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SUBJECT: # 6806: Missed em !
Submitted by Stuu,Stew,Stupid (216.33.38.74) from NEW JERSEY on 1/10/2000 12:59:00 PM
Got out Friday night, met my pardner JimG who had been on the rocks for about 15 minutes. He says, "nothings here, the fat lady has sung" or something to that effect. After another 15 minutes, I'm thinking he may be right. Tried an olive MagMinnow, black/silver crystal minnow, Black/purple Bomber, white bucktail jig, nuthin, nuthin, nuthin, nuthin. then I put on a Chicken Scratch bomber. First cast, I hit the rocks on my backcast, thought I may have brocken the plug, so I give it a quick pitch close to the jetty, to see if it is still swimmin correctly. BAMM !! Fish takes plug on the surface, and heads east. Line peels from my reel, I start to reposition myself for the successful landing of my first bass of the year, an obvious keeper. Then I make the BIG mistake. I yell to Jim that I got a good one on, he looks over to see the fish splash on the surface, about 15 feet away, then gain his freedom. Damn !! Dam, dam dam ! A hit or 2 the rest of the night, then more of nuthin. Got nuthin on Sunday afternoon also, Although I couldn't fish were I wanted to, too many people, doing other types of fishing. Stuu
- 1/10/2000 2:21:00 PM
Submitted by
John M (208.240.34.254) from PENNSYLVANIA says Missed em....
Stu I had a missing problem too, I got three (my lastest keeper ever) and proceded to miss 25 more......I couldnt hook up to save my life. At one point I was getting 2 hits per cast some hits were light others about pulled the rod out of my hands...missed every blessed one of them........hooks were sharp I was ready couldnt close the deal......oh well I willl try agin this week.
- 1/10/2000 3:36:00 PM
Submitted by
Dan S (152.163.204.78) from CALIFORNIA says I made a mistake too!
I lost a nice fish on Friday night because of stupidity! I dropped down a line size to 25 lb big game from the 30 lb I have been using and the first place I fished on Friday night I hooked up with a nice fish. Definitely felt like it was 15 lbs plus. Anyway, I hadn't trimmed the terminal section in a couple of outings and after a one minute fight the fish broke my line! Moral of the story? I think everyone knows. Then I fished the rest of the weekend and caught a couple of small stripers and that was it. Live and Learn!
- 1/10/2000 3:49:00 PM
Submitted by
John M (208.240.34.254) from PENNSYLVANIA says Dan its live and RELEARN
You get lazy and then it happens PING....you swear never agian but it happens. I had a decent fish around 15# I got it because I had braided line. I felt the line being drug through the rocks on the front, but I prevailed....I was within inches of using mono that night, had I done that I would have broken the fish off for sure......Dan does your season go all year? just wondering cause the NJ season seems intent on going all year.....
- 1/10/2000 4:27:00 PM
Submitted by
Russ Smith (207.223.224.51) from CALIFORNIA says Dan's season
I'm curious myself since his fish come from the lake I fish myself alot, which in turn come from the Delta I fish too. The changes in water flow this year in the Delta(trying to help steelhead smolt) have really cut down the fishing at San Luis Reservoir as there are less fish getting in. Still big ones around but a lot less small ones. It doesn't sound like dan's noticing a real effect but then with the size of plugs he uses the small fish wouldn't be a factor. The bait guys are all saying the fishing is down dramatically in the Res.For me the season dies about late January or early Feb in the Delta. But then I go back to fishing San Luis by float tube(wind means too much waves for a boat and pretty tough from shore too). I got a 15# last march from my tube in 15-20 MPH winds with pretty good swells. The tube just goes right up over the swell and brings you down safely, the worst part is getting in or out without getting soaked by waves breaking over your head! Since I bought my boat in Sept. I've been spending all my time in it but the weather typically makes a boat useless from Feb-late march for stripers.
I think fishing in the canal Dan gets a huge edge in that weather can't make as big a difference because there's only so much water in the canal.
Russ Smith
- 1/10/2000 5:10:00 PM
Submitted by
DaveC (207.245.125.34) from PENNSYLVANIA says JohnM
You mean earliest of the year!!! :)
- 1/10/2000 6:37:00 PM
Submitted by
Dan S (209.165.31.190) from CALIFORNIA says John M
John, yes the striped bass season is all year round in the canal I fish. These are basically landlocked striped bass! They actually spawn in the canal though! I have fished this canal about 1200 times in the last 4 years and for me the fishing has gotten much better each year I fish it! I have learned a lot about fishing by employing techniques that other fisherman don't use. Hence, I have some success! I have a lot more failures though than successes! Sometimes I ask myself: "Why do you fish so much? Then I will stay home and turn on the television and then I have my answer! I am quite concerned about the future of striped bass fishing in the canal though! In reality, the fishing just isn't that good! And this weekend I saw something that really disturbs me! In one stretch of the canal I saw thousands of squawfish between 10-15 inches long. Great food source for large stripers but they also consume large numbers of eggs when they are hatched! There was so many squawfish I was snagging them just using bare hooks! I guess when the striper fishing gets so bad, I no longer have an interest in pursuing them, I can learn how to catch squawfish, and probably have a ball! You guys on the East Coast don't know how lucky you have it right now! Enjoy it while you can!
- 1/10/2000 6:53:00 PM
Submitted by
Dan S (209.165.31.190) from CALIFORNIA says Stripers in the cement pond!
John and Russ! You can fish the duct year round for stripers, but the best fishing is usually from December through March or so. As a matter of fact I had my best month ever last month for catching fish of 15lbs and up! Russ, the weather has virtually no effect on fishing the duct. The wind doesn't do much as it is pretty much protected. Right now the water temperature must be optimum for the stripers as they are very strong. Last year the water was much cooler right now and the fish were very sluggish! In reality though, the duct isn't that good of a place to fish! As I have stated before I fish all the time and I have lots of failures, sometimes going weeks without a hit or a fish! Sometimes I ask myself " Why do you fish so damn much?" Then I stay home for an evening and turn on the television and I have my answer! I am concerned about the canal fishig though because of the huge numbers of squawfish present. Saturday the squaws were all over the surface( thousands of them). I was snagging them with bare hooks and just throwing them on the bank to rot. From what I understand they eat the striper eggs when they are hatched. Great food for the big stripers though, but they must be wrecking havoc with the spawn each year.
- 1/10/2000 7:02:00 PM
Submitted by
Dan S (209.165.31.190) from CALIFORNIA says Seems like
I have to type everything twice and then the message gets posted. Sorry you guys and gals have to read the same story with a different twist, twice! Damn, I am embarassed!
- 1/10/2000 9:16:00 PM
Submitted by
West Coast Dave (209.63.45.7) from CALIFORNIA says Catching Squawfish (Pikeminnows) And Stripers
Dan, You can catch Squawfish on 1/8-3/4 once Ratl'Traps, Rapalas, Sassy Shads, Spoons, Spinners, and Salmon eggs. I have caught large ones while fishing for Stripers in the drainage canals that come off of the Sacramento River in Woodland. I have caught and realesed up to 12 Stripers (mostly schoolie size, but up to 17lbs) along with Squawfish up to 8lbs and almost 36 inches long. Squawfish are very aggressive, they will often come near the surface to strike a lure. They don't put up that much of a fight though. That is why it is more fun to catch then on light (6lb test tackle). My friend and I often do this when we get skunked by the Stripers. Tight Lines, West Coast Dave C.