New guy, also from New Jersey - California Fishing

GoIslanders · 11-29-2008, 07:22 PM

I came across your site while doing a search for california surfcasting-I wanted to see how you guys do it on the other coast. I am originally a Long Islander-hence my handle-I am still an Islanders fan, at times the last of my kind. I fish both fresh and salt, mostly from the surf as I don't own a boat yet. I have been on other forums in other locales-I think we can all learn from each other, and there are ways you guys do things that may benefit me and vice versa.

Thank you for having me here, and tight lines!

dodoman · 11-29-2008, 07:32 PM

welcome aboard.
we have a few jersy guys on here.

do you fish for stripers?

cst · 11-29-2008, 07:36 PM

Welcome to the board! So you are currently in New Jersey or did you move over to this side of the country too?

I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures of the fish you're catching over there.

Surf Fishing over here is a little different. We use shorter rods, lighter lines and weights and probably never cast past 50 feet.

And I'm assuming you were talking about hockey but the men in my family have been L.A. Kings fans and we're not doing much better then the Islanders

Wahoo! · 11-29-2008, 07:56 PM

Welcome to the site!

mickeysindahous · 11-29-2008, 08:53 PM

Welcome to site fellow joysian.

Glad to have more members from the other side of the coast. Like Chris said, we surf fish differently out here. But who's to say we can't have the best from both coasts? Looking forward to your reports & pics!

Jersey Guy · 11-30-2008, 10:49 AM

[quote=mickeysindahous;147163]Welcome to site fellow joysian.

Glad to have more members from the other side of the coast. Like Chris said, we surf fish differently out here. But who's to say we can't have the best from both coasts? Looking forward to your reports & pics![/QUOTE

mickey,
what exit???

i was born in east orange, grew up in Maplewood, moved away for awhile then settled back down around Belmar. just moved here on 11-1.

mickeysindahous · 11-30-2008, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jersey Guy

mickey,
what exit???

i was born in east orange, grew up in Maplewood, moved away for awhile then settled back down around Belmar. just moved here on 11-1.

You'll have to excuse me but I forgot to take my anti-numbnut pill for the day.

Either way, it's good to have you on the forum. Again, welcome!

HereFishyFishy · 11-30-2008, 12:38 PM

Welcome to the board.

GoIslanders · 12-01-2008, 07:21 AM

Thanks to all. To respond to Jersey Guy, Exit 135-Westfield (Google Maps).

Dodoman: Yup, I fish for stripers, I just had my best day yet (though they were all shorts) at Sandy Hook, NJ a couple of weeks ago. Between my friend and I we landed >40. I'll attach pictures as soon as I can. I love stripers, but here (and I imagine there, too) surf fishing for stripers is mostly a nighttime affair except for the fall.

I am still in NJ-if we move out to the West Coast it will probably be the Seattle area or Portland area-family in Seattle. My wife really likes both areas.

Reading some of the posts, I noticed that you guys really don't cast all that far-is it due to the bathymetry and underwater topography? Or is it due to the fact that it seems that California Halibut are in closer and that is the main species targeted? Due to sandbar systems, we usually try to cast beyond them to target the fish patrolling near the edges and holes. This is when we are targeting bluefish and striped bass. However, when targeting summer flounder, or fluke, we cast much shorter and go lighter on tackle, with salmon/steelhead rods becoming popular for this task.

The reason I joined this forum is to see what you guys are doing out there and if I can apply it to my fishing in NJ. We shall see...

Jersey Guy · 12-01-2008, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoIslanders

Thanks to all. To respond to Jersey Guy, Exit 135-Westfield (Google Maps).

Dodoman: Yup, I fish for stripers, I just had my best day yet (though they were all shorts) at Sandy Hook, NJ a couple of weeks ago. Between my friend and I we landed >40. I'll attach pictures as soon as I can. I love stripers, but here (and I imagine there, too) surf fishing for stripers is mostly a nighttime affair except for the fall.

I am still in NJ-if we move out to the West Coast it will probably be the Seattle area or Portland area-family in Seattle. My wife really likes both areas.

Reading some of the posts, I noticed that you guys really don't cast all that far-is it due to the bathymetry and underwater topography? Or is it due to the fact that it seems that California Halibut are in closer and that is the main species targeted? Due to sandbar systems, we usually try to cast beyond them to target the fish patrolling near the edges and holes. This is when we are targeting bluefish and striped bass. However, when targeting summer flounder, or fluke, we cast much shorter and go lighter on tackle, with salmon/steelhead rods becoming popular for this task.

The reason I joined this forum is to see what you guys are doing out there and if I can apply it to my fishing in NJ. We shall see...

I know Westfield well. We used to play them in Lacrosse in High School.

jg101 · 12-03-2008, 09:09 AM

Welcome to HUSF

cst · 12-03-2008, 11:30 AM

Quote:

is it due to the bathymetry and underwater topography? Or is it due to the fact that it seems that California Halibut are in closer and that is the main species targeted

I think it's a little of both. Halibut can be found very shallow but, at the same time, a lot of our beaches drop off fairly quickly which causes the waves to break close. Most fish associate with holes and trenches found inside the surf. We can locate these types of structures by watching how the waves react when going over them. A wave going over a hole will break all around the hole but the part above the hole will remain smooth.

Do you utilize any techniques like that?

GoIslanders · 12-08-2008, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cst

I think it's a little of both. Halibut can be found very shallow but, at the same time, a lot of our beaches drop off fairly quickly which causes the waves to break close. Most fish associate with holes and trenches found inside the surf. We can locate these types of structures by watching how the waves react when going over them. A wave going over a hole will break all around the hole but the part above the hole will remain smooth.

Do you utilize any techniques like that?

Yes, of course. Unfortunately for us in the East there are several complications to that:

1. Most beaches in the East are sandy and gentle in their slopes. An example of that is Jones Beach, NY; an exception to that is Sandy Hook, NJ

, where the tide flows very strongly around the point to empty Raritan Bay into New York Bay. The gentle slope makes it difficult to find the holes between the sandbars (at least for me).

2. There are few places that are rocky and have really easily readable features. The places that are, however, are fantastic. Examples would be Montauk, NY, Block Island, RI, the LI Sound-facing beaches and the Connecticut shoreline and all the way out to Martha's Vineyard. Stripers are more justified in being called rockfish here than in Maryland.

GoIslanders · 12-08-2008, 07:04 PM

Are there any other "sport fish" other than halibut, e.g., stripers, salmon, yellowtail, white sea bass (though I have heard white sea bass can drive a guy insane in their difficulty), etc. that are regularly targeted?

As this seems to have been a flatfish discussion: We usually target summer flounder (fluke) in July and August when the bluefish go and spawn and it's too hot for stripers. Besides, fluke are REALLY tasty.

RamboStriperBoy · 12-08-2008, 07:16 PM

Welcome aboard!

Do you fish striper and blue ? I missed East Coast and loved surf fishing for striper and blue fish, as well other species like scup, flounder, sea bass, and many more fishs.

See my avatar picture on left side, I caught 42 inches and 36 lb in Cape Cod, MA (East Chatham).