When's it end?

[jenty]

Question for you RI guys. Down here in Jersey they say that the bass are pretty much done by Dec. 1st unless the weather has been warm in which case they'll catch them into Dec. Whats it like up there? How long are the bass in RI? Is the bite pretty much over now, or is the best yet to come? I went for a walk on Sat. night and I got 9 shorts, are the cows gone already? Say it ain't so!

[JohnR]

Anyone's guess. Some big fish will still push through in close and many days they will be out of range, Temps are cooling but still relatively warm so there will be some fish to be found for a little while still.

Dec. 1st - huh, I keep hearing how Jersey gets a great Christmans run...

[Fish_Eye]

jenty,

I spent a couple of hours in the water yesterday and only saw one bass about 25 pounds. There was no bait, no tautog, no scup, just fantastic fish habitat and structure -- minus the fish.

Is it over? The water temperatures are still in the mid-fifty range and there is still a ton of bait, blues and bass in the upper reaches of the bay -- as far back as the Seekonk River.

The first bass to make a run for the border are the males, BM that translates to twinkies, then the big girls pull up the rear. I haven't seen any blueback herring (THE calorically correct meal for any worthwhile striper) or diving birds which normally signals the start of the big fish migration. I would bet that the next two weeks wills produce some nice trophy stripers...if the weather allows us to fish effectively. If the winds start to stay out of the north and west you might consider a trip to Block Island. For now it's the fall MO of, "Find the bait, find the bass."

Mike

[Charlie M]

jenty...There will be fish here in NJ long after the first....always is. I had fish last year till right before Christmas...and it was an early leave for them. This year should have some good December fishing. But if you want to go by what you heard...fine by me!!

Charlie

[Tattoo]

Eye-Ball....see any lobsters?

[bloocrab]

a fisheye quote:
************************************************** **

There was no bait, no tautog, no scup, just fantastic fish habitat and structure -- minus the fish.

************************************************** **

..I hit the Wesport River Yesterday...via boat!!...worked the Barge and a bunch of rockpiles....7 hours of moving and fishing ...movin and fishin' .....

...spoke to a few other boaters out there with the same results... " not a creature was stirrring not even a mouse " !!!

the catch for the day was 5 scup and 1 sea-bass... NO STRIPERS!..NO TAUTOG...NO BAITFISH!..and the only BLUES were the ones I was singin' cuz of my bad joke...

..I still think theres' some fish out there...they're just playing hide and seek until the " Fat Lady " starts singin' ....and I think she's clearing her throat as we type!...

..I still got a couple more weeks of hit or miss to try ...while I turnover some rocks lookin for Hogs...Striper by night , HOG by daybreak...and maybe the Macks will start showin...

.....toodle Loo...~~~~~ BLOO

[Arby]

Jenty, we should have fish into January if it's like "usual" years. Last year I hung it up on December 1st. The water just got too cold by me. The Air temps were freezing too.

I just hope my Breathable Waders with sweat pants are warm enough. I broke down this fall after the 20th repair of the Neophrenes didn't work out. Cold water in both boots is not too fun. Brrrrrr... I have a second pair of Neophrenes but they are too small and I look like a Seal in them

[Flounder]

Historically, Montauk sees a November flurry of big fish, feeding on Herring. The last few years this has not materialized. The bridges at Jones Beach traditionally give up a trophy or two right after our Striper season closes on Dec. 15. This would seem to indicate a Christmas striper would be possible in NJ waters, but by then, the air temperature stifles angler effort. I don't even SEE the fat lady, much less hear her song. A shorter answer to this question would be "right after the first decent snowfall".

Flounder

[AnthonyN]

There is still lots of bait up here in the bay small pogies herring even skipjacks. Looks like they are on the move. Plus tautog small though, and silversides the only thing i have been catching is schoolies.

[DaveS]

Fir me it's over in NJ when I go 7 nights in a row without a fish.

[JohnR]

Hey Dave - howze the back??

[Slipknot]

If I went fishing 7 nights in a row, it would be over for me too

[tarheel]

Out in the Jones beach area the bass are around till early Dec.
The past few years have seen a few 50lb fish during Thanksgiving week.....Seems to have been a hott time in recent years...
I have looked at my log and in early Dec. I seem to have many shorts around that time but all good fun..
Just have to layer up and stay warm
Good luck Tarheel

[TheSpecialist]

I hear that Slip, If I went three nights in a row I'd be living at the old Boston motel.

[Slipknot]

I've done 4, but that's pushing it. and one was all night.

[DaveS]

Much better John, I can move around pretty good now, but to sit down too long kinda hurts still. I'm sorry I missed the trip to Naps with CharlieM. but my back was in bad shape! I hurt it thursday and friday it was so bad, my wife had to call an ambulance for me. I thought something was very wrong, but it was a pinched nerve type of thing. I'll be seeing you next June though for sure.

[JohnR]

I've done 2 nights in a row but they weren't all nighters - yeh, relatively speaking, TheBetterHalf has it good (notice I only say this when I'm 65 miles away at work)

--- DaveS - good to hear, I know how severe back pain gets. Out of nowhere, you can fall to the floor like a rag doll when it sneaks up... I hope to drop a few pounds and strengthen my back up a bit before next year for better marching ability, looking forwards to having you up here....

[Fishpart]

Slip, based on my experience you are lucky to be alive.

It isn't so much my Better 1/2, but the kids that aren't happy with too much fishing.

[redcrbbr]

ya know!!! just after i decided to finally break down my gear and dust off the rod rack in the basement, 10x10 comes and starts to throw some doubt in my mind as to if it is really over yet???? the wife just took a swing at me

[Slipknot]

Ummm, I think I just remembered a small cabinet job needs to be done down in Bourne, ya that's it a cabinet job