South Shore stripers

[greybeard]

There is a pretty good striper run along some of the south shore, LI beaches.. They are on sand eels, so if you go you should add some sand eel imitations to your arsenal. .. 007's(green, or red tubes), a17, a27, deadly dick's, soft plastics..and see what they like

 

I would not by any means classify the last couple of days as a BLITZ, just a good pick of fish with many keepers caught. Fish, around, or not some guys got skunked !!   but, I  saw lotsa keepers leave the beach

 

The sand eels were right in the wash, and bass bellies were full of them..(I have a perfect sand eel lure in the sizes that I saw)

I did see a shad caught, and heard that herring were around last week, but sand eel imitations seemed to be the lures of choice, but I guess other lures could be effective.

 

 

The water is still warm and one guy I know was still catching some sharks in the surf last week.

I have not seen bluefish, but they may show up at anytime, so I'd bring wire leaders just in case.

 

I took a 40 inch bass yesterday, and only had an hour to fish this morning and got a 36 inch. My son in law kept a 34 inch yesterday ..

 

I don't give up spots, but this is no secret so Jones Beach field 6, morning high tide seems the best.. I heard that many south shore beaches lit up, but I can not verify that..

It could end at any time, but as of this morning this is current info.

 

I have been off the internet for quite a while, except to check emails one, or two days a week, so I'm not aware of other fishing reporrts.. I am only came home this morning because of a house issue that needed tending to, so you may want to check reports for additional info.

 

So,  that's all I got... I hope if there are any other surf rats out there that they get in on some fish..

 

Remember weekends you have to pay to park unless you have an Empire Pass, and if night fishing at Jones you need the night fishing pass...

 

 

 

 

 

[Lord of War]

• Thanks for the heads up.  My fishing gear has been collecting dust but I might go renew my saltwater license and head out early am and try my luck.  Do you need the overnight pass for field 6?  Where can I go so I don't need any of those passes to get in?

[greybeard]

You can fish field 6 in the day with no permits needed )except fishing license) . but like I wrote , they charge on weekends and holidays ( I THINK thru Thanksgiving, but not sure...I have an Empire Pass so I don't pay attention to that).

 

There are quite a few guys fishing 6 now, so when you pull in you can get some info on the bite.

 

Try field 6, or West End 2..

 

There are also SOME town beaches to the East tht don't require permits in the daytime now because it's off season, but read the signs to be sure and ask when you're in the lot.. IF there's fish around  you'll see somebody

 

The night permits give access to some areas at Jones and Moses in the day and also night fishing..

 

I can give you details, spots and thoughts but it's best if you pm me .. I'm on the computer tonight and Friday daytime if you want other info.

 

good luck (My friend called me a little while ago, he got some nice bass with one bass over 25 lbs. this morning. but  please remember It is not a blitz, and the fish are moving

 

 

 

 

[thphm]

Sounds like your throwing tins out there anybody fishing bait with any luck.

[bruno1]

I actually been doing so good with the stripers that I haven't been in my stand yet this year. I was on my way to hunt this morning and half way there I seen the flags blowing NE so I turned around and went home to grab my surf gear. There are big fish at first for the last 3 days. I'm fishing SS beach east of Demo

[greybeard]

Lurking..I've mainly used 5 1/2 inch white soft plastic with a paddle tail that looks like a sand eel for this bite... I rig with 1 oz. white lead head...Almost everyone else is using tins, and they do well with them, maybe better then me.. Tins outdistance soft plastics, but plastics are my "confidence" lures.. I did hit on tin,  a 007, but I just prefer my plastics.. I like working the plastics better on my retrieve,.It's just MY thing. No real sense to it I guess.

 

I see bait guys, but not too many for the past couple of days, I'm not sure how they are doing..

With a sand eel bite going on, I think more guys are just imitating the sand eels..As more types of bait, like bunker, herring and shad come thru more guys 'll throw bait I'm sure..But MAYBE they're doing good now and I just don't know.

 

Bruno...I  haven't gone east of "old field 9" at  Jones yet this week.... I'm hoping that the fish from the eastern beaches today  'll migrate past us at Jones tomorrow.. Our bigger fish have been here for 3 days also. I'm glad your hittin' those big fish to the east.. Hope it continues for you.

 

I'm not hearing from guys on the North Shore this week , and am wondering about fish up there.. If I hear that  they are there I'll try to chase them in the kayak.. Since I threw my back out when I shot a goose from a bad position in the kayak in October, I've slowed down my paddling so I'm not searching the North Shore for fish like I should.

 

 

 

 

 

[Geno C]

Thought you wrote strippers... Lol

Was going to say hahaha

[AaronBlaine]

Get em Greybeard!

[greybeard]

Geno..    Yesterday I actually walked so far east from 6 I was where the nudies(as we call them), or strippers hang out in the summer..So when it gets warm maybe I will write about the strippers..

 

Aaron, thanx, I'm workin' at it, I planned on squirrel hunting, but I can't leave this.. It can get much better, OR just END as quickly as it started

[thphm]

Near the mouths of the North Shore harbors should be good now. If ther is bait around.

[greybeard]

lurking.. You're right, the harbors should be on fire with fish. This time of year has always been good to outstanding up there... I just can't get out, like I'd like, to scout . Actually this time of year I shouldn't have to look they should be all over.Normally, over  the next few weeks, I'd be up there in the kayak . Hopefully, I can get into the kayak next week...

 

There are 0 good reports from the North Shore and my friends up there say it isn't good ,except for  blackfish, but I'm looking for blues and stripers now.

 

 South Shore....I was at West End 2(Jones beach)   today, with my wife, I wasn't  physically up for fishing, but saw a couple of  guys I knew who got 0 there today. I was there in the late morning, to early afternoon so I don't know how it was early...

 

 

[Geno C]

Geno.. Yesterday I actually walked so far east from 6 I was where the nudies(as we call them), or strippers hang out in the summer..So when it gets warm maybe I will write about the strippers..

Aaron, thanx, I'm workin' at it, I planned on squirrel hunting, but I can't leave this.. It can get much better, OR just END as quickly as it started

Lol! Well keep us posted next year with how the strippers are running when you "walk down the beach to far" haha

[CuseHunter]

I'll keep the south shore in mind next time I have an urge to grab my pole and try to get a stripper by the beach... Gotta wrap it before ya cast it though, never know how many people have fished that bay before.

[greybeard]

I went to check the surf today.. Field 6 was dead, so was west end 2, so I went "Beach Hopping" to see if I could locate fish...I headed east and saw a guy with a nice bass loading it into his car. He said the bite was pretty much over. It was a morning bite(I got there after 8am).

I went down anyway and saw guys walkin' off with bass. I also saw rods bending with bass, but mostly shad.One guy told me that between him and his son they had around 15 stripers all weighing in the teens(I can't verify that)

 

I put on soft plastic and was getting bumps, which I assumed were shad. So I switched to an a17 with a green tube. Sand eels were in the wash so I figured it's be a sand eel day. I immediately started catching shad, so I was happy, then I hooked into and landed a bass of 22 lbs.

Bass fishing was slow so I concentrated on the shad, they were all over. I figured out the presentation that they wanted and was into non stop shad action for hours.... I switched to a "deadly dick" for a while to get even more..  The guy next to me couldn't believe how many shad I caught(and released), but I was trying to get them and most guys only wanted bass so we fished a little different.  I easily caught 50 shad.  If anyone else targeted shad, they would have caught a  SH#$@ load too.....Then the bass came in better and I got a few more stripers(not strippers), as did the guys next to me.

 

My observations and non expert OPINION :

 

It was predominantly a morning bite. I would not classify even that time period a blitz, but there was a good amount of fish around. If anyone goes after 8 am, it's no where near as good. My opinion is diamond jigs, with green, or red tubes is the lure to try.

I got there at the end of outgoing tide, and got my bass on incoming, but the better bite was outgoing this morning.

 

I saw one guy using a popper, but got 0.. I would have thought that a popper would have been good because of the shad. I would think that it could be worth a try if the tins aren't working.( I didn't watch everyone, so it is possible that some guys did get fish on poppers)...

 

 lurking,.....I remembered that you asked about the bait guys..So I asked a few..The bait guys that I spoke to had 0.. I don't know why they weren't getting bass since there were tons of shad, so chunks shoulda worked. As I was leaving  after 

2 pm I noticed that a few guys were heading out with bait setups. I'm not into bait fishing in the surf, but if I was I'd catch a shad and chunk it.

 

There were very few birds hitting the bait close in. In fact, mostly no birds where I fished. So looking for birds may not tell the whole story.

These fish are moving so who knows where they'll be tomorrow, but figured I'd let the surf guys know that the fish are still around... Still no bluefish though and non of us can figure why...If anyone finds them, I'd appreciate a pm, I love those yellow eyed devils...

 

 "IF" the shad stick around and you like catching them, I'd use a tin and even tie on a  a teaser. Today, the shad wanted fast retrieve and stop, or retrieve and stop then kinda jig it.. They'd hit it almost any retrieve, but if you really wanna whack them try the varying retrieves.. They were far out as well as pretty close in...I hope that they stick around,

 

The weather is supposed to change tonight,  so as you know  the fishing can change too.

 

That's all I got.. I hope this helps someone... Good luck !

 

[thphm]

Nothing like a fresh caught striper,gutted and bled on the beach.greybeard you are getting me worked up,I still have all of my surf gear.You keep talking like this and I might have to pack the truck up and head to Demo.5 hour ride from where I am now.Who knows I might bump into some of my old fishing buddies.

Any thing going on at Montaulk yet.Loved plugging under the Light and the North Shore.

 

[Early]

Greaybeard....Please do write about the strippers.  Stripers are exciting, but strippers.......!!!!!!!

[shawnhu]

Never fished for shad, but saw a few nice sized ones caught on sabiki rigs in BK. Are they legal to keep?

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[greybeard]

lurking... I've heard some reports, but I have no first hand info, so I hate to pass on what I heard...As I'm sure you know some guys catch 5 fish and call it a blitz,, and you can almost never believe the sizes they describe....The website.. thefishingline has some reports about Montauk etc. I haven't been up to the north shore in a while, I keep planning to go, but I'm just gettin' lazy.. If I go I'll pass on the info..

 

Early, some of those strippers are my age !!!  How's that for a thought ? 

 

Shawn.. You can keep 5 shad.. I BELIEVE that these are Hickory shad..I used to catch a lot in Jones inlet and some years on the North Shore. They are a lot of fun on a fly rod, or light tackle. They jump a lot. They are not a powerful fish, but pretty scrappy . We used to call them poor man's tarpon because of the way they jump, but I think poor man's tarpon actually refers to a Florida fish (I think Lady Fish). Small tins work well. I've caught a lot on 005 and 007, and deadly dick's. The flys I used were just deer hair and if I remember right and I think  I used Clouser minnows( I'm pretty sure of that)

 

Most guys that I know who keep them either live line them, or chunk them for bass and blues.. They can be great bait at times. I know that some people eat them, I tried it once.. very bony and I didn't like it.. One of the surf rats today told me that he met someone who pickled them like herring.. I don't like pickled stuff, so I wouldn't try it.. There were some pretty nice size shad today, but I BELIEVE that the ones in the rivers are American Shad and get bigger . I'm not sure because I never fished for them.. The Delaware River get's those

[greybeard]

Many fishermen say that stripers leave after it snows in the fall. The word is that it cools off the water too much. I don't necessarily agree.

 

Yesterday we were gettin' some nice bass during the snow from the surf and today we  were still catching keeper bass. So they were still around  after the snow fall from yesterday

I did not see as many fish come off the beach today, but they were there and hitting the same lures. Today I took 2 nice ones within 10 feet of the shore, casting parallel to the shore.

Shad were around, but not as many..

Sand eels were plentiful.

So for now, they are still around.

 

. I won't post anymore about this , unless someone asks. I doubt that I will have anything to add.

[bruno1]

Had well over 100 stripers this morning, fished for 6 1/2 hours and the fishing was so good I called off all my appointments this morning. It became a joke that if you didn't catch on the third cast you would then say let me catch a fish a bam fish on. Lots of micro's and biggest was around 20lbs. All fish caught EAST of Jones

[shawnhu]

Boy you guys are killing it!

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[greybeard]

 Bruno....Now that is impressive !! Congrats, I'm happy for you..I love reading those success stories.

 

I was east of 6 also, like I reported above, we had fish, but it was no where near like what you had..

I did not see any micro bass (rats) caught.

 

I saw tons of birds working along the beaches , east of me , probably Cedar, but the fish didn't move to me.

The fish I got today(2) were around 10 to 12 pounds and I did not see any too much bigger. My buddy got a few keepers, biggest was a 36 inch fish, but he got that one before I got there. ( I don't set an alarm).. Yesterday, in my spot, even with the snow, it was better then today

 

We had sand eels being chased and breaking the surface.

Were your bass on Sand Eels ?

Were there any Shad ?

How were the crowds ? There were not too many guys where I was today.

Now the big question, if I may ask, what were you using ? tins ? soft plastic ?

 

I'll be back tomorrow, I understand that the wind should change and come somewhat southerly.

 

Congrats again !!

[bruno1]

Been fishing the last few days as there's been lots of herring that moved in just nothing under them. I've been throwing the bag at them at all different stages of the tide and can't even buy a bump. Hopefully the fat lady hasn't sung yet

[bruno1]

Greybeard sorry just seen your post with questions. Yes those bass were on sandeels at the time although there were shad all over the place. Crowds were thick in spots but I'd just go find my own bar to get out to and when I caught a fish I'd try and release it with my back turned so no one would see and mug me. To many guys with binos out there waiting for someone else to start catching then they'd be on top of you. I was mostly using tins with a sandeel teaser above. At one point the shad were so thick so I actually had to take off the teaser or you'd be pulling in shad every cast. And we even tried livelining the shad but they only wanted sandeel imitations. I did try the SP Minnows and did very well, I also really like the action on those lures.

[greybeard]

Bruno.. Thanx for the info..

I didn't use a teaser, but should have.. The teasers did produce.

My best sand eel imitation is a soft plastic from Cabelas..It's not described as a sandeel, but looks just like the one.

 

I found it strange that the bass didn't take the shad..

 

I had a foot problem so had to cut the season a little short, but I had a good bass season anyway...

I never got back to the North Shore to see what was there