North Shore Report

[JorgeVillalobos]

Been killing it late night on a north shore beach, the big mag darter has been getting it done.

[Stonesipher]

Went to the river on Sunday as much to fish as be near the water.  Halfway there (bout 30 minutes away) I am thinking I should grab some reel oil at Surfland and it hits me I had forgotten my casting rod at home like an idiot; had taken it out to wash down after my last outing and hung it in the shed.  Had my chunking rods and my girlfriends rod with me so didn't have to go back, but am still stunned I let that happen.

I have never see so many people on the riverbank, it was an absolute zoo! We pulled a skunkeroo during about 5 hours on clams and worms.  At one point a guy comes over next to us, pulls store tags off his new gear, ties on a pre-made fishfinder rig with a piece of clam, walks into the water mid-shin in a pair of white ankle socks and lobs out his bait and pulls in a ~20" fish after about 2 minutes. Unreal.

The crowds do make it tough, glad you had some back up rigs with you. We were there at low yesterday AM and was very open. Lot's of bait throwers and a few with lures. Many caught only saw one legal. Our catches were on metal but the one at 27" was a bit of a heart break though.

[bdowning]

Forget weekends in river there, hit the beachfront or Joppa instead.

 

-bd

[MBean5]

Got out last night around 8:30pm for a little bit. Caught a ~26" striper and lost another halfway through the fight, all in about 15 minutes, then it got dark and I headed in around 9pm. Casting Zoom Flukes into shallow water around bouldery islands and rocks has been productive for me lately.

[TwoLightsKid]

Been killing it late night on a north shore beach, the big mag darter has been getting it done.

Good to hear! I've been doing very well so far this year on the new big mag darter and big SP up in Southern Maine. They seem like the plugs we have been waiting a long time for, perfect for our waters.

[striperguynh]

Good to hear! I've been doing very well so far this year on the new big mag darter and big SP up in Southern Maine. They seem like the plugs we have been waiting a long time for, perfect for our waters.

 

Can you say more about the big mag darter?  Who makes it?

[rst3]

Can you say more about the big mag darter?  Who makes it?

Yozuri.

 

The original is a classic "spring run" May/June lure. The new, bigger version seems to be very productive as well

[Skitter]

.

[Beachorbust]

4 hours 4 rods plus 1 plugging. 1 hit first cast. I think i am cursed

[unskunk]

or.....you're using the wrong plug

[BrokeOff]

4 hours, one super micro jumped as I pulled my fly out of the water. The downpours were refreshing.

[rst3]

4 hours 4 rods plus 1 plugging. 1 hit first cast. I think i am cursed

Not like this is some sage knowlege I have or anything.. but remember fishing can be a dead slog if working spots "off-tide", or midday under full sun, or if your plugs or bait arent matching where they are in water column/depth, or if the spring migratory schools have pushed on.. or if the bass simply arent there, or endless other aggrevating fill in the blank reasons____, etc.

 

As far as pickyness goes: sometimes fish are jerks. Was out over ten zillion bass off cape once. No other boats around. Fish ran from just short/big schoolies to well over 25lbs. And even with these bigger bass and sizable schools of mackerel in the area they would absolutely not touch any larger plugs or even larger soft plastic sandeel offerings. Only small to sm-medium soft plastic sandeel-style stuff. And they mostly ignored match the hatch sandeel colors. Had to go white or purplepink or yellow, to stand out against a background of endless bluegreen sandeels. Dont know if any of this is applicable.. but just wanted to pass on that even when thousands of bass are spitting distance away they can be bastards to hook at all until formula is figured out and then it's fish every cast after that

Edited June 17, 2017 by rst3

[JorgeVillalobos]

Caught and released my PB a few nights ago on a mag darter from the beach. 45" long with 25" girth. Guessing #30+

[Beachorbust]

Not like this is some sage knowlege I have or anything.. but remember fishing can be a dead slog if working spots "off-tide", or midday under full sun, or if your plugs or bait arent matching where they are in water column/depth, or if the spring migratory schools have pushed on.. or if the bass simply arent there, or endless other aggrevating fill in the blank reasons____, etc.

 

As far as pickyness goes: sometimes fish are jerks. Was out over ten zillion bass off cape once. No other boats around. Fish ran from just short/big schoolies to well over 25lbs. And even with these bigger bass and sizable schools of mackerel in the area they would absolutely not touch any larger plugs or even larger soft plastic sandeel offerings. Only small to sm-medium soft plastic sandeel-style stuff. And they mostly ignored match the hatch sandeel colors. Had to go white or purplepink or yellow, to stand out against a background of endless bluegreen sandeels. Dont know if any of this is applicable.. but just wanted to pass on that even when thousands of bass are spitting distance away they can be bastards to hook at all until formula is figured out and then it's fish every cast after that

I can only hope it was all the herring that shut us out (we had chunk frozen herring and worms)

 

But this was a high tide spot this morning from 4 - 6:30 should have been lights out.

 

Then again, they have to be there to catch.

[DanTheBassMan]

Did pretty well tonight. Found a steady small-keeper bite on the mackerel SP. Got almost a dozen, and unfortunately kept one due to getting into a situation that forced me to choose between me and the fish. He was low-thirty inches, so I don't feel too bad about it it. I got the fillets, the crabs got the carcass. First fish harvested in a couple years.