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Fishing Reports for Local Area - Location |
    
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 65
Registered: 8-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - 6:23 pm: | |
Monday 9/26 I was in Jersey City getting my car fixed so I took my pole to the end of the Morris Canal by Essex and Hudson. The Colgate Sign park.
I was just exploring the area. So I tossed my diamond jig and crocodile spoons into the channel there. I had no hits at all. I just wanted to see if I could fish here.
It is a quiet park with a good place to cast just south of the Colgate Sign.
If you can catch blues and stripers at Battery park in Manhattan you should be able to get some here too. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 64
Registered: 8-2006
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 19, 2011 - 5:33 pm: | |
Monday September 19th I took the afternoon trip on the Sea Queen from Sheepshead Bay.
When I got to Sheepshead Bay it was high tide and I tried for some snappers from the end of the pier.
Nothing. I threw plenty of spearing out too.
It was a sunny calm day on land but out on the Riis Beach area there were 15 foot swells and 20 mph wind all day.
The boat was half empty and we were looking for fluke by drifting in sight of the Marine Park Bridge - Fort Tilden - Belle Harbor.
With that breeze you needed 6 or 8 Oz sinkers.
The focus was fluke, the boat provides spearing and I had brought my own squid.
Most of the customers were rigged up with the fluke ball weight "Fluke Mine" and plenty of dressed hooks.
Teasers and trailers and spinners were on every pole.
I went with my smallest swivel, a dull sinker and a smallish black colored hook. (English bend)
I figured I would have a low key presentation. I could always switch to a "Spin Glo" or other bling-bling rig.
Well it worked... I had the only keeper fish all day. It was the first fish too, I won the pool.
A nice sea bass, I took it home and cooked it.
also I had another short sea bass and a skate.
No fluke for anybody...just short sea bass. No sea robbins, no dogfish!
I really like the Sea Queen.
Maybe next time I won't catch the only fish.
That was a weird outcome. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 63
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 5:42 pm: | |
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/ifishny.pdf
Is a website by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The suggest fishing spots around the New York City shoreline.
I went to explore one of the spots today.
Not all the spots listed there are good to try.
I went looking in Broad Channel, near Smitty's fishing station.
The DEC lists the little rock beach areas at the end of 10th to 18th Streets as fishing spots.
This is somewhat wrong.
They are too close to the small private homes for the general public to come and fish. Even in the broad daylight these dead end streets are too small to park on and if you go out the water you are still standing too close to the resident's windows and driveways.
I am SURE that if me and my 2 kids showed up with buckets and poles at 6:00 am we would get escorted off Broad Channel one way or another.
Now, it is O.K. to go to Smitty's fishing station and rent a skiff for the day and fish around Jamaica Bay. You can get there by "A" Train. But don't go trying to fish on the end of these private little streets.
I did however try Cross Bay Bait and fishing from the Joseph Addabo Bridge by the North Channel parking.
This was good. I got there at 1:00 and the tide was almost out. Fishing for snappers at dead low water is not the best but I got a couple any way..
The guys say there are some good fluke to be caught in the morning.
I will continue to try spots as listed on the "I Fish New York" website.
I think I have to see more of these spots for myself |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 62
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 10, 2011 - 12:20 pm: | |
Right after the Hurricane Irene was passed I spent a week @ the Jersey-Shore.
I had no luck in the ocean but I found I could catch snappers every day at high tide in the bay behind where I was renting.
I fished at the same spot with small 10 lb test spinning poles and tried several rigs to see what caught them best.
With all these methods I used spearing along with what ever rig.
Snapper "Popper"
Kast-Master spoon 1/4 Oz.
Side-Winder spoon 1/8 Oz.
Dare Devle spoon original red 1/4 Oz.
Weighted Bobber with Bear Paw "Flicker Snelled Hooks FPSS-2"
The best method for me was the Daredevil Spoon but the kids I was fishing with did best with the Snapper Popper, mine have a little rubber sleeve over the single hook which hangs down about 16 inches from the float.
I think the spoon can cover more ground and various depths but the snapper popper is more foolproof. It doesn't get snagged in the bottom as much as a spoon with a trebble hook.
I would like to do this every day. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 61
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 - 9:54 pm: | |
Tuesday 8/16/11 I went snapper fishing in Sheepshead Bay ITSELF.
I have been fishing by subway so I took the "B" Train to Sheepshead Bay Road (Voorhies Ave Exit).
You can walk 10 blocks to Stella Maris fishing station and start fishing right there.
They sell small spearing for snappers, and all types of snapper rigs etc.
This may become your favorite tackle shop.
It was cloudy with 3 to 5 mph breeze on Emmons Ave.
It had been raining for the past 3 days Today was about 75 degrees, cool for August.
The tide was high! @ MAX! when I got my bait so I went to fish right away.
The pier right next to Stella Maris had 3 guys fishing all ready so I went to the next pier to the west.
The same piers the party and excursion boats sail from are perfect for catching snapper blues.
I started with the popper rig tipped with spearing and I thought they were deeper.
So I added my Jeros herring rig to the popper and weighed the end down with a Kast Master spoon.
I tipped the hooks with the tiny spearing hooked thru the eyes.
Casting straight out they hit it when it lands or on the retrieve, when you get close to the pier.
I got double headers over and over.
I caught plenty of baby blues (snappers) like this. I had all I wanted in a half hour.
The tide was down a foot or 2 and they slowed down a bit.
Then I tried the Kast Master on a little 10 pound test spinning pole. This worked even better.
I really like snappers and this was great low stress snapper fishing. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 60
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 09, 2011 - 1:41 pm: | |
Tuesday August 9th I went to Coney Island to fish at Steeplechase Pier.
I got there at 10:30 and the tide was 3/4ths of the way down. Slightly cloudy 75 degrees with little wind.
I fished for fluke at the end for an hour or so.
Using squid and spearing on a "Spin-Glo" rig I was catching 12 inch fluke in a while.
I pulled in 4, all shorts. I fished until I got hooked in the bottom and lost my rig.
 I tried casting the diamond jig for a while with no result.
At about 12 noon I went to the middle of the pier to look for snappers with a herring rig and bits of cut spearing.
I hooked another fluke and a pilot fish. I also got a tiny amberjack 2 tiny portgies and a 6 inch sea bass.
The tide had turned at this time and I went to the shallows where I was playing with some bigger snappers.
The snappers were not biting so much today. It has become cloudy and rain was in the forecast.
By 1:00 I had 4 snappers (6 inch or so) and rain was coming soon. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 59
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 02, 2011 - 8:01 pm: | |
Tuesday August 2nd I took the Subway to Coney Island to look for some snappers.
The day was sunny 85 degrees with a 5 mph wind form the west.
I got to the pier at 11:30 and started fishing in about 6-10 feet of water. Not far out at all.
The tide was at half and falling
My weights were in my car (@ the shop this week) so I used a diamond jig to anchor my Jeros herring rig.
This worked fine for me, I put a little cut up spearing on each hook and before you know it I was catching baby blues.
I also tried a little Kast-Master on which I had substituted a flounder hook for the treble. That, tipped with spearing bits, caught snappers too.
Casting is hardly necessary since the fish are in the shelter of the pier. Just bounce the bottom and the fish jump on.
I was throwing back the smallies and in about an hour I had 10 fish.
I had a hotdog at Nathans and got back on the train with a nice snack in the cooler bag. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 58
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 10:24 pm: | |
Sergeant Sinker the non lead fishing weight.
GET THE LEAD OUT!
The Sergeant wants us to go green.
It is patriotic to keep the earth safe.
It is not for peace loving hippies to tell the fisherman what to use.
We (the fishermen) want to detox gods earth.
Before the government tells us what to do.
Lead Free Fishing Weights
A wholesale and manufacturing business plan:
1: Create a line of cast iron sinkers
2: Research other non lead fishing sinkers to offer retailers
3: Create an online ad and an in store display "Sergeant Sinker"
4: Sell (HOW?) to retailers and on line.
5: Expand the line of cast iron or plastic lead substitute to lots of shapes and lures too.
We have to quit using lead, using Molybdenum or Tungsten is really quite expensive.
The weights we need in the bays and oceans are from 1 to 12 ounces or more.
An iron or plastic casting process could produce useful "ferrous" sinkers.
There are plastic substitutes for lead too
It may prove feasible to produce all these non lead products in the plastic lead substitute.
Bismuth is almost as dense as Lead and lends itself to hobby production.
The raw material is as much as 5 times the price of Lead.
All future home production should be Lead free.
I think there is a future in bismuth and tin molding for the Sergeant Sinker Company
Sinkers made from stones are available from Europe I do not know the density of these stones.
My idea is that the non lead sinkers will not be as dense as lead ones.
But fishermen must get non lead sooner or later.
 The cast iron or plastic sinker can be made domestically with one casting having the full inventory represented in one mold.
This ferrous casting is taken to a work shop to be cut into individual sinkers and to be touched with a grinder or wire wheel.
Then dipped in green liquid electrical tape (a well known marine product) or something to prevent rust, to make ready for the consumer.
These new sinkers will be "Green" (non poluting to the environment).
Perhaps the iron type could be hot dipped in Bismuth to have the appearance of lead. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 57
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 10:17 pm: | |
Part 2
Other shapes such as pyramid or egg shaped sinker could be made this way eventually.
New shapes will be developed to hold bottom better.
New Mushroom and 8-Ball shapes.
The 8-Ball & Mushroom are designed for cast iron or plastic material.
The Mushroom is for shore sand & mud use. Styled after mooring anchors, the Mushroom holds snugly in sand, rocks or mud.
The Mushroom digs in to the bottom waiting for a strike and can be pulled loose with a sharp tug on the line.
 The Ball is optimized for the fastest possible sinking and lowest profile underwater. Made with the bottom fisherman in mind.
The plain shape does not get hung up in wrecks or rocks.
The Ball's shape has the highest internal volume per surface area to resist being picked up by the current while you are on the bottom.
The Eight Ball will be the coolest size for us Party-Boat fishermen.
Our salt water Diamond Jigs will look cool made of cast iron hot dipped in tin.
I think the sound of the lure bouncing on the rocks might even be better for the jigging for Bluefish or Striped Bass on the Jersey Shore and Long Island Sound.
I think we should market a banks sinker and a pyramid as well. As long as new molds are made for the classic shapes we can include them in the product line.
 Proposed store Display Sergeant Sinker Box is is for the key stores.
Shipped to stores, a hanging plastic bag with one two or three sinkers in each.
3X5 inches with a paper inside with graphics a hole punched for hanging on a peg. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 56
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 27, 2011 - 2:11 pm: | |
Monday June 27th,
I fished at the 38th Street Jetty for fluke at 12:00 noon to 2:00.
I thought it would be perfect, the tide was low but had turned, there was room at the end of the jetty.
80 degrees, full sun with a 20 mph on shore breeze. Myself and 2 or 3 others turned up nothing for an hour.
At 1:00 I got a sea-robin and my neighbor got a small fluke.
Not so good today, in the middle of the day |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 55
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 24, 2011 - 5:20 pm: | |
I wonder if this boat "Sea Creature" from Sheepshead Bay is any good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79hrE9SLbU8
I have to go to the jetty for a while first.
The Sea Creature has an evening trip that sounds good. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 54
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 4 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 06, 2011 - 3:06 pm: | |
June 6th 2011 I went fishing on the 38th Street Jetty in Coney Island.
I didn't get out there till 1:00 pm. so I wasn't expecting much.
The tide was on the way out and it was a bright sunny day.
70 plus degrees with a 0 to 5 mph. breeze from the west.
There were a few out on the jetty, one guy kept pulling up sea robins.
I caught no fluke in an hour and a half. 
I was happy to go to buy bait in Sheepshead Bay and come back another day.
One box of squid is enough for 4 packs of frozen spearing. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 53
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2011 - 3:34 pm: | |
May 30th 2011 My wife and I went to the Midland Beach Fishing Pier in Staten Island.
This is a nice area of the island, the pier has a good crowd. Nice people... kids ...no crazies.
It was memorial day and we both were off from work so we went fishing in Staten Island.
We got to the pier at about noon.
It was low tide, slack. Sunny with 0 to 5 mph onshore breeze. The pier was busy but we got spots at the end.
At first it was slack tide and nothing was biting, then things picked up. Blues were coming up for bunker and I started hooking short fluke. By 1:00 I was getting a short fluke on every good cast.
My wife was "dead sticking it" and she got one too.
 \
I'm sure If I was out in a boat I could have hooked up with a couple of keepers this day. |
Greg Birkholz (Pegleg)
New member
Username: Pegleg
Post Number: 38
Registered: 4-2011
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 27, 2011 - 6:15 pm: | |
Boat ownership what a joy, A man and his new toy.
Never before have I cared so much about the weather. Never before have I read articles on how to tie knots or how to target this type of fish or that. Never before have I asked so many questions and felt so dumb. But that is how I learn. I have learned so much just since 1/4/2011 when I drove for hours to buy a boat. Little did I know just how challenging it would be to tow a tandem axle 21 foot boat all the way from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. In a 1995 Toyota mini truck no less. I did so much research and really thought I was getting a great deal. Now just 4 months later I realize I could have done better. Mind you it is not that I got ripped off or that all of my research wasn't helpful. It is just that some of these things I could not have learned until I voyaged in to this new world of boat ownership. Why would a smart hard working man do such a crazy thing?
Fish! One simple four letter word. My love for fishing has resumed with such a strong passion I question how I ever let it go. Was it memories of my last attempts at boat ownership over ten years ago?
This is a story in itself:
Lets go back in time to where it all began.... |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 52
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 27, 2011 - 6:09 pm: | |
Friday 5/27 I went back to the 38th Street Jetty in Coney Island.
At 11:00 the tide was out and coming in. There was still a marine haze in the air the beach was 10 degrees cooler (about 75) than the rest of Brooklyn. There was a 10 mph off shore breeze
The rocks were dry but still slippery. I had had a problem earlier in the week with the slipperiness of the rocks. A couple of boulders have washed away and you have to be confident when hopping out to the end.
I brought a pair of snow/ice show covers with me.
http://www.orssnowshoesdirect.com/yaktrax_pro_shoe_treads.htm
They did me so right. I was hopping around out there like a goat.
Then fishing, however, was not so good.
There were 3 of us out on the end and in 2&1/2 hours all anybody got was 1 sea robin and one puffer fish.
I had not seen any kind of puffer in New York City waters for years.
At 1:30 I was leaving and there was one really short fluke caught. It was only 10 inches long.
I wish I could have stayed but I had to go. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 51
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 27, 2011 - 5:29 pm: | |
So Reelly,
I guess you got a couple of ling on the Marilyn Jeane.
I like Stela Maris tackle on Emmons & 28th Street.
The guys in Stella Maris will tell you places to try from the shore.
Bernie's is fine too, it is just far from the boats for me.
Monday 5/23 I went to Coney Island for some fluke or some stripers.
I started at the 38th street jetty at 10 am with some clam on a fish finder rig.
Once I had that in the water I set up for some fluke with frozen spearing and squid strips.
It was high tide and cloudy with 5 to 10 mph on shore breeze.
These rocks are slippery when wet and it was killing me.
I didn't go all the way to the end.
I fished for a hour and a half with no luck so then I went to Steeplechase Pier.
At the pier I tried for striped bass and fluke in the same way. I got nothing. There were a few fluke and blues caught up and down the pier. By noon the clouds had burnt away and it was a nice day. |
Leah Smith (Reelly)
New member
Username: Reelly
Post Number: 1
Registered: 5-2011
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 - 5:38 am: | |
Hi...i have a question. What is running right now? I'm going out on the MJ4 this weekend and wouldlike to know. Also, is there a tackle shop on Sheepsheads bay? If so, where? I havent been fishing in a while...I am looking forward to it. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 50
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 11, 2011 - 12:14 pm: | |
Tuesday May 10th 2011 I went out to the 38th street jetty in Coney Island. There is construction on the boardwalk so you need to go to 35th street to get to the beach then walk around to the jetty.
I got there at 12 noon and the tide was high and still coming in. So I stayed on the beach (not on the jetty which was awash)
I just tried fluke fishing for an hour to get my casting together. Two spearing and a squid strip is my regular bait. I used my usual fluke rig and a 3 0z pyramid sinker.
There was an 15 to 20 mph offshore breeze and full sun, over 70 degrees. I caught nothing.
It was a lovely day I had gone to Stela Maris Bait in Sheepshead bay to get frozen bait for future shore trips.
I wasn't trying too hard... Better luck next time. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 49
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 02, 2011 - 6:08 pm: | |
Monday May 2nd 2011
I took the full day trip out on the Brooklyn.
Jigging / Chumming with clam.
I haven't been on the Brooklyn for years.
The Brooklyn is big and wide. There is a real galley.
There's plenty of seats in the cabin and upstairs too. They keep it clean.
There were only 12 or so customers on board.
Cloudy 55 degrees with 10-20 mph wind.
We started jigging off of Riis Park.
The captain set up several drifts looking for fish on up and down the coast.
There were no fish caught on jigs in the Rockaway area.
Eventually we took a trip over to Sandy Hook and anchored.
The mates cut up fresh clams and gave out fish finder rigs.
They moved the boat several times around Jersey and Staten Island.
This is where lots of party and private boats were fishing.
We fished like this for the rest of the day.
As far as I could see there were only 2 flounder, 1 short bass and 3 keeper bass on the boat all day.
I got nothing.
They had been getting stripers on the jigs and on the clam a couple of days before.
This was not the day for me. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 48
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 - 6:21 pm: | |
Tuesday April 26th 2011
I took the morning trip out on the Sea Queen.
We went for flounder in the plumb beach area.
It was low tide at 8:15 when we started. There was no wind or tide running at all so the boat was loose on the anchor. Every time we stopped fish were caught (at a slow rate). The fish were coming up with mud on the underside. All keeper flounders.
The boats poles had 6 oz sinkers tied on. They used a black Chestertown hook with a red bead on the leader. I used a little gold Kirby hook with a yellow corn bead on the leader. I found 4 oz to be plenty of weight. We had mussels for bait, some guys were using worms too but they caught nothing all morning.
By 9:30 the tide was running and there was a 5-10 mph breeze. The captain kept moving us around the shallow water. Every time we moved a few fish got caught.
The Sea Queen was pretty empty there was only $18.00 in the pool.
Kyle (the mate) filleted the fish expertly.
There is no better fishing trip than a 1/2 day on this boat. I would have gone back out for the afternoon trip but I had to go to work.
When your fish are right outside Sheepshead bay you are fishing three and a half of the four hours. The boat is clean.
Half empty on an April weekday there is no galley. The crowd is nice people.
I got 2 flounders which is the limit. That is a nice trip for me. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 47
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 6:05 pm: | |
Monday April 11th I went flounder fishing on the Captain Dave.
Thick fog and 50s in the morning. Breeze picking up to 25 mph and sunny in the afternoon. Still cold on the water.
It was supposed to be a hot day so the boat was busy for a Monday. The bait was fresh mussels, I also brought sand worms.
We sailed at 9:00 am to the east side of the Marine Parkway Bridge (by Floyd Bennett Field) Jamaica Bay area. The tide was rising we fished in 15 feet of water. As time went on at this spot the mate let out some line to shift the boat.
From 10:00 am to 11:45.
4 fish were caught by 3 guys in the stern.
All four keepers nice fat ones 14 inches or so.
after the frst half hour There were hardly any bites at all. So the captain sounded the horn and we were under weigh.
We then went to Spring Creek Park (Fountain Avenue area)on the Brooklyn side.
Not a single fish on-board.
At 3:00 or so we tried back at The Marine Parkway bridge again, no luck at all.
This year April 11th is too soon for the flounders.
Some of the guys on the boat were saying "Maybe we should have a moratorium on the Winter Flounder for a couple of years and return to fishing with a nice big minimum". I think it helped the Striped Bass |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 46
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2011 - 9:27 pm: | |
This Is a Florida fishing story but I post it here too
Shore Fishing in Islamorada
The first week of February 2011 was warm in Florida.
In the keys the beach is usually quite shallow, You can walk a 1/4 mile and be in water up to your waist.
The restored fishing bridges are a great resource to the shore fisherman in Islamorada
I fished the bridges just south of Bud & Mary's and had a great time with my wife Terry every day while I stayed in Islamorada.
We tried the spots outlined in the " Bridge Fishing - Fun For The Whole Family" Pamphlet you can get @ Bud & Mary's Marina . With some # 02 and #2 hooks and Bait (Squid Shrimp & Ballyhoo) we made several stops.
MM79 Tea Table Bridge. This is also a launch ramp area. there is a public beach there too at the ocean side We wanted to not climb down to the water so we only looked around. in this spot you fish under the main bridge or the shore either side.
MM73 Chanel 2 Bridge park on either north or south side and you can walk across. There are little balconies with trash cans. Nice concrete railings smooth blacktop pathway all the way across. Right in the middle there is a no fishing spot so boats to pass through. We saw gigantic rays swimming there on two different days. The bridge has supports every 20 feet or and you can aim your bait in the shelter associated with the bridge support.
When the tide is rising the current will take your line out to the bay side. This spot was really good at high tide. I saw lots of big fish scattering the bait fish up to the surface. Lures and bait were good at this time.
When the tide is falling your lines go under the main bridge and go to the ocean side.
I liked the cut ballyhoo most on these bridges but shrimp and squid worked also.
I liked this spot the best. . It is right by the Anne's beach. http://floridakeystreasures.com/Beaches/annesbeach.shtml
MM71 Channel 5 Bridge Nice clean Fishing platform. This bridge is lower than the main highway bridge
The roadway is not in your face but what is better... While I was there, all morning the fishing bridge was in the shade of the main road. That was good because we were burnt from the party boat the day before. also Ch.5 bridge is on the bay side. It does not go all the way across , we fished on the south side of this bridge right by the channel. We caught plenty of small fish there. On our way back to the car we saw a man who had caught a three foot long shark.
MM65 Long Key Bridge This is a bridge on the ocean side. When the tide is falling you can cast out to the ocean side and the lines will go out. I did fish at that time but all we got was a lot of little bait stealing bastards. I think it is the puffers. I also thing we were fishing in some low water.
We were using 7 foot spinning rods with twenty pound test. I used the same line to make my leaders.
I tie my own leader in a knocker rig.
The swivel is needed when spinning. Your line will birds-nest after 12 casts without swivels.
Use a bead to stop the sinker on the line.
Slip an egg sinker on. I liked the 1/2oz. or 1 oz. in fast current
Allow 3 feet or something for the line to slip through the sinker
Then use a swivel. Clinch Knot to the line and leader.
Make leader18 inches 2 feet.
Sometimes the Florida fishermen use the improved clinch knot right on the hook.
Not necessarily snelled on, the fish are sensitive all that knot is too much.
The sliding egg sinker makes you feel the bight more directly.
Fishing is great at the fishing bridge. it is built for us. Sometimes I am trespassing somewhere to get to the fishing spot here it is deluxe access.
I like the crowd on the bridge. the access is safe. It is O.K. for boats. Parking is fine. Nothing sucks.
Getting hooked in the bottom is tough on the line and hooks. I found better hooks at the Big Bass Pro Shop. Steel not alloy. Change up the line and hooks once in a while. The sharp coral shreds monofiliment.
Every time I used my Japanese style multiple hook herring rig I caught fish.
I also was able to get fish on a 1/2 oz gold Kast-Master lure I use on the Baby Blues in Brooklyn.
A 10 pound test set up will do just fine for these.
Some of the fish I caught were:
The Yellowtail
The Mangrove Snapper
The White Grunt
The Puffer is the smart little bait stealer.
Groupers are there too, there is a large minimum on all types of grouper, they were out of season while I Was there
Also get a fishing license. I do at home. I have only been checked once but I don't want to be the fool who gets a fine.
Use sunscreen. Drink water. Have a towel. Be careful these fish have toxic spines.
One day we had a Heron following us around, he was drooling for our squid but we kept him busy with some little fish. I love feeding pelicans & other birds
We also fished from our hotel fishing pier one night. We caught a couple of fish each. I got a stone fish, which was fun. one guy got a barracuda right up to the pier when the line snapped. (No steel leader)
 |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2011 - 3:06 pm: | |
This is a report from Islamorada Florida, I am posting it here too for my continuity.
Thursday morning February 3rd I went out on the Captain Michael out of Robbie's Marina in Islamorada.
On this boat you pay up on shore then board. There is an option to buy a spot @ the back of the boat Just pay $5.00 extra and you have a spot in the stern. We did not go for that... sometimes the guys in the stern are too gung ho for us. We have seven foot spinning poles so the bow was good for us to cast (underhand of course)
In Florida there is always a safety speech... look out for the spines on the catch... let us take the fish off the hook.
The boat was pretty full, my wife and I wound up in the bow. Which was OK with us. We caught fish O.K. but as sometimes happens on a party boat our fishing was jinxed by the neighbors.
The boat was jigging for King Fish (King Mackerel) with a whole bally, various weights and 3 hooks in tandem through the ballyhoo.
Some on the boat opted to stay with the regular bottom rig ... squid, a 6 oz egg singer with 2 hooks above.
But in the bow there were 4 guys (who seemed to know the captain) jigging for the kings with a "Got-Cha" red/silver lead lure.
Well the guys in the bow got all but 2 of the kings on the boat. I think they caught 10. And what I think happens down there all the king fish went for the jigs and (almost) nobody caught king fish on the whole ballyhoo.
My wife caught an amberjack on the ballyhoo, but it was too small.
Then the boat was moved to shallow water and everybody re rigged for regular bottom fishing.
Then I got some porgies, snappers and grunts for dinner.
Some highlights on the boat were a parrot fish, some pretty good grouper and a shark.(all to be thrown back)
The mates are hard working. The boat is clean. It was basically a good trip.
Next time I'll bring some lures too. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - 11:01 pm: | |
Monday October 10th I took the Ocean Eagle 7am trip from Sheepshead Bay.
It was an extra warm day. It must have been 75 degrees at the height of the day. The sun was bright and a light breeze.
Some rolling waves were coming in but mostly just a chop in the water from the 5 to 10 mph wind. We fished off the coast of Sea Bright , NJ.
The boat was half full which I am used to on a Monday. I really like the crew and customers on this boat.
I think the captain is a black fish expert.
It was a beautiful day to be on the water.
We fished with live green crabs 2 to 4 inches wide.
To put these crabs on the hook, bring a pair of scissors (poultry scissors are good)
First cut off the legs and claws then cut the crab in half.
Take the hook and go in one claw hole (through to where you cut it in half) turn the hook and go back in to cover the point.
You can remove the outer shell just before casting, for a certain kind of bight.
Or leave the shell on to retain the juice on the trip down.
The boat rig was 2 blackfish hooks on one stiff leader,
suspended 1 inch from the bottom. 6 or 8 Oz sinker.
I had the first fish on the boat, a nice sea bass but they were out of season...
after that I caught no blacks all day. Next to me they caught a big cod... conger eel... more sea bass.
Sea robins, the mates caught and cooked a skate. I got nothing.
I took the day to get my casting together with the conventional reel.
Black fishing also always gets you hooked up on the bottom.
So, I also practiced getting unhooked from the bottom. which is good... I didn't loose too much lead this time. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 23, 2010 - 12:22 pm: | |
Thursday 10/14 I went fishing in the City Island area with my brothers... as sort of a memorial trip.
Our father had just passed away and we went to fish in one of the areas he used to take us.
We got to Jacks but all the boats were tied up for the impending storm. So we went off to Orchard Beach to fish from the jetties on either side of the beach.
The tide was low at 11:00 when we finally got out there. We comenced to fishing for blacks or stripers form the northern jetty by Twin Island. All we got was one sea robbin. Then we switched to the southern part which is the end of the paved beach walk. This area was safe to stand on and we could cast out far. Still hardly any thing caught in frustration we tied on a herring rig, which is 10 little hooks on a long line. With some clam we did get some spearing. Still no blacks or stripers or anything. So we released our crabs and worms into the wild and went to eat fried seafood at Johnnie's Reef.
This is what our father would have done. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 - 11:16 pm: | |
Tuesday 9/21/10 I went out on the Jet from Sheepshead Bay.
It was a perfect day for weather 65 degrees in the morning going up to 80.
5 to to mph breeze and a calm sea.
The Jet is a small boat known for good bottom fishing. It was a Tuesday so the boat was not too crowded. We sailed to Sandy Hook and were fishing by 7:45. cut clams were handed out, if you want worms bring your own. We started catching porgies and sea-bass right away.
These 2 mates are enthusiastic in their work. Calling out "FISH ON IN THE BOW" and "DOUBLE HEADER IN THE STERN" They were both helpful with the bait and tackle. The mates and the captain do fish, which I like... A good cook tastes the food...
The customers were a good bunch (typical blend of Brooklyn people) 2 ladies on board so the doors on the heads were kept closed.
The Jet is small and old and slow. They keep it clean, it does not stink. There is no galley. So I brought my own food. The day was so nice just a little ground swell.
After a while, when the tide was full, stripers started coming up, 5 in all. They were all keepers I don't know how big but it was awesome to see the big stripers get caught on the little porgie hooks.
The porgies stopped biting when the stripers were around. The porgies and sea-bass were picky and there were a lot of shorts so the boat moved around a few times. Once the tide started running again the fishing was better. Jumbo porgies started showing up, the kind you can fillet.
I Had 10 Porgies and 3 sea-bass which the mates cleaned and bagged for me.
This is the pool winner, (not me) Porgies only in the pool. (it was stated at the beginning)
Oh ... the fare was $52 with a $5 pool ... 6:30 AM departure back by 2:30 |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 18, 2010 - 12:20 pm: | |
Tuesday Sept 14th I fished in Coney Island off of Steeplechase Pier.
It was high tide when I got there @ 10:00am
There was not a cloud in the sky...in the 70s with a 10 to 15 mph breeze.
I had frozen spearing to try for some snappers.
I fished them on the surface with a "Popper" rig.
I fished them in some depth with a Kast Master...Nothing.
The parks dept opened up the fire hose pipe at the end of the pier and rusty water came out and turned everything brown right where I was fishing.
There was rust in the pipe.
I switched to a fluke rig (3 oz Pyramid) to break things up. Then to compare I tried non lead sinkers again. It is a spot I am familiar with and the tide falling is what I am used to.
Well I could not use the "Eco" non lead in this circumstance sinkers effectively. They can not hold bottom.
I took a trip down to Seagate to fish from the jetty... the beach and boardwalk are all closed up down by 38th street, it is hard to get to the jetty right now. There are cyclone fences all around.
So I had lunch at Nathan's and fished on the pier again. I caught no snappers at all.
While I was fishing the man who tosses a net for spearing arrived. There were schools of bait fish swimming all around. The regulars called him as they spotted schools "Bang Bong" They called him over to the end or the middle...wherever the schools could be seen. He tossed out the net over the cloud of fish and pulled them up by the hundred. As he did this he spilled the catch out onto a black net laid out on the pier. Others helped put the fish into bang bong's buckets form the black net.
He wears a straw cowboy hat, sweats and flip-flops.
%100 tanned I don't think he speaks English but he is a poet with that net.
Bang Bong will sell you some fish for bait... most go back to his house for food I think.
After that a guy hooked a Bonito at the end of the pier. He had just showed up with a crocodile and 10lb test line...first cast BOOM!
He is a regular and knows how to work the jig.
The fish spit out the spoon right next to the pier after a long fight.
That was enough for me... hours of fishing.
Tons of fun.
I need to go back when I can hit it in the afternoon. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 14, 2010 - 1:42 pm: | |
Friday August 13th my wife and I went to Midland Beach Fishing Pier in Staten Island.
It was a great day for fishing. Temps were in the 80s and there was a stiff breeze onshore. We got there at High tide 10:00 am and caught short fluke and sea robins right away from the end of the pier. We were using Squid & spearing on an English bend hook. I like the spin/glow propellor ahead of the hook. It was tough to cast into the wind but no worry all the fish were caught right next to the pier. After we had both caught some fluke I tried for some snapper blues from the onshore edge of the end of the pier. The popper rig with some extra spearing seems to get them.
Now... I tried to use non lead sinkers at first with no luck. There was some tide running so I went with the #4 "Eco" banks sinker by Jeros Tackle. I could not hold bottom I went to a #6 egg sinker still no luck... They float around down there. I have wasted my money and recycled quite a few good lead sinkers because I was going "Green".
What a waste! I don't think the Eco sinkers are any good at all.
After fishing we had great pizza at Good Fellas on Hylan Blvd. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 16, 2009 - 4:38 pm: | |
Monday Nov 16th I went out on the Ocean Eagle from Sheepshead Bay. There had been a storm offshore until Saturday so expectations were low. The Captain said "We may just be going through the motions today" in his departure announcement.
It was not a complete washout. They had green crabs for free and white (local) crabs for sale. Also there were hermit crabs to buy. Wow! those hermit crabs are a lot of work but do produce bites.
True, the blacks were slow to feed but people were catching a few fish all day long.
We fished the Jersey shore off the coast of Sea Bright. The boat moved 5 times throughout the the trip. No one spot was golden.
Kate in the galley makes great food. She is the best galley cook in Sheepshead bay. I lost 20 sinkers, it was hard fishing for me. I had one keeper late in the day, I was satisfied. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 3 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 6:18 am: | |
Flamingo Blues
Daily News, Friday Sept 8th.
In the Outdoors column, Alex Kenny wrote about the good fishing on the boat and wow was it true.
That day 6:30 am. A cloudy morning with some breeze 5-10 mph. The Flamingo III left Plumb Beach to go to Sandy Hook in New Jersey.
We arrived at the Shrewsburry rocks area and commenced jigging for blues by drifting. High tide at first so it was slow for an hour then at 8:00 we were in the fish. The sun came out and it was 75 degrees for the rest of the day. On one drift I hooked a fish on almost every cast. Everybody knew how to do this so there was not a mess of tangles. It became a point of interest who could catch a bonito or a small blue. These bluefish were 15-20 lbs. caught on silver jigs with or without surgical tubing also on the gold hammered "striper" jigs. I lost a few trying to lift fish up and over the rail. In a couple of hours everybody had enough fish. We stayed on the north Jersey coast drifting in the same area. Several party boats were doing the same by now.
I had had 10 fish already, so for fun I used a 6 inch crescent wrench with a hook and pink surgical tubing to catch 3 big blues. These fish fight like crazy. There were no stripers caught all day. Plenty of false albacore too. I had a great time.
The Flamingo is a classic boat. They keep it clean. They don't have a galley so bring your lunch. There was no heavy drinking, no card game and no smoking in the cabin. The mates are very professional and attentive to the customers. The customers are a good crowd, everybody on board brought their own pole, knew how to use it and was not obnoxious in any way. Some had spinning outfits also but it was not a light line extravaganza. The Captain talks to the fishermen more than most skippers do. He is a really nautical guy, you can tell from his vocabulary. Some party-boat captains are more like bus drivers.
This is an excellent boat to catch blues on. I have got to try the Flamingo in some other season now. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 07, 2009 - 7:09 pm: | |
Sunday & Monday Sept 6+7 I fished in Sea Bright and Rumsford area. The Ocean was too rough to fish at the beach so we concentrated on the rivers in various places. With spearing and bunker my wife and I looked for snapper blues. We used mostly a popper rig for the snappers with bait added. We started in Sea Bright at noon (high tide) on the Shrewsbury River. First at South Street , I could not find any still water to cast into, the river was flowing out fast. Then we tried just south of the Rumsford Bridge there is a small park behind the Exxon station on Rt. 35.
I caught one snapper over about an hour.
Later that night on a rising tide I fished in the hotel marina behind the Fairbanks. I caught 5 snappers in an hour from 11:00 to 12:00 midnight.
The next day about 11:00 it was still windy at the beach So we went to the North side of the Oceanic Bridge. There is a parking area and some public shoreline just to the right as you cross over into Locust. The Navesink River is wide at this point you can cast into deep water near the bridge.
High tide again we caught snappers on the spearing in 5 feet of water right by the parking area. But I wanted to try the town of Fairhaven town pier on Fairhaven road. This fishing pier is very nice. There were people catching snappers and crabs. The area seems very safe for the kids. We caught snappers, then paused to have lunch on the corner of River Road and Fairview. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 31, 2009 - 4:40 pm: | |
Monday August 31 2009 I went to the Flamingo to jig for Blues but they did not have enough customers to sail.
So I took the 1/2 day Sea Queen for Porgies & Sea Bass. The boat was packed with kids from a Junior High School. They were a good group but I wasn't expecting such a full boat.
We ran east to Jacob Riis Park and anchored a few spots. I caught 2 small Sea Bass. There were no keepers on the whole boat all morning.
This was only 2 days after a hurricane had been off shore.
I had some spearing with me so I went to Steeplechase Pier. I Had 10 snappers in a half hour.
With a popper I suspended a spearing on a small porgie hook in the middle of the pier.
One fish would eat the body then another would come and get the head and thats when I hooked them.
A man came with a big net and he was pulling up hundreds of spearing.
There were crabs being caught too.
A fun day. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 17, 2009 - 5:20 pm: | |
Monday August 17t: the last day of fluke season I fished the 37th street jetty in Coney Island.
I got there at 7:00 Am. and it was warm already. There were some guys catching snapper blues with a popper and casting them out for the fluke. I saw a man pull up a keeper.
The tide was low and falling with full sun and almost no wind. I was using squid and spearing for the fluke. I caught 2 fluke and some snapper blues too. The fluke were shorts. A couple of times the blues came close to the the jetty, everybody tied on crocodiles. No blues were caught.
Also I had a couple of small sea bass. When I say small I would say about 6 inches? Things slowed down at 10 Am and I went to Coney Island Creek Park. No luck there. It was getting hot by noon. I went to ask what the Sheepshead Bay boats would be sailing for next week
Maybe next year there will be a few more keepers.
Will buying a fishing license be a good thing? |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 14, 2009 - 2:35 pm: | |
Monday August 10th I went out to The Midland Beach Fishing Pier. What a nice place it is. The pier is huge and puts you out in 15 feet of water. There are bait boards & rod holders built into the rail.
There are 2 nice fish cleaning stations. Clean bathrooms are at the boardwalk and free parking. There is bait a few blocks away @ Aunt Phyllis's Dog Grooming and Live Bait! It was a hot day and I got there at 8:30 Am. the tide was half way up and rising. So the current was running north towards the Verazano bridge. I put my self to the left and cast spearing/squid out straight to Swinburn Island. Every cast I had a bite or caught a fish. There were plenty of short fluke to be had. This kept up till about 10:30 then thing slowed up a little. There were some people casting out for some snapper blues. Some had caught them on a popper rig. I stopped for some ice cream from the Mr. Softee Truck.
I think there was a game warden or D.E.C. man watching us throw back the non keeper fluke.
This spot takes me a little while to get to but it was worth it. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 05, 2009 - 10:04 pm: | |
Monday August 3rd I Went fishing on the Marilyn Jean IV
It was a bright sunny day 5 t0 10 mph breeze.
We sailed to the Jersey Shore for Sea-Bass and Ling (Hake).
There were few customers aboard so there was plenty of room. There was cut clams for bait and the boat was giving out a High-Low rig. 8 oz sinker.
In the morning we drifted for sea bass in 50-60 feet of water. I caught Sea Bass and other fish on every drift. Mostly shorts but the Captain shifted the boat over different sections of bottom, rocks and deeper sections produced the most fish. I had 3 keeper Bass and an Eel. I caught a BIG Flounder (out of season).
This boat has a snack and soda machine. Get lunch and coffee before.
In the afternoon we made a run further down the shore for some Ling. First a couple of drifts to zero in on the spot. Then we set anchor and caught ling like crazy. I had plenty of nice ling. they were coming up 2 at a time. I started throwing back the small ones too.
Over all I must have caught 50 fish. The pool fish was a ling. The mate cleaned the fish better than I would have done myself |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 02, 2009 - 1:21 pm: | |
Monday July 26th ... 80 degrees and sunny 10 mph breeze,
I fished in Coney Island Creek Park form 10 am to noon with no luck. The tide was coming up to full. I used spearing and squid with a fluke rig... no bites...So, I went around to the 38th street jetty. The jetty was awash so I didn't walk to the end, but I caught 2 short fluke in a half hour before it started to storm. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 9:41 pm: | |
This is not Brooklyn fishing report.
This is a Charter boat trip in the Bahamas.
July 3rd I chartered the Born Free with my Family. We left from behind the Straw Market at 8:30 am.
in a half hour we were catching grunt, and ruby snapper in 60 feet of water in sight of Atlantis & Paradise Island. The day was sunny with about 5 MPH breeze. We had spinning reels with 20 lb test and #10 Kirby hooks 12 inches off the bottom.
We were using 2 oz egg sinkers. Squid and Bally chunks. We caught yellow tails and porgies too. Then a school of triggerfish came along.
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We caught big triggerfish for a while and then quit it early to go snorkeling on a nice quiet reef / beach.
Our mate cleaned 2 of the triggerfish for us to take back to our hotel kitchen. (Very nice) The Born Free Capt Phillip and his mate John were great. We got a lot for a half day. I like the light tackle bottom fishing better than trolling for something I cannot eat. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 - 7:14 am: | |
Monday June 22nd,
Fluke season is on hold so I got some clam and sand worms and headed to Steeplechase Pier for some porgies. It was a cool and cloudy day. I got there at about 10:00 am the tide was low and still falling.
There were some folks fishing out at the end so I joined them. There were some fluke being caught towards the east. Mostly sea robins all around.
At the very end casting straight out they were catching bergalls and some short porgies. I tried for some but no luck. One man had a real keeper 12 inch porgie. I tried this for a while without success so I headed to the 38th street jetty to change my luck. Also on the jetty people were catching fluke., I went to the big block on the end of the jetty and cast straight out to the red bouy. I fished for about an hour with no luck, all I got was a crab. These fish may be biting out in deep water but not on the beach yet. At least not on a falling tide. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 02, 2009 - 5:54 am: | |
Monday June 1st,
I fished from the Jetty at 37th Street and Surf Avenue in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York.
I got there at 10:00 AM. The tide was low and coming in. Sunny with 10 to 15 mph breeze from the south-west. The fishing boats were visible up and down the whole beach.
There were no "Keep of the jetty" signs. The Jetty is fine. There were plenty of fluke biting. Everybody was casting to the west and pulling up mostly shorts. I Caught 5 fish and kept 2. I was using frozen spearing and frozen squid strips. Others had clam too with strips of fish belly. At the last 30 feet of the rocks every body hooking fluke one after another.
I had my 2 fish in an hour. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 18, 2009 - 6:26 pm: | |
Monday May 18 2009,
I took the morning half day trip out on the Sea Queen from Sheepshead Bay.
Cool and cloudy there were only 6 customers on the boat. We went around Coney Island to Seagate and Coney Island Creek. I caught fish on every drift, all shorts. 2 sea-robbins and 8 fluke.
The fluke were 12 or 18 inches. Nobody had any keepers...they gave the pool money back.
The Sea Queen mates are nice and helpfull, there was plenty of spearing and squid to go around. The boat was clean the heads were clean. We were expertly drifted through the fishing spots.
Nice Day |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 04, 2009 - 7:42 am: | |
Monday April 27
Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn,
I took a trip on the Captain Dave. It was a wonderful sunny day we had a mini heat wave in the end of April. The ad in the Daily News said "Black Fish" so I had 8 Oz sinkers and a stout rod with a Jig Master and 30 Lb line. Well, flounder fishing has started up a little early this year so we went for flounder behind the Rockaway Peninsula.
I shifted to my back-up 20 Lb spinning set up.
There were about 20 people aboard. A nice bunch. I never went on the Captain Dave before. The galley was CLEAN... the Heads were CLEAN! Cut clam & Mussels were available. I picked up some sand worms for the surf and turf. We fished outside the marine parkway bridge on an outgoing tide. there were very few flounder biting. I was using 2 Chesterton style flounder hooks with Yellow "Mr. Twister" grubs.
We tried beyond the bridge and still almost no action. The captain moved us around quite a lot. When the tide was running strong it was hard to hold bottom. Everybody increased weight to hold better but to no avail. At about 3:00 we relocated to a spot I would call Plum Beach where I hooked a couple of shorties. The mate was very good and cleaned what fish there were like a surgeon.
I wished they had tried a totally different spot like Staten Island or even Coney Island Creek, but you do not get to vote on a party boat. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 9:41 pm: | |
Memorial Day 2008
My wife and I tried to rent a skiff @ Jacks Bait and Tackle...there were none left by the time I got there.
We tried fishing at the public park right by the City Island Bridge.
Bunker chunks no bites...Sand worms and clam no bites. So, I we had lunch @ Johnnies.
The streets on City Island all have private beaches or marinas. If you trespass you will get in trouble.
But...
Behind the school on Winter Street & City Island Avenue there is some water access. After you pass the baseball diamonds there is a spot, you have to climb on some rocks but you can fish.
No luck with the chunks of bunker but there were plenty of snapper blues to be caught with my popper rig (tipped with a little bait never hurts). The tide was low and going down and the schools really came in when it turnned. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 9:20 pm: | |
July 11 200 Good sunset evening fishing in Coney Island Creek Park Right by the border of Seagate.
I caught a small fluke and a searobbin on frozen spearing. Some men caught a bluefish on raw chicken.
Quiet beach ... people fishing and sunning, nice. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 02, 2008 - 8:11 am: | |
May 29th
THIS IS A HEADBOAT STORY FROM
FLORIDA...NOT SHEEPSHEAD-BAY !
My wife and I went out on a half day boat from Key-West Florida.
The Tortuga V
78 degrees and sunny, 65 mph breeze.
A smallish Florida style catamaran party boat.
We had a good time and hooked a couple of fun Red Grouper. But they were shorts.
We had some Yellowtail snapper and grunts to keep.
The trip out is 45 min. and mostly we were fishing for small fish, all pecking away the large bait.
I found myself cutting the bait in half.
Plenty of cold squid & bally chunks.
The party boat was full of some the usual downfalls.
The "Full Gally" was crap, just candy-bars and chips. No coffee, just soda and beer.
Lots of crying for tips in the safety speech and trying to increase pool participation.
The usual spinning reel types stopping everybody else fighting big fish with light line and different bait & tackle.
Miraculously, the regular (who is a mates helper) won the pool.
There is always a Coast Guard safety message from the crew.
In Florida there are a lot of toxic spines and things to get you so be carefull.
There is no shade on this boat except in the cabin so screen up use a hat, glasses whatever.
The mates unhook all fish, if you let them.
The rig is a Knocker-rig: a #6 J hook tied right to the line through a 1 oz egg sinker.
If you can feel it a larger fish takes the bait without the pull of the sinker.
Some of these rigs were bastardized to suspend the bait 6 inches above the bottom.
We fished in 20 to 30 feet of water. There is some tide running and the boat (being shallow draft) lays to the wind.
So sometimes your line is under the boat.
Both the squid and ballyhoo are cut into chunks.
The real mates did not fish and were VERY attentive.
They would not let you unhook your own fish, really on top of the customers.
Your fish is marked and poot on ice instantly.
The boat is clean...heads ok too.
My wife was not the only lady on board.
The customers are all tourists, like me.
This is the cheapest way to go to the reef to fish in Key West.
It is 99% Charter-Boat here.
When you pull in to port, they throw you off the boat and then the pool is settled.
You get your fish while you stand on the dock.
Why? I don't know. Is this all the boats down here? I don't know.
See the giant Tarpons eat the bones as the mates fillet your fish for you.
Alonzo's, in the same marina, will cook your fillets for you! Nice place. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Username: Coopie
Post Number: 18
Registered: 8-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 02, 2008 - 6:56 am: | |
May 23rd 2008,
I went out to the Jetty @ 37th Street and Surf and found it marked "Keep Off Jetty".
I was upset...I don't how long this has been marked keep off but I think of the jetty as MY SPOT.
I did not fish there because I don't want to be chased by cops. The police have better things to do.
I am not a law breaker.
I may try from the beach in that spot but today
I was too angry.
The city will be getting an complaining letter from me.
Steeplechase pier was O.K. instead. Sea-Robins all over the pier. One skate nothing great being caught. I got a Sea-Robin.
I am going to find a new place to fish. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Username: Coopie
Post Number: 17
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 5:09 pm: | |
May 23rd 2008,
I went out to the Jetty @ 37th Street and Surf and found it marked "Keep Off Jetty".
I was upset...I don't how long this has been marked keep off but I think of the jetty as MY SPOT.
I did not fish there because I don't want to be chased by cops. The police have better things to do. I am not a law breaker.
I may try from the beach in that spot but today I was too angry.
The city will be getting an complaining letter from me.
Steeplechase pier was O.K. instead. Sea-Robins all over the pier. One skate nothing great being caught. I got a Sea-Robin.
The New Portable Carnival show in the Coney Island Amusment Area seems like good use of the site.
I am going to get my jetty back or fing a new place to fish. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 16
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 2 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 10:45 am: | |
5/8/08,
I went to Sheepshead bay to go on the Sea Queen VII. The day was warm & sunny 70 degrees and 5-10 mph breeze.
They said there was no flounders and they were jigging for blues...So, fine. I put away my flounder stuff and went out. The boat did not sail right away (engine trouble) and the mates said I could come back for the afternoon trip, for free.
I never did two half days before. It was fine. In the morning we killed the blues at brezzy point. The birds were there around the first red bouy any even though I had a rented pole and my jigging techniqe was rusty I hooked a lot and kept 3.
There were very few passengers so the mates had plenty of time to coach me.
The jig, by the way, was "A-47" regular chrome diamong jig (single hook). I had florescent pink surgical tube on mine. Some had the hammered gold jigs. It doesn't matter if your on the school you could catch them with a wrench. Three feet off the bottom big ones ... good fight.
SO after that the boat returned to shore, I had time for a dry land lunch and to buy a new jig.
The 1:00 trip was the same plenty of fish but now with a few more customers. I had plenty of fish to catch...I shared some with someone who only had one. Good fun...lots of blood...fish flying into the boat. I remember why I got into fishing. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Username: Coopie
Post Number: 14
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 02, 2008 - 11:21 pm: | |
On April 29 I wanted to take a half day partyboat from Sheepshead Bay. It was raining and Sea Queen was not sailing.
I didn't want to go out all day for flounders so I stayed on shore and finally tried Carnarsie Pier.
I got there at 8 o-clock and ther was a group fishing, I had heard the blues were running in there. I set up in the middle, fishing for flounders with one pole and blues with the other.
Casting a crocodile spoon and clams for the flounder. The tide was falling it moves pretty good here. I have to stop using multiple poles. I can't fish un attended style. I like fishing in this spot but I am catching nothing.
There is some structure right in front to the middle, you can get stuck 20-30 feet out. It seems better toward the right (west).
So I see there was at least one coctail blue pulled in before I showed up. Then this guy nammed Paul hooks a nice fish fights it in and lands it. There was some help from a big weighted trebble hook (Gaff) on a hand line. The fish was a 24 inch Weakfish. That was my guess, nobody was saying how many pounds or how long. It was a beautiful fish. Caught on bunker with a fishfinder rig. He was pretty far out, 5 oz. sinker.
I had to go get me some bluefish hooks and bunker.
So I got to the bait store and took bunker with me to Steeplechase pier.
The guys said Monday 4/28 (when the weather turnned to rain) The blue were hitting like crazy.
I fished the bunker chunks a while. I was not set for the cold rain so I only fished an hour.
There were a couple of blues caught but not by me. A little float keeps the bait up out of the sand with a 12" wire leader and a small chunk of a bunker. (next time I will too)
That is what those guys had tied on.
Clam chowder at Nathan's is good too. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 13
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008 - 8:11 am: | |
April 15 I went out on the Ocean Eagle, It was a good trip, the Captian knows good spots and moves the boat around all day to keep everybody catching.
On this day nobody got skunked. It was a real mixed bag of a catch. Sunny with 5 mph breeze.
Usually this boat is the best for Blackfish and there were lots of Blacks comming up, but mostly shorts. I caught a nice keeper, a BIG Flounder and 6 ling. There were keeper Cod too but I didn't get one. Big Eels of some kind, Conger Eel, Skates and Dogfish too. The Mates on the Ocean Eagle are decent humane guys. They don't murder the garbage spicies, just throw 'em back. No keeping shorts either. Mate Mitch and Mate Glenn are attentive and enhance the "Party" atmosphere.
The food is good too, but I keep my tummy empty on these trips, you can't get sick if you don't eat.
Sometimes there is a Striper stop in the A.M. but not today.
Good fishing with Captain Greg. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 12
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008 - 7:35 am: | |
April 7th I went to Coney Island looking for a Flounder spot. I got my clam and sandworms @ Stella-Maris and went to Coney Island Creek. First in Bensonhurst behind Home Depot, then in Bayview right at 37th St. and Bayview Avenue.
The tide was high and was starting to fall, it was sunny and windy about 50 degrees.
Nothing, no bites. I had caught Flounder from a boat in this area, so I keep trying here. Perhaps it is too early. Perhaps there are no flounder here.
Next I go to Steeplechase Pier, by this time the tide is 1/2 way out. I start right under the pier out at the end and try casting out with the tide. No flounder.
There is a man catching Skates one after the other. Then I start to get a couple too, comming from the Rockaway side. That is enough it is windy and I don't eat skate. Some fisherman are trying for Herring close to the shore, just past where the waves are breaking, But I am done. |
CaptainIDS (Captainids)
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Username: Captainids
Post Number: 1
Registered: 9-2007
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 9:55 am: | |
Are you a Licensed Coast Guard Captain?
This is for you
http://www.captainids.com/ |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 11
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 - 8:11 pm: | |
August 15 2007 I went to Sheepshead Bay to get some bait,
The man at Stella Maris Fishing Station was very helpfull about buying tackle and fishing advice.
Then at about 11:00, I went to 37th street Jetty on Coney Island Beach.
The dept. of Parks chased me off.
The tide was high and some of the rocks were awash with water.
I asked the dept of Parks employee when he thought the tide would be lower.
He had NO IDEA.
He said "probably not today".
Some thing about the pole lease. I dunno.
So I went to the Steeplechase Pier I hooked a few short Porgies on some clam.
No bites on spearing and squid.
I tried casting twards Rockaway and retrieving against the tide.
Fluke like a moving bait.
All up and down the pier not too much luck.
Back @ the Jetty I tried for some fluke but the day was hot.
I think the fish all went to deeper water.
The jetty is best in the morning.
I guess it's nice the Parks Dept looks out for the fishermen.
I just don't want all that much protection. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 10
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 11, 2007 - 6:35 am: | |
August 6 2007
I took a 1/2 day trip on the High Roller in Atlantic City NJ.
The boat is a small flat pontoon boat. There were about 20 passengers and I would say the boat was half to three quarters full.
They have 2-4 hour trips per day, they just go 5 minutes from the dock in the back bay area of the Abescon inlet. Drifting near the shore and in the channel. All in 20 feet of water. The captain gets you fishing right away. On most half day boats you travel at least a half hour to the fishing spots. On this boat you fish 3 hours and forty five minutes.
In the middle of the trip the tide stopped running and there were no fluke being caught, so we rode to a bridge in the bay and all caught small sea bass in the deeper water around the bridge supports. I should say all the sea bass were shorts and on the whole boat only 3 keeper fluke were caught (They call them flounder in A.C.).
It was quiet and low stress, no waves, no card game, beer is allowed but nobody was getting drunk. There is no cabin exept for the toilet and the boat is totally open so they don't sail on bad days. Bait was cut strips of mackerel and a good supply of live killies. I also brought some squid. I caught 6 fluke and 5 sea bass, all shorts.
There is another party boat in the harbor with half and three quarter day trips but it seemed like the usual type of trip.
I would reccomend this boat but don't expect any doormats. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 9
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Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 4:55 pm: | |
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
Thursday May 7
I took the morning half day on the Sea Queen.
The boat was half full so everyone fished on the starboard side, each drift was favored to the right side.
Plenty of nice spearing, No squid (bring your own).
The boat's tackle was regular fluke hook on a long leader & 6 Oz. sinker
I started out like that but switched to 8 Oz.
We drifted in in Coney Island Creek with no hits at 8:30.
Then at 9:00 we started drifting across the end of Seagate by the light house. On these drifts everyone caught fluke (mostly shorts).
Next a few drifts across the south shore of Seagate between the 38th street jetty and the lighthouse. This is when I started catching (shorts).
Finally at 11:00 we drifted by the Steeplechase Pier.
Also I pulled up fluke.(all shorts) right in front of the Parachute.
Some Sea Robbins, Crabs, Skates.
Excelent trip!
The mates are great.
The Captain is skilled in this type of fishing.
Last year I would have had 4 fish.
This new minimum is huge. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 8
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Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 4:25 pm: | |
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
So far in 2007 the only Fishing day I had was in May onboard the Ocean Eagle.
Those guys really know bottom fishing.
I had a great day, caught fish and enjoyed the sun.
The food onboard is good and the mates treat you well.
No pool fish for me though. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 7
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, October 09, 2006 - 3:07 pm: | |
Please look at this... it is sad.
BY WARREN WOODBERRY JR. and JANE H. FURSE
DAILY NEWS 10/9/07
A BROOKLYN college student was presumed drowned yesterday after he fell into the roiling wa¬ters off Breezy Point, Queens, during a fishing expe¬dition with his father and friends. Karl Heinzen, 21, of Park Slope, and five others started fishing off a slippery jetty short¬ly after dawn yesterday, said Karl's father, Jerome Heinzen. They had been fishing about halfway out on the algae-cov¬ered rock, and Karl had caught two striped bass shortly before a wave crashed over the jetty, pushing him into the water about 7:30 a.m.
"I went to try and help him, and I got pushed in by a wave Karl Heinzen myself," said his father, who was still in shock.
Heinzen said his son — a sophomore at the New School — was "an excellent swimmer and a strong man" and managed to struggle out of his heavy wad¬ers, but the powerful current swept him out toward a party boat, the Dorothy B., as the crew struggled to rescue him.
"They almost saved him; they were so close. I can see him reaching for a buoy, but by that time he was probably too tired," said the father. He called it "kind of ironic" that his son worked on the Dorothy B. dur¬ing his last two years in high school.
A police helicopter and scuba teams, as well as Fire Department, Coast Guard and U.S. park per¬sonnel, almost immediately began searching for the young man, but the strong current forced the search operation to stop until conditions improved, about 2:30 p.m.
As the search continued, the father returned to the scene with his wife and a young woman. The three sat together near the jetty, waiting to hear whether the young man's body had been found.
"I'm holding up okay, but my wife is who I have to deal with," said Heinzen.
Fishermen who frequent the area said the jetty is a popular spot off the point, which divides the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay, but yesterday's wind and high tide created deadly conditions.
"This is a very, very bad place. You have to observe Mother Nature. Most experienced guys know not to go when it's full moon or high tide," said William Si¬mon, 43, of Manhattan, who volunteers as a rescue ranger in the Rockaways.
Simon said when he went out there on Saturday, the waves were 12 feet high — and yesterday condi¬tions wouldn't have been much better.
PLEASE! do not let this happen to you. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 6
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2006 - 7:58 pm: | |
I went fluking with my wife at Fort Tilden’s Fisherman’s Beach
Sunday August 6th. The tide was coming in. 1:00 in the afternoon
The day was bright, with a nice 10-15 mph on shore breeze.
The water is still cool for August.
Fort Tilden is part of the Gateway National Recreational Area
The access for fishermen is outstanding. It is like going to a club in the Hamptons. You must have a parking pass. Or you can walk in, it is a long way from the Q-22 bus.
Bicycles are O.K. too.
The United States Government has set aside the most beautiful beach in New York City for YOU to fish off. The areas you can go are gorgeous. I am just scratching the surface of the great fishing spots you can go to in Gateway.
Get the pass at The Fort Tilden Visitor’s Center. After you leave the visitor’s center go west on Rockaway Point Blvd. to Beach 193rd street, make a left and go towards the Beach Club.
Turn before the guard house for the club parking lot make a left into federal property. You will see the conservationist and other federal signs. Don’t mess up the habitat.
There is a turn off that goes to the old artillery gun positions, seeing them is like being in a science fiction film. Go to the end of the road there is a parking lot. At the parking lot there are bathrooms, there is no running water but they are not bad, considering. Trash cans are available if you have soda cans or coffee cups to get rid of, that’s nice too. There is not a lot of trash around this place. People are considerate around here.
We parked and went to the beach on the paved road. You can take a cart on the road. Then we took one of the walkways to the beach. The beach is not wide and little jetties stick out into the waves. This separates the different spots on the beach. We came to the beach and to enjoy the sun and catch some fluke. During the week the area is empty, but today there are people clustered at the end of each walkway across the dunes. We went down the road to the 2nd walkway there was plenty of room to set up chairs and fish.
The water is nice, you can splash around but it is not for swimming. There is a steep slope to the beach and considerable rip in the tide. The slope is good for fishing. You can cast out 10 yards and be in 20 feet of water by my estimation. We fished with frozen spearing and squid strips. Also frozen sand eels. 3 oz. pyramid sinkers were plenty to hold bottom.
The other fishermen tell me live bait is better. (I know that!)
We only got one Sea Skate between us after a couple of hours trying.
Then we went to get fried seafood on dry land.
It was a good day fishin’ but not too much catchin’ |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 5
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 4:48 pm: | |
I went fishing on Rockaway Point on August 18th.
The day started out cloudy and windy.
I was going for fluke in a place I had never tried.
In the Gateway National Recreation Area, Breezy Point, on the point.
I had seen this spot for years from the deck of party boats.
There is a large jetty on the tip of Rockaway Point.
It takes a long time to get there but it is worth it.
To get there takes a while: first you must obtain an on or off road fisherman’s parking pass (off road is better).
Then go to the very end of Rockaway Point Blvd. @227th street. Just past the Breezy Point Surf Club is the regular fisherman’s parking lot.
You park there then follow the access road to the off road parking lot. On the way you pass tall high grass and you can look in on the Surf Club.
I could tell my little car could not go on the access road. There are big ruts and long stretches of un packed sand. The stuff is hard to walk on. I realized on the way that every step must be repeated on the way back. I was glad I only had one pole and a small amount of tackle.
You have to walk about a half mile to get to the beach. When you pass the Surf Club you can see acres of unspoiled dunes. There is a fence marking the trail. There are signs about fishing and wildlife preservation. It is apparent you are on preserved land. I appreciate seeing allot of nice beach. The special bushes and pines that only grow in a place like this are awesome. This is what it must have looked like when the Dutch explorers were on the beach in the 1500s.
I have seen no one out here but there is a ranger type vehicle parked in the Off Road Parking Lot. If you could drive to this spot it would be awesome. I don’t mind the long journey, It has prepared me for what I am about to see.
As I pass onto the beach I am blown away by the vastness it is about 1000 feet from the dunes to the water. There is not a single person on the whole beach. The day is still about half sun and clouds and the view is stunning. I start walking towards the point. There is the usual marine debris around but is so perfectly placed. I could not imagine a nicer landscape. The occasional bits of wood or other human remnants are so worn from being in the surf they are now a part of nature.
I was amazed at the fantastic view and quiet surroundings. It is hard to believe what a great spot is here in New York City. It is worth it to come here. It is like Montauk or Key West you are at “THE END” it is worth the trip.
I have a long walk ahead of me. I am walking at the high tide mark where the sand is a little firmer underfoot. You can walk better than in the loose dry sand.
On the way there are the usual flocks of sea gulls standing around, but there are some other birds. Little ones, lots of them they are afraid of me and keep away. The little birds are right where the waves are hitting the sand. As the water recedes the birds run towards the ocean looking for food I presume. Then the water comes back up the beach and the birds all run to keep dry. This cycle repeats over and over. The birds never get tired. There are so many of them. They are all walking so fast. It is fun to watch.
I now am coming towards the jetty. I notice it is much bigger than Coney Island.
There was no rain but he tide was high and the surf pounding onto the jetty kept it wet.
I did not venture out to the tip, it seemed hazardous. I had no idea the thing was this huge from passing by on the water.
The jetty is made from huge stone blocks and there are gaps between the stones that look dangerous to me. On another day I will try top go out to the tower at the end of the jetty.
On the jetty there was another man working 2 poles.
I started in for fluke with a 3 oz sinker and a single English bend fluke hook.
2 spearing and a strip of squid each time. The water is deep right off the jetty. I fished for about an hour. I did spend some time hooked up for a striper but no luck. I was enjoying the scenery and the seabirds so much I don’t think I was doing my best fishing.
I caught a sea robin.
I then got down off the jetty and tried off the beach for a while.
The beach here has a fast pitch. Wading in to the surf only a few paces and I was in to my waist. There is a noticeable undertow. Do NOT go to this beach with waders,
The tide is tough. I could not cast effectively past the breakers. When I did I would find my line down the beach with the tide in 3 feet of water
Later it started to clear but I had to go, on the way back the sun came out it was about 2:00 I felt the hot sun and the breeze slowed down. If only this had happened an hour ago. I think the fluke like to see the bait and a little sunshine helps.
Now there were a few cars in the off road lot. There were some surfers coming in. I think this is a good surfing day.
There are some beach goers down the beach. If you are part of the beach club or have a house in Breezy Point you have a spectacular spot on the beach with lifeguards. But this is not for me.
As I was coming off the beach onto the access road I smelled something funky. I thought it was some squid juice on by shirt but it had a smell of garbage too. The smell came and went as I walked to my car. I though nothing about it until the next day when I heard on the news about a strange smell on Staten Island and The Rockaways. Perhaps I smelled it.
Returning always seems faster to me than going somewhere. I got back to my car in about a half hour. I will try this again next season. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 4
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 23, 2006 - 7:47 pm: | |
Thursday 9/21
The day was a warm still day with humid sun on and off
I fished the Hutcheson River in Mount Vernon. The Hutcheson river is navigable from it’s mouth in Eastchester Bay up to about the Sanford Avenue exit of the Hutcheson River Parkway. Further upstream the river is quite small and quite fresh and there is a small lake where the river gets wide at Wilson Woods Park, Mount Vernon.
I tried to gain access to the river right at the Bronx County line under the Boston Post Road bridge. On the Westchester side of the bridge there are 2 scrap yards right on the water. I went down under the bridge, outside one scrap yard there was a man and woman working out of their pick up stripping the copper wire out of lighting fixtures. I asked if they knew of any fishing down there. No … so I did try to see if I could get to the water.
Under the tall bridge the shore was held back by bulkhead on both sides. The water was green like the Hudson. I think all salt to ¾ tidal backwater. The water was moving downstream at 3 to 5 MPH, I could not get to the water without doing some obvious trespassing. Also the wire strippers might have eyes for the copper in my car.
So I headed upstream to the next place where I could get access.
This is tough urban shore fishing.
Always in view is the big up and over the river pipeworks behind Modell’s…this place is on the edge of Westchester and the Bronx.
I stopped on South Fulton Ave between Edison Avenue and Secor Lane. There is a little bridge.
I have is some thawed squid. I will stop for a short while. So I chum my squid tentacles as I tie on a freshwater size hook. I am on the bridge and I drop my line with the current, it goes under the bridge. The river banks are all concrete around here. I think I will catch nothing, I chum some more eyeballs and check my bait (a wing). Then I changed my bait and fished a while more. Nothing.
Then I wrap it up and go back to work in a sort of warehouse…It was a good day. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 17, 2006 - 7:55 pm: | |
Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island - Brooklyn NY.
I went to Steeplechase pier on September 14th. About 12:00 Noon
It was raining with 10 to 20 mph winds blowing from the East.
The tide was almost high and coming in more.
I tried fluking with spearing and squid strips for about an hour, at the point where I saw people taking fluke before. But I had no luck. I had crab activity and some small bites. It was raining constantly.
Then I tried for some baby blues. (sea birds showed up) I used a surface popper with a trailing hook rig that did me fine before. I added a spearing to the surgical tube covered hook…nothing.
Sometimes the rain would take a break and the wind would slow down.
The pier was almost empty.
Some were getting 3 inch long snappers about ½ way out.
If the pier is shaped like a letter “t” I would say the middle is the cross in the “t”.
I was looking at the end and thought I saw some catching so I went out to the end.
I tied on a Porgy rig and used some frozen clam. Right away I got bites from porgies.
They were shorts, but I found I could just drop straight down and get all the bites I wanted. I kept pulling up short porgies until the clam ran out.
Small bait is good, so they take it in one bite. Just cover the hook. Going from the end, to 50 feet in, on the west side of the pier. I just walked the line to different spots along the rail. You can’t do that on a busy day. I got a 6 inch sea bass too. When the clam was gone so were the porgies. The squid that I had for fluke bait was no use with the porgies. I was cold so I was done.
On the way back towards the parachute I saw the snapper blues were being caught on what I think is a shad rig. A 4 foot leader with small hooks standing 3 inches off the main line every 10 inches. The hooks are dressed with a bit of tinsel. There is a loop at the bottom for a small sinker. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
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Post Number: 2
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Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 - 5:52 pm: | |
Coney Island
Tuesday 8/29/06
I went fluking on the shore at Suicide Jetty 38th and Surf Avenue. It was rainish (not raining) and the tide was all the way in. I was all alone and the rocks were awash. I did not go on to the jetty. I was satisfied to fish in about 10 feet of water where I could stand on the sand. I was not going out to the end alone, if you fall it could be fatal. I decided my physical well being was more important than the good casting location.
There is a “rip” at the end of the jetty that works when the tide is going in or out. I just wasn’t in it. I was getting wet and my reel was getting sandy. So packed up and went to the pier.
The Coney Island Pier (Steeplechase Pier) was fun. I only took bait and one pole from my car. It was raining by now. I didn’t want to commit to a whole thing out there. I was sorry. I cast out and my rig got caught up in some sunken car or rock or something. So I gave a guy my bait and had a look around.
Every one was catching porgies, snapper blues and fluke. Didn’t see / hear of any big blues or stripers or weakfish. The guys were catching snappers on the popper rig with a teaser. One guy pulled up a triple header of porgies. He was using clam. I saw a nice fluke pulled up and other fluke in buckets.
My next day out I am going to try the pier and the jetty. |
John Cooper (Coopie)
New member
Username: Coopie
Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2006
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 6:04 pm: | |
Suicide Jetty
Posted by John Cooper on August 23, 2006, 4:50 pm
In New York City, Brooklyn. There is the last (western most) jetty on 38th and Surf Ave on Coney Island. They call it "Suicide Jetty" because being the last it could be where you go to end it all.
It is the best shore fishing spot I have found. I catch Blues and Fluke and sometimes Porgies on this jetty. Fisherman have to be carefull, the rocks can be slippery. There is no lifeguard around and you CAN fall and crack your head open and drown. So please be careful!
Monday I caught 2 keeper fluke on frozen squid and spearing. I favor an English bend hook and use a 3 way swivel with a 3 oz pyramid sinker. Just cast out with the tide and retrieve slowly. If the tide is running toward Staten Island cast to the right, toward Rockaway cast to the left. The keepers are out there now.
For porgies cast straight out towards the bouy a dual Porgies rig with clam and/or sandworm gets them in August and September.
Blues and the occasional Striper are caught too. I get Blues on a Crocodile spoon. Sometimes a Blue gets my Fluke bait.(fun suprise)
Coney island pier has allot of spectators and people looking for a handout. But at Suicide Jetty it is a good crowd. Nice people no tangles no fighting for space. Everybody gets along. Fishing has no guarantee but this is a good spot to try. |
NORMAN SCHWARTZ (The_schwaz)
New member
Username: The_schwaz
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 4:55 am: | |
OCT 20 05 ME AND A FRIEND WENT TO TILDEN BREZE PT. AND THE MAINT YD. FISHED THE OUT GOING TIED. NOTHING.FISHED FOR ABOUT 5 HRS NOT A BITE NOT A NIBEL.NOTHING WE WENT HOME. GOT A CALL SAYING THAT THEY WERE CATHING STRIPPERS AT TILDEN.EVERE WERE. SHOULD HAVE STAYED. THE SHWAZ. |
JKAk (Striper101)
New member
Username: Striper101
Post Number: 6
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 15, 2005 - 6:36 am: | |
Yesterday I got my lure and was casting it like 60 times and on one of the throws I messed up and well when that fish hit I didn't feel like I messed up, it was a pretty nice size blue. |
JKAk (Striper101)
New member
Username: Striper101
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 07, 2005 - 5:32 am: | |
lol,wow Sheephead's Bay is a weird place cause sometimes the fish arent there and sometimes there is just nothing(Empty) and sometimes there are fish but no one catches. Me my dad and my friend went up to find some boat to go on, (first time my friend was going so he was scare)first boat with him that we went on was for flukes (I forgot the name but it was a half a day trip)and my friend pulled out the pool fish, so the other time we went was for blues which i liked the most out of all i have been too, they use a rig and i just was the luckiest person on board every second I was pulling out Blues which were pretty nice, my dad caught 4 and I lended my rod to my friend and he pulled out the fish, so he got 1. It was a total of 12 fish, I pulled out mostly 6-7 pounds and one 10 or 11 pound fish, it was quite I should say...any other good baots out there, if there is or any lures or rigs working really well for fish email me back at Andymil2003@hotmail.com
THANKS ALOT!! |
friend (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 05, 2005 - 6:15 am: | |
the guy who fished on memorial day should bring a scale next timw |
Roy (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 30, 2005 - 2:38 pm: | |
Memorial Day fishing at Sheepshead Bay was great. Blue fish & Bass plentyful. The boat I was on caught 15 bass 25lb to 40lb average. Tons of Blue Fish. Other boats did well also. |
BigBass
Unregistered guest
Rating:
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2002 - 1:44 am: | |
Subject: FISHING IS LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Go and see the fish I have caught off the beach!
http://www.reelcollector.com/gallery.htm |
HOOKT
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 09, 2002 - 5:58 pm: | |
Subject: NO FLOUNDER
Where are all the flounder? If things don't pick up, someone needs to take notice - we could have an ecological issue on our hands.
Party boats are coming up empty, despite their best efforts. All efforts are appreciated, but if I don't catch any fish, I'm waiting for striper season... |
HOOKT
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2001 - 6:18 pm: | |
Subject: Fat lady singing?
Fished the sea queen this weekend. Nice weather but the Stripers aren't biting. |
