Cows: redux

[Krispy]

With so many people fishing heavy tackle from the surf, why are so few large bass taken (per person) 30lb+ during the course of the season? The fish are there..

What is the general striped bass fishing population missing when targeting larger fish? Location, technique, dedication, landing ability, etc.???

[baldwin]

They don't survive to that size by being easy. Non-selective fish that hit anything, any place, at any time of day get weeded out quickly. Those that are left are pickier, hang out in deep water more of the time, and come into the shallows mainly in deep night.

[Krispy]

Let me rephrase.
Why arent YOU, the fishing populace, catching more large? Some guys do.

Bass are bass, they react in specific ways to their environment, what are fishermen missing, to catch X 30+lbers per season?

[numbskull]

A boat. Live bait.

[bloocrab]

How does one predict the size of the Bass that will be awaiting his presentation? Impossible....../////....however,,,my thougths are these.....


Location, in my opinion is the first and foremost important factor. Larger Bass will be closer to deepness...they will linger in close but won't be counting "one, one thousands..." waiting for us to be there. One must also be there, as much as possible...only makes sense to a person that has some,,ie:dedication...Most people fish when it's convenient for them,,,convenience doesn't always catch LARGE fish,.,some people are Lucky though-. How does Luck play a part in this equation? ...hmmmm....being at a right place at a right time definately requires skill. There are many variables that effect where to be when, but it's luck that determines the class of fish that will take residence or swim by that night, again...persistance is key. If you believe BIG fish should be there...eventually,, they will be...but will you?

Techniques??...isn't that stereo equipment?...,,, Some plugs are hard to fish wrong, some plugs,, by some fisherpeeple are never fished right,,, some people see the plug as a piece of wood or plastic, they force it through the wake/water...they don't take the time to feel the current and imagine themselves as the bait their plug is supposed to be imitating..fighting it's way through the current, being held back when the pull is strong. You must BE one with the bait/lure in order to catch more. The lure is an extension of your hand teasing a hungry or not so hungry Striper. I good fisherperson can catch a Striper that wasn't hungry or competing with another Striper just by making his plug look that vulnerable...Just like fishing amongst a lot of bait, you must injure your lure in a way that entices the Striper...erratic at first, then suspend ...then twitch, as excited as you may get...be patient and be one with your presentation. Some people take fishing too seriously but they catch more and ask less, they may not always catch large because again,,....Large have to be present...


As a whole, I don't think the majority of the population targets Large, they target numbers. Most people would much rather catch 50 Stripers ranging from 12-15lbs. than wait all night for a single 35lber...They really think they want a 50lber when they're casting to a school of 10lb fish in an Autumn blitz during afternoon tea...

Not to take from your thread,,,but here's a question for you Krispy...


What's the better way to catch a BIG fish?

1. Fish from 3pm to 8pm 5 days a week in a decent spot that should show Large at some point.

OR....

2. Fish from 10pm to 3am 3 nights a week in the same spot?

[bart]

Maybe there aren't that many big fish around to be caught

[bloocrab]

Originally Posted by bart

Maybe there aren't that many big fish around to be caught

I like people that think like you do...


NIB....can I fish out of your truck??...

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by bart

Maybe there aren't that many big fish around to be caught

Except it just aint true Bart. We are not talking high 40, 50 or 60lb fish. 30's are good respectable catches and there are fisherman who consistently take multiple 30's every season. In fact I know personally of at least 6 members of S-B who have all taken 2+ over for the last two years from shore.
I dont think theres much luck in taking 30lbers, mostly skill and timing.
And I agree, most people arent targeting large, or they just think they are.
What is the difference though?

[NIB]

I'll take u to a very good spot.i'll let u plug it till ur blue in the face.u can even use some of my plugs.U might, might get one.TRhen I'll go back to the truck an come back wit a few live baits(bunker,herring) pitch em in an watch em come out of the wood work.
To answer ur question the night time is the right time.for large no question.U will coax em up with a live bunker in the daylight..First light best bet.The #1 big fish bait no question.

[NIB]

The upcoming weeks here in NJ are prime time an my favorite time to bag large.Fish will come in the rivers to spawn.there patterns are predictable,somewhat.Seems spawners are not as smart as they have something else on thier minds.They are the most vulnerable at this time.they take chances they normally don't.If i fish hard ther is no question i will break the 30 lb mark at night on lures.U can get em comin in a going out.before we had this bunker bonanza in NJ u could get some live bait an get a good fish along the jetty's in june.it's a little more involved now as the bunker vacum the bass from all there regular holdin spots.To summerize yrs.on the water has left me a few predictable patterns to score a good bass.I know a few others after june it becomes much tougher here for a good bass.With early morn an live bait being king.I have learned a few other patterns in other states also.Keep a log.Jim Powers told me one time he has no interest in 20 lbers.I kinda feel the same way.2 of my best fish came at 4 am after fishing all night in a spot an technique I was confident in.both nights I had zero other hits.6 hrs each night NO hits.I watched every one else leave.U have to have confidence in what ur doing..

[Pete F.]

Is'nt that most peoples here's goal: To catch more large fish.
In my case it's because I am totally inept.
Even my smilies are screwed up.

[tynan19]

I would say one of the biggest reasons would be location. The guys on here who consistantly catch large are in "mostly private areas" that they keep secret. No general access or they have special permission to get in. Generally they are big fish spots. Others do well in known spots but it helps to have special access. 2. Would be technique and experience. Knowing when, where and with what. This all comes from years of logs and just getting out there. The right gear is key. 3. Dedication, some of these guys are out 5-7 days a week all hours. You need to fight the urge to sleep and get out there when most are comfortably warm in bed. I can only fish 2 nights a week since it takes me an 11/2 hrs to get there one way.

[jaywalker33]

This thread has really got me thinking. I have had a tough couple years with catching keepers, let alone 30 lbers. I am going to have to change my tactics this year. Problem being I usually only fish on the weekends and usually only early morning through early evening, never at night. The point bloocrab makes about casting into the blitz is a good one. Usually I am chasing the birds and thus the crowd when out in bbay. Reading all these posts makes me realize what a rookie I still am. Hopefully this year I will take my biggest bass yet. Going to try some different tactics as well as spots and times.

[Goose]

Some people learn from their mistakes others never do. I'm content getting skunked beleive it or not atleast I know the odds are higher(atleast I think they are) where I'm at throwing and I what I throw with the tackle I have. If you go to a spring and fall hot spot in the summer...you haven't learned to spend the extra money to get to where you neede to be to cast into cooler deeper waters,,,thats why alot of people settle for smaller fish.

[tlapinski]

Originally Posted by Krispy

With so many people fishing heavy tackle from the surf, why are so few large bass taken (per person) 30lb+ during the course of the season?

What is your definition of so few? One per season? 5+ per season?

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by tlapinski

What is your definition of so few? One per season? 5+ per season?

I guess thats the question. HOW MANY people really catch at least one 30lb per season every year?
I am sure quite a few, but with so many using "heavy tackle", why arent more caught.
Some say because theyre aren't any around, but more than just a few guys are getting good fish every season. Makes to think if you aren't catching multiple 30's, your doing something wrong in your approach, if your targeting larger fish.

[NIB]

U anwered ur own qestion.There doing something wrong.
On one trip to the canal all i heard how fishng was slow.In every tackle shop thou are the dated pictures of quality fish.Fish of 30 lbs or better.Taken every day.Seems some folks are content in hearing that fishing is slow.Easier to be lazy in there approach..An some are out to prove it wrong.I tell ya what if i lived near there i wouldn't fish to many other places.

Krispy.this is ur second thread pertaining to this subject.
What do U think.??

[Krispy]

I think I need to tweak some changes to get the 5+ 30 lbers I want through the season.
I think 95% of fishermen aren't doing something right

[NIB]

Originally Posted by Krispy

I think I need to tweak some changes to get the 5+ 30 lbers I want through the season.
I think 95% of fishermen aren't doing something right

So enlighten us .what have u learned from this thread.What tweakings will u make to land the better fish.

There one of those fancy sayings I can remember excatly.
10 percent of the fisherman catch 90 percent of the fish.
something like that.Sometimes I feel its right.Sometimes I feel like I'm a 11 percenter.

[NarragansettBil]

I believe that they are always within striking distance of most catches. By this I mean that the "dinks" or schoolies are quick to hit and are not as wise as the cows.

For instance, I was on a local bridge roadway looking down on someone fishing from the rocks below. This guy caught about 20-30 dinks! Having a great time! But, what I saw and he did not was almost every hooked schoolie was being followed by a much much larger Fish. They just came up out of nowhere and seemed to almost escort the dinks in. And when they came to close to shore they dove back down into the deep. I watched this happen atleast a dozen times. At that time a light bulb when off and repeated the well know saying "Big Bait begets Big Fish".

There is just no other way to get past the dinks down to the Cows without getting the schoolies to hit.

Just my thoughts!!!

Tight lines to all!

[Slingah]

Id say alot of time and a little smarts and throw in some luck.....live bait helps too....if somebody is really targeting large and does so with vigor they will be rewarded

[Skitterpop]

This year I have a 10' and a 11' 9 ' All Star spinning...going with some big reels with 80# braid and 80# mono leaders... going off Cape to more rocky destinations.

Some plugs 9" and bigger and some rubber or plastic 9" up to 16"
....even 36" tubes from shore

Won`t be doing a lot of casting at 52 years old with a very bad back and some other extra health issues but I will choose my casts, locations,times , etc. etc. well.... or I will attempt to

[stiff tip]

propper time on the tide, location, correct type bait or lure,propper presentation,lots of time, and fish sense and lovin what you do helps..

[basswipe]

Anybody can have the gear but that doesn't mean they know what they're doing.

[Back Beach]

I hate to admit the truth, but the number of nights you spend is the key once you learn the game. There is definitely no shortage of 30 plus fish at all. Even enough 40's if you catch things right. I probably caught more jumbo fish in the 1990-2000 era than I will the rest of my life combined.That's 40 more years if I live long enough(75) and stay interested.Why? Time, time, time, or lack of it.

[piemma]

I think the following:

1) Fish in "big fish" spots.

2) Fish "big fish" bait, lures, whatever. You will not get a 30 on a crippled herring. Yeah, I know someone will say that they knew someone who did. By and large, it's not a "big fish" lure. A Habs Needle or a Danny or a live Bunker or a live Eel, well, those are "big fish" baits.

3) Fish "big fish" hours. You will have a better chance getting a big fish at 3 in the morning than 3 in the afternoon.

4) Fish for "big fish". Throw conventional. Figure out where you will land a 30+ before your first cast. Crawl the rocks where no one else does. Doesn't need to be private, just tough to get to.

5) Finally, fish "big fish" moon and tides. Dark side of the moon, certain tides at certain places and certain weather conditions.

There is a spot in RI that a few of us know about that if the following is in place, there will be 30# fish taken.
Dark side of the moon
Overcast
High tide at midnight or so
NE wind at 15 to 20 or more
Throw live eels.
I have caught over 2 dozen 30+ pound fish at this one spot in these conditions. A guy I use to fish with and I had 10 fish over 30 in 1, 3 hour stretch on a night in these conditions. Nasty spot with bubble weed, black rocks, big water and "BIG FISH".

[Charlie M]

But just imagine u where the NIB.

I think there are 2 parts to the questions. I think more people do catch 30's now, due to advanced technology like braid. fish before that, were broken off. However, I think those ar ethe guys that get 1 every couple of years or that will be their largest ever.

I think in the most important thing you need to do in order to catch fish over 30, you need to fish alot of hours in the middle of th night where you can't rely on seeing stucture, current etc, but you learn to feel it. And in those hours, understand spots pretty intimately to understand the patterns in how the fish relate to that spot. As with anything, the guys with the most hours spent fishing, usually have the most large fish. This is a pretty generic answer, but i think it holds true. There will always be things like NJ's june bunker fishing where you can pencil popper 30's with little knowledge, but those aren't always the guys that can get a 30 in th middle of the summer or when fishing is slow in the fall when no one else can get fish. And sometimes, its just luck.

I also think there are alot of fish caught, that nobody ever hears about.

[NIB]

WoW Charlie U got jokes.
Face It Deep Inside
U wanna be like THE NIB

[RIJIMMY]

Thanks Krisp, this is a very good thread. I bumped it up a notch this year with little to show for it. Much of the challenges noted above are the same for me.
I have been fishing salt and fresh since I was a little kid, very comfortable with all the basics. Became a nightime strper fisherman about 6 years ago. My Dad did very well fishing RI surf up until 1994, then moved to Florida. So he was an excellent source of info and guidance. He was the best fisherman I have ever known, multiple 30s, 40s, and 50s. All that said, I have never caught a bass larger than 26 lbs. I fish hard, 99% of the time alone and always at night. I use eels mostly then plugs, jigs and sluggos/surf hogs.
By fishing alone, I hardly learn anything new. I dont know, what I dont know. I have been exploring new areas and sometimes getting into fsih. My biggest drawback is that I only fish 1-2 nights a week. I wish I was learning more when I was out there. I am sure I am repeating my mistakes.

[In The Surf]

What has hurt my numbers this year is being out of work and barely finding enough side work to pay my bills. Had and have plenty of time just can't afford the gas and it adds up quick putting in the time and being mobile and putting in the miles. Gotta be responsible and take care of whats important first. Lucky if I get out once a week, got a couple of decent ones this year but nothing like when I was getting out 5-6 nights a week. That's what it takes to have a pulse of what is going on in the surf. Gotta put in your time to know where they are, are they holding there or moving on if so where, know what bait is around and where it is. That and as mentioned where to go based on conditions and environmental factors that make spots productive at certain times.

It's fall, I need to get out and fish. Anyone in the West Warwick area mind hooking up a brother and getting me out to save my sanity.