Legendary Thousand Pound Nights From The Surf

[bassmaster]

[eelman]

Happened regular on Block island in the 80s, just ask the guys at the co-op in gallilie.Would not want to mention names but there were plenty. As far as boat..Jobin had many nights like that in a tin boat at the island, I should mention that this was done by teams of 2 or 3 guys never just one that I know of, thats alot of fish for one guy, I would have trouble beleiving that unless I saw a slip.......

[Ed B]

John, You ask for "One thousand pounds, In one night, caught by ONE Angler in the surf."

I have never caught a load that big.

I have never witnessed any one person catching a load that big.

When I worked as a fish-packer and fish slip writer-outer on Cape Cod. I never wrote a slip that big for bass for any one angler, and I never heard of anyone else writing a slip that big for bass caught from the beach in one night by one angler.

But I have heard many stories. The biggest fish slip I know of for one guy on a beach in one night was I believe around 760 lbs and he works across from Karl. Maybe you could confirm that sometime Karl. TC and JK would be my next choices.

I'm with Karl "Show Me the SLIP" T should copywrite that.

Ed

[LeCounts1099]

No slips of course, as I've never sold a fish (esp. Bass!) in my life... (In fact, I keep maybe 2 or 3 per year)...

But: the "glory days" on the Backbeach/ Cape all in the (distant past?)

I've had at least 3 or 4 40- 50 Bass caught & released nights on the Cape, during my years there starting in 1997. Best night I remember: Columbus Day weekend-- yes: LeCounts mostly! 50 Stripers or so that night for me (a bunch more missed/ lost. Biggest fish: 33 lbs. Average fish: approx. 18 lbs. (nothing under 10 lbs. in the 50!)... 50 bass x 18 lbs. average per, = 900 lbs night... Possibly 1000+ as I'm estimating conservatively...


And: Long Island, East End, last Nov. 22, 2004. Hooked up pre- dawn, fished almost straight- through 'till 9PM or so. Blitzes on- & off, & herring, bunker & Bass (& some blues) dancing along a 5- 6 mile stretch of beach (Hamptons). Total for my day of Surfcasting (all 20 lb. mono.): 75 Bass, & 12 blues (again, approx.-- I don't count! But I don't kid/ lie either, least of all here/ anonymously!). Biggest Bass landed that day: 28 lbs. Average Bass that day: (approx.) 11 lbs ... 75 x 11 = 825

The Glory years are here/ today? I believe so, for #'s: unfortunately, I never saw average sizes per fish on the Cape, like Flaptail & others remember back in the day. No doubt in my mind, that a "40" today, is as hard/ rare as was a "50" "back then"...

Best night ever fishing the Cape? 6 hour shift at Ballston on a 32 degree night in late October, '99: one hit total, one fish landed: a 41 lbs. (pb) on 17 lb. mono... (Unfortunately, plug hooks seem to have major trouble stinging & holding the 50+'s!-- I lead the League in dropped 50's!

[Karl F]

Ed.

I think that 760 # is the right figure, it's what I remember too.

JK has dragged more 50's and 60's up the berm than most I know, except the 2 T's, and probly more than them .. a legendary surfman, but, most have no clue who he is. Knee's, hips, ankles... all shot, from years of beach fishing, he still gets out in the boat tho.

[Finlander]

Hi LeCounts1099,
I fished that week in "97" on Lecounts upto Ballston that Oct. and was the best surf fishing I have ever seen. I have seen some good bliz's but ever lasting all week, til a strong cold front came through and shut it down at the end of the week. Ever evening as soon as the sun went behind the dune the bass would be wait for an eel to go by. Every night that week I had 25-35 lbs bass at Lecounts, would fish only to 10-11 pm after catching most nights at less a dozen or more. Sleep a couple of hours and fish Ballston from 3-8 am, fishing was non-stop. A couple of times just after casting a new eel, trying to wash my hands with the rod between my legs, only to have a bass picking up the eel and having to grab the rod before I lost it. It was like feeding sunfish worms off a dock, the fishing was that fast and all nice fish. My best that week was just over 40 lbs my personal best from the surf, that fish was also the biggest Paul at Blackbeard's weighed that season, I know some bigger fish where caught that week, I did hear that 3-4 50's where caught. I dream about that week today and have not seen anything close to it since.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by Karl F

Ed.

I think that 760 # is the right figure, it's what I remember too.

JK has dragged more 50's and 60's up the berm than most I know, except the 2 T's, and probly more than them .. a legendary surfman, but, most have no clue who he is. Knee's, hips, ankles... all shot, from years of beach fishing, he still gets out in the boat tho.

Hey Karl,

Is JK the guy who catches a lot of tuna also?

[Karl F]

JK=Jimmy Kostas, if it swam, he caught it. He's not one to seek the limelight, never was, or will be. He wasn't into who's was bigger, when he was doing it, he was doing it for dough. Never hear him talk of it much, always the ones that were with him that tell the stories. He'll just answer when asked, yeah caught a lot of fish, had bills to pay, he wished he'd caught more. Big ones, yeah, he'll say some were big, and cuss them a little bit, for ruining his knees and hips, lugging them up and over the berm to the buggy... he's had some replacements, done rehab.. I know he was codding some this winter, even tho he was limping about, and using a cane, then took a break for more surgery. But basically Jimmy's take, and talk, on fishing is and ya know what, that's He partnered with the 2 T's for a bit, especially when they did the Monomoy runs, but other than that he was a one rod, one slip, one check kind of guy. Get the one of the 2 T's to talk of him, Wow! your head will spin.