Hey,Got Stripers,Listen Up !

you are correct,and yes,that was a good tweak! But I asked for it.I still think nite time is the right time,however,There are those occasions when you have bunker in the wash during the day that you will land moby #^&#^&#^&#^&!!

I left it out because ,as you must well know, those days of monster bass rolling under hapless bunker are gone!! There isnt any large bunker anymore.I caught my 52lb fish on a live eel in the late october surf,deep into the night.I have fished live bunker in the daytime but, that seems like eon's ago! I miss it.We have also lost the huge schools of herring that we used to see in the fall that made the daytime fishing so good.Even still,I always liked fishing at night better.

Im glad you pointed out my lack of remembering those days of the 80s! It might just be i dont want to remeber it,Things will never be that good again!!

I knew that little tweek would catch your attention and yes I too miss the fishing we had back in the late 80's. I caught so many big cow stripers in the last four years of that decade, it makes me yearn for time travel.......beam me back Scotty, lol. TODAY, you are correct and I would agree that the odds of catching a big one are better at night. Now I didn't and still don't (ok, call me stupid, I deserve it) keep a log, but if memory serves me well, there are some very good reasons that my top dozen stripers all came during the day. Youv'e already pointed out one of the primary reasons; abundant large bunker. Another reason, and again I'm going from memory, is that most of my big fish days came in September and October. Most will agree that everyone's odds of catching the big one, regardless of the year, greatly increase come fall......day or night. The third is timing of my trips and that includes considerations for tides, luner affect on tides, prolonged easterly blows which increases my odds in Mass Bay and hitting the water after northeasters or hurricanes.

Then there are the subtle differences that only come from time on the water, presentation and being in the right place at the right time to up the odds even further. You can have the biggest bunker, the fattest eel or the sweetest plug on the end of your line, but if your not fishing in the right place and at the right time, then the odds aren't with you. Of course I'm not telling you anything new am I.

Enjoyed tweeking you a bit, seemed like you set yourself up for that one and I just couldn't resist, lol.

[eelman]

Acually,I should be fishing instead of typing here!! But, august is a slow month for me and I like to relax and get ready for the fall!

You are correct,there is much more to fishing than meets the eye,Tide,wind,lunar cycle,cold fronts,warm fronts etc...........Fishing isnt all luck at all!! The size of the fish can be luck,but putting yourself in the best possible condition's for a moby bass is somewhat of a science.I can just look at the water sometimes and tell weather or not it is going to be a good night! These are things that cant be taught no matter how much you try to tell someone,It is a "feel" that takes time and alot of trial and error to attain.Some people just have it! Some dont.There is a knack to fishing saltwater from the surf unlike anything else.There are loads of variables to add to the equation.

As far as logs,I keep them and they are the best story tellers I have,They write themselves,After a few years you will see amazing things develop from those logs,Patterns start to form and the game gets easier.I wouldent sell my logs for a million bucks! I will not even let my wife look at those sacred journals,They are that important.I have worked the surf extremely hard to learn what I know and it has took the better part of 18 years!!Chasing bass was all I ever wanted to do.

I now reap the rewards for all that hard work,No longer do I have to fish 10 hours,I now know where to go and when to go for just two hours at a time and still be very productive,I know what winds produce and when,what tides to fish and what tides to stay home.To be honest,I only have 4 spots that I fish regular,but I Know them intamatly and have great confidence in them.

Bass fishing is tough work, but the rewards are sweet,some people just cant make the commitment to do what it takes.Chasing large stripers at night is work! and I think it should be taken seriously Too be done right!!

[Got Stripers]

With a family and a business to run, I've been a weekend warrior for the past 17 years. I get my one day a week, maybe a brief morning on top of that if I'm lucky. Patterns take countless trips to emerge, nothing of merit will develop from a limited data base and that is one of the main reasons I never bothered keeping a log. Now if I were out 4 days/nights a week for six months of the year, than after a few years enough data would be available to develop reliable patterns. The related reason is that being a weekend warrior, prevents me from choosing the BEST TIMES, BEST TIDES, BEST CONDITIONS to go fishing, so patterns wouldn't do me much good.

I had that option back in the good old days, before kids, before I took over the family business, but unfortunately I don't have those options anymore. Hopefully my body will hold up long enough, so that when the kids are gone I can get back into fishing more as an obsession, rather than a hobby, lol.

Tight lines.