How many..........

[Flaptail]

Bass could you land if you encountered the following:

3 hours into the drop, 2 am on an outer cape beach. The surf is moderate. A 3 foot swell with no wind but it's a new moon.

Big bass, 30 pounds and up are suddenly at your feet. Your fishing plugs. Needlefish to be exact. They aren't blitzing but they are eating well, not committing suicide but taking regurlarly.

You have a nine foot spinning rod with a braid friendly reel and 20 pound braid.

The bite is on for two hours then stops.

Being a reasonably knowledgable and skilled surf fisherman how many do you think you could expect to land given the weight of the fish, the line class your fishing and the time window?

This should be interesting!

[Swimmer]

From the conditions given with that many fish and and gear certainly big enough to handle the fish, as many as your body could handle.

[Flaptail]

Knowing how long a fish like those might take to land from experience but also knowing individual fish fighting techniques vary greatly, pick a number. 3? 6? 12? 18?

[jim sylvester]

9-12 bass would be a good number steve

you figure they're not blitzing, but on the feed

a bass in that class range with that gear would be landed pretty quickly, not an epic battle going on here, as 20 lb braid is stronger than you think

figure every 5 casts pick up a fish

just my thoughts here

[Rockfish9]

4-6... fish that size are coming into their fighting prime, big enough to turn broad side and keep you honest, still "small" enough to allow you to put the tongs to 'em,(IMHO, 38-44s are the hardest fighters),some will run a long way and sulk, then slowly give in, others will do battle right at your feet,running at you cartwheeling and then run out to sea, only to reverse direction and comit harry carry on the beach hard tellin' not knowing!.. then you have to take into account that you wont get one every cast....yup, 4-6, 4 being more realistic....

[Slipknot]

Landing 8-10 may be reasonable, but if we have to take some time to revive them then, who knows. 2 hours goes by pretty quick when the bite is on. You say 20 lb braid, well it it is 20 lb fireline, then no problem for me, but if it's 20 lb whiplash or powerpro or some other junk, then it could take a bit longer to play the fish. I feel more comfortable with fireline since it breaks at a higher lb than they rate it.

[Slingah]

a dozen or so.... give or take if your real horny.....

[Joe]

If you're letting them go - taking care to not rip their mouth apart and taking time to revive the ones that are beat up pretty bad maybe 15.
If you are a commercial, in your fish-catching prime and motivated by money, and knowing how much you can horse them, and not caring if you rip their face off when you disgorge the hook, and throwing them in a pile behind you rather than reviving them: 25...maybe more.
I've known commercials who can beach a 20 in under three minutes...

[jim sylvester]

Originally Posted by Joe

If you're letting them go - taking care to not rip their mouth apart and taking time to revive the ones that are beat up pretty bad maybe 15.
If you are a commercial, in your fish-catching prime and motivated by money, and knowing how much you can horse them, and not caring if you rip their face off when you disgorge the hook, and throwing them in a pile behind you rather than reviving them: 25...maybe more.
I've known commercials who can beach a 20 in under three minutes...

20's in under 3 minutes..the old crank and yank technique

[Swimmer]

Six taking into consideration thier is three hours of tide left.

[The Dad Fisherman]

I'd be happy with one......

[Raven]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

I'd be happy with one......

ya meat head! lol


interesting read Flaptail

[BassDawg]

This year............ZERO!!

Am going the All Trophies Route this year. Will catch the belly fillers inbetween the BIG GIRLS for the fridge............but this year I'm taking the Crazy Al approach and am WALKING AWAY!!!

I know, I know it sounds very foreign to the adrenaline, excitement, and "they're here" factor that consumes us; yet, do you want to catch and release quantities of feesh, or do you want to target that TROPHY or Quality Large that only come few and far between. And then again, if one does become a genuine Trophy Hunter wouldn't the number of landed COWS increase ~ya know, not be so few and occur more often~ by the very nature of solely targetting the 50# class and up?

Gonna be tough, but iffin you're spending that much time where ya know there are 30's, why not move and go git that 50+, somewheres? Don't get me wrong it would be a BLAST, but if I only have so many feesh in me, why not focus me efforts on the BIGGUNS, give them a quick pic, and safe release or mount if she truly is the Striper of a Lifetime?

[jim sylvester]

Originally Posted by BASSTracker

This year............ZERO!!

Am going the All Trophies Route this year. Will catch the belly fillers inbetween the BIG GIRLS for the fridge............but this year I'm taking the Crazy Al approach and am WALKING AWAY!!!

I know, I know it sounds very foreign to the adrenaline, excitement, and "they're here" factor that consumes us; yet, do you want to catch and release quantities of feesh, or do you want to target that TROPHY or Quality Large that only come few and far between. And then again, if one does become a genuine Trophy Hunter wouldn't the number of landed COWS increase ~ya know, not be so few and occur more often~ by the very nature of solely targetting the 50# class and up?

Gonna be tough, but iffin you're spending that much time where ya know there are 30's, why not move and go git that 50+, somewheres? Don't get me wrong it would be a BLAST, but if I only have so many feesh in me, why not focus me efforts on the BIGGUNS, give them a quick pic, and safe release or mount if she truly is the Striper of a Lifetime?

basstracker
no disrespect here, only what i think
it takes a lot to walk away from a bunch of 30 lb fish

to some it is the fish of a lifetime, others just happy catching instead of tossing all night with no avail

it takes true determination to walk away from a slug of 30lb steady fish to go looking for a trophy

[Flaptail]

Basstracker I understand your point. I guess that is an individual cross you have to bear. Being the outside beaches have been what they have been ( and with the new year hope burns eternal for a better prospective) then night I proposed as a situation you might find yourself in is as rare as the trophy you seek elsewhere.

Now RI, CT, NY or NJ south I cannot comment on as I only fish the cape and this may be plausible there but the outer cape I haunt religiously and it's gotten really really hard.

Thanks for posting though it's another insight into how we all think differently and at the same time in the same way! (I know that must be an oxymoron of some type)

[Rockfish9]

I tend to leave "smaller" fish for bigger ones, myself, I'm not interested in numbers, just quality, but if I recall the post correctly, it was 30 and up.... that size fish just might have a big one in it, I just might go to a bigger bait..... I've been there.

[RIROCKHOUND]

BassTracker..
no disrepsect...
How many 30's did you get last year?

I'll be 100% honest. I fished my ass off, had a slow summer and ended up with a fair number of 20- almost 30lb fish. I didn't weigh any so I had no 'honest' 30's...

I want a 'big fish' as much as the next guy but There is no way I'd walk away.

[reelecstasy]

i'd say 10, at best...at least for me
I have a habit of lighting up when I get a nice one.....

[RIROCKHOUND]

10

[Rockfish9]

And no ones even mentioned Murphys law...... takes time to check leaders, retie if needed..... revive fish..... deal with the bloody hand that just got spined!!! two hours goes by mighty fast when your busy.....

[jim sylvester]

I still say 9-12

[pops02]

i say 6

[Christian]

ide say six. 40-50lb braid though and 10lbs of drag. after that maybe a few more, but arms will be dead.

[Adamfishes]

can I use a net ?

[BigFish]

Had a night similar to that with BM, Slipknot and Slingah!!! I bet about 20 fish till the sun comes up and scatters them! This particular night fish were between 20-30 pounds! Most were about 25 to be sure!

But ooooppppssss.....I am fishing 15 pound mono!

[bassmaster]

alot for me not sure how many, but its a feel thing with me. depending on how the bass are hooked also
but i learn early on when they chow lay as many as u can on the sand (selling) wow memorys

[Karl F]

Originally Posted by Flaptail

The bite is on for two hours then stops.

BFL (and others)... 2 hour bite...gotta factor that..

[BigFish]

Oh......ummmmm......a dozen then!

[Karl F]

non blitz.. slow, but steady bite.. Flap gave all the details

[BigFish]

12!