FISHERMEN/Capt. Ron

[reason162]

Originally Posted by NoLimit

Climate change?!??!!

Yeah, it changes just about every day and most nights too.

That's weather. Climate refers to larger patterns. There is a difference.

[shrimpman steve]

Certainly one of the worst years I can remember!

[Blackfish Doug]

Originally Posted by CatchEmUp

Everyone talks about Sandy and what it did to the bottom. But how about what we did AFTER Sandy. All this post-Sandy beach replenishment PUMPING AND DUMPING millions of cubic yards of sand into and onto the shore. Completely BURYING big jetties that formed the building blocks of so much ocean life, thereby OBLITERATING entire ecosystems. There is NOTHING to keep the predatory fish there because there is NOWHERE for the baitfish and all the other creatures to hide. The whole food chain, from bottom to top buried.

Vast stretches of our shoreline have become UNDERWATER DESERTS. If anything they should have extended the jetties. Hundreds of millions of dollars getting spent that gets washed away during any and every storm, big and small. Where does it all go? It coats, covers and fills in all the holes, depressions and other rock piles further off shore all of which used to attract and hold fish. It's a brutal cycle and the ACOE in their infinite wisdom is going to keep doing this every 6 years for almost the next 30 years. And all the beach goers, waterfront property owners, mayors and politicians have bought into it - jumping up and down saying look at how much $$ I got you to save your beaches!!! It's a massive money grab all at the expense of our fishery and all that lives (or lived) under our marine waters.

Believe it.

This about wraps it up about why everything that we see going on. I have to agree with you 100%. It seems all our fish that we used to get here now is Jones Inlet & east of there.

[flyersnfluke]

I've noticed this when I've been on the boats out of AH, and on my buddy's boat. Long drifts along the beach at sandy hook, and not a bite, some of our usual haunts near west bank and the AC, a few fish here and there and then nothing on the return drift. One thing we're definitely noticing is the numbers of smooth doggies, we can't seem to get away from them, we'll get them all along staten island, and all the way down the beginning of the hook on the same day....are the hordes of dogfish gobbling all the baitfish?

I would think the sand replenishment isn't helping, but there's places I'm used to fishing where there's no dredging/sand pumping, and they're just devoid of fish.

thanks for the honest report Capt., that's why you have the reputation that you do.

cheers

[gghisalberti]

This year has been by far one of the worst I could remember in years. Thank you Capt. Ron for the honest report, like many others have said it is comforting in a sense to hear it from a pro. I have been fishing out of highlands atleast 2 times a week this summer working areas near and far and have almost nothing to show for it.
One thing I find strange is the ratio of keepers on bait vs gulp. For me at least I have seen most of my fluke come in on bait when in the past bucktailing tipped with gulp would be the golden ticket.
As many have already said this can certainly be attributed to post sandy event and in the heat of the moment many governmental officials and citizens alike wanted quick fixes which ulitmatley put a dent in the ecosytem which may take years to recover.

Guess I will be back at it tomorrow!

[flyersnfluke]

In addition to the fluking being tough this year, is anyone else seeing a lack of other bottom dwellers, such as clear-nosed skates and sea robins. I've yet to catch a sea robin, and I think I've only had 2 skates (generally get tons along the nude beach and south).

cheers

[bakayd]

I was convinced this was throwing everything off and was hoping to see it rebound in August

http://www.nj.com/weather-guy/index....ton_bloom.html

[squan63]

Had to be sandy same thing south

[Reelman73088]

I agree with flyers, there's been a big drop in other bottom fish as well. I've been fluking once a week or so from SRIs jetties and I have yet to catch a single skate. In fact I can't honestly remember even seeing someone else getting any either. Robbins were thick in early June for me but that only lasted a few weeks and they were spawning at the time. Since probly mid June I could count on one hand how many Robbins I've caught. Fluking was pretty good in the inlet until Arthur passed by then it shut down and now finally seems to be coming back around. Seems like a weird year this year, bluefish, at least the bigger sized ones didn't stick around like normal and now the boats are chasing large snapper size blues and there's been Bonita around since the second week of July. I'm def no expert but I've never heard of Bonita this early in the summer usually not until mid august or September. I'm pretty sure I read a few reports of macks being caught too not that long ago, which again I never heard of in the summer. I'm 25 so im younger than a lot of the members here so maybe that's how it used to be before I started fishing but seems weird to me. No doubt in my mind that there must be a combination of factors that are throwing the fish off this year. Hopefully it only lasts for this year but who knows.

[bunker dunker]

just remember the good days ron.like when we used to fish the "magic" hour
trips on the old boat.all ya needed was a handful of Nordic eels in a few colors and you could catch all the fish ya wanted.