The DITCH Primer,,,,,,,,,,

[BassDawg]

okay, so i'm not asking for pole ###'s,
but there are some perplexities and complexities

about the Ditch, that if any of the CCCanal Officianados
would care to chime in on,,,,,,,,,,,,,then us Ditch Noobies

COULD perhaps fare better and aid the Team in it's quest for the Cup!! i know that these ???? may sound ignorant, but that's never been a problem for me

1) does the direction(E/W) have a bearing on which side(Cape/Mass) one fishes?
2) is it necessary/more feeshy to be at the receiving end of the flow, similar to the way we fish a breachway??
3) are their certain positions along either side of the ditch that have proven desirable, regardless of direction of the current, ie both ways???
4) how is the SLACK,,,,,,,,,,,,,seems to me that this would be the primetime for wood; or is that the time to get a sandwich, make your move, follow the current, grab sum shut-eye????

as always,,,,,,,,,,thanks for sharing!! i am very willing to learn these things on me own, as far as the where, whens, moons, temps, winds, lures/jigs/eeels, and i truly LOVE the hunt~~~

yet, the above are of the more logistics nature and are more about understanding where to begin and how to best maximize my small window of surfcasting time that has been seriously squeezed between the mountain of honey-do's and the budget crunch i've been forced into since this "Not-So-Great Depression" of ours began a year or so ago.

just trying to hep out The Team and get the most for my angling buck, which seems to be shrinking MORE with each week of unemploy

[BigFish]

1. NO

2. NO

3. NO

4. Slack good for swimmers!

Advice...go there, fish there, fish have tails and dead fishermen tell none!

[luds]

Worth checking out if you have not already.

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...canal-how.html

[Swimmer]

Anytime I say anything about the canal I get trashed.

[Sea Flat]

Originally Posted by luds

Worth checking out if you have not already.

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...canal-how.html

That link was awesome, thanks for posting.

[Slipknot]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

Anytime I say anything about the canal I get trashed.

Really? by who?

there are no easy answers, that's all I know
a lifetime of learning that place and you'll still have more to learn

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

Anytime I say anything about the canal I get trashed.

Not by me.

[Back Beach]

Hey Dawg, when are you going to be down there?

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by BigFish

1. NO

2. NO

3. NO

4. Slack good for swimmers!

Advice...go there, fish there, fish have tails and dead fishermen tell none!

3. Yes

4. And Polarises.

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Not by me.

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by Mike P

3. Yes

4. And Polarises.

See! Different strokes for different folks! I don't think Mike has ever tried a swimmer though! Just goes to show you....get your butt out and start learning!

[Tagger]

bring all your pearl/white pencil poppers and throw them 1hr. either side of "current turns "noted in book at rail road bridge .. Where you fish ? who knows thier moving .. East west ? today end of west ,, Turn nada,, east nada .. tomorrow who knows . I like the current turns closest to low tide (not the same). thats a start ..

[Notaro]

1) Yes and No
2) It depends on the water condition (for me).
3) Yes.
4) That's when I throw poppers.

[BigFish]

See BD.....opinions are like rectal outflows.....everyone has one!

[Mr. Sandman]

Look for large crowds casting like madmen, or, Fat guys running...that is always a clue.

(On the beach....Anytime I see a fat guy running in sand, esp in waders, I watch where he is going!)

Also, at night...look for flashes of light from a camera(s).

(Psssst...I actually have used this technique to lure fishermen away from the spot I want to fish...I walk down the beach, flash the camera several times, make a loud "hoot" or "yeah-baby"...then skulk back up the beach...most fishermen will go to the light because they think they are missing out on something. I then move back in on the spot where i know there are fish....don't tell anyone. )

[animal]

Fat guys running.Effin' priceless!

[Swimmer]

Originally Posted by Mr. Sandman

Look for large crowds casting like madmen, or, Fat guys running...that is always a clue.

(On the beach....Anytime I see a fat guy running in sand, esp in waders, I watch where he is going!)

Also, at night...look for flashes of light from a camera(s).

(Psssst...I actually have used this technique to lure fishermen away from the spot I want to fish...I walk down the beach, flash the camera several times, make a loud "hoot" or "yeah-baby"...then skulk back up the beach...most fishermen will go to the light because they think they are missing out on something. I then move back in on the spot where i know there are fish....don't tell anyone. )

I think this should be posted in the MV Times for Nelson Siegelmans edification. Nelson wont lose any more weight chasing elusive flashes down the beach anymore.

[stiff tip]

best advice i can give u on canal fishing is takes awile time spent will teach u .if u catch shi t remember it won't b the last time. mostly watch this site for when its time to go fishing,these canal killer heros can't keep there ares tight so the word spreeds fast.poppers for the top when they are breaking and bucktails for the bottom if you want to catch fish.plan to lose b-tails.everyone does.... dave

[good2hook]

thanks luds. Great read

[BassDawg]

luds~~~~
thanks VERRRY MUCH!!
that was an amazing thread, chock full of Ditch GOLD!

MikeP~~~~
Ditch Jigger? how's about Ditch Doctor?? THANK YOU SIR, for sharing
yer phd, crash course seminar, and helping me to toss out some stinkin' thinkin' that was beginning to arise!! i feel very equipped, now, between the ears and between the hands,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,i just need to spend time between the tides, the poles, and the currents to make it my OWN!!!

saltheart~~~
ahhhhh the intricacies and vaugeries of jigging; extrapolated exponentially! EXCELLENT READ!!!
thanks a million for painting the picture of the bottom. i loved the phases of jigger developement, the relationships between jig and line, arc and current direction, and how BOTH relate to the ledges, rips, eddys, and the swirls that comprise the challenges of the Canal was vintage stuff!!!

NIB~~~
honorable mention for your own brand of knowledge and yer unique style of delivery that never gets old,,,,,,,,,,,,great info and technique. thanks for sharing, m'man! even though it was awhile ago, it still applies.

ALL in ALL~~~~
my gratitude seems shallow for the way to express my
appreciation for ALL of the ABOVE's input and knowledge.
i knew that this was the PLACE, and that you guys would deliver
the good, the bad, and the ugly well over and above what i could ever ask for!!!
gottsta LUV this site for that, and i cain't wait to hit the Canal again and begin my Ditch Life

[BassDawg]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Hey Dawg, when are you going to be down there?

hey, BBeach

i'm still workin' on the hall pass from the missus,
or should i save it for the next big moon?? this w/e would be
sweet~~~ if not SOONER!??!

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by BigFish

I don't think Mike has ever tried a swimmer though!

You'd be wrong

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by BassDawg

hey, BBeach

i'm still workin' on the hall pass from the missus,
or should i save it for the next big moon?? this w/e would be
sweet~~~ if not SOONER!??!

Pm me when you get the hall pass. All these online tutorials are great, but get someone to show you the ropes live and in person. Life's too short for trying to learn the place yourself unless you live nearby and can fish 5,6,7 days a week.

[numbskull]

Where were you last night when I needed you?

[piemma]

So as the saying goes, "even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then".
I was the "Blind Squirrel" this morning at the Canal. Found a lot of nuts for a change. So this is one of my "batting .250" trips.

[BigFish]

I probably went by you 4 or 5 times Paul!!! Mainland side?

[piemma]

Originally Posted by BigFish

I probably went by you 4 or 5 times Paul!!! Mainland side?

Yep West. Couple of guys walked by about 7. There was 2 other guys where I was but we were spread out pretty good.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by piemma

So as the saying goes, "even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then".
I was the "Blind Squirrel" this morning at the Canal. Found a lot of nuts for a change. So this is one of my "batting .250" trips.

[BassDawg]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Pm me when you get the hall pass. All these online tutorials are great, but get someone to show you the ropes live and in person. Life's too short for trying to learn the place yourself unless you live nearby and can fish 5,6,7 days a week.

thanks BB,,,,,,,,,,,
i'll DEFINITELY take you up on that!!!
i'll shoot you a pm in a day or so~~~