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Any NJ goons here that fish at Sandy Hook? I'm thinking about going tomorrow but I wonder if it's going to be completely packed since I'm sure a lot of people will be taking tomorrow off for the holiday weekend.
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May 25, 2023 03:18
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Any folks here have a boat and live in an apartment? How do you do it? Do you keep it in a storage unit?
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May 26, 2023 22:37
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T-Square posted:Had much more success this morning, I got a 14” largemouth (I think) with the weightless Senko, then I busted out this old Teeny Torpedo for giggles and got a Crappie who unhooked himself and broke it but landed himself conveniently at my feet. Lastly I threw on a fluorescent fly and dropped it right in front of a Bluegill’s face and he immediately bit, and I teased another Crappie out of a small weed patch with it for 10 minutes until I got him to bite too. That's a nice bass! It looks like you're getting the hang of it. I fished my entire 3 day weekend and only caught one little Rock Bass lol. Also I saw a crapload of water snakes so that was pretty cool.
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May 28, 2023 18:20
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Southern Cassowary posted:i got a shimano vanford and a yakrods finesse spinning rod and after not having used nicer fishing equipment i think i'm ruined now. hooked up to a bass earlier and when it bit i felt like the rod was getting yanked out of my hand compared to the old stuff. blew me away. It sounds like your new equipment is a lot lighter than your old stuff. Which is awesome, I love light tackle fishing. Some of most thrilling fights I've had were with largemouth bass and pickerel in the 3-5 pound range using my noodle thin trout rod with 4lb test line. I have a somewhat heavier rod with 10lb test that I mostly used for cat fishing but I recently moved near the Atlantic ocean so I'm really hoping to catch some striped bass or bluefish with it as it would be considered a really light rod for that. I've caught bluefish on pretty heavy duty deep sea fishing gear and they still fought like maniacs I can only imagine catching them on this rod I have. Anyway my point is, ultralight for life.
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May 30, 2023 17:45
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Desert Bus posted:Yearly reminder: Oh man I love stocked ponds. I wish I lived closer. You ever think of putting Channel cats in? They would probably get huge and are so much fun to catch.
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May 30, 2023 22:18
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I mostly tie on hooks and lures with an improved clinch knot. Is it ok for thicker mono line like 15lb or more? I feel like there's probably a better knot to use. It's not like I'm breaking off or anything but it's a bit harder to tie a knot with line that thick.
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Jun 2, 2023 23:14
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Yooper posted:Headed up to Wakami Lake Provincial Park on Thursday. Am very excited. We're renting a 16' boat from the Park, which makes the whole trip super convenient. Texas rigged plastic worms around cover works for me and I suck at fishing. Also since you'll be on a boat, you should try slow trolling with something like a rapala (hard swim bait) that always worked well for me for bass and pickerel etc.
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Jun 5, 2023 16:07
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wesleywillis posted:If that park is in Ontario, you might want to check the regs before doing any bass fishing. I never quite understood the regulations around the seasons for different fish species. Does it just apply to fish you can keep? Because you can't really control what kind of fish you can catch. Although you can kind of "target" certain species so maybe you aren't allowed to do that in the off season?
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Jun 5, 2023 21:09
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T-Square posted:Couple of questions, I think I read in here as I was making my way through this thread some small discussion on tackle satchels with a little fold out table surface? I think something like that would work great for me if anyone has a recommendation, I’m already kinda sick of lugging around a big plastic tackle box. You might want to look to see if there are any fly fishing specific stores in your area. Like an Orvis store. They often have fly fishing lessons. That being said, it's not the hardest thing in the world to figure out. I learned on my own by just casting in my yard. And this was before the days of YouTube so now I'm sure you can find tons of instructional videos on there.
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Jun 9, 2023 16:06
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durabrand107 posted:Late response to this but yea, I get into bowfin all the time. I also caught that gar (florida gar) finally on an EWG and a piece of hotdog, my son and his buddies were fishing for bream and the gar was hiding out under the dock and taking the pieces of hotdog they were dropping, so I put one on and he smashed it, I don't know that I set the hook so much as just got him snagged up and out of the water, since he threw it once he was on the dock. I'm not sure if this helps answer your question at all but I live a bit further north than VA (Central NJ) and I was knee deep in the surf on the beach a couple weeks ago just wearing shorts and it was very nice. I'm guessing freshwater wouldn't feel any different. So chances are waders might feel a bit too hot for where you're going.
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Jun 15, 2023 06:06
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T-Square posted:I went to the sporting goods store to get some small lures for panfishing and came out with a teeny 5’ ultralight rod and I blame this thread for my actions It's really drat fun to catch some big guys on an ultralight rod too. Catching a 5 pound largemouth bass on a rod meant for catching bluegills is thrilling as hell and teaches you good fighting techniques.
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Jun 16, 2023 23:59
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I live near a very long, pretty wide river that I'm sure has plenty of Channel Catfish. It has current, but it's pretty mild. What's the most likely spots for the cats to hang out in? I imagine they don't like fighting the currents that much so maybe they hang out closer to the shoreline? Im just trying to figure out where to place my bait. I can cast about halfway across the river but I have a feeling the very center is probably the worst spot although it is the deepest so maybe the current is even milder there.
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Jun 17, 2023 04:47
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Got a GoPro (just kidding it's a cheap knockoff) that I plan on dropping into some of the areas I go fishing in. I have just always wondered what the hell is down there. If I find anything interesting I'll upload it to YouTube.
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Jun 22, 2023 05:51
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wesleywillis posted:Bass opener is this Saturday in my area. I'm pretty well versed in Large mouth fishing (though my luck is usually poo poo anyways) but not so much in small mouth. For Smallies that should work. My impression of Smallies is they are basically the same as Largemouth in terms of what works to catch them it's just that they tend to inhabit different environments. They seem to like running water like rivers and creeks more than Largemouth. Also and this is anecdotal, but I feel like Smallies fight much harder than Largemouth. This is why I love catching them.
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Jun 22, 2023 16:20
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Took my knockoff GoPro to a local river to get some underwater footage a few days ago. I was dropping it in various spots but one spot apparently had a pipe that was sucking water to a drainage and it sucked my GoPro up with so much force it drat near broke the fishing rod I had it attached to. Needless to say I lost the GoPro. Thankfully I was only out about $80 instead of the $300-400 that a real GoPro goes for. So I got another and tried again and dropped it into an area that is an old (like 1700s/1800) canal lock system. Apparently there's tons of fish living down there. Check it out: https://youtu.be/MEou1I24b94 https://youtu.be/6ekPgGEe4f4
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Jun 26, 2023 00:54
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LeeMajors posted:Whoa this is super cool, thanks for sharing! Thanks! I can't wait to bring it to the beach and toss it into the waves. Hopefully I can get some fluke, bluefish, or striped bass action on camera.
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Jun 26, 2023 21:48
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I want to yak fish but there's a lot of water moccasins in my area 😬
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Jun 27, 2023 19:15
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COOKIE DELIGHT posted:I joined a local snake identification group and, it took a while, but it helped me stay calm when a snake is hauling rear end straight for your kayak. Your mileage may very. In my area there are only 2 kinds of snakes that swim. Northern water snakes, which are harmless and cool as hell and Water Moccasins which are definitely not harmless. Unfortunately they look really similar unless you can get a good look at the head which is closer than I want to be. I probably shouldn't worry about it. The chances of anything actually happening with a water moccasin are low most likely. But it seems like they have a habit of swimming towards kayaks from videos I've seen.
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Jun 27, 2023 21:36
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COOKIE DELIGHT posted:Same river - I was on the bank and heard an incredible hiss/roar/scream that gave me chills on my arms, legs and back of my head. I was halfway to the car before realizing I had even grabbed my poo poo and took off running. I checked online for noises that a fox, raccoon or bobcat might make but none of it explained the primal fear response it invoked. Believe it or not, it might have been a rabbit. Apparently they can make some bloodcurdling screams.
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Jun 27, 2023 23:26
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Anyone ever get a Airbnb that's right on a lake? I've been thinking about doing that for a while now. I just want to throw some bait out, listen to a podcast, and get drunk.
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Jun 28, 2023 18:03
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Easychair Bootson posted:I'm headed to the Florida panhandle (Pensacola/Navarre) the week after next for a little beach time and was thinking about trying some surf casting, which I have never done. What kind of tackle (incl. rod and reel) would I need? I assume multi-piece rods are common? You dont *need* any special rod for surf fishing. I've been doing it for years with a spinning rod I use for bass fishing in freshwater with 10 pound mono. It works perfectly well for fish like fluke. I do have a heavier saltwater spinning rod I use throwing heavier lures for bluefish but it's still not super heavy I have 15 pound line on it. I think the biggest limiting factor is how heavy the sinker or lures you'll be using are.
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Jul 3, 2023 01:34
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Southern Cassowary posted:casted off the bank this morning to test my rods before going out in the kayak and i got a bite but didn't hook up three times - once with the baitcaster/speed worm and twice with the spinning rod/senko There are no gar in my area but I've heard they have incredibly hard mouths and it's hard to get a good hookset on them. I could be wrong though.
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Jul 5, 2023 02:34
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I just downloaded the fishbrain app. It's pretty cool, it's like social media for anglers. People post pics of their catches and you can leave comments and stuff. But the coolest part to me is the map feature that shows all the fishing spots in your area. I didn't realize all the places that were really close to me. Plus it has info for the bodies of water like what types of fish inhabit it etc. I'll probably be using it a lot. There's a paid version but the free version seems to have everything I need.
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Jul 5, 2023 17:57
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T-Square posted:If you told me that the Wisconsin River didn’t have a single fish in it, I would believe you. Have been out with two other guys from around 4-5PM, 6:30-8:30PM, a little bit between 11-Midnight, and this morning from like 6:30-8AM. Spinners, crank baits, glow baits, soft plastic jigs, weightless senkos, Ned rigged senkos, live bait, no one has even seen a single drat fish lol Are you always fishing the same general area of the river? Rivers (well any body of water really) can have stretches that are nearly devoid of fish. If there's nothing for them to eat in that area, or no cover then it might just be a bad spot. Try some different spots.
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Jul 8, 2023 19:46
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Rev. Bleech_ posted:The one time I caught a gar on hook and line, it didn't fight at all. It was just hydrodynamic deadweight. But that's only one experience. Bowfins on the other hand will be two pounds and fight like ten. Bluefish are like this too. I was surf fishing a few weeks ago and hooked up on what I thought was a pretty big Bluefish but it turned out he was more like an average 4-5 pounder. But goddamn did he fight hard. I was using pretty light tackle just a light saltwater rod with 15lb mono. God I love catching Bluefish. If you live within range of them and like to fish you owe it yourself to go out and try to catch them. Just remember to use a wire leader as they have super sharp teeth.
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Jul 10, 2023 21:41
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Math You posted:So apparently two muskies was just an appetizer for me today.. 8 pound mono? drat that must have been one hell of a fight. That would be considered ultralight for a 42" Musky. Does anyone remember the fishing shows that used to come on Saturday mornings in the 90s? I think it was on the TNN network. I remember there was this one guy who was always fishing for huge fish with super light tackle and one time he caught something like a 250lb Beluga Sturgeon in Russia on 8 pound mono. I wish I could remember the guys name, he was a madman.
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Jul 17, 2023 04:30
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I went to the local pond today at sunset to try to catch some catfish. I threw a rod out with a sliding weight and a piece of shrimp for bait (my favorite catfish bait) and on another rod I threw a Texas rigged plastic worm around the lilly pads to try to catch some bass while I was waiting for the catfish to bite. A few casts in with the worm and I hooked onto a... Catfish. Not huge, probably only a pound and a half. Add plastic worms to the list of oddball lures ive caught catfish on like spinners and swimbaits. Channel cats are weird. I think they must have better eyesight than the other species of catfish like Flatheads because they seem pretty eager to bite on lures from my experience.
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Jul 24, 2023 04:30
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SeaGoatSupreme posted:I went crappie fishing If you caught that on a crappy rod it must have been a lot of fun.
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Jul 25, 2023 01:20
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SeaGoatSupreme posted:i went bass fishing Channel cats are like the bass of catfish
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Jul 26, 2023 06:06
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I just started fishing way later in the day (like right before sundown) when it cools down some and I've been having a lot more success lately. I've also just been seeing more fish activity. Lots of feeding at the surface, lots of jumping.
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Jul 31, 2023 21:28
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After 7 is good because less heat. Bad because more mosquitos.
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Aug 1, 2023 05:08
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SeaGoatSupreme posted:
Were you standing behind someone fly fishing
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Aug 2, 2023 02:24
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How late into the year can you realistically expect to catch Bluefish at the Jersey shore? I imagine they are around throughout August but what about September?
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Aug 7, 2023 16:19
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Sarah Cenia posted:I wanna try surf fishing soon. Do it. It's fun as hell. I don't know where you live but if you live near an area that has Bluefish they are one of the most fun fish to catch and you can easily catch them from the shore in the warmer months. Also you don't really need any specialty rods for surf fishing. I use the same medium weight spinning rig with 12 pound mono that I use for largemouth bass fishing in freshwater. I do have a somewhat larger spinning rod that I use for flinging heavier lures but it's not a necessity.
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Aug 12, 2023 21:13
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I went surf fishing this weekend for the first time in months. I only ended up catching one small fluke (flounder). I hooked him in a really odd, really bad way. Like almost through the head. The thing is, it was under the size limit to keep so I threw him back and I'm not sure he would make it. So it got me wondering, are there exceptions to size limit rules if a fish is mortally wounded? Because I would have kept it if I didn't face the possibility of getting in trouble. It would have been better than letting it die.
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Aug 20, 2023 18:14
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All very good points. And yeah, it will definitely end up as crab or shark food.
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Aug 20, 2023 18:51
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Sarah Cenia posted:what is it like to be able to see a fish in the water you're fishing? It's cool until they see you and don't bite a drat thing you throw at them
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Aug 24, 2023 01:34
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We are on day 4 of a Tropical Storm Ophelia here in the northeast and normally I have good luck fishing in "bad" weather but the last few days I just couldn't catch anything. Today was a little bit calmer, the wind wasn't as strong and the rain not as heavy so I visited my local river for a few hours and did quite well (for me) I caught a channel cat and a couple pickerel all on Berkeley gulp minnows on a jighead. None of them were really photo worthy, all in the 1-1.5lb range but on my light spinning rod they were fun to catch. If youve never tried Berkeley gulps minnows before I highly recommend them. I can almost catch at least something on them.
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Sep 26, 2023 22:10
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I'm thinking about going fully barbless hooks. It will be easier to remove hooks from fish I catch, will probably do less damage to them and if I deep hook a fish there's a better chance I can get the hook out cleanly. Does anyone else go barbless? Do you lose a lot of fish?
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Oct 5, 2023 19:34
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 02:53 |
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Losing expensive lures to snags has gotten me to the point where I almost exclusively just use plain lead jig heads with Berkeley gulp minnows. I still lose a lot, but they are pretty cheap. Also they work really well.
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Oct 23, 2023 05:35
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