
tagging some of these fish,to really see if
they are travelers or not....

I might start doing just that.......

[NIGHTSTRIKES]

Originally posted by BIGGESTJACK:
NIGHT---DO SOME OF THE REGULARS CATCH AND RELEASE IN THE BACK. IS THAT ALLOWED?SOME OF YOU GUYS RELEASE ALMOST ALL?? There's Talk About Opening up the BackBays
and Inlets During Jan.& Feb. for Catch&Release...

I for one do not fish at all,not only do I
need a break-but I feel the fish need it also....

Now,with above normal warm weather forcasted
for tomorrow(57-62)on the beaches and the water
temps running about (44-45)I might just have to
take a look just after sunrise in the Surf in
the Morning and maybe later thru-out the day... ;)