NJ Kayak Fishing - Tips and Trips

[Bucktail]

I might give it a try as well.  You never think to fish the bay in the fall into winter.  Thanks for the info!!

 

When I lived in Surf City I used to fish the bay side of LBI a lot.  There were many stripers to be caught back there right through December and even January (if it wasn't iced over).

[DAK]

WHAAAAAT UUUUPPP! Surprise! I'm back from the dead! Actually, I'm back from California. I know I dropped the ball about a trip back in Nov, but I kept getting "volunteered" for travel work assignments. Hey, at least I'm still pulling a paycheck in this economy.

I did manage to get out one afternoon late Nov at Corson's and picked up a couple bass on clams from the bank. Both about 2" short of course (and one was missing an eye)...

Well, it seems I have pretty much missed the entire fall season. Too cold now for my wetsuit. Oh well. Time to lube the reels and do some shopping for a drysuit ...

Happy Holidays Everyone!

[ped579]

Hey DAK, welcome back. 

You are acting like the season is over.  We are still catching some nice bass off the surf.  Use one of your plugging rods and cast into the suds for some real fun.

Right now they are in close so no need to cast your arms off.  Small AVA's like 007 or A17's are working great mostly in green and chartreuse. 

Still time to have some fun.  It looks like they should be around for a while yet.

Happy Catching

Paul

[kayak1]

Ok....its the end of the season and I cant fish all these spots every night myself so here are the areas holding fish....

The docks in seaside park along the bay front,fish the end under the lights....

The entire area of Island Heights docks street ends find the street lights....

The end of Bridge ave,around the condos....Park and walk every street end has lights....

Nights are by far the best.... These areas all have fish at one time or another....

Its not over just yet......

Dak and Seaflea its great to hear from you guys so dont stop fishing because the water to cold to kayak.... get out and fish.... its a long winter...

[SeaFlea]

Paul,
Thanks for the tips on the AVA's! Good stuff!!

Dak,
Good to hear you're still alive! I gotta agree with Paul & Dave - it ain't over yet!

Dave,
Thanks for the "inspiration"! I would love to serve up a striper for Christmas dinner!

[DAK]

I like the dock idea. That's where I got lots of shorts in Sept - under lighted docks behind Brig. But without a yak I might have to trespass shhhhh!

[kayak1]

I think its time to put the kayak away for 2008
and clean up the gear for next year.....

This was not my best season... But still had fun with what we had.... I thought the fall run of bass was going to be much better....

The surf reports have been off big time.... I'm not sure what happen to all the bait this year that was in the back bay.... one week the bay was loaded with bait.... Then nothing to be found...

I'm starting to have a new kayak rod built up for the  bunker run in the spring....If you never have been pulled around the ocean by a 40 pound bass in you kayak.... You don't know what your missing.....

I'm off to the beach for some surf fishing.

If anyone has some thoughts on passing the winter blues.... Please let me know.

Dave

[ped579]

I feel your pain Dave. 

I am still hitting the beach a couple of times a week and have been doing pretty well mostly all small bass but hey it beats the skunk.

I have been tying a few teasers with 2/0 and 3/0 circle hooks and have caught a couple on the 2/0's I just might think about changing over so I have a 50/50 mix in the arsenal.

I have tied a number of new patterns and I will be posting them next week. 

That is what I will be doing over the winter especially when the weather gets nasty.

Plus I will be going over to B&N's to replenish my supply of tying material. They are having a sale BTW on some of the needed stuff I need to tie with.  It sure beats going to Brielle or Point for something that costs less than 5 bucks.

Keep warm, I know I will be trying.  Thank goodness for hand warmers.

Paul

[Pfishingruven]

Yeah, kind of disappointed with the run too!  Not as good as I thought it would be, but better than some years past.  Definitely was tons of bait in the Bay for a long while and the poof...gone!  Must have stayed off shore for us sand stompers.  Boats did pretty well this year with the bass, nothing big in size, but good quality fish and lots of shorts.

Thanks for the well wishes, BTW, with my back injury.  Hopefully, I won't have to endure the surgery you did .

I am with Paul, going to get some teasers tied, rigs made and maybe venture into some different lure making...inline spinners, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and chatterbaits??  I want to try a large chatterbait next year in the surf...work real well on freshwater and hybrid/landlocked stripers.

Enjoy!

 

[ped579]

I thought this year was OK.  But my circumstances were a bit different as I had to put off fishing for a number of years with arthritis but now with the bionic joints I am good to go and there is no stopping me now.

I still try to get out at least 2 time a week and I am writing stuff and making a lot of new patterns, BTW it looks like Florida has gone all circle hook for anything fishing with bait.  How long will it be before we have to change over altogether.

That is one reason I an starting to tie stuff with circles and to tell you the truth I have done just fine with them.  Thursday I caught one short and by using a circle I was able to release it in short order, nice.

Happy Catching

Paul

[Bucktail]

  I want to try a large chatterbait next year in the surf...work real well on freshwater and hybrid/landlocked stripers.

Dick's has them on clearance right now.  Grab them while you can.

[Pfishingruven]

  I want to try a large chatterbait next year in the surf...work real well on freshwater and hybrid/landlocked stripers.

Dick's has them on clearance right now.  Grab them while you can.

Do you know what size?  I haven't been able to find anything over 1oz or so...  I am going to try and make some 2oz ones, however, I do love them in freshwater as well.  I am partial to the Boogie Baits, but the Chatterbaits seem to be the same.  Thanks for the info.

 

[kayak1]

Paul... Missed you on Sunday at Grumpys by a second.... I was pulling in while you where driving away...

I didnt do all that much this weekend.... The weather just didnt help....Started to pull apart all the gear....Just to try and keep busy

[ped579]

Hi Dave,

Yeah, I needed some supplies so I was over at B&N's for a while and then Grumpys.  Did you notice that Tommy was unusually friendly?  I guess the season has gotten to his disposition.

[kayak1]

I agree.... Before the store even open.... I was very good friends with Mike and Paul....

But I became very good friends with Tom now too

Grumpys is a place I just like to go... Because they make you feel at home....

Every rod I have Mike built for me...He does some nice work...I have to show you my kayak rods he made.... very nice

[Bucktail]

  I want to try a large chatterbait next year in the surf...work real well on freshwater and hybrid/landlocked stripers.

Dick's has them on clearance right now.  Grab them while you can.

Do you know what size?  I haven't been able to find anything over 1oz or so...  I am going to try and make some 2oz ones, however, I do love them in freshwater as well.  I am partial to the Boogie Baits, but the Chatterbaits seem to be the same.  Thanks for the info.

 

I'm not sure what the weight of the jighead is on them, but the overall weight minus the shad body is 1.4 oz.  With the shad body they are around 2.5 oz.

When the freshwater Chatterbaits came out and took the fishing world by storm a couple of years ago, the buyers of Dick's wanted to put out a larger saltwater version and I was asked for my input.  What we finally came up with was a pretty decent bait.  However, I personally would have changed a few things on it.

In any case, they are now selling for a clearance price of $9.97.  There aren't many left in the Manahawkin store, but I'm sure the others have them around. 

BTW, I've experimented with the smaller, freshwater Chatterbaits over the last couple of years and had some good results not only catching largemouth on them, but fluke in deep water as well!

Just an FYI for all you bargain hunters, Dick's will be having a major clearance event in all there stores right after Christmas.  All clearance items will be marked down even more.

[kayak1]

Bucktail.... What is this chatterbait.... I would love to try it kayaking next season....

Also have you ever fished the canal.....

[Pfishingruven]

Chatterbaits are these "new age" inline spinners that don't spin.  They have a jig body and off of the head of the jig is a blade.  They have synthetic skirts and some type of soft plastic to finish the back end of the lure off.  They come in several colors.

The blade vibrates on the retrieve and acts like a spinning lure.  The nice thing is they can be used in almost all of the water column.  High speed retrieve will bring it more to the surface and give off the spinning aspect, a medium speed retrieve will keep it in the middle range and give it more of a vibrating side to side motion and a slow retrieve/jigging will drop it to the bottom and you can work it that way. 

A few companies make them now.  The "original" Chatterbait, Booyah Boogie Baits and a few people online making their own versions.  They work fairly well for all species in freshwater.  When I started fishing again this spring, it was one of the lures I purchased and I have caught sunnies, pickerel, perch and bass on them.  I heard of some guys trying the bigger size in the surf, but I never heard positive or negative results.

 

[Bucktail]

Kayak1, 

They seem like a gimmick bait, but they do catch fish.   They are basically a jig with a wobble plate attached, giving it it's action.  The nice thing about them is that you can play with them (changing the trailer and such) depending on what you are trying to do.

I have fished either side of the canal.  Many years ago I used to fish for winter flounder there.  But I haven't (at least I don't think I have) fished inside the canal itself.  Although I have known a few folks that fish it and do very well there.

[Pfishingruven]

They seem like a gimmick bait, but they do catch fish.

This is very true...especially the "As Seen on TV" Original "Chatterbait!"  With it's 100+ piece set and a chatter blade on every lure, it is a bit much.  They have these Chatter Shad which are just regular lures with the blade on the front.  I have tried a traditional Chatterbait and the Chatterfrog, which is just the Chatterbait with frog leg soft plastic.  I like them both!

I am partial, however, to the Booyah Brand.  Their lures are made a little less for show and more for catching.  They seem to have tweaked the action in the lure much better.  There is also a guy online and on EBAY that makes them himself and sells them as "competition" lures in a ton of colors.  His lures look very well constructed and appear as though they would have even better action. 

If you can get over the horrible sales pitches of the Chatterbaits and fish them, they do catch.  Like Bucktail said, they have a lot of options.  In freshwater, I have been using just a soft plastic tube and it works fairly well.  I know a few guys that it is their go to lure, usually in the color white or blue/black, and they have caught LMB to prove it.  They like it because it is versatile.

IMO, I would give it a try if you are interested in them.  It is on my list of lures to try in saltwater in 2009.