Conference wahoo::fishing

    If it's any help we've been hitting blues fairly steady down here
    in NJ. However, they have been acting very strange... some days
    they're picky as hell, one day they are all ~7-8 # the next day
    under 2#, the third day totally mixed. To show how strange, last
    weekend a pod of fish were breaking water, and as 4 poppers hit
    the water they spooked! Note: our water temps are still in the low
    to mid-50's this could be delaying things up north.
    
    Bagel
    

    Launched out of Westport, MA last week and just as we were breaking
    out into open water we catch sight of gulls jumping the chop about
    half a mile out. Several boats were taking school blues around 2-4 lbs.
    
    I was after Blacks at Hens & Chickens so didn't stop, but just in
    case..we dropped our speed to troll and two lines in our wake. Took
    one smallish Blue which kept us from being skunked.
    
    "THEY'RE BACK"
    

    Thanks for the feedback on the blues. Yes they are a strange lot.
    Sometimes you do real well, and other times u wished u didnt bother
    makin the trip. Its still early up in Mass as well, although the
    2 local papers claim Buzzards Bay is the place, along with MArtha
    Vineyard and Nantucket. Being mostly a shore fisherman, its most
    helpful to find out where there at least have been, as mostly
    your pretty much captive to the place you drive to, when theres
    an all day plan. We measured the temp up here last week, and it
    was about 52 degrees down at Cape Cod Canal. Keep in touch....

    Forgot to mention that the surf fishing near Westport seemed to
    be going well. Several folks on Horseneck beach and out on the point
    rocks were taking strays from the schools I saw from the boat.
    
    Jerry
    

    Yep, the blues are here, I went out last Tuesday June 2 and there
    were bluefishing working from Westport River Bridge all the way
    out to Horseneck Beach. Surf fishing was excellent with blues in
    the 2 to 4 lb range. We mange to catch and release over 50 fish
    all on poppers.
    
    Russ

    Thanks for info on Horseneck Beach, ill have to give it a try. Ill
    see if I can return the favor, when I connect wherever I find them.
    The first chance I get will be this weekend. 

    Has anyone seen signs of the fearless BLUEFISH yet?
    
    Where and when?
    
    Erik.

                 
    
     Nothing yet. It's still too early for them. At least that's 
 what I was told.
     Any cod hitting off of Plum island?
    
    
                        anonymous

    See note 364.
    

    we caught very good blues out of woods hole on the cape.  Ave 14-18lbs.
    We were using hering, and tring for bass but the blues hit the bait
    as befor the bass had a chance.
    
    Also last week I went out of Pocasitte sp?  and got some nice small
    fish 3-7lbs range.  The price is already falling at the market,
    we only got $0.35/lbs which is a little low for this time of year.
    
    Bassin Bob
    

     I talked with a friend of mine in Maine last night.  He said that
    the tuna boats out of Portsmouth, NH and Ogunquit, Me reported seeing
    several schools of blues around Boone Island and the Isles of Shoals.
    Should be in anytime now.
    Jeff

    I picked up about a half dozen off the beach last wed. (6/13). 
    They were all in the range of 4-7 lbs.  I was listening to some
    boats on the radio and it sounded like they were in and out of small
    schools of 10-14 pounders.  The ones I caught on the beach were
    kind of lazy, they really had to be enticed to the lures.

    HEY "Joe D"
    	Raised from the dead, are ya?
    I hit about 20 in the 8-12 lb range on sat 20th. Breaking BLUES
    on big ZARA-SPOOK's. South of the BAY BRIDGE in MD.
    
    
    				BUCKETMOUTH

    Nice to hear from you Joe D!
    
    It was getting kinda lonely in "southern" saltwater arena. But not
    as lonely as DelMarVa. (Sorry Bucketmouth)
    
    I'm "grounded until the new little angler shows up, so how's about
    some reports from Island Beach so I can really get frusrtrated?
    
    Rich
    

    It happened again last Sunday at Island Beach.  I need some help
    understanding this one.  All the fish I caught on Sunday and most
    of the ones last week were on a dead stick baited with mullet. 
    While that stick was in the rod holder I tried some casting with
    a lighter outfit.  I saw at least a dozen or more blues follow my
    lures, bump them a few times and then leave for something better.
     I tried various metals, bucktails, poppers and swimmers, and the
    results were always the same.  I also tried different retrieve speeds
    and various depths.  What would cause them to take dead mullet so
    readily, yet pass up a tasty piece of metal?  HELP
    
    JOE

    It is evident that the blues are fully aware that they have to fill
    the gap created by the decline in striped bass populations. Therefore,
    they have developed the technique of thoroughly teasing anglers
    using artificial lures. These fish are totally aware of the frustration
    level anglers experience when casting lures for bass, and have taken
    it upon themselves to maintain our frustration. Unlike bass however,
    blues are still suckers for meat, dead or alive.
    
    Seriously.... what size where the fish which were biting? Up at
    the Hook we have noted this behavior and can usually get some hook-ups
    by using very small plugs like 1/2 and 7/8 oz Atom poppers. Most
    of the time when this happens, it turns out that the blues are feeding
    on grass and sand shrimp. Next time check the stomach on the first
    one you beach- if it has shrimp in it think SMALL. 
    
    BTW- lot's of fun taking blues under 5# on a 7 ft. graphite rod
    with 6# line and little lures.

    Well, I didn't join the planned trip to Cape Cod this past weekend
    but those who did said they saw some pretty good action out on North
    Beach (Orleans) at the channel created by the breakthrough into
    Pleasant Bay. Lots of folks fishing from the shore along the channel.
    Spotty Blues but some good action at times. Any other Cape updates
    out there?  

I'm off for another full week of fish'n in a couple weeks (this time though
my partner has the week off too!) and would like some info on fishing for
blues.

I've only done this once, with an old friend that I met up with gain via
these notes. (You still out there Gary C.?) We went to Plum Island and 
did some durfcasting for blues, but they wern't running.

So, I'd like to find out where and when I should go during our week off.
Do they run with tides usually?  or does it vary all the time...?
And, are there any places around here (within a couple hours or so of 
Nashua) that allow 4x4's and beer on the beach???  I know NH doesn't 
alow beer on the beach, I'm pretty sure Maine does, don't know about Mass...

Don Mac

PS:  I'm open for suggestions on other types of fish'n as well!  We're a 
couple of BASSADDICTS who are going to try and fish for some of the other
fish out there this week (Aug 17-21).  We have a small V, a canoe, plenty
of tackle and plenty of time!

    Don,
      Try taking your 4x4 down to Nauset beach in Orleans.  I believe
    that they still sell non-resicent stickers for the beach, and the
    fishing is good.  The first place I would head once I was on the
    beach is towards Eastham.  When you run out of beach start fishing,
    at the cut_thru.  If that doesn't produce head the other direction
    towards Chatham and try the many holes. (hole = the space between
    two sandbars).  As far as tackle, if there hitting anything should
    work.  If your with a buddy, one of you could try a diving plug
    and one a surface lure.  Good luck
    Jeff
     P.S. Call the town hall in Orleans and find out what they _require_
          for standard equipment for beach vehicles.  I think they make
          sure you have a jack, board, shovel, tow rope, and probably
          some other safety equipment.

    I was just out on Plum Island yesterday and there was no action
    although the local ranger said they've gotten a few legal size bass
    in the past two weeks.
    
    The area he suggested (as we were leaving) is just south of the
    tern nesting area at the north end of the reserve area. It seems
    that the botton drops off fairly fast in that area. I should have
    followed the serious surfcasters, the ones with the big 4x4 campers
    with about 2 dozen poles hanging on the outside.
    
    If you have all the equipment you can get the oversand permit for
    your vehicle. You are restricted to one area until 6:00 PM after
    which you can head to your favorite spot. The ranger did warn that
    the area he suggested is very soft sand so be sure your vehicle
    can handle it.

    Nick

    Don,
    	So you did some durfcasting ? Is this any reflection on the
    person doing the fishing :-)
    
    RAYJ
    
    	Sorry Don, I couldn't let that go by. Joe probably won't either.
    That is if his reply isn't already there by the time I hit <CR>.

    When I reread that typo I KNEW someone would take off on that one...
                                                
    But I figured it would come from an offended surfcaster thinking
    I was calling them a `durf'!
     
    But come on now RayJ, from an all around fishing type of guy, with
    a 4x4, who lives out towards the beach - I figured you could do better 
    than bust'n me!
                                                            
    You take your Toy to the beach for surfcast'n much???
                   
    Don Mac - who wouldn't mind hooking on to a striper or 2
    
                           

Naw, Ray...I didn't say anything 'cause I just knew you wouldn't let it slip 
by.  Does that mean Don's gonna become an avid DURF_FISHERMAN??


-hsj-

    re:4x4 Toy's on the beach
    
    	A little off the subject but mine came with mud and snow radials
    which don't cut it on beach sand. You can make it in low range but
    you might have to let air out of the tires. If you want to go on the
    sand you really need to have the tires for it. You need something wide 
    with good floatation. That way you won't break down the dunes, and it's
    also a lot less wear and tear on the truck.

    RAYJ

    Ray, mine has `Desert Duelers' on it, which are a little bigger
    than normal stock Toy jobs, but I have no idea if they are as good
    in the sand as their name would imply, they're not that big....
    I'll probably try the sand at least once, just to see what it's
    like... I'll bring along the normal stuff, as well as a tire gauge
    and a little compressor to re-inflate the tires (if it comes to
    deflating) - I'm sure I can get all sorts of info on that from the
    4WD notesfile... don mac
    
          

I can see the headlines now of the Cape Code Gazette...

"Brown Toyota 4x4 seen floating through the canal today and headed out to 
sea.  The skipper of the barge(?) was heard yelling frantically as he 
proceeded to bail feverishly.  Only fragments of his yelling were 
recognizable, '...washed out by big wave..(glub, glub)...Plum Island... 
(glub, glub)...no blues...(glub)...tried trolling...'  Unfortunately, no one 
seemed that concerned as the tide carried him away."

Post Mortem:  if it's brown...and it floats...it's gotta be ____!    
          

    Went out on a small charter boat out of Seabrook, NH the other day.
    Ended up with 56 blues in the 12 to 15 lb range between  the seven
    of us. Fished the area around the Isle of Shoals.
    
    This is the first time I've ever caught any blues, now I know what
    the excitement is all about. What a fight.
    
    Nick

      Did you guys throw any of them back?  Just curious.
    Jeff

    Really couldn't throw them back since the only way to bring them
    into the boat was with the gaff hook.
    
    The boat captain/owner filleted them on the boat, producing two
    approx 2 lb fillets per fish. They're going out to friends, neighbors,
    people I pass on the street,...
    
    We never got a pool started on the way out, and just my luck I got
    the most at 16 fish.
    
    Big bluefish barbeque tonight.

    
    Any favorite recipes, I need the book "101 Ways to Fix Bluefish".
    
    Nick

     I think the best way to cook blue fillets is on the grill.  I love
    em cooked this way.
    
    Jeff
    p.s. Tell the capt. to invest in a net.  Since blues don't freeze
    well, I find it kind of a waste keep more then I can eat within
    a weeks time.  No flame intended, I just don't want to see blues
    in the same fate as stripers.

    
    If you've got a smoker try smoking them.  Chickory or applewood
    works well.
    
    Does anyone have any names or numbers of party boats that go out
    for blues, I'll go anywhere from boston up to maine.  I don't
    have a 4x4 and hate sitting on the beach for hours upon end when
    they're not biting.
    
    BTW, did you run into any mackeral while you were out?
    
    Erik

    There were a few party boats that fished the same area and left
    from the same dock as this private charter we took in Seabrook.
    Don't know what its like onboard or what their ours are. The name
    of the place is Eastman's charter boats, you might try information
    for their phone number.
    
    Didn't get any mackeral, only a few dogfish besides the blues.
    
    I've got myself down to about a half dozen fillets after the
    22 I started with. I understand about the waste, probably wouldn't
    take so many next time. Friends are enjoying them.
    
    Nick

               			HMPH!!
    
    durf????       Durf????? DUrf?????? DURF?????????
    
    
    Don, there are some pretty stiff rules re vehicles on Nauset (and
    most ) beaches. See GENRL::4WD - all the T's & C's are spelled out
    there .
    
    DURF????????????????????????????
    
    Re: Blues in quantity-  If you're catching more than you want...
    try lifting 'em into the boat instead of gaffing. Re: the use of
    a net...most folks (esp. chartermen) don't want to buy a new net
    for each trip - they don't call them "choppers" for nothin'.
    
    Bagel  _who's_going_durf-fishing_tomorrow_

    We've used the same net for a whole season with out having any
    problems.  On many of those trips we caught in excess of 50 fish.
    
    Jeff

    Yea, thanks Bagel, I've been into the 4WD notes and got all the
    rules for the area that I want to fish, I'm all equipped and ready
    to go - next week...!
    
    Don Mac
    

    re nets for blues.  One thing that seems to work well for me not
    only in prolonging the life of nets, but also waders and fingers
    is removing treble hooks and replacing them with singles.  If you
    can do it without screwing up the action of the plug its worth it.
    You might loose a few fish, but with blues, who cares.
    
    Hey Beach Bagel, Howd ya do?
    

    I too prefer not to injure or kill blues so I've tried a new method
    of gaffing through the lower jaw. This is somewhat difficult at
    times but with a good eye and a quick hand you can save those blues.
    Also you get no blood all over the boat plus the fish is under control.
    Another tip, try using a pair of longggg chanel lock type pliers
    for the removal of those hooks. 
                                                
    
    
    				Let's enjoy without killing
    
    						Jim

    Ok, Ok, I'll never suggest that again (not using nets for blues).
    
    Re: .29
    Good "point" Joe..changing hooks. 
    
    Re how I did: 8/8 - not much, 1 small repeat small blue and 3 fluke
    (2 keepers) for 4 hours of fishing.
    		  8/11 after work  1 fluke and 1 short striper in ~2.5
    hours.
    
    Note: last year right around this time I saw areal, honest-to-Gawd
    striper blitz one morning. Time to test the wife's patience.