Fishing from the beach
 

Hello all,

I checked Bassdozer and looked thru the forums, but did not really see the info I was looking for.

Take it easy on me, As I am just a beginner :bshake:

I am not looking for anyone's favorite spot or secret formula :heybaby: ; I just need a little beginner help. Since hooking up the other night with something huge and not landing, I am obsessed. I have spent almost every waking moment thinking about hooking into another. Pay day can not come soon enough, because I think I need a new rig. I gotz to catch mez a keepa.

I was fishing off a small beach in Narragansett. Using circle hooks and squid with barrel swivel and a 3 oz sinker on a snap the line flows freely thru. Hooked into something big that broke my 20# line.

Most of my fishing will be done from the same beach for now.

1. How much difference do tides and time of day make when fishing from beach? Most of my time will be spent fishing in the evening, dusk, and into the night. Is this pointless if the tide is low or going out as it is getting dark?

2. Is it more important to fish a tide then time of day or vice versa? If the HT is at 3pm and low tide is at 9pm, is it better to fish before 3pm then it is at 9pm when it is night? Or are neither ideal?

3. Bait. I was using whole squid, but now I am hearing I was supposed to be cutting this up into strips. Wouldn't whole squid be better and look better? Is there an order to the bait as in what is better? Should I use live eels, then if they aren't available, squid, and etc... Are certain baits better at different times of the day?

Basically I am wondering what tide and time conditions should I be calling the babysitter and calling in favors, stressing to get out there and in what conditions should I pass on and throw out the ole' "yes dear, I was going to fish, but I will put that off for you because you mean that much to me and we can do something you like" :heybaby: line for brownie points.

I would appreciate any advice I can get. Thank you in advance.

Jason B

1. eels.........
2. fish the same stretch of beach at all tides,moon phases, cloudy, bright...and see which produce. Every spot has its time/tide..just gotts find what is the recipe for the spot you are on.
I am not a chunk dunker so I am not to up on the squid thing.
Nights, night time is the right time.......it's when all the big girls are out to play :heybaby:

Yea, I will go when I can too. Just trying to figure
out when the ideal times are.

For instance, today I am at work.
Tonite it will be the peak of low tide when I can get
to the shore.
1. I would have to leave work in Providence
2. Head over to Ocean State Tackle
3. Drive out to West Greenwich to get my gear
4. Then head out to Narrgansett
5. Visit with family
6. Walk to beach
7. Fish.

Then when all that is done:
1. Head back to West Greenwich late at night
2. Wake up early tomorrow morning
3. Go back to work in Providence

On top of all that, it may rain some.

That's a lot of miles, trouble, and gas money. I am more then
willing to do it since I have to head to Narragansett
tonite anyways, but I wonder if peak low tide at the
time I can fish would be worth all the extra trouble.

You hooked up last night at time X. You will hav the same tide conditions an hour later tonight.

Carry your tackle in the car at all times if possible..

Your rigging looks OK except I don't see any mention of using a leader betweent he swivel and the hook. You probably want a leader about 3 feet or more long of 40 to 50 pound test. It takes the beating from the rocks and the fishes mouth.

Nothing wrong with floating whole squid for Bass, they are refered to as squid hounds after all.

If you go for eels, read eeling 101 above, there are some good tips there.

Fish at night. LT isn't the worst situation, it might be the best time to fish the location you are at, just don't ge thung on a location because fo the one fish one time.......Enjoy your quest...

Yea, I have a 3 foot leader on there.

Not really stuck on that place, it just that it is the easiest for me to get to, never crowded, kind of secret since it is in a private owned area without parking, and known to all the local residence as quality.

I have talked to people who say the regularly pull big ones from there, 30"+. Plus the area is huge. It will take me a month to fish all the spots along the whole thing.

Anyways, someone mention "fish finder" to me. Should I throw that on? A big red float doesn't seem very natural to me.

I hooked up and had a bunch of bites on Sunday night at 9pm, does that mean I have to wait till 12am tonight? 3 days, 3 hours added?

I am getting the feeling that unless you become very familar with a certain area and that area dictates to you it is specific, that tide and time are otherwise not that important.

Sliding sinker is the fishfinder. You probably don't need a float. Nice frozen squid can be had at the grocery store..

The fish will tell you which tide is important...

I subscribe to the old saw about fishing two hours of the incoming tide and three hours of the outgoing. If I don't have 5 hours to fish, I'll do two hours around the high. I think moving water is important, night or not. But I rarely fish night - just not comfortable for me. When I went to school in Providence (RISD) I fished Westport and North Hampton. Not far from Providence and real good fishing (That was 25 years ago though). Keep your hooks sharp. That is KEY to keeping the fish on line. I go to the fish market and buy squid, cut it into strips and keep them in my pocket. I use them to dress tins like a deadly #^&#^&#^&#^&, bucktail jig or cripped herring. I will also fish bunker chunks (you call'em pogies) especially a nice juicy head on a fishfinder rig (no float). The key to chunks is fresh or nothing. Frozen bait sucks. Don't waste yer time wit it. We fish a lot of clams down here, which I hook to a high-low rig. You can use worms as well (expensive, but good for bass and blues will hardly touch'em).

I hear your "it don't look natural" dilemna but check out how many big bass are caught on bright yellow plugs, chartreuse bucktail, schoolbus bombers, purple needles...

Tie a duolock snap (not swivel) onto the end of your leader. This allows you to switch your offerings easily. If chunks aren't hitting, you change to a tin and squid.
Hope that helps

you said that your 20# line broke. line shouldn't just break. remember to constantly check it for cuts and nicks. when you feel 'em, cut and re-tie. second, maybe your drag was too tight, it has to be a little loose to allow a fish to run when it wants to. if you try to horse a big fish in, you'll lose. lastly, make sure you are tying good knots, learn the palomar if you don't know it already. knot failure stinks when you've got everything else in your favor. maybe this post is a little late but i figured i'd add my 2 cents.