Does anyone know of any spots that would increase my chances at taking a keeper from the surf?

I've caught so many schoolies this year, & haven't yet taken my 1st keeper bass... ever!

It's been 2yrs!!!






:(

Eels at night, where the rocks meet the shore, preferably with a little surf or white wash. Look for and cast into structure as the current washes thru...

John,
Would that include pylons, bridges, or barges?...

Don't get fixated on your favorite inshore spot. Go to where the bigger fish are likely to be and don't go alone.

You have trememdous surf from Westport to Watch Hill in your reach. If you NEED a keeper, don't chase your bridges or pylons. You want as minimal interference as possible so find good structure (safe) where the land meets the sea. You can have even higher potential near inlets...

When using eels, do you rig them the same as you would rig any other bait?...:confused:

Single 6/0 to 8/0 live bait hook or circle in thru the mouth and out thru the throat. Cast and retrieve like a plug. They don't cast as far though. Retrieve slowly. Once slow, go slower but it is OK to vary speeds.

Using a spinner (non-bait runner)? Keep rod tip high and drop tip and point at fish immediately when you feel the bump of the fish. Keep low until line get's taught and then set (non-circle) or let hook itself when using circles...

I appreciate the advice John!

I have not tried eels yet. Do you know if all of the shops carry them?...

I'm within proximity of Main Bait in Tiverton, & may try ity out this week.

I fish mostly with conventional reels...I am not much into spinning reels.

I have not found one yet that doesn't end up twisting my line after a few casts...

Do you think that a meduim action conventional will do the job casting eels?...

Most bait shops carry eels - some better than others... Best eel IMO is 12-15 inches long diameter of a quarter...

What rods/reels do you have?

John,
I currently have a penn squidder & ABU 6500C3 each on Shakspeare
Surf Rods... & another ABU 6500 reel that someone is giving to me.

I am also waiting for a return shipment on a newer model Corsair Reel from Shimano... this is the peice of junk that I told you about before that died after my 1st time out with it!...

I sent it back with a letter & I am awaiting their response...

I am also currently looking into the possibility of purchasing two custom built rods from Saltheart.

One for bait & One for lures...

I am considering putting up a post for some used Surf Rods...

I'm looking for a couple of them to use for the reels that are coming...

I am hoping to pick up a calcutta for next year...

I took your advice on trying the 6500 by ABU and purchased onefrom Saltheart.

I took it to Grinnells beach Sunday evening & caught a 3lb bluefish with it.

I liked the performance of the reel!...

The drag on it was nice & smooth without the washers!

I can only imagine what it would be like with the smoothies!:D

DB, and always wear "korkers" if fishing on rocks - stupid not too.

ice

Ice, where can I find them?...

Oops, forgot to mention that - thanks Ice.... You can get Korkers at better tackle shops (I know M&Ds, Weekapaug, and Sportsmans Den carry them - our sponsors ;) ). They can save you from breaking an assbone out there and are recommended for about 2/3rds of Rhody coastal fishing spots...

John,
Which of these shops is closest to Tiverton?:)

I think you are even between Weekapaug in Westerly & M&D's in Wareham. http://capecodtackle.com & http://weekapaug.com

Call first to make sure they have them... tell them you're from here

Thanks!
What do these cost?
Are they slip on or are they like a shoe?...

The korkers tie on with laces over your wader boots.

Go to your local bait shop and tell them you are new to the area. Ask them where is a good place to go and what lures to use.

Eels are the best but it takes some learning time. Try some swimmers and needlefish with big trebble hooks. That way if the fish hit , they will hook themselves. I would recommend starting on a sandy beach near rocks. That way you have your feet on the ground. You will get to the rocks eventually. Try to find somewhere where other guys are fishing and watch what they do. Its the best way to learn fast. there should be a lot of guys fishing Sakonnet point now ( right down the road from you )so try there for a place to watch others.

I suggest you start wih lures that are about 2 to 3 OZ so they are easier to cast. light stuff is hard to learn on when using a conventional.

In addition to night time fishing , Soon you'll start to see daytime blitzing fish. Dawn and dusk are usually good times but later this fall you may see them any time of day. Use a 2 OZ popper (try a Habs blue and white or yellow) and you should get many fish. One of them is bound to be a keeper.

i suggest staying off the slippery rocks til you get the casting and working of lures down better. Go at sunset when the fishing is good but you can still see what you are doing. Then you can go at night when you get the basics down.

Try to hook up with people in your area. Attend the next Striped-bass gathering ( not sure of date but its soon and pretty close to you). and meet some of these folks. They will arrange to take you fishing and most of the regualars are pretty good and will get you into fish.

hey don i live on the south shore c=town to watchhill if you like this weekend i can show you a few places you should get korkers breachway tackle in c=town has them in stock they cost about 90bucks but ill tell you one of the best investments youll make i like to fish rocky shore so itsa good idea to get korkers the fish are down here you can fish it with conventional or spining like john said eels will do if you want just pm me im not sure what time i havent checked the tides yet but i can almost gurantee you a keeper :D

Maybe I'm out of touch lately but $90 for korkers seems way out of line pricewise. :confused:

riverside bait has eels. nice guy too.

$90 seems high too. I remember getting them for $29 at MVP but those days are long gone... Last I heard, they were around 50 for the laced up and $65 for the more comfortable buckle type (but not necessarily better)...

I got Korkers from M&D's 56 bucks delivered to my door :) About two years ago............

Thanks for all the advice!...

I will definitely take the opportunity to get to events in & around Rhode Island in the near future!...

What's funny is that my wife has grown up on the water and I have not fully lived it down whenever I come home & she is looking for a keeper bass...

She grew up fishing from a boat, & constantly tells me that she is eventually going to come out to tell me how it's done properly!...

I can't wait until she grabs a rod & comes out to prove me wrong!...

I may not have been doing this as long as many out there, but I'm pretty sure that the dynamics of boat fishing are much different than the limitations that are presented to those who are limited to fishing the surf.

I am determined to get a boat so that I can go out & chase the schools! ... let's see what happens by next year!...

But as for now... I'm on that search for the keeper bass!!!

:)

Thank you all for advice on getting the Korkers!

I'm going to try to hook up with a pair within the next week or so...

I'll work the sand first & work my way into the rocky areas...

I am determined to get out there as much as I can to glean as much as I can from the wisdom of those who are seasoned like yourselves so that I can cut my teeth on this side of the sport!

I have always loved freshwater fishing, but I am totally enjoying the saltwater much more!...

I'm so glad to be near the water!... I was down @ grinnells beach the other night & got some blues down there.

I never had as much fun as I did when I hooked up with one that
was way out there from where I was casting!...

These were not that large, but man were they fighting!... it was awesome!!!

I can only imagine what it will be like the fist time that I hook into a keeper bass or larger bluefish!...

Tell her its 10 times easier to get a fish boat fishing than surf fishing!

Mike,
I would much rather take her out on the surf & ask her to demonstrate!!!

My wife needs an object lesson!;)

I'll take her before using one of your custom built rods!


I just got another ABU 6500 in from a freind who gave it to me!

Thanks for the one you let me buy! it works great!

I do need to look at the braking mechanism however on the spool... because the drag on the spool doesn't tighten too far.

Is that usually an issue with washers?...

I am currently compensating with a little extra thumb pressure & lighter weights when using bait...

It's working out great so far...

I love the way that it throws a lure!...

I cannot wait to see how it works on a decent rod!

Don, is it not enough drag on the spool when you cast or not enough drag on the spool when you reel in?

If it is when you reel in, the reel probably needs to be opened up and have the drag washers cleaned and replaced.

If you need more braking on the spool when you cast, you probably need to look at the small plastic or fiber blocks on the four small metal arms you see when you take the right sideplate off. Most tackle shops can probably help you out if you need it. Or use your thumb...........

Hi Fishpart,

It's actually on the casting side. At it's tightest, it would support only about a 1/2 oz lure adequately.

I will try to get this fixed, but if not, I will become more proficient at using thumb pressure when casting heavier lures or bait...

You don't want that to support any weight Don. You just want it to dampen the spool a little when the lure hits the water. You got to use your thumb. Most guys will adjust that side knob so there is absolutely no tension against the spool at all. The better casters actually leave about 1/32 of play side to side in the spool for completely freespooling.

Thanks for the advice on thst Mike.
I'll use my thumb rather than dedending on the side knob for tension...

I think that over time it will make a difference in my casting ability...


Speaking of casting ability...
When would you like to discuss the possibilities for custom rods?...


And by the way, I was wondering if you or anyone else knows how the Shimano Corsair 400 series reels have been working out with those who have used them?

Shimano just sent me a new 400 Series in place of the junk 300 series that I received as a gift about two years ago...

I got it only minutes ago...

I had problems this past year during my 1st & 2nd trips out using the 300 series...

Any feedback?...

I never had a Corsair so can't help. In the future , Calcutta is the way to go with Shimano. If you want to spend less , Abu garcia gives you a nice reel.

I will call you. Been busy with rehab this week but will call before the weekend is over. You need to decide on a 1 piece or two piece. From there I think the decision is easy for the 2-5 OZ rod you mentioned.

Figure a one piece will be 10 feet long. Two piece will be two sections just over 5 feet.

The one piece will be the option I will likely go with...


I do agree with you about the abu reels! They have always served me well in the past for fresh water, and I expect no less from using these same reels for salt as well.

Thanks to JohnR for turning me back to them & for you supplying one for me!....

Don Since you are in RI I suggest that you try to make the RI leg of the four leg tournament. You will meet some great people, hook up with someone to fish with and have a good shot at your keeper. You could even make the Cape cod leg.

Thanks for the information Specialist.

Do you know of any dates yet for these meetings?...

I just got a set of Korkers for $32.57...

They are the k-1000's... are those the buckle or lace type?...
I just won them off e-bay.

Those are the lace type and a little less comfortable than the buckle but the also seem to last better/longer and are also lighter.... Good deal :btu:

http://www.korkers.com/images/1000-fish.jpg


http://www.korkers.com/sport/1000.htm

Now I only need to find a good set of waders!

I should speak with my father in law since he was a shell fisherman most of his life...

Thanks for the info on the Korkers John!

I saved $ome money by buying rubber waders from Benny's. They keep me dry, but let me tell you it hurts to walk a mile in them. I would have saved even more money if I had purchased some nice breathables right from the start.

Thanks for the information!

I wan't to avoid as many pitfalls as I can getting equipped!


My father in law could probably tell me which waders work the best since he has spent most of his life on the water going for shellfish...

Breathables are a much better option since rubber is so hot & sweatty!...

I remember how uncomfortable it was years ago to wear farmer -john's when I used to dive!!!

don, when the ri leg comes around, i would be willing to swing by and give you a lift. only problem you may have is i never know when i will be coming back. i do know that i will be home for kick-off sunday. usually i am back home by 10:00 am sundays sometime earlier.

That sounds good!...
Let me know when you're going & I'll PM you with contact info.

Thanks!