Man what a miserable fall season for me personally but I do not see anyone doing particularly well! By that I mean no blitzes, no birds, no fish feeding frenzy's?? A few PB reports but few and far between are the mentions of good fishing??? Last fall season was identical from my perspective.....it just seemed like the fish were gone by the end of September??? My own poor fishing is not for lack of effort, or that I have been in a single spot! I have been fishing several spots that are always productive, have been out at least 15-18 times the past month and with just 1 fish to show for my efforts??? The only positive reports I hear are that jiggers are doing well??? That tells me the fish are laying low, staying deep on their way south??? No topwater action?? No peanuts?? All I can say is its been bad.:wall:

What say you?

Couldn't agree more.Deposited a Ronz,2 bucktails and a brand new tin on the bottom today.Nothing on top,a few breaking over 5 hours,but wouldnt take anything.
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fish are bypassing rhody and going straight to MTK.

Farkin wind

had the best two days of fishing in years from Monday night until 3 pm yesterday.

I agree the weather has had an affect!:smash:

it's not just the weather. it's the lack of migrating bait also. water'still fairly warm, so maybe were not done yet.
the eternal optomist.

Skunked at the Ditch last night but what else is new. I'm still batting about .250 to .300 on my trips to the Canal.

A little bird told me that striped bass eat eels in October.

thanks. that song will be in my head all day now haha

Absolutely nuthin'!!!:uhuh:

Didn't you all hear the fall run was canceled :soon:

The weather has fff'd things up for sure here on the N. Shore but there were a few signs starting to show before the blow which gives me hope that this weekend will be the start of a solid week of productive fishing. There was some large bait north of my location and I personally saw a pod of peanuts while fishing for smelt in a protected harbor. Not a massive school of peanuts but peanuts none-the-less. Surf was still way up this morning but I am counting on it laying down by this time tromorrow and I am counting on our striped friends to come on in for clean-up duty. :soon:

I'm batting about .300 this fall. I wouldn't call it a great fall by any means despite a few very good nights, one of which was one of my biggest nights ever back in sept. I'm mostly coming up empty, as usual.

I've gotten 11 fish or so over 30# since labor day, and probably 25-30 fish in the 20# class. All these fish were taken in three nights combined over several weeks, so there's been a lot of zeros in between the occasional success. I haven't had back to back good outings at all this fall.

Yes, I think there's fewer fish available than years past...OK Rockhound? :hee: I finally said it...

Theres nothing to do about it but go out and fish. 2010 is year I will soon forget, I hope future seasons are better not worse. Weather has kept me off the boat but I have fished the canal instead. When Im catching fish easily, I dont learn anything. I know what works and stay with it. This year, I've had to rethink everything I do and I've missed out on some massive opportunities for fish. Now I know better and have other options to fish.

been seeing snow on Halloween for several years...now

thats the sign of weather staying consistent ...so if that
changes radically ....... watching it closely :uhuh:

The fall run is definetly on and in my findings better than last year.

Wind was howling pretty good last night, managed to hook up numerous times but dropped those fish, then finally landed some shorts, 2 small keepers and this 18 lb striper than inhaled a northbar. didnt realize it was a decent fish til it swam by and got in the cut in the rocks, used the surf to push her right up and leave her high and dry on the rocks for a great catch and release after a few pics.

My two casting partners got into a steady pic of shorts and small keepers too.

The fish are here just need to get out and throw everything at them. This was the only plug that produced for me, everything else got no love.

The water is still pretty warm but not when youre getting sprayed and theres 25 mph winds at you, dress warm and play it safe, there were some big rollers out there.

Golf, love fall golf and its good to have more than one thing you love doing. Now if only I could get rid of all the swing thoughts and play brain dead....just swing. Last round 41 on the front, started thinking to much and 50 on the back WTF. Still, like fishing, I love being outside and enjoy the exercise.

I will agree the wind this fall has absolutely blown if you will forgive the pun, but seems to me last year was much of the same. Oh well, I'm off all week and I'm hoping the weather will allow me to get out and target some Tog.

Yes, I think there's fewer fish available than years past...OK Rockhound? :hee: I finally said it...

Paul and Nebe have been saying this a lot longer than me, but yes. something ain't right.

:jump1:

Uh, ya, there's no fish out there. Make sure to stay home where it is dry and warm. And when you do go out on a beautiful morning like this, don't worry, some monster wont take off with a brand new drifting lure and all 200 yrds of line less than 60 secs after hitting the water... make sure you are familiar with your surroundings, as it is nasty out there.

:fishin:

:jump1:

Uh, ya, there's no fish out there. Make sure to stay home where it is dry and warm. And when you do go out on a beautiful morning like this, don't worry, some monster wont take off with a brand new drifting lure and all 200 yrds of line less than 60 secs after hitting the water... make sure you are familiar with your surroundings, as it is nasty out there.

:fishin:

thats a fish, not a "run"
No one is saying the fish do not exist.

thats a fish, not a "run"
No one is saying the fish do not exist.

I guess my reading skills need improving, as I could have sworn, the thread was talking about action in the water, "Top water... Peanuts...?" My bad, i must have been catching beaver after beaver after beaver instead of fish. The guys next to me doing the same must have been Moose.

Did you tell the guy who started the thread to use "Run" so I am not confused next time? :smash:

Farkin wind

I'm with ya on that one.. September was good.. when I could get out on the beach.. I had a good stretch of fishing the end of the month in the river, but the size was lacking, mostly mid to high teen sized fish... I spent 6 very cold hours( I've been warmer many times while ice fishing) in the early morning last saturday for one fish ( on a HUGE EEL) in the high twenties and another on that I'd like to have back that hit a sand eel plug at day break ( the same one I gave Slip at plugfest) .. the damn thing streaked through 3 un ocupied moorings and cut me off.... I think the blood flow to my fingers and toes just came back.. and I havent been out since....This week end will wrap up the boat season ( boat has to be off the dock by the 15th) after that I'm a jetty jockey and rock crawler until the end of the month....

as I've stated many times.. I've never been a fan of the fall "run".. IMHO.. at least north of Cape cod.. it's highly overated....on any given summer night, I'll catch more fish than the best "blitz" I've ever seen in the fall... especialy for large....

:jump1:

Uh, ya, there's no fish out there. Make sure to stay home where it is dry and warm. And when you do go out on a beautiful morning like this, don't worry, some monster wont take off with a brand new drifting lure and all 200 yrds of line less than 60 secs after hitting the water... make sure you are familiar with your surroundings, as it is nasty out there.

:fishin:

Must be monster bass judging by the cow in your profile....

This is part of a long running discussion about the health of bass stocks on here... there are obviously SOME fish around

I guess my reading skills need improving, as I could have sworn, the thread was talking about action in the water, "Top water... Peanuts...?" My bad, i must have been catching beaver after beaver after beaver instead of fish. The guys next to me doing the same must have been Moose.

Did you tell the guy who started the thread to use "Run" so I am not confused next time? :smash:

your thread mentioned one fish, excuse me for not being able to read your mind that there were multiple fish around.

Must be monster bass judging by the cow in your profile....

This is part of a long running discussion about the health of bass stocks on here... there are obviously SOME fish around

Profile Pic is misleading. 3 weeks ago... 33", lots o' fun, and tasty. That was after I dropped a Blue that was over 40" cuz I was being extra careful landing him (with my luck one of those are gonna take my finger one day, same reason I haven't switched to braid... yet). I am sure it was a blue that ran off with my gear today.

They are bass... love structure and white water... go get 'em! Learned recently that Larry and Sally Bass are actually part of the Sunfish family, Centrarchidae. And now that I know males max out at about 45", I will be throwing back anything larger.

your thread mentioned one fish, excuse me for not being able to read your mind that there were multiple fish around.

My side splitting sarcasm must have had you thinking that was the only one. No worries. :buds:

I caught a nice skin sized eel on a darter last night.....but let her go because I'm so ethically pure......... (and had no easy way to carry her).

For whatever reason, I've done better in the spring/early summer than the fall every year since about 2005....prior to that it was the exact opposite. I used to get lots of fish in the spring but mostly shorts...now fewer fish in spring but more large. Fall used to be a few large and tons of blues....now fewer of both.

As always, I blame the seals.

Some of the local boaters have this prevailing "theory" that the BFT in the bay have managed to scatter the bass all over hell and creation out there. The fish usually school up on the ledges prior to moving though the Canal.

I know guys getting nice fish around the inside of the bay, but the Canal has been slow. This is the time of the year when I usually easily jig up 20+ bass in a tide. I'm working my ass off for the few fish that I am getting.

A little bird told me that striped bass eat eels in October.

I think that little bird was right...:uhuh:

This is true,but the quality is there.

There is just something about lives eels in October. My October bag consits of two darters,a redfin, and eel hooks. I cant not fish them.

If your not using eels in the fall then you just not using your head.

you can cast a plug over a fishes head 90 times and he won't hit it
throw a eel and the fish will strike at first pass

I have seen Bass rolling in the water at a spook as soon as I put an eel on it was fish after fish until the tide dropped and the fish moved

yeah but if you use eels, then the fish doesn't count! OHHHH :rotflmao: :hidin: What if you use eels from a boat, did the fish just not exist? :D


of course I'm kidding, eels are the way to go. A coworker of mine got the surfcasting bug really bad and was bent on using plugs, then he complained he was putting in the time but not catching, I told him suck and up and use eels, he did and bagged a 20 lber and was beyond excited.

I think that little bird was right...:uhuh:

A big bird told me they eat them all year........

A big bird told me they eat them all year........

Right you are sir

This is true,but the quality is there.

Quality is nice, but this is when you should have both quality and quantity.

As an example, 10/2/09. 36 total fish (30 on the west tide, 6 on the east until dawn). 6 over 20 lbs, one 30.33 (weighed in for the Gibbs). Of the remainder, most were over 30" with several in the mid to high teens. I carry a Manley scale with me for the Gibbs.

I think I've had 6 fish on my best night since 10/01. Granted several have been mid to high 20s. But it's been a slow pick. East, west, mid-Canal, I've been there.

After the party we had at least a dozen between two anglers over 30 and the next night was better.Now they are gone.But they will be back.

Sucks up here too. My best fishing this year was mid July. WTF is up with that? Seems like everything shut down after that first hurricane. (Earl).

plenty o feesh from where i've been fishin'

Pooor, Pooooor, PO Larry and the wood chuckers~~~

if the slimyness and the wriggling skeer ya so badly,

why not throw riggies? eeeeeeels BFish, EEEEEEEEELS!


about 6 weeks ago i met a fish wholesaler while working in MD. his operations are based along the DelMarVa penninsula, and we had a very lengthy and pointed discussion.

3 weeks ago in my travels on the NShore i happened upon a commercial captain who lobsters, purse seines for pogies, and i believe he diggs for clams,,,,,,,,,,
4th Generation fisherman.

i also had a loooooong conversation with MA fisheries mgmnt scientists at the Topsfield Fair last week. and JackK regaled me with his .02 at the Fest.

combined with my own anecdotal evidence,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,catching fish from 14" to 47", hearing of all the Monsters out at the EEZ, the Striper Cup catches, and considering the plethora of Dishonest By Catch, blitzes every year,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

i am firmly convinced, IMHO, that the Atlantic Coast Morone Saxatilis are in no apparent danger and that the migratory stock is seeing record ###'s and poundage. that being said, i STILL support a reduction in TAKE across the board, for EVERYONE!! no fish grabs allowed.

1 @ 36" for us, less poundage for them, and a reduction in the Menhaden take. why, if all is good?

to give the fish and forage a break for 3 yrs, and the YOY for 1981 was low,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,20yrs later,,,,,,,,,,,,,just an idea? besides it can't hurt to lessen the take for a few years. and if we up the min to 36" there will still be cheaters, but perhaps more male sires will live to prosper their species??

just sum thoughts, gents~~~

Kiddies just for the record....I am quite proficient with eels.......fished them pa-lenty and they are great but not the way I prefer to fish! I will take my lumps along with my rewards!:)

Got 3 this morning Larry,all topwater swimmers...without any slime! :-)
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I was there...got none. Left before sunrise as I couldn't take it any more!!!:wall:

I got 1 small fish last night and my dad picked up 2, without using eels. I think if I had stuck around things were going to heat up, but I had to work this morning.

October has been pretty good so far. Nothing really big, but no skunkings either. I haven't been able to fish the best times and I'm still catching, so I'm pretty happy. I'll start putting in more time now as work slows a bit for me.

I was there...got none. Left before sunrise as I couldn't take it any more!!!:wall:

Started just as sun was coming up, nothing huge but it was nice to actually catch something. One really big blue and a couple schoolie bass but it's the first time in 5 outings I actually caught something.

I got 1 small fish last night and my dad picked up 2, without using eels. I think if I had stuck around things were going to heat up, but I had to work this morning.

October has been pretty good so far. Nothing really big, but no skunkings either. I haven't been able to fish the best times and I'm still catching, so I'm pretty happy. I'll start putting in more time now as work slows a bit for me.

i'm not sayin',,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


i am JUST sayin', iffin ya wanna go LAHHHGE

and you wanna go often,,,,,,with tha CATCH thing~~~

in the Fall Run a wise Ditch angler once told me,

:fishin: :fishin: USE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELS :fishin: :fishin:

i'm not sayin',,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


i am JUST sayin', iffin ya wanna go LAHHHGE

and you wanna go often,,,,,,with tha CATCH thing~~~

in the Fall Run a wise Ditch angler once told me,

:fishin: :fishin: USE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELS :fishin: :fishin:

I understand that eels will catch fish during the fall run, and at other times. And I'm not consumed with going large, as I've had a very good year with fish both numbers and size wise. I fished last night with my dad for only the second time this year, and we fished when we could get together which wasn't the ideal time at the ditch. The water was moving so much that eels wouldn't have gotten down deep enough. We had to use something heavy and we were the only people I saw hook up in the short time that we fished, so I can't complain. I'm not against eels by any stretch. In fact, I'll be using them next week at night. But they only come out after I've determined that the fish aren't interested in wood.:grins:

Rubbercore

when fishing with family~~~

SIZE is irrelevant,,,,,,,,,,,,,,KUDOS to you and your Dad!!
those are the Life moments to treasure, bonesy. my Dad passed
12 yrs ago and we NEVER had the privelege of fishing, let alone catching, together
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,WELL DONE, gents!!!

fishing with my nephew, Tyler, is a completely different animal.

he received the Skinner supracompetetive gene, tenfold.
if ya ever meet him,,,,,,,,DO NOT play Texas Hold 'Em with him!
:bl: :bl: :bl:

After the party we had at least a dozen between two anglers over 30 and the next night was better.Now they are gone.But they will be back.

Eel fish don't count :grins: :rotf2:

I understand that eels will catch fish during the fall run, and at other times. And I'm not consumed with going large, as I've had a very good year with fish both numbers and size wise. I fished last night with my dad for only the second time this year, and we fished when we could get together which wasn't the ideal time at the ditch. The water was moving so much that eels wouldn't have gotten down deep enough. We had to use something heavy and we were the only people I saw hook up in the short time that we fished, so I can't complain. I'm not against eels by any stretch. In fact, I'll be using them next week at night. But they only come out after I've determined that the fish aren't interested in wood.:grins:

Fish them in the last hour of the tide, unweighted ;)

Or use an egg sinker above the swivel (peg it with a toothpick), or a Rubbercore. Rubbercores tend to come off braid pretty easily on the cast, though.

Fall....What is it good for?

Sore shoulder
Sore back
Braid cut finger, and gloves
Being out of go to plugs, ie. surf howdies
Inventory of gear that needs servicing, cleaning, replacement or patching
Windburn
Cold, real cold this morning...

On the good side;
No crowds
Cod fishing
Appreciation for the year I've had.....

Heading down to my marina with Leo in a few minutes and gonna do some smelt fishing from our dock then heading out for the afternoon tide with a friend & kids to bass fish in the harbor.

At least the football season is interesting!