PhantomofTheSurf

On the Water posted their migration map, which is my signal to start gearing up. 30 days until they get going, methinks. Time to dust off the equipment.

Maybe back in 1970 when there still was a Field 9. There's no way they're that far east out front. Be nice Popa, don't send people on a wild...plover chase?

Not looking for any specifics of course, but was this bass caught in the hudson, or just really far west? There’s no way they’re center island already right?

I don't see how hearing many anecdotes in the past year about long island fishing being terrible, and wanting to verify those claims, is bizarre. Maybe you know my ex?

In my experience, women don't like it when you have something that you do that's "bigger" than them. Maybe I've just been with immature women. Either way, I plan to be single simply because time spent with a woman is NOT time fishing. It's as simple as that. True surf rat over here lol

I'm not exactly the most experienced surf fisherman, but I've decided on the mobile walk and cast approach rather than the Sandspike beer and chair approach. I've been at it for 7 years, but 5 of those were me in terrible relationships where the women hated fishing. In that time period I caught one 25in sea trout, one 3.5lb sea robin, 10 flounder of which one was 23 inches, and a few northern kings. Oh, and one cocktail blue. If anyone's interested in what I used, I can't tell you what I did for the flounder (closely guarded secret, surf rig of my own device) but everything else was on Bucktails and the blue was on a Shimano Orca. I learned that in order to be as good as I want to be at this sport, I can't really have any attachments. So, I'm single again, and looking to really dive headfirst into bass and blues. I'm 35 and not getting any younger. I'm all about conservation. Keeping the fish in the water, circle hooks, not acting like an idiot for social media. The only bass I caught was in a western bay, about a year and a half ago. When I was trying to unhook it, I slipped, stepped on its gill plate, and killed the fish. I felt terrible. I'm looking to atone for that with a bunch of safe releases this year. That being said, I keep hearing that they just aren't around anymore. I've heard some disconcerting things, like people celebrating a few 7 pound fish for the whole season. One YouTube video where someone caught a diaper Striper from shore in the fall and said "I didn't think I would catch one this year." I've also heard a lot of "don't bother" naysayers who tell me I'll have better luck on boats, but I consider boats cheating. I think it's due to all the electronics. When the Fishfinder does all of the work, it's not nearly as enticing to me. Besides, the surf is in my blood. My dad, my grandfather, my grandmother, my great grandmother and grandfather all fished. My brother fishes..but kids, a wife that doesn't work, and a railroad job have kept him off the water. Assuming I work 5 days a week, and dedicate all my spare time to fishing, do you think I could pull off at least a few 30lb Stripers? Or, is it more worth the effort to put all my work into moving to another state? I'm asking honestly, because when I ask outside of this website, the most common answer i get is "move to Florida." Is it really that apocalyptic, or are these people being crybabies?

Trout fly fisherman. Inflatable kyaks, salt life sticker on the 1995 geo.

The Kastking Spartacus is 32.99 and hasn't let me down yet. It comes with belt loops.

Cabin fever took hold and they desperately clawed their way outside. I’m a long islander and the bass don’t usually get here in swing until mid may, but you better believe as soon as the season opens I’m going to be out there.

Here’s the thing, like with most really awesome gear, it boils down to money. yes, a VS reel will never ever need to be lubed. It’s also one hell of a reel. However, it’s about $900. The spinfisher VI, I’ve seen that thing dunked several times and I never hear sand in there. It works. Not like a VS, but it works. It’s also a quarter of the price. The question is, are you looking for something that works, or are you looking for the best? You also need to consider conservation. You might be in mass or maine or even jersey where the fishing is good, but on Long Island where I live…I’m lucky if I even see a bass once per season. Most beaches east from the state parks are town access only. I don’t fish any further east because of this. I stay away from lip grips because they have a tendency to destroy a fishes jaw. Bass should always be kept in the water, and so should “toothy critters.” Just get yourself a really long hook remover, and call it a day. The fish will thank you, and there will be more of them next season. I also understand the need to prove your catch, lift out of water to take a picture, etc. For the price of two bogas you can get a GoPro, which is a much better investment.

Spearing are showing up out front, but as we know the bass/blues aren't usually here until mid may. I think they're independent of the bait moving. Doesn't always bring fish.

Definitely trout guys.

Thank you everyone, for your replies. Wealth of knowledge here. What it seems to be here is a battle, Coastlocks vs. TA Clips. Looks like I'm gonna have to work a few hours of OT. I feel it's only appropriate to buy both and have a shootout between them. I'll post results in a different thread as we get further into the season.

I go with the concept of the shock leader. It makes me feel safe lmao So if I'm running 20lb braid like I do for summer flounder, I'm running a 30-35lb flouro leader. Where I catch flounder is snag city, so it makes sense. Once I was able to flip a rock over to get my bucktail back. I don't know if that's a testament to the leader, or to my knot tying abilities. I feel the general consensus is to go with a heavier leader by orders of magnitude. Yeah, you're bass fishing, but what if a blue gets involved? Or snappers make a pass? Or rocks, other tackle on the bottom, etc....you're gonna want a strong leader.

I'm thinking about switching to Tactical Anglers clips. Plenty of knockoffs on Jeff's Hard Labor Emporium (amazon) but I'm going with the name brand ones. I should mention that I'm a baby. This is only my second season fishing "seriously." Can't wait for the 15th! (more like the middle of may, amirite) I used to tie improved clinch. I kept hearing that affects action. so I go with the loop knot, but then I encountered problems when it came to tie a new lure onto the rig. It really sucks having to palomar a swivel, leader, and lure in a stiff wind. Don't even get me started on braid's audacity to end up wrapped around flouro or mono. So, I heard about these clips, and thought oh great an awesome way to quickly change! Then paranoia set in. Will the fish see the clip and not bite? Will it bend out? Does it affect knots? Etc. I'd like to hear some experiences before I go spending my janitor's salary on some fancy clips.