2018 Pics

2018 was likely my most fun year Surf Fishing. Caught a Spanish Mackerel, a Weakfish, had a fun morning with False Albies. While nothing real large, had a few Stripers between 28 inches and 36 inches. Had a blitz of Short Stripers on Mullet. I fished two new locations on Long Island, will be targeting one of them a lot in 2019. November was a rough month with cold and very windy weather and not a lot of catching, otherwise a very successful  year! The Rapala MaxRap 13 and 17 was my biggest “catcher” with 15% of my Bass. The Big Fish Tadpole and rubber teaser picked up 10% each and The 10″ Black Hogy had 8%. Largest Bass was 36 inches on a Super Strike Black/Yellow needle.

Sunrise
Spanish Mackerel on MaxRap 13 in the back
False Albie on Hogy Epoxy, 7/oz – 3 1/2″
Fatty, around 36″ on SS Needle, Yellow/Black, 2:45 AM

December 2nd, last trip of 2018 for me. Jersey again. Juiciest Bass water I fished all year. Trip was from 12:30 AM to 10:30 AM, two locations. In dark nothing, fished 2 hours between 12:30-6:30, then picked up 4 short bass in the light and dropped one in the wash. Very fun year fishing. The fall as far as catching was very slow.

November 25th and 26th, West. Skunk City. Fished 2 hours on the 25th and 5 hours on the 26th. The 28th and 29th, Jersey ocean side between 12:30 and 5:45 AM both days, 1 short bass on MaxRap 17 (12:45 AM) on the 28th, skunk on the 29th. Water very stained both trips.

November 17, West SS, water very murky, El-Skunkaroo. Nice Sunrise

November 11, West SS, water murky, cleaned up some on the incoming. Took to 8:30 to beat the skunk with a tiny Striper. Never saw any bait, nice sunrise.

November 4, West SS, back on the water after missing a week. Hit the water 12:30AM, could not hook up until around 4:30. MaxRap 17 picked up the first two of three short bass. The other was on the green Ava 17. Missed a bunch of hits, and lost the largest of the fish (of course).

October 21, West SS,Lots of west then north wind. Missed a bunch of hits and landed one striper close to 30 inches on a 10″ Hogy

October 14, West SS, High tide was 12:05, Fished from 12:30 AM to 9:30 AM. Picked up 3 short Stripers and 3 Fluke by 2:00 AM, huge knot, switched rods, and started a walk west on the sand beach. Covered almost 2 miles of beach, not a hit. False dawn saw small bait and put on a Hogy Epoxy and started casting. Hooked up and after a good fight lost the False Albie in the wash. Kept at it, blind casting and caught 2 short Stripers and 3 False Albies

October 7, West SS, Low tide was 12:45. Between 1:00 and 4:00 picked 5 short Bass, 2 on the MaxRap13, one on the MaxRap 17, 2 on a rubber teaser and 1 on a rubber shad. These were small Bass, 20 inches. As the tide came in it got tougher to catch. The outer bar was having less effect on the waves and by 4:30 they would break in close and wash up the beach a good 20 feet, water was murky. When it got light I picked up two more on the rubber shad. Finished up around 8:45.

September 30, West SS,  5 short Stripers to 27″, 2 cocktail blues and a Weakfish.  Fished this AM 1:15 – 9:30, 2 on MaxRap 13, others on red and the white rubber tube teaser.

September 23, West SS. Picked up 18 short Stripers and 2 Blues. 6 Stripers between 1:00 and 4:30 AM, 4 on 10″ Hogy and 1 on a SS Needle and Rubber Teaser. Too a half hour nap and picked up the other 12 Stripers and 2 Blues.  2 on Art of Lure Bay Popper, 1 on Pop Dart, 8 on the Big Fish Tadpole,  1 on a Bomber. Fun trip. Largest ~24 inches and mos were 2-22 inches.

September 22, West. Scouting trip and picked up a small Blue Ocean Side

September 20th, Jones. Picked up 3 short Stripers in the dark, 2 on rubber teaser and 1 on 10″ Hogy. The 6 small Blues out front (most rubber teaser), lost over a dozen. Plus 2 Shads

September 18th RM,Spanish Mackerel on MaxRap 13,Fluke and Sea Robin, lost a fish around 4:30 that was on small bait in close.

September 16th, RM, lost a fish out front on a Bomber

September 2 Montauk, lots of mung, lost a fish on a bomber then picked up  a couple shorts. Fun trip, cooler weather

August 26, Jones Beach. Not as intended with the fish, picked up 11 Shad and a small Blue and a Shark (great fight).

August 12, Jones Beach, Few hits and a lost Bass, then 4:30 a Short Bass on the Bomber. 5:10 another short Bass on a Salty Needle. Fished 1:00 – 8:00.

August 5th, Montauk. Missed a hit in the dark, then at first light, looked like 50-100 dolphins moved in, think I saw a whale or two, lots of jumping fish, one other guy fishing near me ran out of 3-4 feet of water yelling “big shark”. Exciting times. I ended up with 10 Blues 22-28 inches on poppers. Caught in rips. Fun time.

July 29th, Montauk, after skipping a week. Around 3:00 had what I believe was a big Blue cream a Surf Asylum small darter, taking drag and then slack. Line was broke above the plug and could see where teeth scraped the line, missed a hit a little later on a Hellcat. Then finally around 7:00 picked up around a 24 inch Blue on Afterhours Pencil.

July 15 th trip, Montauk. First cast 2:22 AM and picked up a short Bass on a black teaser.  Around 3:00 second short bass on black teaser. 5:30 a double of blues on a Pojee and white teaser. Ended up with 5 Blues and a 3rd short Bass on a After Hours Pencil. Long casts, lost 4 fish after  long fights, missed a couple hits/blow ups, one big one on a SS Popper, was like setting a hook on a cinder block. Finished up around 8:00.

July 8th trip, Montauk. Missed a couple hits in dark, in the light picked up a short Bass and Blue on Afterhours Pencil and then another short Bass on a Pojee. Missed a few blow ups on plugs too. Fished from 2:15 to 7:45.

July 1 Trip, Montauk (first trip of 2018 to The End). Bobbed/bounced around rocks from 2:30-6:30 AM, one bass on a Super Strike 3 oz Popper around 5:30, missed a couple hits. It is awesome out there.

June 22nd trip, ocean side 1-2 foot surf, fished 1:00 AM to 5:15 AM, didn’t see any bait, missed a couple hits, did beat the skunk with a short Bass on Surf Asylum Flat Glide. Nice night, saw the seal up on the beach.

June 21st trip, ocean side, 1-3 foot surf, fast period.  Fished from 1:00 AM to 5:30 AM. Not much action, but lost two bass in the wash (was crazy wash) in the dark. False dawn, thought I saw a swirl, picked up a Blue and Striper ~28 inches on Surf Asylum White Flat Glide. One more little smaller Blue on a SS Needle. There was small bait being picked at by birds and swirls every so often along a good portion of  the beach. Rain, crazy surf…good time..

June 20th trip, ocean side, 1-3 foot surf. Fished from 1:00 AM to 5:30 AM. Not much action, but a few hits and 2 short bass, one at 1:45 on the Super Strike Black/Yellow Needle and the other 3:30 Surf Asylum Black/Yellow Flat Glide. Nice sky, fun trip.

June 19th trip, ocean side, 1-3 foot surf surf. Fished from 12:45 AM to 5:15 AM. Not much action, maybe a couple bumps, one hit on a large SA Flat Glider and one nice ~36 inch Bass on a Super Strike yellow/Black needle around 2:45, great fight (fun).

June 18th trip, ocean side, small surf. Fished from 1:00 AM to 5:30 AM. Lost a fish and missed at least 4  hits. Then finally just before 5 picked up ~32 inch bass on Super Strike 3 oz popper.

June 17th trip, small surf, fished 1:00 AM to 5:30 AM. Stars all over, beautiful night, one short Striper on CCW JJ2

June 10th trip, calm. Nice out, to nice. One short Bass, ~22″ on a Rebel Jumpin Minnow.

June 3rd trip, windy, east wind, choppy and murky. Lost a fish at 2:30, then in the AM picked up two shorts on a small Pojee.

May 28th Trip. Inlet, Missed a bunch of hits on plugs, added a blck teaser and picked up two short Bass. Then in the light picked up 4 Bluefish. Lost a few and missed a few hits

May 20th Trip. Inlet, windy. Nothing in dark, lost a fish on a darter and could only manage 2 blues (35 and 30 inch). Great fights.

May 13th Trip. Overcast nice night. Chop in the water. Picked up 3 short bass, missed a few hits, lost a bass.

May 6th Trip. Overcast nice night. Flat water. Picked up 5 short bass, missed a few hits. All on plastic, last bass at 6:00 AM and all other action in the dark (flood).

April 29th Trip. Overcast and off/on light rain, nice night. Lost a nicer fish around 3:30, picked up two short bass on 4 1/2 ” black over silver Hellcat. Missed a bunch of hits on larger plugs. Things shut down at the ebb.

April 22nd Trip. Fished new water, no action but it was great getting out there and getting some serious exercise and exploring the area.

April 15th trip. First trip of the year, went to north  shore and wind was to much for this trip, ended up with a skunk on the south shore. Great getting out there.