Habs Needles do it again..... - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

tlapinski · 07-20-2004, 03:17 PM

i spent the past weekend fishing with some good friends, location NOT to be disclosed.

anyway, i was fishing a stretch of beach saturday night for about an hour and a half with two other guys. two of us were tossing eels, and the third was throwing a 2.5 ounce blurple Habs. anyway, within a few casts the guy tossing the needle was into fish.

final score:
eels - 1 fish of about 13#'s
Habs needle - 4 fish up to 28#'s

not even another sniff on the eels besides the 13#er. i was standing within a few feet of the needlefish guy, tossing eels myself, and i was blanked! this is the second night in the past 2 - 3 outings that the Habs has outfished eels and the second of 28#'s in two outings.

WOOD IS GOOD!

John E · 07-20-2004, 03:58 PM

Sandeels in the wash?

Tattoo · 07-20-2004, 05:28 PM

Maybe the eel slinger sucks?

tlapinski · 07-20-2004, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tattoo
Maybe the eel slinger sucks?

probably....

i would have snapped a picture of the fish, but you wouldn't have seen the needle anyway. she engulfed it so much that the only part showing was the snap.

Strider · 07-20-2004, 08:41 PM

Nebe · 07-20-2004, 09:05 PM

SeaWolf · 07-21-2004, 10:17 AM

maybe you should try to stop holding the reel upside down and reeling backwards. and, stop walking the dog w/ your eel.

Krispy · 07-21-2004, 10:22 AM

stop fishing in your pants

John E · 07-21-2004, 10:25 AM

I want a 9" in light blue over white REAL BAD. Any hints on where I might find some?

likwid · 07-21-2004, 10:44 AM

walmart
rustoleum

CowHunter · 07-21-2004, 12:18 PM

Let me gues most of the fish hit the needles at the end of the cast, not a fair comparison. You are getting less than half the distance with the eels....Just not reaching the fish.

7/15
22 Bass total, 11-18lbs
7/16
21 Bass total, 20lbs,20lbs,23lbs,24lbs,30lbs, 35lbs
The rest were in the teens
7/18
11 Bass total, three in the 20lb class biggest 25lbs

All on snakes, all in Rhody :-)

Give me a wetsuit and snakes anyday and I'll reach the fish!

CowHunter · 07-21-2004, 12:19 PM

Sorry, last one was 7/17...

JHABS · 07-21-2004, 12:25 PM

CowHunter, Very Impressive, EELS are hard to beat, BUT every BAIT has it's DAY..............

CowHunter · 07-21-2004, 12:38 PM

JHabs, this is true...Just not yet :-) When I do cary plugs I carry some of your needles along with Mike Fixters as they are both hard to beat...This year I have been strictly fishing eels, Ive hooked into fish this year that made a mid 30lb fish look like childs play, figured I would have a chance to land them with a single hook as opposed to two sets of trebles where once a fish sounds into the rocks you are done....So far I couldn't land one monster, Ive had more break me off in one night than I did in the past several years :-(

tlapinski · 07-21-2004, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CowHunter
Let me gues most of the fish hit the needles at the end of the cast, not a fair comparison. You are getting less than half the distance with the eels....Just not reaching the fish.

actually, ALL the fish came within mere feet of the shore. i could have spit on them if i could have seen them. the casts with the needlefish were practically underhand lobs.

Strider · 07-21-2004, 12:51 PM

Cow Hunter, hook ups came halfway on the return. I allowed the needle to sink to the bottom and then start the sloooow retrieve. The presentation worked well through the drop off and bumped its way up the shelf. Right place, right time with a working presentation. A little luck of the Irish and some good friends to fish with.

CowHunter · 07-21-2004, 01:01 PM

One Day we need to make a REAL camparison ;-) Anytime you boys are ready!

Krispy · 07-21-2004, 01:17 PM

Block Island doesnt really count as RI. And Cuttyhunk doesnt really count as MA when your talking fishing spots

chipwood · 07-21-2004, 01:20 PM

Wetsuits

Hopefully I'll have mine when I see you next time.

tlapinski · 07-21-2004, 02:39 PM

CH, i did not say that needles outfish eels ALL the time, just the last couple trips out. i GUARANTEE this is not because the eels are being fished wrong. my biggest fish ever came on an eel, as well as a lot of the bigger i regularly take. i just wanted to post an observation that the past couple outings, eels have not done the trick while needles have. it is just like some times poppers outfish chunks, and other time eels outfish wood. it always changes.

goosefish · 07-21-2004, 02:53 PM

I'm heading out to the raft to pick me up some eels. Potted good this morning, eels back on the feed with the new moon and all. Good baiters with a load of skinners.
See if I can't bait up a bass.

blackeye · 07-21-2004, 04:24 PM

I haven't done so well with eels in the last two weeks either. I know there were fish around cause they were hitting poppers and such-maybe they are keying in on sand eels and juvie herring/bunker

Crafty Angler · 07-22-2004, 08:51 AM

It's been either eels or an eel colored Hab's needlefish around here -

And almost nothing else in between

CowHunter · 07-22-2004, 10:40 AM

I just figured it was due to distance...This time of year I ALWAYS had eels taking more quality fish, usually if I fished plugs this time of year I would catch more fish, just lesser quality. I have done better many times with plugs in the fall time when there is a lot of bait around and those fish are keyed in on that bait. Had nights when they wouldn't touch an eel and destroyed needlefish and Darters. It almost always was due to bait.. There are also alot of other factors, one of which is water clarity...