Etiquette at the Ditch (a tutorial)
 

Lots of talk lately (and always) about etiquette at the canal. Guys having no clue what they are doing down there. Seems like there is more complaining (probably justified) but no real list of things to abide by. I know it’s mostly common sense but what would be your top 5 or 10 things for new guys to follow at the canal?

Since they are all reading the info and spot burns on here :) , might as well tell them (nicely) what the expectation is when they try to learn to fish it. Think of it as “The Canal for Dummies” Might do some good in the long run......

There should be a "Surfcaster's Code" as well.

Should have titled this "canal fishing report". Would have gotten twice the hits :hihi:
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So Casting From the service Road with My Jig Between two people throwning pencils is a Bad Etiquette:smash:

If you want a spot, get there early and CLAIM it. Don't come down right when you know it will go off and crowd the people that have PUT IN THEIR TIME and got there early.

If you get there and someone is jigging, don't throw dannies over their line and F up their drift.

If you see someone hooked up, WAIT until they have the fish under control THEN start casting.

Finally, STOP posting anything about the canal, even if you wait 3 weeks to say how good it was. People will still go down thinking it's going off, and it very well might that day, so KEEP IT QUIET.

Yeah no crap! I hate when people try throwing pencils when I'm jigging from the road.:rotf2:

#1- If your not sure of what to do or when to do it- like casting in order with everyone else - when its ok to cast when someones on a fish, or if you think you might be too close-you are. Please ask, we would rather tell you how to do it instead of yell at you. We would much rather show you how to do it and have a good time fishing responsibly than piss and moan on-line.
#2- Please take your trash with you. This includes all wrappers,boxes and even any fishing line you may discard.

rule #1: don't talk about the canal

I love the "Path Casters"!!!:fury: Then there was the one the other morning I saw on the side opposite me getting......a "running start"!!!!:rotf2: Little did the puddin' head realize his momentum ends when he planted his feet to cast!!!:rotf2::rotf2:

#2 - ESPECIALLY your fishing line. Braid takes a long time to degrade and is a hazard to critters and fisherman alike. My cruiser was having problems shifting. I found about 50 yards of powerpro wrapped around the rear wheel sprocket and bearings. Took me a couple of hours to dig it all out. I wasn't missing any line.

If you want to have success at the Canal PM me I am usually a day early or on the wrong side. I can make it easy for you if I am fishing pole x on the cape side go to pole x mainland guaranteed big fish every time. Or if I am going fishing on Tuesday be sure to be there Wednesday. Sure fire way to go large.
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That's the Happy Gilmore Cast.:rotf2:

I like to impress people by having my buddies go on the other side of the canal while I am casting and then pretend like my plug is going to hit them after I cast! :hihi:

Pudding head lol
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Yup:rotf2: I'll be calling some people puddinghead for sure:biglaugh:

Yea those are all good and valid points, but in a way you can't blame someone for getting so excited when fishing is good! After all those are the days that we all want. What really pisses me off is when you catch a fish and someone walking by asks "Hey are you going to keep that fish?, if not I'll take it" or when you see someone catching and keeping more than the limit of 2 fish by going back to their car and stashing them.

how NJ feels everyday, if it goes of at x st. at 4pm tues, it must go off same time wed. 300 guys will be there cus everyone talked about it

The solution is easy.... don't fish the canal. It's too easy that is why people fish it. You drive/walk/even bike right to your spot. Intel is easy to come by. The region is lined with mile markers. You have to expect this.
I would suggest you continue to post how great the canal is and post a lot of photos from years past. Then, fish the beach someplace else. You will have everyone and their mother fishing the canal and the beach will be free and clear.
Think of it as as sacrificial spot. Kind of like a "Zinc" for fishing spots. I just a soon have them all fish next to each other there.

Posts like:

The Canal is smoking hot right now!! The area near marker 48 had fish to 48# all night long last night. catchemup!!


I got this idea from watching the "Wicked Tuna" show where the so called "pros" send their "good friends" to other places where they are not. (talk about lack of etiquette!)

I should just delete this entire post


"too easy" huh? ya sure, 3 times in the last 6 years it was easy :rollem:
maybe the canal has gotten to be like boatfish, they don't count:fishin::biglaugh:

"the beach will be free and clear" got news for you Jim, they already are.





when the daylight fishing slows, the crowds will go down and jigging at night will be good

UNCLE!!!!!

I was wondering when you would come out of hiding.

Everyone should fish Pole 500
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The canal has a lot going for it. Deep water, riprap line shoreline, herring run, relatively easy access, the fish now migrate thru there every season, so it almost like you have a semi captive body of fish near by. Heck when you can cast from the road to deep water, that is relatively easy. It is not like boat fishing but it is more akin to pier fishing from a man made structure. This is why it attracts crowds.

I don't have a problem with folks fishing the canal if that is how they like to fish. It certainly is big enough to accommodate a lot of people. I tried it a few times and even caught a few fish. I found it to be an interesting place to be left to others to enjoy. But if it was in my back yard I probably would fish it often as well.
Be all you can be.
My previous post was kind of tongue in cheek and not meant to inflame anyone. You guys are really touchy about the canal.

peace.

21 reply’s and 451 views and the only one that really had a good reply to the original post was tysdad115.

#1- If your not sure of what to do or when to do it- like casting in order with everyone else - when its ok to cast when someone’s on a fish, or if you think you might be too close-you are. Please ask, we would rather tell you how to do it instead of yell at you. We would much rather show you how to do it and have a good time fishing responsibly than piss and moan on-line.
#2- Please take your trash with you. This includes all wrappers, boxes and even any fishing line you may discard.

I haven’t fished there since I was a teenager, pretty much a boat guy now (I know, doesn’t count). I would probably only go fish down there now with friends I’ve met mostly through here, then again maybe not since it sounds like a soap opera down there. Boat guys and surf guys have similar issues that the canal guys have with disrespecting people, people with no common sense, crowded areas and guys who only care about themselves. Everyone shares info to some degree but how you do it and who you do it with is the key.

Original post was not a “where to fish the canal or how to catch fish at the canal”. It was “How to fish the canal without pissing everyone off” and out of 451 views there was only 1 reply to the subject.

That is so true. Way too many times I view fish being bailed from across the ditch. It always appears as if the fish are breaking right at their feet as well! Optical illusion or the karma police having some fun?:confused:

Wow..you know it's bad if I'm the only one making sense! Talk about being bottom of the white bucket !:rotf2:
This was my favorite part of it anyways : "piss and moan on-line"

I A-Scared :shocked:

I have a new rule proposal, "no new #^&#^&#^&#^&ing rules".

As soon as thgis occurs, on his second cast I throw my line over his and screw him up.

It's far easier to screw him up than having to cast over his line. Lol
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Thought the magic pole was the one with the green sign indicating 495? Man i got bad intell no wonder i cant hook up.
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Lol.
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Is that left to right or right to left of the magic pole?

depends on which direction you are going :uhuh: don't confuse me i almost have it figured out! :smash:

This doesn't just happen at the canal, wherever the fishing is good at the time, right now it's the canal. Back ten years ago it was the backbeachs, had two seasons of the best bass fishing I've seen and no crowds then the word got out. It all changed the parking lots would be filled with trucks with NY and NJ plates, the beaches looked like a picket fence with all the poles. Great fishing easy access
= crowds. Even 15 minutes blitzs we all have seen the beach go from one or two to more the 50 in minutes. It's fishing! All I ask is use some common sense and a little courtesy, goes a long way and we can all get a long.

So tired of listening to every one complain about spot burning. The canal is huge and usually it is going off many places at the same time.

Back to the topic!

If you are the first one to a spot, do what ever it is that you want, chunking, eels, jigs, swimmers, top etc. etc..

If you are not first and have decided to set shop up next to someone else you better first observe what there doing. If they are throwing a jig and fishing it all the way down thru the drift or a pencil popper or any thing else for that matter you better not be within a hundred yards down current of them unless you plan on fishing a jig or something similar. If you are, then let him reel in before you cast. You then cast and hopefully he will understand you know what you are doing. He will cast after you and the guy up from him will follow etc. etc.. When done properly many guys can fish in harmony and all can enjoy the same spot.

An Absolute no no is the following:

Never ever cast out when the guy upcurrent from you still has his line out in front of you. If you do not only will he be f bombing you he may hook up and you will now surely tangle up with him. This is a sure way to get thrown into the ditch.

Once the stupid fishing is over the crowds will go away, and the anglers will take it back from the fisherman. Quit wining and simply get a bike and move around. And by the way fish swim.

I have fished the canal exactly once. I went with a group of eight guys, four novices to the ditch and the other half experienced. There was a great pencil bite that morning and all it took was one short lesson from the knowledgable guys to have us all casting in sync. It's not rocket science. By the time day broke and the bite started to cool the daytime warriors showed up and tried to crowd us, I think the guy in the yellow slicker and purple pimp hat scared them off though.:) As with any popular spot, it is all about common courtesy.

Please Dont Throw over my head,thats not right.

My 2 cents . I have fished the canal for over 25 years and all this stuff is nutin new. Herring fishing, talk about crowds, chumming and chunking, try getting near Keene street or 225 or 85 back then if you weren't in with the in crowd, jigging the cribbin area at nite, it has been very crowded when those techniques were in vogue. Plugging has taken over that nowadys but there were wars doing the other styles too. Granted the speed of the internet and cell phones has ramped it up 10 fold but nutin new guys. The canal is a crowded place to fish plain and simple you need to accept that and try to have a good time. Getting pissed off is not going to change it and will ruin your day. There are going to be people that have no clue and your job is to inform them in a nice a courteous way so they learn and can next time show someone else the correct way to have fun. Have some patience with one another. All everyone wants to do is have some fun fishing. It is always going to be crowded at peak times and info will always be shared and very quickly so relax. Its only fishing . See U tomorrow guys. I'm getting up early to steal your fav spot

:claps: I hope my Ditch etiquette was up to the standards, and I had a GREAT time with you guys!!