JohnW93

I had an epiphany on the water this morning. I stink at this hobby, but still find it to be good for me. Casting into crashing waves as the sun rises is the ultimate escape from reality. Every so often a Striped Bass finds my plug, but either way I feel present. Anyway, I worked about a mile of central SS beach this AM with no luck. Few other guys out — I didn’t see them doing much either. Started to get crowded once the fog lifted.

Hung up the waders this week, disappointingly. Being newer to this hobby, I almost anticipate not having success in the surf. I like to think I do things the right way — find structure, fish at different times/tides/winds, don’t chase the reports, etc. That being said, to not see a single bass come out of the surf in October and November is just discouraging. Last year, I understood the meaning behind “putting in the time.” This year, it feels like all that means is grinding for luck. Like a random number generator.

Just doesn’t sit well with me watching all these south shore party boats limiting out on bass 4-5 times a day. Pictures of dozens and dozens of fish being harvested, over slots being held by the gills, etc etc.

Sunken Meadow sounds a lot like Orchard Beach/City Island. Nothing says “Western Sound” like watching guys catch 8 inch porgies on a 13ft Ugly Stik.

Something I haven’t seen discussed (in general, not just this thread) is the pressure put on fisheries during Covid. I can only imagine the amount of laid off workers, from Maine to the Carolinas, who bought a $100 Penn Fierce setup between April 2020 and now. Marine fishing licenses are free, striped bass are overfished, the DEC is understaffed, and there are more people in the surf than ever before. It’s a recipe for disaster.

East, Central, West. Day and night. Upcoming and outgoing tide. Etc, etc, etc. Forgot about just me — I haven’t seen a fish pulled out of the surf this October.

Complicated question, but I always appreciate the insight of the folks on this site: Why do you think fishing picked up on the island this week? Was it the cold front this past weekend? The full moon? Heavier winds (20+ mph onshore tomorrow night)? Curious what you think!

Another below average spawn. So frustrating to watch a fixable issue being ignored. Slot limits and circle hooks were band-aids on a bullet wound. Shut it down — no harvesting. Charter boats and commercial fisherman will struggle now, but at the cost of having a healthy fishery for decades to come.

Weather after this Saturday is looking JUICY. Nice cold front down the entire coast — 50s in Maine, low 60s for us here.

Well said lol. I definitely wouldn’t move to the island without finding work there first — that’s my #1 rule.

Can’t wait for the day that I move over the Throggs Neck Bridge and never have to deal with this again. Being a commuting surfcaster is NOT fun.

Lot of boats up and down the sound running 6 man charters for tog. Most of them, with tip, will run you close to $150. Not worth it for a 3 bag limit IMO.

A good explanation: sometimes it just be like that. You can learn a lot from guys like Zeno and Skinner, but some of it just isn’t relatable to the everyday fisherman (like myself). I commute from the Bronx in a Honda Fit — I’m not sitting at home on Saturday because the tide and wind aren’t ideal. .

Things should kick into high gear very soon. Thunderstorms tomorrow followed by weeks of mid 60s during the day/50s at night.

I’m not quite sure what the answer to overcrowding is. The issue goes far beyond “YouTube fisherman” burning spots — it’s the access to apps and information as a whole. Every person here can go on google earth, find a picture from one month ago, and mark the location of trucks parked on the beach. It requires no effort. Public access is extremely limited, it costs $0 to have a saltwater permit, and DEC officers are few and far between. I personally haven’t seen an officer since last October. The only way I see it being combated is to 1) implement a moratorium to not only increase stock, but deter fisherman who only fish to harvest. 2) limit the number of saltwater licenses per year. 3) increase the presence of officers on public beaches. Licenses can only be obtained in person, and still free of charge. Slap a $500 fine on whoever is caught on the beach without one.