bluefish/porgies

[greybeard]

I'll get back to you with the lure because I want to photograph how I rig it for saltwater .. bass, blues and fluke

and freshwater.. I use it for largemouth bass and pickerel.. I'd try pike, but I don't get to fish pike waters.

I'll see if I can add photos to a pm if not I'll post them here. I'll get back to you with it

Gulp is used by a lot of my friends especially for fluke in the inlet and surf.. They do well with it. hey say that it is great... I'm a bit thick headed at times and am happy with my set up so I stick with it.. I caught fluke including  a 7lb. fluke with mine on a bucktail with my trailer. Gulp is a little more costly, and I think, maybe, when it comes to lures I'm a bit cheap..Short arms , long pockets, as they say.

[greybeard]

AT.. here's the info. I can't seem to post pics from my files on a pm.. I'm clueless with computers.

I am NOT an expert, but fish constantly.. So I can't recommend anything as an expert.. just someone that fishes and likes a lure and talks about it...My buddies and I discuss different lures all the time.. It's just what we do.

I added pictures of the lures as I rig them and just a couple of fish that I caught with them..I hope that all this gets posted I seem to be having a problem with the pics and the ending...

The lure is called Hoochie Koochie  it's sold by Cabela's I think it's $1.99 for a bag of 10... They come in a few sizes and colors...

I primarily use 5 1/2 inch , but will use 4 1/2 inch at times. and only use white.. I have caught fish with another color, but white is my go to.

For freshwater :

I use a 5/0 hook.. see pic. .....I fish it weedless for bass/pickerel.... watch it drop as you retrieve and you'll see the tail action.. I find it great...I fish it unweighted, but you can use lead head.. Try different techniques..  swim it.. vary retrieves.. walk it over lily pads.. whatever you find good..

For surf, or inlet, or any other saltwater shore use from shore :

white 1 oz. to 1 1/2 oz. lead head.or on bucktail I also use 1, or 1 1/2 oz., but have used 2 oz... You can use those weights from a boat, but I kayak fish so I lower the weight of the lead head to 1/2 to 3/4 oz.  You're call .... Slow along bottom for fluke with a slight stop and jig works for me..(I'm not big on fluke fishing , but I do it when the mood strikes)... For blues/ bass/etc. straight retrieve , or use your imagination.. great sand eel imitation, in my opinion. So when there is a good sand eel run  I find it to be a great lure. Works most times even without the sand eel bite.. Oh yeah, it will not cast as far as a tin, or popper.

From my kayak and some shore saltwater shore fishing,,  I primarily rig lighter lead heads, but that's my choice...

Bluefish will tear them up so I bring a lot.. snappers will cut the tails off, so when they're around I only use the "Hooch" when I see bigger predator fish

I make sure that I have about  200(20 bags) every year, but for MOST people that's being obsessive . I fish for blues ALOT  and can go thru a bag in one trip.. My friends tried one bag of 5 1/2 inch white to start and decided from there..

I use many different lures.. poppers.. tins and swimmers, but use thee and 4 inch white shad when I think that they'll be best for

 

 

 

the si

[ATbuckhunter]

AT.. here's the info. I can't seem to post pics from my files on a pm.. I'm clueless with computers.
I am NOT an expert, but fish constantly.. So I can't recommend anything as an expert.. just someone that fishes and likes a lure and talks about it...My buddies and I discuss different lures all the time.. It's just what we do.
I added pictures of the lures as I rig them and just a couple of fish that I caught with them..I hope that all this gets posted I seem to be having a problem with the pics and the ending...
The lure is called Hoochie Koochie  it's sold by Cabela's I think it's $1.99 for a bag of 10... They come in a few sizes and colors...
I primarily use 5 1/2 inch , but will use 4 1/2 inch at times. and only use white.. I have caught fish with another color, but white is my go to.
For freshwater :
I use a 5/0 hook.. see pic. .....I fish it weedless for bass/pickerel.... watch it drop as you retrieve and you'll see the tail action.. I find it great...I fish it unweighted, but you can use lead head.. Try different techniques..  swim it.. vary retrieves.. walk it over lily pads.. whatever you find good..
For surf, or inlet, or any other saltwater shore use from shore :
white 1 oz. to 1 1/2 oz. lead head.or on bucktail I also use 1, or 1 1/2 oz., but have used 2 oz... You can use those weights from a boat, but I kayak fish so I lower the weight of the lead head to 1/2 to 3/4 oz.  You're call .... Slow along bottom for fluke with a slight stop and jig works for me..(I'm not big on fluke fishing , but I do it when the mood strikes)... For blues/ bass/etc. straight retrieve , or use your imagination.. great sand eel imitation, in my opinion. So when there is a good sand eel run  I find it to be a great lure. Works most times even without the sand eel bite.. Oh yeah, it will not cast as far as a tin, or popper.
From my kayak and some shore saltwater shore fishing,,  I primarily rig lighter lead heads, but that's my choice...
Bluefish will tear them up so I bring a lot.. snappers will cut the tails off, so when they're around I only use the "Hooch" when I see bigger predator fish
I make sure that I have about  200(20 bags) every year, but for MOST people that's being obsessive . I fish for blues ALOT  and can go thru a bag in one trip.. My friends tried one bag of 5 1/2 inch white to start and decided from there..
I use many different lures.. poppers.. tins and swimmers, but use thee and 4 inch white shad when I think that they'll be best for
 
 
 
the si

Wow those are some cheap soft plastics. I'm definitely going to have to pick up a few bags the next time I'm in cabelas. Thanks for all the advice. Since you a kayak fisherman, would you have any advice on what kind of kayak I should buy? I've decided to get one for this coming summer to use here in NY and down in FL when I go to my condo.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[greybeard]

When I first started fishing form kayaks, over 20 years ago, almost no one here used them. Then it got very popular, so to meet the demand they started making cheaper ones. There was time when I could give you an educated opinion, but not so much now..

Here's what I think ;  (This is info on kayaks for fishing, not touring.)

I'm gonna try to put down everything that I can think of, probably some isn't relevant to you, but it's just how I do things so disregard what doesn't apply. Sorry if it's too long and a little repetitious . Also, it's off the cuff, so I may have left something out.

I am a fisherman/hunter who uses a kayak.. NOT a kayaker who happens to fish, or hunt.. So I don't put myself in the class of  what I consider a kayaker

You'd want a recreation kayak that's stable and can be good for fishing.. In my opinion, for that activity I'd choose rotomoulded plastic because it really takes a beating and is cheaper than other materials.

I would not fish in anything under a 28 inch width..

I doubt that you want a sea kayak .. longer narrower.. I'd explain, but if you check it out you'll see why I don't recommend it for fishing. It's for a KAYAKER. I enjoy paddling them, but it takes some experience, and it's not for what I do. If you want to be a kayaker and tour, etc. in it then check that out, and take lessons... I'm just ASSUMING that you want to fish in it. I paddle around in mine and it's fine for that , but sea kayaks handle tougher water and paddle more efficiently..I know what my yaks can handle.

Check with the company's website and be sure that the kayak you pick can handle the type of water that you'll paddle in.

Some kayak shops have demo days and will let you try out kayaks for free on those days...You can also rent one for a day and try one out... I used to help a kayak shop on those days and found that it was a good thing to try. Before I bought my last one I brought down my fishing gear, a few dekes,  and small cooler to see if it was good for me.. ( I knew the owner so he didn't think it was to weird)

Think about weather..I have 4 kayaks and all of them are sit inside, not sit on top because I fish in colder weather and I can stay drier, especially if I use a half skirt, sometimes a full skirt. My friends with sit on tops don't go in the colder weather..Late season stripiers, herring fishing and waterfowling are during cold times..Also, sometimes I used to look for seals and it was COLD on most days that I did it.

Size matters.. For salt water.. my opinion.. no smaller than 12 feet..I have 12 and 14 foot kayaks

Weight.. How heavy do you want it.. You gotta lift it and carry it.. I bought an 80lb. kayak which I think is nuts, but it's a tandem kayak and ONLY use it when I'm with someone. My others are in the 50 lb. range. I'd prefer 40's, but I got what I got..The 80lb was soooo cheap and fit my need so I figured what the hell and bought it.

read reviews to see if the kayak that you want tracks well.. Weather cocking(turning into the wind) can be a problem with some kayaks.

Do you wanna paddle, or pedal.. I'm not into peddling so I don't use a Hobbey (I can't spell it) They are fast and have advantages, but they're too heavy for me and I like paddling.. Also I fish in a aiot of areas with big rocks and don't wanna do damage.

Color.. You want to be visible especially to other boats...so pick a color that makes you more visible.. If y0u notice ,in the picture, I didn't listen to my own advice. I did that because for a number of years I used it for waterfowl.. I did NOT shoot from it. I paddled to islands and other spots to set up.. I did sit in it to shoot at times while on shore...My wife sewed some camo for a cover to give me more camo.

Storage etc. If you catch a 30 lb. striper where will you put it...If you see the one in the photo you'll see that  I have room to store BIG bass.

A few years back I stuck that 52 inch bass up front and later put a 39inch in there also.. It was a little tight, but it worked.. I think it's good to prepare for a big 'un because you never know what you'll get.. I can also store decoys in my kayaks

Do you need wheels ? You'll decide after you have it.

Look at paddles and ask questions.. heavy paddles seem to  get heavier as you paddle long.. You're decision..Don't get very cheap paddles or they may break. I on;y ose a white bladed paddle because when I 'm paddling the white is visible..

oh yeah, carry a whistle(it's mandatory

I carry a  spare paddle every time I go out.. My paddles are 2 piece so storeage isn't a problem.. If you drop one overboard, or a bluefish jumps into it(happened to me) and you drop the paddle you'll be glad that you got 2..

Get a good pfd.

If you go in the cold times of year  dress for immersion.

Striped bass have sharp dorsal fins so if you share the kayak with one, watch out that you don't get stuck.. it hurts.

Also.. toothy critters like bluefish bite so watch how you store one. After getting a bluefish hickey on my inner thigh I decided to kill and bleed them as soon as I get them to avoid that again or get a bite higher on my anatomy.

Well, that's all my old brain can come up with hope it helps..

I'll put a photo of the 52 inch that I caught in the kayak to show you what mine holds.. (I hate to say it, but maybe to brag),

I added the picture of the other bass I stored so you can see what it held..I couldn't fit a hair more in the yak.. The head of one was on my lap.. Getting her in was a chore, but I pulled her on top of me and slid it in..

The pics were a few years ago, and I was turning 65 the month after I got these so it was Mother Nature's birthday gift.

 

[ATbuckhunter]

2 hours ago, greybeard said:

When I first started fishing form kayaks, over 20 years ago, almost no one here used them. Then it got very popular, so to meet the demand they started making cheaper ones. There was time when I could give you an educated opinion, but not so much now..

Here's what I think ;  (This is info on kayaks for fishing, not touring.)

I'm gonna try to put down everything that I can think of, probably some isn't relevant to you, but it's just how I do things so disregard what doesn't apply. Sorry if it's too long and a little repetitious . Also, it's off the cuff, so I may have left something out.

I am a fisherman/hunter who uses a kayak.. NOT a kayaker who happens to fish, or hunt.. So I don't put myself in the class of  what I consider a kayaker

You'd want a recreation kayak that's stable and can be good for fishing.. In my opinion, for that activity I'd choose rotomoulded plastic because it really takes a beating and is cheaper than other materials.

I would not fish in anything under a 28 inch width..

I doubt that you want a sea kayak .. longer narrower.. I'd explain, but if you check it out you'll see why I don't recommend it for fishing. It's for a KAYAKER. I enjoy paddling them, but it takes some experience, and it's not for what I do. If you want to be a kayaker and tour, etc. in it then check that out, and take lessons... I'm just ASSUMING that you want to fish in it. I paddle around in mine and it's fine for that , but sea kayaks handle tougher water and paddle more efficiently..I know what my yaks can handle.

Check with the company's website and be sure that the kayak you pick can handle the type of water that you'll paddle in.

Some kayak shops have demo days and will let you try out kayaks for free on those days...You can also rent one for a day and try one out... I used to help a kayak shop on those days and found that it was a good thing to try. Before I bought my last one I brought down my fishing gear, a few dekes,  and small cooler to see if it was good for me.. ( I knew the owner so he didn't think it was to weird)

Think about weather..I have 4 kayaks and all of them are sit inside, not sit on top because I fish in colder weather and I can stay drier, especially if I use a half skirt, sometimes a full skirt. My friends with sit on tops don't go in the colder weather..Late season stripiers, herring fishing and waterfowling are during cold times..Also, sometimes I used to look for seals and it was COLD on most days that I did it.

Size matters.. For salt water.. my opinion.. no smaller than 12 feet..I have 12 and 14 foot kayaks

Weight.. How heavy do you want it.. You gotta lift it and carry it.. I bought an 80lb. kayak which I think is nuts, but it's a tandem kayak and ONLY use it when I'm with someone. My others are in the 50 lb. range. I'd prefer 40's, but I got what I got..The 80lb was soooo cheap and fit my need so I figured what the hell and bought it.

read reviews to see if the kayak that you want tracks well.. Weather cocking(turning into the wind) can be a problem with some kayaks.

Do you wanna paddle, or pedal.. I'm not into peddling so I don't use a Hobbey (I can't spell it) They are fast and have advantages, but they're too heavy for me and I like paddling.. Also I fish in a aiot of areas with big rocks and don't wanna do damage.

Color.. You want to be visible especially to other boats...so pick a color that makes you more visible.. If y0u notice ,in the picture, I didn't listen to my own advice. I did that because for a number of years I used it for waterfowl.. I did NOT shoot from it. I paddled to islands and other spots to set up.. I did sit in it to shoot at times while on shore...My wife sewed some camo for a cover to give me more camo.

Storage etc. If you catch a 30 lb. striper where will you put it...If you see the one in the photo you'll see that  I have room to store BIG bass.

A few years back I stuck that 52 inch bass up front and later put a 39inch in there also.. It was a little tight, but it worked.. I think it's good to prepare for a big 'un because you never know what you'll get.. I can also store decoys in my kayaks

Do you need wheels ? You'll decide after you have it.

Look at paddles and ask questions.. heavy paddles seem to  get heavier as you paddle long.. You're decision..Don't get very cheap paddles or they may break. I on;y ose a white bladed paddle because when I 'm paddling the white is visible..

oh yeah, carry a whistle(it's mandatory

I carry a  spare paddle every time I go out.. My paddles are 2 piece so storeage isn't a problem.. If you drop one overboard, or a bluefish jumps into it(happened to me) and you drop the paddle you'll be glad that you got 2..

Get a good pfd.

If you go in the cold times of year  dress for immersion.

Striped bass have sharp dorsal fins so if you share the kayak with one, watch out that you don't get stuck.. it hurts.

Also.. toothy critters like bluefish bite so watch how you store one. After getting a bluefish hickey on my inner thigh I decided to kill and bleed them as soon as I get them to avoid that again or get a bite higher on my anatomy.

Well, that's all my old brain can come up with hope it helps..

I'll put a photo of the 52 inch that I caught in the kayak to show you what mine holds.. (I hate to say it, but maybe to brag),

I added the picture of the other bass I stored so you can see what it held..I couldn't fit a hair more in the yak.. The head of one was on my lap.. Getting her in was a chore, but I pulled her on top of me and slid it in..

The pics were a few years ago, and I was turning 65 the month after I got these so it was Mother Nature's birthday gift.

 

 

Honestly i really appreciate all the advice you're giving me.There were some things here that i never really thought about. Pretty much only going to use it for fishing and specifically fishing in the bay's mostly. I may travel into the sound or off the beaches on the south shore after a couple years of experience. I was thinking of getting some sort of mesh bag or using one of those big clips and keeping any fish i'll be keeping outside of the kayak but still attached to it. I only keep one or two bass a year, so space shouldn't be as limited as i'll be targeting things like fluke, porgies, sea bass and C&R stripers. I was thinking of those hobbie kayaks, but i just can't afford buying one right now, so I'll have to stick with the classic paddle kayaks.

 

As far as sit in vs sit on top, i have waders that I can wear while in the kayak so I figured a sit on top would be fine. Ill also be using it mostly during the summer time when the water is a bit warmer. A good pfd is also a must have in my opinion too, so I won’t be sparing on that either.

 

Nice fish by the way! My best striper is 41.5"

[greybeard]

There are lotsa choices.. good luck with it.

My friend has a Hobbie, and it does have advantages like having hands free to fish and other things, but it's just not for me. Many guys love them..

One thought.. If you wear waders and you tip will you sink as they fill up with water. Also, hard to swim in waders.. just my 2 cents.

a 41.5 inch striper is a great fish.. congrats.

Good luck fishin' ..

Bob

[Elmo]

Dag!  Those on some big stripers!

[ATbuckhunter]

3 hours ago, greybeard said:

There are lotsa choices.. good luck with it.

My friend has a Hobbie, and it does have advantages like having hands free to fish and other things, but it's just not for me. Many guys love them..

One thought.. If you wear waders and you tip will you sink as they fill up with water. Also, hard to swim in waders.. just my 2 cents.

a 41.5 inch striper is a great fish.. congrats.

Good luck fishin' ..

Bob

Ive been fishing with waders for a long time, so i know how fast they can fill up. Wish I could tell you another story of another big blue I aught today, but I got nothing. I didn't see a single confirmed bunker sighting so the blue's just weren't in as thick. Ill try again tomorrow evening. 

[greybeard]

I wish you had a story also, but those days keep us on the hunt..

There were a lot less blues around yesterday than the day before where I was. They were visible fr a short while only, and they were on small baitfish.  There were lotsa bunker, but nothing on them. The day before they were getting whacked by blues..Who can figure, but it's like we say.. Fish got fins and they move.

Hopefully when the fall run starts they'll be in thick...Last year it wasn't good in the surf , but where I kayaked we had them in thick everyday from early Oct. into Nov. and  a lot of the blues were gorillas, and some nice bass too. So let's hope for a good fall run. Every year can be different, but my hopes are always high.

There's plenty of porgies , so that can be a good go to  if things are slow with blues/bass. They'll stock trout in Oct. and Nov. so there's always that in between the saltwater fishing. Then, of course there's hunting..... Life is good, isn't it...

Good luck tomorrow...I haven't decided on my plan yet. I got the bug to try Largemouth bass and pickerel, but we'll see.

[ATbuckhunter]

15 minutes ago, greybeard said:

I wish you had a story also, but those days keep us on the hunt..

There were a lot less blues around yesterday than the day before where I was. They were visible fr a short while only, and they were on small baitfish.  There were lotsa bunker, but nothing on them. The day before they were getting whacked by blues..Who can figure, but it's like we say.. Fish got fins and they move.

Hopefully when the fall run starts they'll be in thick...Last year it wasn't good in the surf , but where I kayaked we had them in thick everyday from early Oct. into Nov. and  a lot of the blues were gorillas, and some nice bass too. So let's hope for a good fall run. Every year can be different, but my hopes are always high.

There's plenty of porgies , so that can be a good go to  if things are slow with blues/bass. They'll stock trout in Oct. and Nov. so there's always that in between the saltwater fishing. Then, of course there's hunting..... Life is good, isn't it...

Good luck tomorrow...I haven't decided on my plan yet. I got the bug to try Largemouth bass and pickerel, but we'll see.

Hopefully the fall will provide some good bluefish. Chasing these huge blues can be pretty exhilarating and really get the heart pumping when you see them blow up on a popper. Ill be fishing for blues every so often and once blackfish season opens up then ill try that a few times. Ill do some salmon fishing and then focus on deer hunting starting mid October. 

[greybeard]

Sounds like a great plan.. good luck. I hope to read some stories and see some pictures.

After many yeas of bluefishing they still get me pumped.. Watching them invade schools of bait , hitting poppers, , cruising the surface, or doing battle with them on the end of my line  excites me like when I 1st started fishing for them. It's been over 50 years since I caught my first adult bluefish, I was on a party boat and caught 11 big blues. After years of bottom fishing and panfishing I had never imagined that such a savage, hard fighting fish was available to me. I've been addicted to them ever since. Unlike most fishermen that I know , I prefer blues to striped bass. I love catching stripers, but bluefish are my favorite for a great battle.

I'm going to fish hard for blues and stripers for awhile and throw in some freshwater, then I'm heading to Hawaii to spend  special quality time with my wife and I'll ram hunt when I'm there. Maybe when I get back the stripers will still be around, and probably do some small game hunting. The blues will have, most likely,  migrated out by the time I get back.

[turkeyfeathers]

Really neat thread. Enjoy reading it as this is completely new " fishing " talk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[greybeard]

glad that you enjoy it.

I went to Jones Inlet to see if the albies arrived yet..They are still a no show..... A pod of dolphins came through the inlet into the bay less than 100 yards from shore which was cool to watch.

I spoke to the guys that are at the inlet EVERYDAY unless the beaches light up with fish and they said surf as well as the inlet has been dead. So i figured I'd do my fall beach run and check different beaches, and some bays.. Nothin' doin' that were visible.

AT....I asked an experienced guy who I know as a really knowledgeable fisherman about black fish at the inlet near the Construction Dock. He advised me that usually for the 1st few days it is  good, but after that it's mostly small fish. He said that the bottom fishing guys lose a ton of rigs, which we know.

I didn't fish.. just made it into a scouting trip...

 

[thphtm]

Before we left the sand pit and moved up to the Catskills we did pretty good with blackfish around the old navy docks in Hempstead Harbor also caught a 55" striper there ,some flounder also , caught a 17" Flounder in the back where the old barges were on my Old Town , Porgies we did well around the small islands between Port Wash. and Great Neck also good Fluke fishing on the island side in that area. I wonder if it has changed in the last 12 years. 

[ATbuckhunter]

glad that you enjoy it.
I went to Jones Inlet to see if the albies arrived yet..They are still a no show..... A pod of dolphins came through the inlet into the bay less than 100 yards from shore which was cool to watch.
I spoke to the guys that are at the inlet EVERYDAY unless the beaches light up with fish and they said surf as well as the inlet has been dead. So i figured I'd do my fall beach run and check different beaches, and some bays.. Nothin' doin' that were visible.
AT....I asked an experienced guy who I know as a really knowledgeable fisherman about black fish at the inlet near the Construction Dock. He advised me that usually for the 1st few days it is  good, but after that it's mostly small fish. He said that the bottom fishing guys lose a ton of rigs, which we know.
I didn't fish.. just made it into a scouting trip...
 

I actually prefer catching a big blue over a big striper anyday. Stripers can put up a good fight, but not like a blue of the same size. It's just that the blues don't taste nearly as good as a striper. I also don't feel bad when I catch a big blue versus when I catch a big striper due to the sad state of the striper stocks.

I appreciate the advice. I heard the same thing, once the people start hitting it hard it becomes a dead zone for keepers. I'll be hitting it on opening day from the beginning of the incoming till close to dark. I know of a good spot in LI that holds them that I can tell you if you want. Not many people know about it for blackfish either.

I'll be hitting little neck bay again tonight and I'll let you know how the action is. Usually there Marina is a good spot for them because the bunker will school up there, but as you know it's not a guaranteed thing.

TC- If you ever find yourself down in the city or Long Island and want to do some fishing let me know. I'd be more than happy to take you out so you can experience some new fishing and species.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[greybeard]

WOW !! a 55 inch striper is massive !!!

I haven't fished Hempstead Harbor in 15 years, or so. It used to be good for bass. I didn't porgy, or flounder fish there, but I heard that it was good.

AT.... I used to fish Little Neck Bay for stripers in the winter. As I'm sure you know it holds bass all year. There are tons of bass there. I used to launch the kayak on the Nassau Co. side at a private club, but they stopped allowing us to do it. After that I launched at the Marina(Before season, which I think was May 1st). I liked the fishing there, but hated getting onto the parkway from the marina. We had to watch the tides because if the tide was too low we couldn't get to the ramp.

[Pygmy]

Comparing blues to stripers is similar to comparing smallmouths to largemouths...

If you tie a 3 lb smallmouth tail to tail with a 5 lb largemouth, the smallmouth will pull the largemouth around backwards until its scales fall off...

 

The same comparison could be made with a 5 pound blue and a 10 pound striper...

[greybeard]

Pygmy.. That's funny, and a good comparison...

My strategy for checking the south shore was a bad one. My buddies went to my usual fishing hangout and hit  nice blues.

I scouted the south shore and it was dead.. I know that there's fish up in my area , but just didn't have it together. My head was all over the place last night and this morning.. So, it turns out that  I broke the rule.. "Don't leave fish to find fish".. I know better, but was looking for the greener lawn..

 

[ATbuckhunter]

WOW !! a 55 inch striper is massive !!!
I haven't fished Hempstead Harbor in 15 years, or so. It used to be good for bass. I didn't porgy, or flounder fish there, but I heard that it was good.
AT.... I used to fish Little Neck Bay for stripers in the winter. As I'm sure you know it holds bass all year. There are tons of bass there. I used to launch the kayak on the Nassau Co. side at a private club, but they stopped allowing us to do it. After that I launched at the Marina(Before season, which I think was May 1st). I liked the fishing there, but hated getting onto the parkway from the marina. We had to watch the tides because if the tide was too low we couldn't get to the ramp.

Ya that's my go to striper spot in June. That's when the big girls show up. I've had many nights with double digit stripers above 30". You really have to watch the tide because it'll leave that whole mid flat exposed at low tide. Yes the exit to the cross island is terrible there. Another thing that's bad in LNB is the mud. You step in that, and your in some serious danger. Great fishing from a boat or shore if your not wading. The no see ums also really suck there.

Went out today for like 40 min and the bunker were everywhere. Just giant schools each direction you looked. Didn't look like they we're being harassed much though. Hopefully they'll be there tomorrow with some friends.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[greybeard]

I usually don't fish on weekends, but got a call last night from a friend who wanted to go. ....Got out just about daylight and bunker were all over the harbor, but nothing on them. We paddled awhile and hit a few  small blues. Then bluefish were showing up all over, but they were mostly small. My buddy got 1 about 5lbs., but everything that we could see , and caught were smaller. WE also saw many schools of snappers breaking all over driving me crazy because I'd chase splashes  and diving terns just to find out that they were little guys. I lost a # of tails from my soft plastics...Then the boats came. I'm not used to seeing many boats, but on Sundays lots of people are out. There wasn't a problem with the boats,  and all were courteous, but I like solitude ...Well, I had a good day, just no big fish and very finicky smaller ones, and I wasn't skunked.

[ATbuckhunter]

8 hours ago, greybeard said:

I usually don't fish on weekends, but got a call last night from a friend who wanted to go. ....Got out just about daylight and bunker were all over the harbor, but nothing on them. We paddled awhile and hit a few  small blues. Then bluefish were showing up all over, but they were mostly small. My buddy got 1 about 5lbs., but everything that we could see , and caught were smaller. WE also saw many schools of snappers breaking all over driving me crazy because I'd chase splashes  and diving terns just to find out that they were little guys. I lost a # of tails from my soft plastics...Then the boats came. I'm not used to seeing many boats, but on Sundays lots of people are out. There wasn't a problem with the boats,  and all were courteous, but I like solitude ...Well, I had a good day, just no big fish and very finicky smaller ones, and I wasn't skunked.

Those small 1-3lbers taste the best though. 

[greybeard]

I agree, I like to eat those. I released them yesterday because I have some  at home to eat .

[shawnhu]

A wealth of knowledge, glad you're back with us B.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

X-Calibur Lighting Systems