Last week I was out in the surf, along a back inlet, and on the inlet rocks.
Bait was basically all over and some fish were busting the surf, had to be striped bass or blues, though probably small, and not many.
Never got a hookup and got one quick bump on my lure/teaser combo.
Found out that the bait was likely sand eels. SAND EELS!
Never even occurred to me, but when fishing with that bait around, one uses very different tactics than what I was doing.
Perhaps it would have made no difference, but I do tend to stick with one method too long.
... angling for two of the more challenging piscatorial predators in the Garden State.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
zoned out
I was so zoned out this morning that I drank half of a large DD coffee before but realized it had milk in it instead of.being black as ordered
Ever have that happen fishing? Have something going on around you that you totally fail to see?
Ever have that happen fishing? Have something going on around you that you totally fail to see?
Monday, October 14, 2013
Cinder Worms - thinking of spring...already :)
here's a good article on fishing the "hatch" ... really the "spawn"
cinder & marine worm swarms
Tips for fishing during marine worm swarms
Worms Gone Wild!
Believe it or not you can drop a fly in such a melee and not get a hit.
By Jim White In time, anglers discover that a worm swarm is a doubled-edged sword. You either love ’em, or you hate ’em, with very little latitude at either end of the spectrum. The fact is, the cinder worm hatch, as it is sometimes called, is a spawning ritual, and not a true hatch at all. Just millions of tiny worms twisting and gyrating on the water’s surface.
Well-intentioned crossover freshwater fly anglers mistakenly coined it a hatch years ago, perhaps because of the sheer volume of biomass, much like when mayflies fill the air on trout streams. Worm swarms usually take place at dusk, sometimes as early as late April but more consistently in May and June as the weather settles. The new and full moon periods see lower tidal ranges which expose mud flats where the worms live. There’s debate over whether the full or dark moon is best; however, the proper water temperature, occurring with a late-afternoon low tide appears to be the best combination of conditions for them to appear. Their appearance is usually prompted by warm, clear days that allow the sun to heat shallow salt ponds or tidal flats.
Swarms like this one form in the spring around the full or new moon.
When a swarm occurs, there are literally millions of worms twisting and darting in the water. Sometimes there are so many worms, the water looks like it’s full of red weed, and the water will actually turn reddish-pink.
In New England the swarming worms are called clam worms. No one has actually identified precisely what types of worms we actually have, since there are well over 300 different species of worms along the Atlantic Coast. The common clam worm, Nereis succinea, is a wandering benthic predator, and one of the most widespread bristle worm species. Though it reaches a length of five or six inches, it’s more common to find smaller specimens. Its anterior portion is usually brown and the “head” has four eyes, feelers at the mouth and tentacles.
Normally, these swarms take place at the same time and in the same place, year after year. Once you’ve observed this natural wonder, you won’t soon forget the spectacle. When the worms begin to swarm, you will find them along the shorelines in upper estuaries, in shallow rivers, shallow coves, in creeks, and on tidal flats where soft mud bottoms exist. Over the grassier bottoms, swarms tend to be less intense, or simply don’t happen at all. A spring low tide typically exposes the bottom, which in turn is then heated by the sun. Mixed sand and mud bottom seem to produce the best swarms.
Weather is also an important factor in worm-swarm intensity. It should be relatively warm with stable conditions for a few days; temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees are best and the ideal tide phase is an early falling tide in late afternoon. Once a swarm begins, it can continue all night long and into the early morning hours.
It isn’t too often that these worms get much bigger than an inch or an inch-and-a-half in length while the swarm is going on. Because there are so many different species of worms, coloration runs the gamut. Light green, blue-green, cream, pink, reddish-green or brown are common. Most knowledgeable fly anglers that fish the swarms carry impressionistic worm patterns in at least two or three different colors or color combinations with them when fishing a swarm.
The Worm Man
One of Rhode Island’s premier worm-swarm specialists is 73-year-old Gene Matteson, of Cranston, Rhode Island. He has had more success fishing the worm swarm than anyone I know. He has also taught many other anglers how to be successful as well—a virtue he is not often credited for.
I asked Matteson about fishing this phenomenon. “It’s not only the most exciting fishing but it can also be the most frustrating fishing you will ever encounter,” he claims.
“I’ve heard that quite a few fishermen, once the hatch is in full swing, will simply go the other way and leave it. They become that frustrated with it,” says Matteson.
“I fly fish exclusively during the swarms, and prefer a 9-foot rod rated for a 9-weight line. However, I like to overload a 9-weight with a 10-weight floating line. Just like any other type of fishing, you are going to make an awful lot of casts between strikes. I like the ease in which this outfit casts. It doesn’t tire me out, and at my age, that’s a good thing,” he remarked.
Matteson fishes an 8- to 10-foot leader with a dropper tied in about 30 inches up from the trailing fly. His leaders are made from 20-pound fluorocarbon leader material and the dropper fly is attached with a non-slip loop knot, as well as the main fly. This works well—at no time will the fly come in sideways. The fly should be cast into feeding stripers and retrieved immediately with 6-inch strips.
Matteson points out one piece of wisdom that I too consider the key to hooking up during swarms, to what may be the finickiest stripers of all: fishing when there is a slight ripple on the water’s surface. This helps break up the silhouette of the fly. Also, don’t waste valuable time fishing over bass that have thousands of worms around or above them. Instead, move to the outside edges of the swarm and concentrate your efforts on the fringe areas where there are fewer worms, thus less real food.
Your chances of duping a worm-swarm striper are best when the worms are first beginning to swarm and as the swarm tapers off. Many experienced anglers actually try to time their arrival for either one or the other because the fishing is so much better with less food in the water. And, if you can force yourself to totally ignore all the feeding activity that is happening before your very eyes, which is not an easy thing to do, and concentrate on using a large fly or something else that’s six to nine inches in length, you may be surprised at how big a striper you will catch in spite of all those worms. I’ve taken a number of fish from 20 to 30 pounds fishing this way during a swarm. This “big food-big fish” tactic works because the worms are also eaten by smaller fish, eels, herring, big silversides and mantis shrimp. Big cow stripers, especially during the spring, will normally target the larger-size baits as opposed to the tiny worms.
Matteson has also developed a worm fly, Gene’s Cinder Worm, through trial and error and hundreds of hours on the water fishing for stripers. He ties it on a No. 6 salmon hook. It has a loosely wrapped body of red Glow-Bug yarn, a wing comprised of yellow and gray bucktail extending a half-inch past the bend of the hook. Finally, the head is built from four or five turns of black ostrich herl. It’s a good imitation, and is fairly foul-proof. Other notable worm patterns include Page Roger’s Velvet Worm, Dixon’s Cinder Worm, Rovinski’s Red hackle Worm and Kenny Abrame’s Worm.
Light Tackle Options
If you do not fly fish, the smaller soft plastics on the market will work on worm-drunk stripers. Without a doubt, the versatile Slug-Go, invented by Herb Reed of Lunker City Fishing Specialists, has been one of the most productive soft-plastic, light-tackle lures that there is for fishing a worm swarm. I’ve had the most success fishing a bubblegum-colored Slug-Go in a tandem rig. First, rig a 6-inch Slug-Go on a 2/0 Tex-Pose hook. By wrapping the shank of the hook with rod-winding thread before positioning it in the body of the bait, you’ll be able to glue it in place thus keeping the hook from moving and tearing the plastic after repeated casts or hits. I use PRO’s Soft-Bait Glue that is formulated for gluing soft-plastic lures. I then tie on a 24-inch leader of 20-pound fluorocarbon. Tie on the first bait using a non-slip loop knot, and then tie a dropper loop about 18 inches up the leader from the first bait. Off of this dropper loop I tie on a 3-inch Slug-Go that is rigged on a No. 1 or 2 hook, again wrapping the shank of the hook first and then gluing it in place. At the top I tie on a quality ball bearing swivel to prevent line twist. It turns out that many anglers avoid using the Slug-Go because it tends to twist your line. The ball-bearing swivel cures that. And a baitcasting reel, compared to a spinning reel, will keep line twist to a minimum as well.
The smaller sizes of the popular Fin-S Fish, in the 2- and 3-inch size, are ideal droppers ahead of a 6-inch Slug-Go. You will need to scale down the size of the hooks you use in these little guys so you don’t kill the action of the lure. Something like a No. 2 or 4 hook is ideal. Best colors for soft baits include bubblegum, black, red shad, yellow or white.
With soft-plastic lures you might opt to apply some sort of scent to mask the odor of the plastic itself, or unrelated scents. I have seen how effective this is time after time on my boat with clients. A company called Seabait (www.seabait.com) makes a product of ground-up sea worm extract that is quite powerful and also very effective, especially during the swarm. Simply place a few drops on your baits while fishing. Sometimes the worm scent can make all the difference in the world of catching fish or being skunked.
To cast such light plastics for distance, choose light to medium-light rods in the 7- to 71⁄2-foot range matched to spin reels designed for 8- to 10-pound-test line. Most swarm bass are small, with perhaps a few fish reaching the teens.
http://www.shallowwaterangler.com/fe...rms/index.html
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Real Time weather
at Chatham village, Smithville
http://www.wunderground.com/swf/Rapid_Fire.swf?units=english&station=INJSMITH2
http://www.wunderground.com/swf/Rapid_Fire.swf?units=english&station=INJSMITH2
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Summer on the Boards of Wildwood
The formula for a dad taking his family to the Wildwood boardwalk on the Jersey Shore:
- Enter the boards on 23rd st (roughly)
- Go to the end of pier, down to the beach, and run amok for an hour
- Back to the boards and straight to Sam's for a pie (4 slices for me, 2 for the wife, 1 each for the kids) While there, enjoy the view
- Wash it down with a pint of Blue Polish Water, head south
- Hit the dollar store for some crap. Seriously, can you beat buying nets for $1
- Crab fries at Chickie and Pete's, gotta do it.
- Hit the kiddie pier. Ferris Wheel, tea cups, that superman thing.
- Kohr's, for $20 of ice cream, then head north
- Fireworks
- Mac's. 2 slices for me, everyone else is starting to run out of steam
- Send the kids back down to the beach for 15 min while I deal with Mac
- Another pint of Blue Ice.
- Funnel Cake, finishes off the troops.
- Hit the Wawa for a 44oz fountain Coke for the ride home.
That about sums it up.
(Usually kids are asleep by the time we get home, but if not, then it's "Friday Night Lights" at midnight on a dock for nighttime fishing)
- Enter the boards on 23rd st (roughly)
- Go to the end of pier, down to the beach, and run amok for an hour
- Back to the boards and straight to Sam's for a pie (4 slices for me, 2 for the wife, 1 each for the kids) While there, enjoy the view
- Wash it down with a pint of Blue Polish Water, head south
- Hit the dollar store for some crap. Seriously, can you beat buying nets for $1
- Crab fries at Chickie and Pete's, gotta do it.
- Hit the kiddie pier. Ferris Wheel, tea cups, that superman thing.
- Kohr's, for $20 of ice cream, then head north
- Fireworks
- Mac's. 2 slices for me, everyone else is starting to run out of steam
- Send the kids back down to the beach for 15 min while I deal with Mac
- Another pint of Blue Ice.
- Funnel Cake, finishes off the troops.
- Hit the Wawa for a 44oz fountain Coke for the ride home.
That about sums it up.
(Usually kids are asleep by the time we get home, but if not, then it's "Friday Night Lights" at midnight on a dock for nighttime fishing)
Lost in Space - NASA and the government shutdown
(note: read with a discerning eye ;) )
Government Shutdown In Space: NASA Astronauts Safe on Space Station
by Tariq Malik, Managing Editor | October 01, 2013 09:11am ET
In addition, they no longer have to ask permission to use "the facilities" since no one will be there to "take their calls"
Veteran NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg and first-time space traveler Mike Hopkins can rest assured that when they call home to Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, someone will answer. NASA contacted Comcast to deploy the "NASA on Xfinity" branded Integrated Voice Response system to handle all astronaut needs. If the Astronauts actually need to speak to a person, they will be put on hold until they reach a designated time zone of the current Response center person assigned, based on how many calls are in queue at the time of call.
Any pay that Astronauts are due, will be docked at the same rate as other "non essential" government employees since the duties on the space station are not deemed to be of importance to the White House.
Today also happens to be NASA's 55th birthday — the space agency began operations on Oct. 1, 1958 — but it is unlikely any parties are planned. Instead, NASA will be giving the astronauts Comcast "Pay Per View" credits in lieu of any actual "party".
NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Expedition 37 flight engineer, poses for a photo while floating freely in the Unity node of the International Space Station on Sept. 16, 2013.
Credit: NASAView full size image
"NASA will continue operations in the Mission Control Center to protect the lives of the six crew members in orbit and the safety and security of the space station," NASA spokesman Josh Byerly told SPACE.com in an email late Monday (Sept. 30).
Most of NASA's 18,000 employees are furloughed today as a result of the government shutdown that went into effect after Congress failed to pass a budget late Monday (Sept. 30). Less than 600 space agency workers will be at work today, according to NASA's government shutdown plan.
In a statement Monday, President Barack Obama said NASA "will shut down almost entirely," but that Mission Control would remain open.
Government Shutdown In Space: NASA Astronauts Safe on Space Station
by Tariq Malik, Managing Editor | October 01, 2013 09:11am ET
In addition, they no longer have to ask permission to use "the facilities" since no one will be there to "take their calls"
Veteran NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg and first-time space traveler Mike Hopkins can rest assured that when they call home to Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, someone will answer. NASA contacted Comcast to deploy the "NASA on Xfinity" branded Integrated Voice Response system to handle all astronaut needs. If the Astronauts actually need to speak to a person, they will be put on hold until they reach a designated time zone of the current Response center person assigned, based on how many calls are in queue at the time of call.
Any pay that Astronauts are due, will be docked at the same rate as other "non essential" government employees since the duties on the space station are not deemed to be of importance to the White House.
Today also happens to be NASA's 55th birthday — the space agency began operations on Oct. 1, 1958 — but it is unlikely any parties are planned. Instead, NASA will be giving the astronauts Comcast "Pay Per View" credits in lieu of any actual "party".
NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Expedition 37 flight engineer, poses for a photo while floating freely in the Unity node of the International Space Station on Sept. 16, 2013.
Credit: NASAView full size image
"NASA will continue operations in the Mission Control Center to protect the lives of the six crew members in orbit and the safety and security of the space station," NASA spokesman Josh Byerly told SPACE.com in an email late Monday (Sept. 30).
Most of NASA's 18,000 employees are furloughed today as a result of the government shutdown that went into effect after Congress failed to pass a budget late Monday (Sept. 30). Less than 600 space agency workers will be at work today, according to NASA's government shutdown plan.
In a statement Monday, President Barack Obama said NASA "will shut down almost entirely," but that Mission Control would remain open.
The Jeep
Last year we turned in our trusty 2005 Jeep Liberty, and took possession of a 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara.
Wow, what a difference on the beach.
Power, traction, handling, room, utility: all hands down better than the Liberty.
Also added a nice rack, which I could not do on the Liberty:
Here's a profile:
2013 Jeep® Wrangler Sahara
The all-American icon shines on
Wow, what a difference on the beach.
Power, traction, handling, room, utility: all hands down better than the Liberty.
Also added a nice rack, which I could not do on the Liberty:
Here's a profile:
2013 Jeep® Wrangler Sahara
The all-American icon shines on
No model in the Jeep lineup better
exemplifies the spirit of unbridled adventure than the Wrangler – the
linear descendant of the very same truck that carved through the sand at
Omaha Beach on D-Day almost 70 years ago. To help you explore your
limits, the 2013 Jeep® Wrangler Sahara, on sale now here at our dealership, gathers a host of must-have equipment into one value-laden package.
From its all-access aptitude to its refined, four-passenger
interior, the Jeep Wrangler (MSRP $22,295) delivers unrivaled
versatility for drivers looking to cruise through their daily commutes
and negotiate hillside scree all in the same vehicle. The Trail Rated®
2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara (MSRP $27,895) enhances that versatility with
new standard and available amenities aimed at boosting comfort,
convenience and capability.
Leading the list of fresh features are redesigned seats (wrapped in
embroidered cloth) that offer thicker side bolsters and greater
support. Ambient lighting now brightens the footwells and cup
holders. There’s also an auto-dimming rearview mirror with LED map
lighting. On the infotainment front, the available premium Tire Pressure
Monitor displays inflation measurements for each tire, while audio
performance reaches new heights courtesy of the available Alpine premium
speaker system.
Exterior enhancements include a new premium Sunrider®
soft-top that’s composed of three layers for better sound insulation,
and dual windshield washer nozzles for greater visibility no matter how
much mud the trail throws your way. New Sahara-specific 18-inch alloy
wheels sport a polished lip, sparkle silver paint and 255/70R18
Bridgestone Dueler tires.
New just last year, the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 produces sufficient
grunt––285 hp and 260 lb/ft of torque––to tackle steep slopes and rocky
trails. Balancing power with efficiency, the Pentastar V6 (one of Ward’s
“10 Best Engines” for 2012) uses advanced features such as variable
valve timing, electronic throttle control and low-friction pistons to
deliver an EPA-estimated 21 mpg highway. Power is routed through a
standard six-speed manual transmission or an available five-speed
automatic.
Count on putting boundaries behind you thanks to the standard Command-Trac®
“Shift-on-the-Fly” four-wheel drive system, which sends power to the
rear wheels under normal driving conditions, then distributes torque
evenly between the axles when you shift into Four-Wheel High. The
available Trac-Lok Differential senses wheel slip and sends power across
the rear axle to the wheel with the best bite, while Brake Lock
Differential––working at all four corners as part of the Traction
control system––uses the antilock brake system to mimic a locking
differential and keep the wheels moving at the same speed for greater
safety across even the most torturous terrain.
Legendary Jeep capability includes a best in-class approach angle
of 44.3 degrees, a breakover angle of 25.5 degrees and a departure angle
of 40.4 degrees, numbers that leave competing SUVs and car-based
crossovers quivering at curbside. Electronic Stability Control, Hill
Start Assist and Hill Descent Control are also on hand to ensure you’ll
enjoy your adventures without any interruption.
Thanks to its rugged body-on-frame construction, solid axles,
stamped-steel skid plates, heavy-duty suspension with gas shocks, and
forged-steel tow hooks, you can live the high life in your Wrangler
Sahara, off-road and on, for the long haul. Should that haul include the
need to tow a camper, the Wrangler Sahara meets the challenge with a
Trailer-Sway Control system and a maximum towing capacity of 3,500
pounds.
This year, the Wrangler lineup earned two “Best Resale Value”
awards––top-10 overall, and top among competing compact utility
vehicles––from Kelly Blue Book’s Kbb.com website. At the root
of such exceptional value is a generous roster of standard and available
equipment, highlights of which include air conditioning, heated front
seats, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote
keyless entry and deep-tint sunscreen windows. Also on the list are
automatic headlamps, power-heated exterior mirrors, a 115-volt AC
outlet, foglamps, tubular side steps, body-color fender flares, the
Uconnect® infotainment system and SiriusXM Satellite Radio with a free one-year subscription.
Following an evaluation of the Wrangler that took them over smooth streets and rock-strewn trails, the editors at Road & Track
wrote, “There’s nothing that passes for a road that can’t be
negotiated, so you’re never turned back by doubt. It’s quite liberating,
and it allows you to visit places you’d never go with a car, or even
with a longer and lower SUV.” Experience exploration free from doubt by
scheduling a test drive of the new 2013 Jeep Wrangler Sahara today.
[[model = "Jeep® Wrangler Sahara"]]
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