INDIANANGLER

We had the Fall migration of Striped bass starting mid October along the shores of New Jersey. They were following baits like adult Menhaden and their Juvenile ones aka Peanut bunker, Herring and Sand eel. We didn't have much Sand eel this year. When fish are on Sand eel, lures like needlefish and thin skinny metals like deadly dicks, T hex, Ava jigs with tube tails work very well. And sand eels usually camp in an area for weeks, which could mean productive fishing in the same area for weeks.

This year was more of Menhaden or Bunker run. Bunker move in big schools, and when fish are on bunker imitations like large popper, pencil poppers, rubber shads and bucktails work well.
I have a 200+ mile round trip from my fishing spots, so I try to get out once every weekend during the fall run, mostly fishing at night. I had a decent 1-5 fish on most trips. One morning while returning from a fishing spot I parked at a Park overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in North New Jersey, and wanted to see how the beach and structure looked for fishing. I didn't take my fishing rod from the car, and on reaching the spot there were fish feeding on bunker. Most of the action was beyond 150 yards from shore, and there were times when the fish was feeding so close. These striped bass could easily be in 30+lb range. I rushed back to the car and when I went back all the action was gone, and the bait had moved beyond casting distance. I tried for an hour without luck and left.
The next week on 11/24, during Thanksgiving holidays I went straight to that spot and it was non stop action from 11 in the morning till about 5 when I left. I caught about 20 striped bass anywhere from 5 to 13 lbs. The rapala Xrap SXR14 was very productive that day. The good thing was there were only another 5 or 6 other fisherman and there was action on the whole stretch of beach. Now thats rare when fishing in New Jersey, where it usually gets pretty crowded when there is some action.

Here are some pictures from different trips.
IMG_1657.JPG

15+ lb Striped bass on a bucktail
IMG_1658.JPG
IMG_1659.JPG

IMG_1749.JPG
IMG_1757.JPG
IMG_1787.JPG
IMG_1788.JPG
IMG_1758.JPG


Bluefish
IMG_1846.JPG


I made a last trip on Dec 4th, and got a bluefish around 10 lbs. I think that could be my last trip for the season. Winter is here, and temperature is below freezing most of the time. I may wait till Spring and next fish the saltwater around April.. Till then will be hitting some freshwater fishing spots, I haven't done much freshwater this year, so could go for some carp, or do some small game and waterfowl hunting ..


Enjoy the holidays, and everyone have a great New Year !!

Hello Binu,

Wonderful report on fall fishing for stripers, glad you could get into the action.

I noticed that a lot of your stripers fell to a bucktail tipped with a soft plastic, were the fish feeding on or near the bottom? Presumably, the bluefish fell to a plug or a metal lure? Can't tell from the picture.

The Rapala Xrap series are great lures and I have had great fishing with their products in Australia, especially on barramundi.

You have so many options available outdoors to tide over the winter, lucky you!

Good luck in the coming New Year !

Best wishes,
Kingfish

Thank you Kingfish!! Bucktails are great, and I have been fishing them with Uncle Josh pork rinds before. The pork rinds worked great, but sometime last year Uncle Josh decided to discontinue that product. I got some pork rinds left, but many of them that I bought at last were not consistent, some were thick, some very thin.. So I started using soft plastics as trailers this year, mostly GOT CHA curl tails in 6 and 8" and they work well. They are not as durable as pork rind, but have a good action. You are right that the fish were feeding at the bottom..
This place I fish mostly at the northern tip of New Jersey is called Sandy Hook. It has a place called the Rip, with heavy currents and a very deep water channel that is used for navigation by large ships. The Raritan bay joins the Atlantic Ocean here, and its one of the popular fishing spots. I fish bucktails and plastic shads here mostly to get to the bottom.. During an outgoing tide, the striped bass wait at the bottom facing up current, waiting for any disoriented baitfish to wash down current. Bucktails are effective in those situations to get quickly to the bottom which maybe 30+ feet.

Yes I got the bluefish on a metal lure, made by AOK Tackle . Its one of the best for distance, and has a great action when you use a dressed tail single hook.

What size xraps do you use for the barramundi? I may have to stock up on other sizes as well.

Regards
Binu

Binu,

Interesting read on the bucktail/soft plastic trailer. I find the Zman soft plastics to be extremely tough and you may get prolonged usage out of them as compared to other "softer" brands.

I have used the Xrap 10 to catch barramundi, you can see the colours used in my trip report titled
"Arnhem Land Barramundi Trip " in this forum.

Have you fished Montauk?

Regards,
Kingfish

Nice fishes and a good report Binu!! This has happened to me as well. Once I went to a jetty near to my home in the noon just to have a look and I did not carry the rod. Upon reaching there I can see schools of fishes ( I have never seen such schools of fishes again). I immediately went home and got the rod only to see the school has disappeared. Rapala SXR14 is also my go to lure, got plenty of GT with that.

Regards,
H.Venkatesan.

Nice report Binu!
Thanks for sharing the pics.

Hope to hear more from you and wish you fish filled new year!

Are you fishing that yellow popper with which were slaying barracudas here?

Maruthu

Hi Binu,

Amazing catches and great report.
Congratulations !!!


Tight lines

Thanks fish4fun.

Nice catch!

congrt Binu.. Nice catch.

Regards,
vijay

Thanks Vijay and Ulygun!!

Hi Binu,

Good fishing there, is that a Manual Pickup, Van Staal you are using?

Regards,

Bobby

I have never used that reel, I do not remember what exact model it is, I have not even put any fishing line on it come to think of it. I fish with some of my favorite reels and have a few reels that I have never used. Come to think of it, I never really had the opportunity to use it, every time I go fishing I never seem to pick it up. May be I should when I get a chance next.

just out of curiosity how does it perform?

Thanks Binu, good info on the reel

Hi BINU BRO...
Congrats..Bro nice fish.

Nice catches binu...

Vijay.