Intelligent.........

[emgred]

Originally Posted by Zeno

Do you mostly fish sand or rocky coastline and why?
jetties and sand beaches adjacent to jetty inlets 90% of the time.Because these places usually hold biggest concentration of the fish
What length rod do you prefer for the type of fishing you do and why?
1321m lami most of the time, 7 foot St.Croix when chasing a weakfish and a 1201m conventional occasionally for eel skin plugs
Do you prefer to roll your own rods, have them custom made or by ready made brands?
Have em made.No desire to do this
What reel type and size, conventional or spinning?
No seat.Taped on vs250 Conventional ,half a seat abu 7000
Do you prefer to throw bait (eels, chunks, liveys) or plug fish mostly?
last year or so only plugs or eel skin plugs........but ,if I feel like that is what fish want ,I am not ashamed of the chunk or an eel
What gear you feel essential, other than rod and reel, to be successful?
flashlight and a lucky hat
What time of year, for your locale has been the kindest to you in your search for the big one?
October until about a two years when June became better
Do you feel satisfied upon the end of a nights struggle with whatever you take or do you feel only big bass caught make tyhe effort worth it?
Anything that shakes my rod brings a smile to my face
Do you ever think it's getting old and maybe it's time to find a new pastime?
No

Z fishes the same areas and way I do, for the most part. (Thank You Z, saves me some typing )

No conventional for me and Late Oct to Early Nov.

[NIB]

I use stuff from most of the sponsors on this site.
Guys who I have become friends with Like Eben's Surf hog Rubbers.
He used to make some fine plugs also.I have a killer darter ..
HAB'S, John is the best..His friend Joe is a good guy also.I love his tins they are the only ones in my bag..
I usually make my own jigs but when I get low I get the Andrus from Joe at SRI.another good guy..
I have a aquaskins bag that the plastic insert melted.I replaced it with one from another bag I have..
Kadir is still a great guy..I never bought a custom from Mike Thomas.if I lived up there I would probably own several.His prices are great why wrap ur own.I tried that one time it's still half wrapped===Boring...
When I make it thru RI I stop in an say hello to Peter G an drop some doe in there.They have a great bunch of guys who are pumped up on fishing.Plus a state of the art shop like CC Tackle How could I not spend some doe in both places..
I fish a few after hrs plugs,Mac's plugs,hell I even have a few salty-bugger lures.
I have yet to get a few Big Fish Larry's..I want to get a hat.I hear he has a big dome like mine's..
By the way for the most part I never asked for anything form these guy's.Sure I have gotten a few plugs so what.It don't amount to a hill of beans in what I have.
Plus I could catch a bass with a stick an some old mono wrapped around a clorox bottle.If I'm gonna spend some money it may as well go to some good guys I happen to know.Ur a smart feller(or visa versa) Flap, U should be able to read thru the BS.
I primarily fish long rods 11' like a GSB 132 1M wrapped with fugi system guides.And XRA 1322 wrapped with titanium perfection guides.I also use the 9'an 10' rods in the gsb series.
All my spinners get 706 reels.I think the continuity of using the same reel on all my gear is overlooked and a big factor in knowing whats going on at the buisness end of the line..
I use Fireline 20 an 30 lb tests.
In NJ, I fish rocks, sand bulkheads,docks,bridges,an Islands I have to swim to.
Basically whatever it takes.I enjoy it all.
Why?? Because it relaxes me...
If I had my druthers give me a jig an some kinda moving water.
IMO nothing beats a good jig bite.Even huge bass blowing up on topwaters..
I primarily fish lures.It wasn't always the way for me..In the spring I used to use live bait primarily. Herring then to the bunker.It's alot of work gathering bait.Keepin it alive.Tanks Air pumps,penns nets u get the idea..never mind the drudgery of the 5 gallon pail to the end of o jetty thru 400 yds of sand.To have a blue bite it in half.No need for that really in the past few yrs..
I used to NJ style rigged eel fish more also.june,july august.I don't really bother with that much anymore either.For the most part it has to do with where I live an how the better fish don't really hang out as much as they used to.I like to think I fish for big fish.I use big hooks..
There are times I don't mind catchin 20-30 12-18 lbers but after a while they start to feel like bluefish.Which I kill.
I plug with spinnig gear.My conventional gear i save for bridge fishing and livelinnig bait.
My conventional rods are kinda a weird bunch cept for the 1209 I use on the bridge with a morrum.
I have a few Gator blanks a St. croix e-glass all have extensions in the but and have been tipped.My reels are mostly ABU 7500's With a 235 Newell I use for herring..
I Like to plug em best.
My gear is primarily set up for big wooden stuff or jigs in current.Thats the way I like to fish.Most times I don't really care if I get em.I have my share of fish. More than most will get in a lifetime.I like doing whatever I want, whenever I want.Thats why most times I fish alone.I can recall more than one time jiggin for hrs without a sniff when most would have long gone when I hooked up with quality bass.All night, 200 cast's an One mid 30's fish with 2 mins to go in the fourth quarter..
I like to travel going to new and different places an trying to figure em out.I have made some good friends doing this.
I would say In NJ my best chance for a big fish is Last week of may thru the first few of june.Even before the bunker thing..
Used to be a good bite in late oct/early nov.It's just not the same anymore..
The most important thing to me other than My rod an reel is my truck...It's my home away from home.
I probably eat as many meals in the drivers seat as I do at home.
I know I sleep better in there..
Someone once told me u should try to learn something from every trip..Thats what I do.
I hope it never gets to be too much..I could see myself perhaps slowing down some.I have been fishin HARD as long as I can remember.I have the bug pretty bad It's in my blood.
There are so many ways to fish so many varieties of fish to catch.
This summer, I have done some great fluking.I also enjoy blackfishin.thru February.I really don't envision it ending in the future..

[Tburg]

75% Ditch
15% Scorton & Old Harbor
5% My buddies boat out of Harwich.

Plug - Jigs - eels

704z w/ 11 6 St Croix
7000 Gig game w/ 10 Lami

bug spray - head lamp - pliers - comfortable boots - water

I enjoy a Sept/Oct chill in the air while being on the East end with a fish on and the sun rising.......Not a bad way to start a day....

[Diggin Jiggin]

Do you mostly fish sand or rocky coastline and why?

I'm not a big fan of deep wading when I'm fishing alone.
If I fish calm water I like a rocky shoreline with a drop off. If I'm on sand, I prefer walking a surf beach and fishing the bars/holes and rips

What length rod do you prefer for the type of fishing you do and why?
For the canal I have an allstar 1209 and an arra 1205, both 10' conventional. The 1205 is for jigging metal and throwing big plugs, the 1209 for jigging 3-6 oz. Both are conventional so I can drift in free spool to keep it low in the water column.

For the beach I had been on a quest for the 'perfect' plugging rod for the lures I fish, which I think I found in an allstar1145. I wish it was a 1 piece but this rod has the action I was looking for. Its fast (not soft) and light as a feather, it has plenty of backbone for fish in the rocks, and its light enough in the tip to work a pencil or feel the wobble of a danny in calm water. I have a daiwa emblem pro 5500 on it and it casts a 2.5 oz hopkins a long, long way so I use it both at night and during the day.

I also use a lighter plugging rod made from a cutdown allstar 1207 blank that I got from Ray (Maddog). Thats perfect for metal to 2 oz and I use it for all my light danny's,needles and bombers. Thats the rod I use when I fool around with albies or when I'm not fishing in too much current. That has a 460 slammer with 20lb fireline on it.

Do you prefer to roll your own rods, have them custom made or by ready made brands?
I have made all my own rods, its something to do in winter to keep your mind on fishing. I have a buddy who is a rod builder so he helps me try and pick the right blanks for what I want to do. For me, it all comes down to the position of the reel seat. I usually plant the butt of the rod on my hip when fishing so the rods up high, so I like the seat down lower so its where my hands are comfortable...

Do you prefer to throw bait (eels, chunks, liveys) or plug fish mostly?
I fish the canal with jigs most of the time, when I'm not jigging I mostly plug although I have fished eels a few times this year as I wanted to learn how to fish eels. I picked up a dozen on the way home tonight for the weekend. Call it desperation, I have not seen a good fish in 5 or 6 weeks.

What gear do you feel essential, other than rod and reel, to be successful?
I'm not in weed much, mostly just wet rocks so Felt boot waders do the trick. Other than waders, just an orange grundens slicker and a energizer head lamp. I got a boga last year and thats fun to bring along but not essential unless I'm trying to find a big fish...

What time of year, for your locale has been the kindest to you in your search for the big one?
Up here, last week of May and the last week of sept/first week of october. On nantucket, the first 2 weeks of june, the second week of october some times lasting later into the fall. We had a killer night on Esther's one year in mid november...

Do you feel satisfied upon the end of a nights struggle with whatever you take or do you feel only big bass caught make tyhe effort worth it?
I definitely like to get the skunk off, doesn't matter how big it is. That being said, I am always trying to get my personal best by whatever method i'm using. I know what my personal best fish were on eels, dannys, jigs, poppers, pencils & needles so whatever I'm fishing with I always try to beat the old mark.

Do you ever think it's getting old and maybe it's time to find a new pastime?
Yup but not permanently. I'm in a rut right now but I am heading out later tonight. I have not fished as much in the past 6 weeks, maybe a night or 2 a week. Prior to that I was out almost every night from early may thru mid july. I've been fishing alone more this year and i tend to lose my motivation more when its just me... Usually I just take a break for a few weeks when its slow, and then once I find a few decent fish I get right back into it...

[justplugit]

90% sand because it's within an hours drive , i love walking the beach,and jetties are getting a lil' hard for my old bones.

Rods are 7',8'6", 11' St Croix, 8'6" Lami, 9' Tusami ,and cut down 11'St Croix
I use the 8'6" St Croix 70% of the time as it gives me the best feel of the plug.

1 custom, the rest brands with St Croix my favorites. Would love to make my own, but i don't need another hobby.

99% plugs with rigged eels infrequently.

A good pair of breathable waders, fleece, hooded sweatshirt, neck light, boga.

Spring for the largest, but i enjoy Sept-Dec the most without the crowds and the cool weather conditions.

Fish or no fish, the whole ball of wax from airing down to the last cast is what it's about. Good, all good.

It never get's old for me, i fish as much as ever but i am finding it's more relaxing, more breaks and slower, rather than crazy fishing.