Skunked @ Canal and around Chatham - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

JamesJet · 10-14-2008, 09:51 PM

I took yesterday off to fish with my buddy out of Harwich and decided to hit the canal on the way down. Jigged for about an hour yesterday morning about 3:30-4:30AM - Nothing, donated a Ronz. Fished live and chunk pogies all over Chatham, trolled the rips too - nothing. Lots of birds and lots of bait - big schools of sandeels and the bays were loaded with pogies. Normally we see fish on the sounder - but nothing! Nothing except a few bluefish bites on the live ones inside Stage, of course just before the hook. Then jigged the canal from 4:30 to about 6:00PM - nothing - donated some lead and rubber.

I am fine with the skunk at the canal - as it all is learning for me since I am new to it - but whats up with Chatham? I feel like the fall run passed by a few weeks ago - its been dead dead dead - at least for me and my cohorts....

I am trying to go to work "late"on thursday to hit the AM canal tide but we'll see....

JohnnyD · 10-14-2008, 11:27 PM

I got the stinky skunk at the canal last night fishing eels. 4 hours, 2 cigar butts returned by bluefish, not a single hookup.

Been a couple months since I've caught a keeper... super frustrating. I'm starting to consider keeping a blue or two just to put something in the freezer

SAUERKRAUT · 10-15-2008, 06:58 AM

Over this past three day holiday nice weather weekend, buddies Numbskull, Flaptail, Stifftip and I fished virtually around the clock-- to include the canal, the Race, the parking lots (CG etc.) and even cheating boat fishing the Elizabeths all the way out to Cutty. It has been the most awful barometer of fishing that I have seen in a long time-- any calendar month. I'm just hoping that it is the combination of "women's weather", bright moon, and that we're in between schools of migrating fish. I think we are.

BigFish · 10-15-2008, 07:01 AM

My feelings exactly Sauerkraut! Hopefully with less moon and maybe a little bit of a blow the fish will begin moving! I do not believe they have begun to move in earnest yet......they are running late, water temps are well in the 60's still! Last 3 nights I have managed nary a tap?!!!

Gonna take a few nights off, wait for darker nights and a little slop I hope.....crap its only the 15th of October!!! The best should still be in front of us!!??

ProfessorM · 10-15-2008, 07:56 AM

Larry the optimist. I hope you are right. Tons of bait and nary a fish in my travels. Good blow and temp drop coming on Fri to Sat then sw again on Sun. Something should happen, but what the hell do i know.

MarshCappa · 10-15-2008, 09:59 AM

I got skunked at the canal last night but I was only there from 9-11:30pm. Howling wind made it a little tough. I suck at the canal and never can put in enough time to be proficient. I have a huge respect for the many folks here that do well in the canal. I donated a black sluggo that I was attempting to jig and then proceeded to donate another jig getting hung up.

I suck at jigging because I don't do enough of it to get a good feel for when and if I am actually on the bottom. Maybe I should have posted this in the Googan thread but then again I could fill that thread up with my stupidity!

Adam_777 · 10-15-2008, 02:47 PM

Skunked last night also.Got two hits livelining both times the hook didn't set.I may need bigger bait hooks.I saw one guy snagging pogies.He snagged a 20# bass.Not sure if it's legal or not but the striper was kept.

BigFish · 10-15-2008, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam_777

Skunked last night also.Got two hits livelining both times the hook didn't set.I may need bigger bait hooks.I saw one guy snagging pogies.He snagged a 20# bass.Not sure if it's legal or not but the striper was kept.

Not sure if its legal or not???!!! If you guys are out there fishing you best know the size limits!!

Mike P · 10-15-2008, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam_777

Skunked last night also.Got two hits livelining both times the hook didn't set.I may need bigger bait hooks.I saw one guy snagging pogies.He snagged a 20# bass.Not sure if it's legal or not but the striper was kept.

It's not. Foul hooked is OK, snagging isn't.

From the DMF regs:

Prohibitions --
^
Snagging, Snatching of Anadromous Fish: including shad, smelt, white perch, striped bass, trout, and salmon, but excluding alewives or river herring is prohibited.

BigFish · 10-15-2008, 07:00 PM

Foul hooked and snagged are not the same thing?

bart · 10-15-2008, 07:06 PM

foul hooked would be if the fish swiped at the plug, missed, but you set up and hooked the thing in the back.

snagged would be ripping a weighted treble through a school of pogies and hooking into a fish.

who knows if the guy meant to actually snag the bass. i guess after that, ethics come more into play than the law. at least thats how i would look at it. if the fish was fatally injured(ie bleeding from the gills) i'd keep it and eat it. wouldn't feel to good about it tho

BigFish · 10-15-2008, 07:11 PM

I must be losing my mind???!!! Thanks for clarifying......I think I am having a bout of stupidity!!! Double thumb in my ear for me....one for Adam777 and one for Mike P.

Sorry for my brainless moment!

JamesJet · 10-15-2008, 08:01 PM

Thanks for making me feel ok about the situation. I just cant believe with the water temps at a perfect level and all the bait its not a dinner bell off the backside. As I stated before I am no pro at the canal but I have been trying much more this year with about 10 or so trips and maybe 2 or 3 more left in me.