Quote:
Originally Posted by Back Beach
Uh, Flap....the fishing didn't die. Its actually been good in the canal since May 15. Have there been a couple lulls? Yes, but I usually discover my "lulls" are another man's blitz, albeit in another part of the canal using different techniques.
As for bait versus artificial this year, the plug and jig guys have done extremely well on large fish of 30# size and up. Most of the regular eel guys I know have done below average. Most of my large 30# plus eel fish came late last year though, so I'm hoping to repeat last year's post labor day success. 
Me too. The rubber actually catches much better believe it or not. If they come up with an eel imitation that works like the real thing I'll give up eels too and start fishing with you and Numbskull.
For the record, I'm your average canal fisherman who puts in many days/nights for nil, but I manage to stumble onto fish occasionally. I'm pretty rigid with my approach to canal fishing, thus the numerous skunks and slow nights. Been doing a bit more jigging this year though. |
The set two weeks ago (breaking set) was awful, the water was ice cold, I got one small fish on the reel back on a jig, the set before that, the July 4th breaking set, I got 18 fish in one morning on plugs and jigs fishing with Stiffy, had ten fish plus the morning before and morning after that day as well. This set so far I've landed 12 with the largest going just 20 pounds.
Some sets it's the east turn, some it's the dying west and slack, always amazed no matter how many times I experience how they just turn on then shut off like a light at certain tide stages.
Course, as Stan Gibbs used to tell me, you have to follow them and plan where to be in order to make the most of a tide as they go east to west. I find in my advanced years that I do okay with a 2 to 3 spot itinerary with no bike.
I believe the mackerel are keying on cool water and the herring fry that are still dumping out of the run. Also we had quite a few squid in the canal around July 4th, me and Stiffy had them in a herd in front of us in a backwash one morning and the jigging was correspondingly good and most of the fish were barfing fresh dead or still semi alive squid up as we landed them.
I am going to start more nightime eelskin jigging in these next few weeks. The biggest bass I ever took on an eelskin jig was 26 pounds, I hope to break that mark some night this fall, who knows but it's worth trying.
Can't wait for the fall run in there, maybe we can get Numbskull to join me and you and show him the light!