| 1) Every beach has its optimum wind conditions and
should only be fished when these conditions prevail.
2) Every beach has an optimum tide and
time. Example: I have a jetty [rock groin] I fish, during the month of July. When low tide is at 4:30 am [4:20-4:40, This
happens every two weeks] I'm almost guaranteed a fish or a hit by 7:30 am; This happens 95% of the time.
3) Really big fish hit in the dark, although you will catch them in daylight.
4) Big fish hit when the water is calm [flat water]; Rough water will produce more and smaller fish. Big fish prefer "CALM
WATER".
5) Big fish often hit at dead low tide.
6) When high tide
is at 12 noon; fish the jetty tips; a lot of big fish are caught between the hours of 11am and 1pm.
7) The best of the big fish tides are the four days surrounding the new and full moons.
8) Fish
the outside of the sandbars near the openings [cuts] if possible. Big fish often hang out there and wait while the smaller
fish go in ahead of them.
9) When fishing with bait, use the freshest possible. A good rule
of thumb to follow when fishing bunker chunks, worms, crabs, clams, etc., is to change your bait every ten to fifteen minutes
or at the first sign it is getting washed out [losing its appeal]. When reeling in your line to change the bait, stop a few
times and let it sit. Sometimes the movement will attract a fish and result in a hit.
10) Never
put your rod in a sand spike while fishing. [they are only for rigging and changing bait; note some exceptions below] Some
of the biggest fish just inhale the bait and do not move off right away, the pick up feels very light. Be Prepared!!!
11) Calico Crabs:
How
many of you have caught striped bass in the summer months and saw that their chins, mouths and bellies look raw, as though
they have some kind of disease. Well they aren't diseased, they get that way searching [rooting] for one of their favorite
foods during the summer months "crustaceans"; with calico crabs [lady crabs] being at the top of the list. Striped
Bass start feeding on calico crabs and sand bugs usually in "June" here in N. J., when the water starts warming
up. By the time it hits the 65-degree mark, the crabs are usually plentiful in the surf. You can fish them when they are hard,
or as tinnies, but the soft crabs are by far the best. The easiest way to collect the crabs for bait is with a calico crab
rake. It is a long toothed rake with a bag behind it. Although, some fisherman use garden rakes or clam rakes with a wire
or mesh bag attached to them. Calico rakers, [most of the time] rake and fish at the same time, [this is an exception to the
sand spike rule] usually two hours before and up to two hours after low tide. The raking acts as a chum slick as the bottom
is disturbed and many crabs are broken up. When raking, begin about ten yards off the beach and drag the rake back to the
beach, then go out and rake right next to where you began, again coming back to the beach, making sure you work the area well!
Calico rakers find mostly hard shell crabs and a certain amount of comers, shedders, tinbacks, and the prized softie. Besides
softies and tinnies, the only other crab an experienced raker wants to keep is a shedder. You can tell a shedder crab by looking
at its shell, it should look dull and bluish on the back with a reddish cast to the claws. When a likely crab is raked, the
point of the top pincher [both claws] is broken off. In the comer, there will be only a milky substance underneath, while
the shedder will have a new soft claw developing. While raking and fishing, you should keep your baits in a cooler with ice
packs and either wet seaweed or newspaper under and over the crabs. Most experienced crab fisherman have a saltwater holding
tank at home or a crab car at the local river. This is where they keep their shedders under a watchful eye, checking them
often, waiting for them to shed. [soft shells] As they shed, they are put in the refrigerator, again in between wet seaweed
or newspaper. They will keep this way for 3-5 day's if you take care of them, wetting and changing the covering material.
Most crab fishermen use a 9-11 ft. medium action rod and conventional reel, spooled with 20 pound test, a slip sinker rig,
and a 4/0 to 6/0 hook [this depends on the crab size] Almost, every fisherman has his own way of attaching the crab to the
hook, but the one thing they all have in common is the use of elastic thread to hold the crab in place. The bait is then cast
out to the third wave from the beach. [this is very important] This is so the bait gets lift. [movement] I have seen hundreds
of bass caught using calico's, many in the teens and twenties. But, very few over thirty pounds. This is an excellent
way to catch bass during the summer months. For those of you wondering about shedder crabs. [blue claws] Yes, they do work,
but nowhere near as well as calico's.
12) Clams: More stripers are probably caught on clams
then all other baits combined. They are an excellent springtime bait. There is probably no better bait to use after a period
of rough water, [spring, summer, or fall] especially when clams are washing up on the beach and are in the wash. Fresh or
salted clams make the best bait, stay away from frozen clams and use them only as a last resort. I know fishermen who swear
that using "stinkies", clams that have laid on the beach for a few days [after a storm] are the best bait. I beg
to differ, there is no better bait then fresh or salted clams. Most clam fishermen use a 9-11 ft. medium action rod and a
conventional reel, spooled with 20 pound test mono, and a slip sinker rig with a 30-50# mono or fluorocarbon leader. The leader
should be 10"-18" long, sometimes longer, depending on how rough the water is, [rougher means shorter] and a 4/0
to 8/0 hook. When fishing clams make sure you do not overcast the fish. There is no need for extreme distance casting, most
of the fish will be very close to the beach. Again, when fishing clams make sure you hold your rod, you will catch 75% more
fish, most hits are very quick and light. Clams are not a big fish bait, but they account for many bass under thirty pounds
and a few over every year. Note: I am an avid fan of salted clams, and use them when fresh ones are not available. They are
even superior to fresh ones in really rough water, the salt toughens the clams and in turn, they stay on the hook better.
You can usually buy them at your local tackle shop. I personally like to salt my own. My favorite time to collect and salt
clams here at the Jersey Shore is in midwinter, when we have frequent storms and they are washing up on the beach. [and I
have cabin fever] You can bring them home or shuck [open] them on the beach. There are different ways to salt them, but I
prefer to lay them out on newspaper and cover both sides liberally with kosher salt. Then wait a few hours until most of the
water is removed. I put them in plastic containers and place them in the freezer. They will keep for about a year if done
right. When the ocean is rough, and the clam boats can't get out for days. The tackle shops sell out of clams very quickly.
It is a great feeling to know, you have your own bait. Please, before you harvest surf clams, [quahogs] check with your Fish
and Game Dept. concerning the rules and regulations on the harvest of clams. It will save you a lot of aggravation.
13) Worms: There are many different types of worms, but Bloodworms and Sandworms receive the most attention.
Both are excellent springtime baits, and they can be fished anytime of the year. But, most fisherman stop using them though
when the water starts to warm and the crabs become active. It can become quite an expensive proposition fishing them. Unless,
you are fortunate enough to live in one of the states where they are plentiful and you can dig your own. Most worm fishermen
use a 9-11 ft. medium action rod and a conventional reel, spooled with 20 pound test mono, and a hi-lo rig. This is a two
hook rig, usually made with 30#- 50# mono or fluorocarbon leaders and 2/0 to 5/0 hooks. The top hook is usually baited with
worms and the bottom hook baited with clams. The reason for this is twofold: 1] offering two types of bait. 2] fishing clams
on the bottom hook is a lot cheaper on the wallet, if there are crabs around. I personally like a [single hook] slip sinker
rig, with a 30# fluorocarbon leader 15"- 30" long, [hook size will correspond with the worm size] and a float just
big enough to hold the hook and two or three worms off of the bottom 1"-12". The bait is then cast out to the third
wave from the beach, for lift and movement. |
