so i think i'm on to something... finally!

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by maddog2020

Congrats, Bubba! About darn time dude - took ya long enough.

Who took the pic of you? LOL. Thats a skinny fish.

nah ray, i'm just a fat guy.. lol. actually it was pretty racer like. but they'll get bigger and better! just gotta find these darn needles.. then hopefully i can start finally measuring in lbs and not inches.

i'm way too excited about 31" fish... but when you had as horrible a season as i have.. it's better than sex.

[ilovetwofish]

Congrats! what about the needle describe it and someone help.

Originally Posted by GonnaCatchABig1

nah ray, i'm just a fat guy.. lol. actually it was pretty racer like. but they'll get bigger and better! just gotta find these darn needles.. then hopefully i can start finally measuring in lbs and not inches.

i'm way too excited about 31" fish... but when you had as horrible a season as i have.. it's better than sex.

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by ilovetwofish

Congrats! what about the needle describe it and someone help.

I'm happy for you.
Some thoughts. Make sure you've got the right footwear for rocks. Korkers or studded felt boots are crucial.
Color is usually not as important as weight and action for a given retrieve speed. Were your other needles the same brand? Try your needles in daylight to find the retrieve speed that gets them coming back just beneath the surface as slow as you can go, or just leaving the slightest wake on top.
Keep moving in the rocks. Unless you are on a spot where fish hold in numbers, it is often very hard to get more than 1 or 2 fish off a single rock. Moving 25 yds can make a big difference.
Switch it up. After 5-10 casts with a needle, try 4-5 casts with a danny before moving on. Reel slow, many spinning reels retrieve line too fast to fish needles or dannys at their optimal speed.
Gear your tackle and knots for where you fish. In the rocks you should usually be able to pull free most of the time when you hook bottom if your tackle is stout enough. Before pulling (with the line wrapped on the reel and rod pointed straight at the snag), try shaking the rod violently with a nearly slack line....do it 3-4 times...you can often bounce the plug free.
The next month should be good to you. Good luck.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I'm happy for you.
Some thoughts. Make sure you've got the right footwear for rocks. Korkers or studded felt boots are crucial.
Color is usually not as important as weight and action for a given retrieve speed. Were your other needles the same brand? Try your needles in daylight to find the retrieve speed that gets them coming back just beneath the surface as slow as you can go, or just leaving the slightest wake on top.
Keep moving in the rocks. Unless you are on a spot where fish hold in numbers, it is often very hard to get more than 1 or 2 fish off a single rock. Moving 25 yds can make a big difference.
Switch it up. After 5-10 casts with a needle, try 4-5 casts with a danny before moving on. Reel slow, many spinning reels retrieve line too fast to fish needles or dannys at their optimal speed.
Gear your tackle and knots for where you fish. In the rocks you should usually be able to pull free most of the time when you hook bottom if your tackle is stout enough. Before pulling (with the line wrapped on the reel and rod pointed straight at the snag), try shaking the rod violently with a nearly slack line....do it 3-4 times...you can often bounce the plug free.
The next month should be good to you. Good luck.

thanks for the advice. immediately after losing that one, i put on my blurple needle of the same brand. not even a bump. my buddy was next to me, tossing every needle he had at them. nothing. while i stubbornly stuck with the needles he started tossing everything he had to no avail. mean while these two fish were bam, with some missed bumps.

we saw freebie on the way out and he said he didnt get anything at all either. and he has two of the needles too. a blurple and bright green. whether or not he tried bright green i dunno.

but it was ALLL about the hot pink with white belly RI Lures needle. slowly just above bottom. slow enough to keep it down there, but quick enough to keep it off the rocks. it was obviously risky, and i ended up losing it. but worth it.

the main difference between that and everything we tossed that night color. we had nothing else in pink. lesson learned. i stocked up on pink stuff, but it wont be here till tomorrow.

i think if i cant find a pink needle by the end of the day. i am gonna switch out for some bubble gum hogys. since apparently they were takin the eels. (which is a good reason to hit a needle, but i still think it was all about the color)

and bigbo thanks the offer.

p.s. numb.. i am the master of getting stuff back from the bottom. this time wasnt happening. i spent 10mins trying. it either got wedged in between two rock or went right under one. it wouldnt budge an inch.

[BigBo]

I'm quite sure I don't have any pink needles. Would a pink Pencil Popper work for you? If so, I'm on the south shore and you're welcome to come pick it up.

[HESH2]

nice fish it's all about being out there.you gotta be in it to win it.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

Originally Posted by BigBo

I'm quite sure I don't have any pink needles. Would a pink Pencil Popper work for you? If so, I'm on the south shore and you're welcome to come pick it up.

much appreciated. but i must decline. since i want to get down to the bottom. i'm thinkin sluggos and hogys tonight as a vain attempt to replace the pink needle. they are takin eels over there so i figure anything eel like in bright pink should continue to produce. but who knows could have just been a magic needle.

[BigBo]

Good luck.

[maddog2020]

My first striper on a needle was not too long ago. I was fishing an area where the tide has gone out more than thought (messed up reading chart and or confused dates :P) and was throwing everything that was dark colored (no moon visible). I had a yellow over white Gibbs needle (sinks SLOW - more of a floater class). Water wasn't deep in the bay I was fishing (< 3' deep) and when the fish first hit it sounded like an explosion in the water (it missed the lure!) and got it back in fast and rifled it back out .... slow retrieve and WHAM ..... wooooo hooooo. FAT 34" from an area I had only gotten schoolies and seen tons of peanuts.

Only reason I bothered to stay in this area was during the day driving past and happen to see two guys flip a fish back in the water that was BIG. I just happen to see it otherwise I would have ignored the spot.

Fish had lots of green crabs, some lobster in it's stomach. It wasn't until I fished RI w/ Crafty that I saw a fish with a lobster in the belly. Some companies now offer lures that look like lobsta (black over orange SuperStrike bullets look awesome - I have some in my bag now!).

Keep at it - persistance pays off. It is that adrenaline rush that keeps us going back. I find solitude standing in the water, having waves rock me and listening to the sounds of the nite until something yanks the rod out of my hands and the drag starts screaming! Of course if you ever tuna fish, that will wreck you and stripers won't seem funny any more!

[BigBo]

Congrats. What needle and what color. If I have one, it's yours. Just come by and pick it up. There's your reward and incentive to continue your quest in search of another PB.