Surfcaster to Boat

[DaddySays]

I used to always surfcast along rivers. Wasnt very good but caught fish using bait (herring and clams mostly)

The rig we used was basic. Slider, 3 oz weight, 12" leader on snap swivel.

We have been using the same set up around Gloucester and Magnolia area. (In the mouth from the groaner to kettle island) and cannot catch anything.

Any quick tips on where and when the best time to fish in that area would be, something simple to use, and probably a new way to rig up our lines (we are coming up a lot with seaweed and getting caught up on the bottom. We think it might be the weight, we use the tear drop looking ones. )

We are way too inexperienced to troll, for right now, so we just want to sit and relax while fishing, but maybe catch something too.



Any help would be appreciated.

[colad]

Why are you to inexperienced to troll? maybe you won't get the highest percentage of hits but you will learn what you are doing wrong, correct it and find the fish.

Are you content hitting blues? or only stripers? For blues I just troll bombers or rebels 60 to 100ft back (I use such a big window cause it is always a quesstimate..not exact). for blues the school big time so once tou get a hit, stop the boat and fish there.

Do you have a depthfinder?

[GunnySniper]

In other places, besides Rhode Island, where there are no fish, I would suggest checking out the thread, in the Boaters forum, Entitled, "The how's and whats of trolling for Stripers" There is a wealth of info there that many new guy's have found success when put to use.

[BACKBAYJ]

Lazy fishing is a good way to relax. Try drifting chunks of bunker with a egg sinker, 18 inch flouro leader with a 7/0 hook. Weight depending on the current. Just enough to let a good amount of line out without hitting bottom and not floating on top. This will be your best bet if you do not want to work much. If the fish are there and are hungry you should catch. If not move and try the same thing. Try to find a rip and fish the edges. Good luck. Also I know a great captain that fishes the Hunk and usually trolls Darters and has alot of success. You can also pull up to impossible to access surf spots. Park the boat and fish the shore.

[Striperjim]

Welcome to the board daddysays (love my good and plenty)
Oh -- that was Charlie says

anyhow

[JakeF]

Welcome to the site!

[DaddySays]

Thank you all for the advice, and the welcome.

I talked to a local bait shop across the bridge in Salisbury (I live in Newburyport, boat in Gloucester) and they set me up with a way to catch mackerel. Once we caught them though we werent too sure what to do with them or where to take them. There is a lot of talk about looking for a rip and I am pretty sure that I can spot one but figuring out where to sit to get your lines in the right spot (and I dont know where that would be either) seems to be harder than me or my brother thought. We tried (obviously) fishing where we chummed and caught the mackerel, but it seemed they were all over the place and didnt stay with us long so when we stopped catching the mackerel we looked for another spot to hit. We had some tips but nothing really worked. I caught one striper and it was pure accident. We gave up on an area and wanted to try about a half mile inshore, so I took my weight off and left the mack on my rod and trolled it about half way before I decided to reel in and take off the rest of the way when a 40incher took my line. I am sure it was dumb luck, there was no one around us really and it was no where near anything else. When we told some other guys on the water thats how we caught it they looked at us like we were retarded. LOL
anyway any advice on this? maybe what we are doing wrong. The tide was almost dead low when we went out at 7:30 this morn. I caught the striper around 1:30. Do the tides matter when you are in that area? This doesnt seem to be the best way because arent the mack's supposed to be done for the season? I dont know maybe I am asking a lot.

[DaddySays]

Originally Posted by striperjim

Welcome to the board daddysays (love my good and plenty)
Oh -- that was Charlie says

anyhow

LOL

Thank You.

I have seen some of your posts and I was wondering what you mean by the "will travel" part of your SN.

[BACKBAYJ]

The fish was not alone. And nobody around is always a good thing. If bait is around that's what to use. Congrats on the 40 incher and maybe they looked at you stupid because they didn't catch anything themselves.

[DaddySays]

Originally Posted by BACKBAYJ

The fish was not alone. And nobody around is always a good thing. If bait is around that's what to use. Congrats on the 40 incher and maybe they looked at you stupid because they didn't catch anything themselves.

Maybe, they sure didnt refuse the macks we offered when we decided to call it a day.

[DaddySays]

Originally Posted by colad

Why are you to inexperienced to troll? maybe you won't get the highest percentage of hits but you will learn what you are doing wrong, correct it and find the fish.

Are you content hitting blues? or only stripers? For blues I just troll bombers or rebels 60 to 100ft back (I use such a big window cause it is always a quesstimate..not exact). for blues the school big time so once tou get a hit, stop the boat and fish there.

Do you have a depthfinder?

yeah we have a depth finder. we mostly fish striper but we wouldnt mind catching blues also.

[Roccus]

Surprised that you drive all the way to Gloucester when there are just as many, if not more fish right in your back yard....

[DaddySays]

Originally Posted by Roccus

Surprised that you drive all the way to Gloucester when there are just as many, if not more fish right in your back yard....

yeah but the boat is in gloucester