Next up for discussion - New tactics and New Strategy - what's new for this year?

Strategically - I plan to be more on where big fish are. In my limited time I plan to be in more fishy locations more often. Last year, spring was a bad for me with work and commitments granting only 3 trips before early June. Not accepting that this year. Those trips I do take I will try more to be at the right place at the right time.

Tactics - Wood, Rubber, Snakes, Jigs, wood, rubber, snakes, jigs... Rinse and repeat. Though I wouldn't mind livelining a Mack or Bunker ;)

Hmmm....gonna try a new variation on the standard riggie involving a Pt Jude Wobblehead with a boneless breast of eel attached on a free-swinging hook

Talking to DZ over the winter and and watching him and Riggin' Rudy from the Edge do a couple of demos made me think...:smokin:...it's got potential, both shore and boat

Picked up a bunch more of the canal-style pencils over the winter and two new rods to fish them with...plan to fish metal-lips more this season, try a different rigging technique with Sluggos I saw Jim White do...

That and physical conditioning...last couple of years I'm starting to notice that the old carcass doesn't come back from the winter hiatus like it used to...:doh:

I always find it tough to drive the boat pass a school of blues or dinky stripers crashing bait on top. Just too hard to pass up catching fish I know are there. But, let's face it, not going to catch a trophy in those conditions, at least not usually. I am going to attempt some better self discipline and head to where I plan/hope the bigguns will be.

gonna fish eels and BIG Hogy's for the trophys this year.

After years of fishing live eels, at the end of last year I started just fishing dead ones much of the time. This is fishing in water less than 10' with little current. Drown them when I first get them and put them in freezer bags and freeze them. Hook them in the normal live eel way and fish them slow but adding some movement. Had a very good fall season so I going to continue with this. Makes carrying and hooking easier and faster, especially when standing in rough water. Just re-freeze the ones you don't use.

After years of fishing live eels, at the end of last year I started just fishing dead ones much of the time. This is fishing in water less than 10' with little current. Drown them when I first get them and put them in freezer bags and freeze them. Hook them in the normal live eel way and fish them slow but adding some movement. Had a very good fall season so I going to continue with this. Makes carrying and hooking easier and faster, especially when standing in rough water. Just re-freeze the ones you don't use.

Mike,
You stumbled upon the secret of Morto Anguilla! Good for you to figure it out.

DZ

I am going to try to fish more with Pikies this year. Sort of a Pikie revival going on.

I have a basement full of about 50 new plugs that need some abuse...pray for me, St. Numbskull...:bo:

I have a basement full of about 50 new plugs that need some abuse...pray for me, St. Numbskull...:bo:

3-1 odds that most of them don't make it out of your basement

I get the dinks and Blues out of my system early when they first show up then just concentrate on big fish. I put away the light tackle all together and dont even bring it with me when I head south. BIG GUNS+BIG PLUGS+VAMPIRE MODE=BIG BASS.
SLEEP ALL DAY.......... FISH ALL NIGHT.

Continuing my exploration of deeper water and jigging rubber on 2-4oz jig heads. Going to focus more on black sea bass this year and fluke during the season, love to get a freezer full of blackie's this year.

More nights fishing from the boat. Expand my fishing area to try for larger. That includes more time out on Stellwagen. Other than that sticking with live bunker as my favorite plan of attack.

One thing I will improve from last year to this year is not wasting too much time in any one spot just because the fish were there last week. Also im gonna give live eels a shot off the wollaston beach area by the creek.

Working on getting big fish in skinny water, to eat some new stuff. I have been playing around with some new stuff that will be small but I think is bigfish bait. Small stuff doesn't always=small fish. Alot of stuff other than size triggers a bite by a big fish. If size was everything, why did I get one of my best fish last year on the fly??

I'm gonna stick with the tried and true. SS Darters, SS Bottle neck swimmers, metal lips, EELS, 9" Storm shads on the convench and lead heads. But I do want to try for some more squid in the ponds this May, Lots of fun.

ait for the bunker to show... Untill then leads, small metal lips, and small bombers... Afterbunker show its back to throwingback 32 inch fish as schoolies...