Tourney Pairings

[STEVE IN MASS]

Since we need to be at least paired off for the tourney to document our catches, I thought I'd start a thread to discuss each others fishing habits and prefrences so that we could team up with like minded fishers. At this point, I'm 90% sure I'll be there.

I'll start so as to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. I am usually an open beach type guy, don't have much experience at the canal other than a few times at Scusset Beach. I use spinning gear, have a 9 foot medium action Penn Slammer with a Baitrunner 4500 for throwing bait, a 8 foot medium action Ugly Stick with a 3500 Baitrunner for jigs and plugs. I also, for backup, have a cheap 7 foot China made pole that I bought in Hatteras on the fly with an old Diawa reel for throwing metal at Spanish Mackeral, which I can use for lures or chunks if need be.

I don't have korkers (which, from what I hear, aren't so great for the canal anyway), have waist high felt soled neoprene waders (waist high, yeah right, they come halfway up my belly!). I travel relatively light, with all my tackle (plugs, jigs, rigged hooks for bait, pliers and mini-knife) aroung my waist. If throwing bait, I bring along a bucket for the bait, sand spikes, a cutting board, baitknife, sinkers, and a can or two of beverages (Tomato juice is a MUST, just a superstition thing). A small Maglite hangs around my neck. Nothing that can't be carried a fair distance without being cumbersome.

My lure selection includes a needlefish, a pencil popper, a bottle plug, various bombers, a few different sized megabait plugs and jigs, a few bucktails, leadheads and plastics, a couple diamond jigs, a bunch of StingSilvers that I use mostly in Hatteras, and a few others I can't think of right now.

As for bait, I've gone to high-lo rigs for the past couple years. I've been known to throw pogies, mackeral, herring, squid, seaworms, clams, and if I get in a pinch getting bait, butterfish and/or porgey.

On the beach, my MO is to usually get some bait out and then throw some lures till my arms get tired, take a rest and watch or hold the bait rod, and then go back to throwing lures, and so on. I am usually good for four hours or so, but on special occasions such as this tourney or when I go to Jersey for a fishing weekend, I'll do 6 to 8 hours at a time.

I guess that sums it up. Hopefully this can help us pair off in ways that will not only put like people together, but also help us learn new ideas and techniques from each other.

[Slipknot]

That's great Steve , good idea. I know if you don't want to fish in the canal for the tourney you don't have to, there is always Scussett beach and on the Cape side Sandwich beach and Sandy neck. The spots on the buzzards bay end are scattered and it's hard to find new spots if you don't already know where they are but there is a lot of shoreline west of the canal.

I fish the canal with jigs mostly - smillin' bills, megabaits, cripple herrings and large Kastmasters. Also have large plugs for the surface- pencil poppers and swimmers and Hab's needlefish. I do some bait fishing there too - eels and sometimes pogies or mac chunks. Soft plastics work there if the fish are in tight but you get mostly smaller bass. I have a bike and sometimes like to move from spot to spot. But I have about 4-5 main spots I like. I fish spinning gear and this year I have a conv. that I would like to get used to. I try to travel light but I also want to be prepared and have what I may need , so as I fish more I get to know what not to bring.

[Saltheart]

Great idea Steve. I'll be pretty much doing heavy jigging. Most lethal weapons around the time of our touney will be 3 OZ ball jigs with 7 inch Fin S Fish. I especially like Alewife color but white and rainbow trout are good colors to have in your bag also.
Next is the all season go to. A 3 OZ ball with 8 inch white or black curltail grubs. Sometimes you kill them on white but other nights nothing. You switch to black and instantly get fish after fish. Its unbelievable sometimes.
Next would be 2 to 4 OZ Smilin Bill bucktails. You can fish these alone or with curltails. The 8 inch curltails are good here but 6 inch Gotchas also work and you get more for your money. Personally , I like the big curltails. I use white almost exclusively with the tied bucktails.
Megabait jigs work well at the canal. The only thing I don't like about the megabait jigs is the cost. You lose tons of jigs if you are right on the bottom. The good news is that do to their shape , the megabait jigs tend to plain right up for you when you retrieve them fast. That helps get them up over the lip if the canal when your drift is done. They have more surface area than a typical jig so use heavy ones like 3 to 5 OZ.
Plugs to have just in case. Big Pencil poppers are the best way to reach breaking fish. Good colors for early June would be white , yellow but especially green and pink. Mombo minnows , yozuri Tobimarus , Gibbs swimmers in white and mackeral and herring. I'll also have a mackeral hydrotiger popper and some atom poppers. teasers are good with the plugs but i don't use them with the jigs. You could though.
I'll be fishing at least part of the weekend with Smokey but will probably also be there at times he can't go. I may also need to fish some open beach to rest up after some heavy jigging.

Did we say Plymouth to Dennis to Westport as the tourney limits? Maybe we should go out the Cape as far as Chatham? We should clarify that.

[JohnR]

My name is John, and I'm a bassaholic.

My biggest weakness is fishing live eels to unsuspecting bass...

I'll probably plug and eel (mostly eel) somewhere between Plymouth and Falmouth. K.I.S.S.

Did we say Plymouth to Dennis to Westport as the tourney limits? Maybe we should go out the Cape as far as Chatham? We should clarify that.

Duxbury Beach (for Steve) and Westport as the mainland limits and Falmouth to Chatham for the Cpae side limits. Probably not necessary to go that far out either. I'm thinking Plymouth and/or Falmouth...

Question - who will be going that is not familiar with the areas and will want to team up with those experienced in the areas???

[schoolie monster]

When do we have to sign up by? And where do we sign up?

John, I'll be outta town for a week, so I didn't want to miss out.

Poppers, plastic, plugs, slingin' eels.

Probably could do without the canal 'cause I don't have a heavy duty tree trunk with guides and 200 lb test.

Enjoy playing with dolls and dressing up in women's... ooopssy, wrong board, sssoooo sssorrry.

I think this tourny is bogus 'cause it should be from Fallmouth to Hull... then I could fish the greatest big fish factory in the nor'east... HULL GUT!!! A little pogy, some mackerel... I could start deciding what line to put on my new rod & reel now.

[Gus]

A friend of mine just gave me a nine foot rod, I plan on using a Penn 6500ss on it! I have never surfcasted before but this year I plan on giving it a go. All of my friends are lame and don't like to fish. I would love to find another rookie or someone with some experience that wouldn't mind being a mentor.

Last year was my first year of SaltWater fishing from a boat. From a boat, I am confident that I can catch some fish....boat from shore...??

If anyone is interested in pairing up, please let me know!

[Got Stripers]

Most of my fishing is from a boat and primarily with 7 inch hand poured plastic jerkbaits, although you could definately talk me into slinging an eel . I'm really not set up for the canal, not that I couldn't get by for a night, but I'd probably be limited because of a lack of lead.

I love rocks, current around rocks, waves crashing on rocks, eddies around rocks and did I mention I like fishing around rocks...lol. I fish from Scituate to Cohasset and it's one ledge after the other and the all hold fish. That's my style, but I'm game for something different, just might have to stock up on some smiling Bills...only own 6 of them haha.

[img="http://www.rgsiroisco.com/fisherman.gif"]
Tight lines.

[TheSpecialist]

I am no pro, I fish with spinning gear 8' and 10' ugly sticks. Mostly I chunk or live line macs or herring. I have some poppers, swimmers, and shad style plastics. If I can still get them I would bring 25 live "Smelly Charles River " herring with me. I would like to learn how to fish live eels though. Hint, hint ... John.

[Canalratt1]

My name is Canalratt1 and I use BAIT! Sorry all you "lure only" guys but I'll drift chunks or eel fish 90% of the time especially in the ditch. You can usually find me chumming up an eddy and following your nose to that smell of pogie. I do use poppers only if fish are busting and will throw metal, jigs or shads on occasion but bait works best for me for the larger sized fish and I seldom fish for schoolies. John R. what time will this event start? Looks like I can only fish Sat. morning but I will be around till noon.

[Clammer]

John R do you know what your doing yet? let me know//

[JohnR]

Clammer, I'm slinging eels and plugs, most likely from the beach. No need to do the heavy canal jigging. Want to run with me?

The "Official" Day will be Saturday. We'll meet at say 4pm at Scusset and break out from there. I don't want to mandate one day or two - so we'll run with Saturday as the main day and run Friday a little more informally (well both days are kinda sorta informal) for those that just must fish the Friday/Saturday tides and would otherwise be unable to attend Saturday. Schoolie - I may be crashing at your house :P - can I sleep with the stinky cats in the garage?

What time and where would the Friday people like to meet?