Quiet here lately...everyone still out bass fishing?

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 11th, '19, 11:38

Sheesh...come to see what happening and its all my posts.

A couple weeks ago I'd have said it was that the bass were in full swing, but lately is quiet with guys only getting a couple keepers here and there.

Have to say, I didn't get out, but dam it sure seemed like is was the year to...
In our club alone we had a couple 50+ pounders, the largest tipped the scales at 54lbs.

A couple guys went out abit further for them...bad idea. Apparently anything more then 3 miles from shore can't be taken. Luckily a nice officer explained that with a summons...whoops. I hear its going to be a stiff penalty.
Never even thought about it as the fishing is usually great in pretty close.

mike ohlstein · Post by **mike ohlstein** » Nov 11th, '19, 17:12

I believe that State waters extend 3 miles, Federal waters 200 miles. Maritime law is kinda funny. It's possible that you can keep a bass beyond 3 miles, but you have to eat or discard it before crossing back into State waters.

There's some weirdness on Long Island, too.... as the laws surrounding the land grant that transferred title from Britain to NY included the right of every man to 'go to sea to catch fish to feed his family' or something like that.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125780880181039741

NY State requires a saltwater fishing license, but the license is free. That's not at all like NY..... so I have to figure that they're afraid of a bigger lawsuit if they try to charge for it.

Rocky · Post by **Rocky** » Nov 11th, '19, 20:27

Carl wrote:Sheesh...come to see what happening and its all my posts.

Yeah Carl,
Even some of the "boatless" came out from lurking to add some words! Hope everyone here is doing well. I miss the conversation even though online and letters.
Work'n hard trying to make a good conversation piece, hopefully in near future.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Nov 11th, '19, 22:46

Carl

Bass fishing has been a big miss with a couple of days of hits down by Barnegat Light. There was a discussion on the 3 mile line last night on another board. Seems the Coast Guard boarded a boat for fishing over the 3 mile line by the CG GPS but the boat they ticketed GPS said they were in the 3 mile line. CG did not care what theirs said.

So stay way inside the line to be safe.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 11th, '19, 23:12

Rocky, good to see you on the forum. A buddy of mine sent me a link to your ol'boat...that's new again. He was Ooing and ahh-ing wanting to know if it was like mine. Told him I was familiar with boat and it used to be a friend of mines. Same hull, but that's about it.
So what's the conversation piece...or too early to leak it out?

Tony- I should be safe, haven't been outside the 3 mile range. Not much fish being caught on my boat, but saw two nice fish come in late this afternoon.

Rocky · Post by **Rocky** » Nov 12th, '19, 08:51

Carl,
That's great there is a good outcome with my old girl. So glad to see she's finally on the water again, and apparently very popular!
It's too early to tell about new conversation piece, but I haven't ever worked so hard in my life for it so far. Hoping sooner than later- life moves faster and faster the older you get!

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 12th, '19, 12:29

Rocky-
your telling me time goes fast...

I have my motors for the boat exactly one year today.
I have yet to crank them up. Winter, spring, summer fall have all gone by and I'm still waiting to get time to get started on them.
Seems its little tidbits every few weeks in between lifes moments.

Next year my daughter graduates from college...I'm just catching up to her starting High School...crazy the pages keep turning faster

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Nov 12th, '19, 15:00

i was out black fishing last week at 17
slow pick

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 13th, '19, 09:51

I've spent plenty of time on the sidelines of the soccer field and in the gym for basketball practice, the weather hasn't worked out to well for our schedule. The free time we've had has been falling on those 50 MPH wind days. We jigged a couple of small fish but missed out on those days where the 30+lbs were out in force. Still holding out hope for the next couple of weekends. But to be honest I used to be a hardy fall and early winter fisherman, not sure if it's age or blood transfusions a few years back but I'm more interested in scheduling another winter trip down in Mexico and talking about heading to the keys for the winter in a few years. Running out before sun up with frost on the boat just doesn't have that romantic appeal it once did.

EarleyBird · Post by **EarleyBird** » Nov 13th, '19, 11:24

Bass fishing here out of Manasquan is still going strong. We have caught 24 fish in 9 trips, all over 25#. Two trips were skunked. Have released 9. Largest 48#. Several 35# plus. All on spoons. Like to post a pic or two but have not figured out how. Any help would be great. Thx.
EarleyBird

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 13th, '19, 12:05

EarleyBird wrote:Bass fishing here out of Manasquan is still going strong. We have caught 24 fish in 9 trips, all over 25#. Two trips were skunked. Have released 9. Largest 48#. Several 35# plus. All on spoons. Like to post a pic or two but have not figured out how. Any help would be great. Thx.
EarleyBird

How to post images and links, scroll down to the more recent posts

http://bertram31.com/newbb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 13th, '19, 12:36

[quote="PeterPalmieri" Running out before sun up with frost on the boat just doesn't have that romantic appeal it once did.[/quote]

I had boat a few years early on where I impressed myself going out when others were heading back in due to lousy conditions. One late year trip it was nasty cold, wind whipping spray and I'm trolling with autopilot trying to keep the boat semi straight quartered into the waves. I get a nice knock down, boats now outta gear as I fight the fish...a fast ferry zips past me...cause its a whole ocean and he can't go a little out of his Bee-Line from Manhattan to the Highlands. Now boats really rockin up a storm, my boxs of lures hits the floor from motor box, followed by the containers of terminal tackle that were once nicely separated, crashing bottles from the cabin as fridge opens. I bring fish in, a little too big for cooler...cooler slides, tips, fish is getting tangled in line , hooks....I look around and said I must be crazy. With that I untangle fish, let back into the water, put boat in gear and head in. The boat can handle it, I can't.

I love the crisp cold weather at the end of the season...but if its foul out...I'm heading in...or not going out.

[quote="PeterPalmieri" But to be honest I used to be a hardy fall and early winter fisherman, not sure if it's age or blood transfusions a few years back but I'm more interested in scheduling another winter trip down in Mexico and talking about heading to the keys for the winter in a few years. [/quote]

Peter- I think this might be the wisdom of age.

I'm not getting frozen or beat up to catch fish I'm going to toss back.
The days of shoveling the boat before leaving the dock are long gone.

Priceless · Post by **Priceless** » Nov 13th, '19, 20:08

Two years ago had one of the best days ever off Cape May after finding a humpback whale within 3 miles and following it as it feasted on bunker. Stripers up to 50 lbs. now for enforcement, what a load of bullshit. Helicopters flying overhead and giant Coast Guard cutters running at top speed everywhere to find an undersized fish. Meanwhile they let foreign companies rape the Chesapeake of all its Menhaden and can’t control our Southern borders. If they put the same effort in to stop drugs coming in we would get some value. Thanks for tolerating my rant. Meanwhile we pay the bills.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Nov 13th, '19, 22:24

EarleyBird wrote:Bass fishing here out of Manasquan is still going strong. We have caught 24 fish in 9 trips, all over 25#. Two trips were skunked. Have released 9. Largest 48#. Several 35# plus. All on spoons. Like to post a pic or two but have not figured out how. Any help would be great. Thx.
EarleyBird

Amazing the difference 18 miles make. I know a lot of guys out of Barnegat have been running all the way up your way.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 14th, '19, 07:46

Yeah the Humpbacks...crazy they seem to have taken up a home in the Raritan Bay! During the summer guys were taking out their families to watch em with some regularity.
I don't really get it, most of the bay is 14-20' deep with a couple ship channels to 40-50...but these huge whales are feeding in 12'- 14' of water. They have to be scraping the bottom as they go along.

I've only seen in some videos that were taken...I've seen water boil before, but just before the whales comes up the bunker jump out like I've never seen before. All in the Raritan Bay...I still can't grasp that.

Amberjack · Post by **Amberjack** » Nov 15th, '19, 14:46

PeterPalmieri wrote: heading to the keys for the winter in a few years.

Winters in the Pacific Northwest get pretty gloomy and I'm thinking about loading up the #1 girlfriend (AKA my wife) for a drive down the west coast of Florida with the idea of winding up in the Keys for a week or two this February. I think many on the board are familiar with the area. Any recommendations about which keys or lodging would work for a low key week? Not particularly looking for fishing, more a chance to kick back to get warm and stock up on vitamin D.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 15th, '19, 17:40

That's quite the drive from Seattle to the Keys...might wanna pack a light snack.

Sorry, I'm of little help being from North East with last Keys trip a good 15 years ago.

EarleyBird · Post by **EarleyBird** » Nov 15th, '19, 20:36

Well fellas, Bass fishing is going strong out of Manasquan. Pretty chilly yesterday but it was excellent early morning fishing. Had three anglers on the boat and we caught over 25. 5 miles down the beach, 2 off. Shad umbrella rigs were the ticket for us. Left this morning again at 0610 and fished a tad short of yesterday and caught over 40. Shad rigs again. Done by 1015. So far have caught 29 over 25#, largest 48# on Spoons. The big females are mostly gone, down off Cape May. Smaller fish are coming down the beach now, largest today around 25#.
The fella wanting to know about the Keys. We’ll spend February and March in Marathon. Shorts, Flipflops, and a nice shirt, all you need for dinner. We have a Briard and he goes out for dinner with us when we eat out, as long as it’s outside dinner which is just about everywhere. Bring your bikes, can ride anywhere within Marathon. Tow our 21’ CC also, home is off Sombrero Beach Blvd.

EarleyBird · Post by **EarleyBird** » Nov 15th, '19, 20:51

Excuse me 24 over 25# on spoons. My mistake.

Tony Meola · Post by **Tony Meola** » Nov 15th, '19, 21:46

Amberjack wrote:Winters in the Pacific Northwest get pretty gloomy and I'm thinking about loading up the #1 girlfriend (AKA my wife) for a drive down the west coast of Florida with the idea of winding up in the Keys for a week or two this February. I think many on the board are familiar with the area. Any recommendations about which keys or lodging would work for a low key week? Not particularly looking for fishing, more a chance to kick back to get warm and stock up on vitamin D.

Kevin used to live down in the Keys or at least he used to work down there. Hopefully he will catch this post and jump on.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Nov 15th, '19, 21:57

That's busy season so call sooner than later. Lots of weekly vacation rentals. Not sure about prices since I lived there I never checked. Marathon does have a large amount of weekly vacation rentals so I would think you could find one that fits your time frame.

John Swick · Post by **John Swick** » Nov 16th, '19, 03:26

If you're land yachting, there's a pretty nice park on Sugarloaf Key, just a short ways north of Key West.

Amberjack · Post by **Amberjack** » Nov 16th, '19, 14:41

Thanks guys this is helpful. If anyone has rented a specific place and liked it let me know. I''m working online and you know how that can go, especially with independent rentals. I'd like to avoid spending a week in a dump or next to a busy highway. But other than that shorts, flip flops and a cold beer sound good.

Carl wrote:That's quite the drive from Seattle to the Keys...might wanna pack a light snack.

Yes Carl, that would be a trip. Think I'll limit my ambitions to flying into Tampa or possibly Miami for a starting point.

This will be a homecoming of sorts. My father was a field engineer doing underwater acoustical work for the Navy during the 40's and 50's and was always flying off to Navy Base Key West for 2-3 weeks at a time. He must have gotten around town because he mentioned running into Hemmingway in the bars--he didn't like the guy. That Key West is long gone but I'll be listening for echos of the past.

EarleyBird · Post by **EarleyBird** » Nov 16th, '19, 17:57

Amberjack try VRBO online, vacation rentals by owner. Marathon Fl.

John Swick · Post by **John Swick** » Nov 17th, '19, 07:44

Though I've never stayed there, Islamorada struck me as a nice area too.

Tooeez · Post by **Tooeez** » Nov 17th, '19, 17:34

The Islander in Islamorada is really nice, but pricey--but so is everything else in season. It was completely redone after Irma. It is right across the street from the Lorilei, right on the ocean and close enough to Key West for a day trip.

DanielM · Post by **DanielM** » Nov 17th, '19, 23:57

Amberjack,

I get over to the Keys a fair amount. Not as much as I’d like, but pretty regular. Typically from Houston flights are cheaper flying into Tampa vs. Fort Lauderdale or Miami. However it’s about a 6-7 hour drive from Tampa to Marathon in the middle keys.

You mentioned a drive down the west coast of Florida. If you’re ok with the drive you could break it up by staying a little time along the way on the West Florida coast. If you are looking for beaches, the west coast has the Keys beat hands down. Sanibel Island is about a third of the way down and it is very nice.

I like the middle keys (Marathon) vs. the upper keys (Key Largo). The lower keys (Big Pine through Key West) are nice as well. Each Key has its own +/-. Try and time your arrival in the Keys so that you are driving overseas highway through the keys during the day time as the view from the bridges can’t be beat.

I have a friend that recently stayed at the Islander in Islamorada and she enjoyed it. Cheeca Lodge is another top notch resort. I haven’t stayed at either but I’ve heard good things. Both are pretty pricey from what I understand. Isla Bella in Marathon is a new upscale resort. Again I don’t know anything about it other than its brand new and looks nice from the water. If you go the VRBO route look at Key Colony Beach as well. It is a small town off of Marathon and there are a lot of weekly rentals there. It's a very nice little place. Like Kevin mentioned it would be a good idea to start looking soon. There is everything from relatively low dollar (for the keys) mom and pop hotels to very high end resorts.

I’d make a point to go to Key West for at least a day. We usually only go down there for a day trip. If you want to visit the bars on Duval Street (Duval Crawl) you probably should stay the night in KW. You don’t want to drive back up overseas highway after that.

Like I mentioned, not many beaches in the Keys, and what they have aren’t large. Marathon has Sombrero beach. Bahia Honda state park is just south of Marathon and it is a pretty nice beach and they have snorkel trips out of there. We like Bahia Honda State park. Key West has a couple beaches.

There are lots of good restaurants. Lazy Days in Islamorada or Marathon are typically a good bet.

Feel free to PM me if you’d like a little more info. Be careful though. I like the Keys, and I can talk you ears off.

Joseph Fikentscher · Post by **Joseph Fikentscher** » Nov 18th, '19, 09:53

We go to marathon almost every year. We rent a house with another couple and that brings the cost down. Use VRBO.

We fish with Cat Dave on the Sweet Enuf in Marathon and always catch.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

Favorites are the sunsets at Keys Fisheries Upstairs Bar, and Burdines.

Lots to see and do. Make sure you get to Key West. only 50 or so miles, but as previously said, if drinking stay the night.

You will have fun!

Amberjack · Post by **Amberjack** » Nov 18th, '19, 14:42

Now I really need to get down there, thanks for the good input. I'll work on the deck boss to see if we can get something on the schedule, probably fly into Tampa and make a two day drive to the Keys as Daniel recommended. Another 10 day string of overcast damp weather like we've been having here will help make the argument.

John Swick · Post by **John Swick** » Nov 19th, '19, 07:13

West side of Florida has bad red tide right now.
Sarasota to south of Naples.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 19th, '19, 09:39

Another weekend of 30+kt wind, I think I'm ready to hang it up

pschauss · Post by **pschauss** » Nov 19th, '19, 13:52

The bay looked beautiful today. Of course my boat has been out for almost two weeks.

DanielM · Post by **DanielM** » Nov 20th, '19, 00:06

West side of Florida has bad red tide right now.

Didn't know that. Steer clear of that stuff. That's too bad for the west coast again.

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 20th, '19, 09:18

pschauss wrote:The bay looked beautiful today. Of course my boat has been out for almost two weeks.

It did, I took Ocean pkwy on my way to work.

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 20th, '19, 09:36

John Swick wrote:West side of Florida has bad red tide right now.
Sarasota to south of Naples.

Horrible, red Tide on the West side of Florida and dad had issues with Green tide on the East side earlier in the year.

Sounds stupid, but something needs to be done about that, seems every year worse and worse.

neil · Post by **neil** » Nov 20th, '19, 16:59

Peter ,don’t hang it yet the best bass fishing is yet to come,when the ocean temps get below 50 ,hang it up,today the temp was 58 and fishing is great

EarleyBird · Post by **EarleyBird** » Nov 20th, '19, 20:20

As my Brother by marriage said, New Jersey Bass fishing is heating up. We have caught close to 100 in three days of fishing. Last Thursday, Friday, and today. Buried the bow in the ol’Girl several times trolling Northbound today, quite chilly in the early am too. He’ll of a ride home when We got close to the beach. A little light on fuel but she was moving along, 2350 touching 26 knots. 46 years old....Yeah Baby!
EarleyBird

PeterPalmieri · Post by **PeterPalmieri** » Nov 21st, '19, 09:26

neil wrote:Peter ,don’t hang it yet the best bass fishing is yet to come,when the ocean temps get below 50 ,hang it up,today the temp was 58 and fishing is great

I won't winterize until Christmas or the first snow fall. If we get a great day, I may consider it. But I'm not planning weekends around getting out on the boat.

neil · Post by **neil** » Nov 22nd, '19, 15:57

Earleybird,at 46 she is still a Virgin.peter get your ass out there,fishing does not get any better then late nov and early dec

EarleyBird · Post by **EarleyBird** » Nov 24th, '19, 07:05

Smoked em’ again yesterday morning, crew said close to 25 with 7 being legal size. Kept our limit of 4. 19# the largest. EarleyBird

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 24th, '19, 08:27

Saw a picture of a guy on the other side of the bay pull a 64 or 68 lb bass out recently.

Man, that's a fish!

Charlie J · Post by **Charlie J** » Nov 25th, '19, 04:59

Carl wrote:Saw a picture of a guy on the other side of the bay pull a 64 or 68 lb bass out recently.

Man, that's a fish!

hope he realesed her

Carl · Post by **Carl** » Nov 27th, '19, 07:57

Can't say either way...I just saw a picture and zoomed in on the bass dwarfing the guy.