What Was Wrong???

[tynan19]

I fished the Canal tonight an hour before and a few hours after sunset. I fished the mainland side at the foot of the Train Bridge on a tide that was flowing east. It looked perfect I couldn't believe there were no fish. There was a lot of herring fry and other bait fish.

I first used a white bucktail and a white porkrind, then a red and white bucktail. I cast them right up to the abutment and let them ride the current into the eddies of the bridge. There was lots of little rips and eddies. I then used a couple Mambos and Bombers, dark colors after dark. I threw some Kastmasters and Storm Swim Shads in different sizes.

Wrong tide, no fish? Any help would be appreciated.

[hank8001]

If you find out let me know. The same thing happens every time I go there too. Oh yeah, and I lose like $15.00 worth of tackle to boot.

[BrianS]

try exactly what you did..
spot
tide
etc

but use eels..

i was there same time as you last night, albeit a different area...

2 keepers and 4 blues

eels have been working *good*

[reelecstasy]

I will be there tonite, slingin eels.....drifting them in the current, slippin into the rips...We shall see

[jugstah]

I fished the Canal yesterday from 10am til about 130pm(leaving to get back home to watch the yankees go home crying) and i caught a few shorts. wasn't too bad.

caught 'em on clams and mack

[JohnR]

I won't confuse myself with someone that actually knows the canal well but sometimes, believe it or not, even in perfect conditions the bass don't always play ball and jump on our hooks with reckeless abandon...

[Saltheart]

They weren't biting!

[tynan19]

Thanks for the help. I will have to try eels next time. I relize that they don't want to bite sometimes but it gets discouraging when I hear every one catching fish. Keep trying I say.

[BrianS]

Dont be discouraged.
The canal is a magical place

You could go 5 times and get nothing.
Then go one more and youll run thru your bait in an hour the fish are biting so well.

I would rather catch 5 fish in the canal than 20 fish in a boat... I just get a better feeling of accomplishment from it.. Its worth the wait.

[mrmacey]

when you going again I might want to come if Im free.

[chris L]

keep trying I had 3 on staurday night all on white jigs with pig

[BrianS]

Probably headed out EARLY on either Wed or Thurs morning..

If I offer to work the late shift at work I dont need to be in till 10am, so I can fish from like 3or 4 till 7 or so.

[t.orlando]

If you do not get into fish in your first half an hour move.50 yards can make a world of difference in the canal. Sat nite I had 7 fish to 25# outta 2 spots.

[Mr. Sandman]

John and SH are right....they can just turn off sometimes. Keep going.

[bloocrab]

I played the Bone-Game again there yesterday morning before stopping in at M&D's to buy some tickets . .. . I peddalled like no tomorrow chasing them @#$@#$ fish....I couldn't even get one to look at me this time. I probably passed you guys up multiple times.....I gotta say, I didn't see much fish caught....and the few that I did see.....were caught on chunks....and were small. At first light the fish were concentrated at the East end....as the tide finished dumping east, the fish seemed to disappear...so I headed west.......I plugged slack for stripes but nada.....rode the bike some more, saw some decent eye candy on the service road and got plenty of good exercise anyway.

Fished again last night....from the top of the drop to the very bottom of the tide - - different location - - my buddy tossed a variety of lures ALL night and I baited some fresh pogy chunks ....decent swells kept the water moving and I managed 4 fish, largest went about 50" . . . .my lure tossing partner caught nada....not even a bump. At this point in the season I expect to catch fish on every outing...whether they be 20" or 40"....I expect fish, what I sometimes forget is....THERE IS ALOT OF WATER OUT THERE ....AND FISH MOVE. They don't always want plugs . . . they're not always feeding, we need to take the bad with the good I guess.....Like I said, while chasing bones....I ripped my tins right through frenzy feeding fish.......sometimes the skunk is mightier than the rod

[tynan19]

Thanks again for the confidence booster guys, well put. The current was really ripping, Bloo how did you keep the chunks down? How many ounces? Fish finder rig? Have Thurs thru Sun off this week will be getting the bike down there for mobility. Hopefully the storm won't screw everything up.

[t.orlando]

50", very nice fish bloocrab

[BrianS]

50" *twitch*

but I agree with bloo... at this point in the season and with the luck Ive been having.... I am expecting fish nightly....

Confidence might be a part of the luck too.. who knows...

[bloocrab]

Originally posted by bloocrab
...I managed 4 fish, largest went about 50" . . ..

...All 4 fish were the same species.

[bloocrab]

....did I forget to say it wasn't a striped-bass???.....

[tynan19]

I think so.

[bloocrab]

...how did you keep the chunks down? How many ounces? Fish finder rig?...

tynan ...

Keeping the chunks down
- Yes, 4 - 6 oz. bank sinkers.....I variate from fish-finder rigs to tying the sinker on with a different test monofilament. Meaning if my main line is 50# braid, I will make a dropper loop or use a 3-way swivel and tie a piece (4-6 inches) of 30# mono. This way if it hangs up and I have a fish on or not...the mono should break first, freeing up the braided main line.
I normally use the fish-finder rig when the tide is closer to slack. This way I can reduce the weight of the bank sinker eventually taking it off completely and floating a chunk. I don't go for distance casting when chunking the canal.... you don't really have to, the fish aren't always as far as you think. This will also reduce your hang-ups.
I also float chunks in the current with an egg sinker or rubber core..fresh bait is important for this technique. Frozen bait can only be casted so many times. Use the current to your advantage.
I hope some of this is helpful -

[CANAL RAT]

some times the canal gives out 40lbers like parking tickets on the forth of july other times all you catch is a cold all you can do is put your time in and you will get a big striper

[tynan19]

Thanks Bloo. It helps a lot. I will try those techniques as well as tossing a few snakes this weekend.

Canal Rat was that you I saw the other night scurrying over the tracks? I had to keep you a secret from my wife or she won't come back to the canal with me.