jetty gear

[RImike]

Hi Joe
I was wondering if I could get your opinion......I understand that different areas call for different gear. If you were going out to fish breachways specifically, would you recommend conventional over spinning?? The reason I ask is that it seems to be the general consensus that conventional is more rugged/has more backbone. Also, would you use braid or heavy mono, say 35 or 40 lb test?
thanks
Mike

[Joe]

Conventional and Yo-Zuri hybrid line. It's a lot easier to drift with a conventional than with spinning and the line pays out smoother, giving the presentation a more realistic action. Also, you can go up to 30# test without much difficulty. Use long leaders.

Yo-Zuri Hybrid line or another hi-tech mono, is your best bet for fishing around rocks. They are low stretch and they don't lose a lot of breaking strength if they are nicked.

That said, I would not elect to be a breachway fishermen these days. The fishing can be great and inlets are certainly hot spots, but the crowds and the stupidity of others means your line will be in the water less and once you hook a good one there is a real risk of somebody screwing it up for you by tangling your line with their line or otherwise cutting you off.

[RImike]

thanks Joe I dont fish the breachways exclusively, only in the wee hours when its not that crowded. And youre right about the crowds, Ive lost more fish than ive caught because of some dude that wants to sit next to his coleman lantern and put bait on the bottom at the end of the jetty on an outgoing tide. On the plus side, its a very good place to learn what NOT to do when fishing in crowds. And its a great place to make friends....if you speak Spanish, Portuguese, Cambodian, Japanese, or Chinese.

[Joe]

I was fishing with Iron Mike two weeks ago and he lost 30-pound fish due to somebody casting over him - and that was on the other side of c-town.
He's caught so many fish that he did not make a big deal out of it - but that could have resulted in an ugly scene among people for whom any keeper is of huge significance.
I did not even bother to go out and fished the beach instead.
Being a fishing d-bag an equal opportunity hobby - I'm not prejudiced; I don't like anybody around me.

[eelman]

Originally Posted by Joe

Conventional and Yo-Zuri hybrid line. It's a lot easier to drift with a conventional than with spinning and the line pays out smoother, giving the presentation a more realistic action. Also, you can go up to 30# test without much difficulty. Use long leaders.

Yo-Zuri Hybrid line or another hi-tech mono, is your best bet for fishing around rocks. They are low stretch and they don't lose a lot of breaking strength if they are nicked.

That said, I would not elect to be a breachway fishermen these days. The fishing can be great and inlets are certainly hot spots, but the crowds and the stupidity of others means your line will be in the water less and once you hook a good one there is a real risk of somebody screwing it up for you by tangling your line with their line or otherwise cutting you off.

I agree Joe, I would not fish the breachways anymore if you paid me to do it...I used to fish them hard about 15 years ago....crowds have gotton out of control and people have lost respect for there fellow fisherman on the breachways....Its a shame because the places are fish magnets , especially in the fall....I would rather have less fish than put up with the crap these days at the breachways.....

[Joe]

Sunday morning it was blowing hard so I went to the south side of the Weekapaug Breachway.
About 6:30 am three surfers show up and take over the Dunes Beach side where I was fishing. I did one of these and got an over-the-shoulder FU for a response. They monopolized the breachway side with no consideration for anyone.
Silver Cherokee, CT plates, with surf stickers all over it....

[JFigliuolo]

Originally Posted by Joe

Sunday morning it was blowing hard so I went to the south side of the Weekapaug Breachway.
About 6:30 am three surfers show up and take over the Dunes Beach side where I was fishing. I did one of these and got an over-the-shoulder FU for a response. They monopolized the breachway side with no consideration for anyone.
Silver Cherokee, CT plates, with surf stickers all over it....

fillet knife...tire... end of discussion. They need to realize it's first come first serve.

[Joe]

Yeah - I was pretty pissed off - and I don't get pissed off too easy. But getting arrested for tire-slashing would be bad for business. I'm 43, so I tend to weigh the possible results of a behavior before engaging in it.
I'm about as spontaneous as Richard Nixon was.
Eventually, they will run into someone with less self-restraint.