What you catch this year.

[cocoflea]

I've been reading alot of posts and it seems that there are mixed feelings about this past year so I'll ask What did you catch this year? I had a slow start, but I say it was a decent year the Blues where the main catch and I was getting them up to 16# before my shoulder gave out. I wish I caught bigger Stripers it did seem like everyone but me was getting the big ones so it wasn't a bad year but it wasn't a banner year for me.

[Anthony]

I started out the year party boat fishing on the Morning Star in april and caught the 3 biggest tog I've ever caught. I went out with the boat again the next month and me and my girlfriend limited out on sea bass and I won the pool with a 7 lb tog. I then started pier fishing at choptank july and caught a bunch of croakers. I then went on a headboat in Ridge with a P&S buddy and caught my first few stripers of the year and more croakers. Then the first clean-up came along and the fun began. That's where I caught my first striper from shore, luck of course :), and met a lot of P&S members for the first time. Then it was the biweekly fishing with Jason that ended up being weekly fishing trips with Jason. We ended up catching a decent number of blues, including Jason's biggest to date, a good number of stripers, a few croakers, a couple flounder, a few tog, and a bunch of jumbo spot over the summer. Then came our 4 day fishing trip in October and we caught a bunch of stripers including 3 over 28 inches and a few tog as well. Fishing seemed to slow down after that but it finished with a bang on the Grizzly charter trip. Overall this was one of the better years of fishing for me and was glad that I got to meet so many of you and hope to meet even more of you in the future.

[cocoflea]

That is one thing I will do this coming season is to fish with my fellow P and S family.

[Anthony]

Yeah I will agree to that. I may have had a good year catching fish, but I had an even better year meeting new friends.

[Wilber]

Bad, Bad Year.
No Spring fishing, not much summer fishing, Fall bad.
Out of the 4 surf tournaments we fished 3,34,9 and 3, not very good at all.
My highlight this year was the Kitty Hawk deal and I didn't catch a fish, but I did meet a great bunch of P&S anglers.

All in all 03 can go away without any regrets.

I am fishing 1/1/04, it's got to get better.

[Orest]

Started surf fishing in late July at SPSP; the first few trips got skunked, then I joined P&S, asked a lot of questions and got a lot of great advice in return; then I started to catch my share of spot and croaker at SPSP. Also caught a few small striper there and a few blues.

After Sept. 15 and the hours at SPSP changed, started fishing the Tank. Caught one nice trout and my first keeper striper there. Then came the PLO cleanup and meet several members of P&S; great time, great food and great conversation with everyone, but no fish that day.

Fished PLO a couple of times after that and nothing.

Been fishing Cape Henlopen Pier lately and caught about a doz. ling cod and gave most to a co-worker who loves fish, not a bad fish to eat.

Hopefully am going to the Atlantic this weekend. Maybe around Fenwick.

All in all a great late summer and fall for me, not a lot of fish, too much rain and Isabell, but I had a great time fishing, meeting new friends and learning how to fish in the surf or on a pier.

Thanks again for everyone input.

[sharkbite]

I'd say this season for me was pretty good. Started fishing early april catching small whiting off the piers waiting for the bluefish to show up. May 6th they finally showed up and were all over the place, it was nothing to pull in 100+ blues a day on plugs. Also caught my first spanish mackerel that day and lost a few over 5lbs at the peir. As the summer went on work picked up and I didn't make it fishing as much as I'd hoped however I did make it down a few times to try my hand at king fishing the piers, caught a 5lbs citation sea trout while fishing for bait, had a cobia break off at the pier, and caught my first king mackerel this fall off a charter. as always it's just great getting out there meeting new people, and making new lifelong friends, catching fish is an added bonus. I hope the '04 season is even better, I know i'll be sittin a the end of the piers mid april waiting for the kings and bluefish to show up again :)


Tight Lines


Tim

[nnj surfcaster]

Hi cocoflea,
This year could have been better
the stripers, bunch of schoolies no keepers. But I'm not realy complaining I'd rather the action then none. all surf

Fluke better, dozen give or take keepers up to 21+" jetty and boat

Blues...up the wazu highest 17 # off the surf

[cocoflea]

I didn't mention Fluke because it was a BAD year a VERY BAD year and we will leave it at that.

[Cdog]

Last yr I considered my best yr so far but that was only cuz of my 2 fish over 30". I started this spring in April with more croaker caught than I had landed fish in 02. Determined to not be so Big fish oriented I managed to not get skunked this summer in Hatt.Granted they were small pompano an sea mullett but it was fish. Early fall gave me my 3 "big fish" a 4 pound black an red drum an a keeper striper a month too early. After that Izzy came an well th fishing has stunk since then for me but have made new friends from th P&S family which has made this yr a so so one fishing wise but a good one over all.

[nnj surfcaster]

Originally posted by cocoflea
I didn't mention Fluke because it was a BAD year a VERY BAD year and we will leave it at that.

Sorry about that !
Happy Holidays and may next year put you up to your eye's in door mats.
Paul

[can't fish today]

I scheduled a week in April, but it rained every day, except 1 day when the wind was too tough anyway. It ended up snowing at home (Asheville) on Thursday, lost power, wife called, tree feel on daughter's car, discovered a new hang-nail..... you get the idea, so I ended up with nothing to show for the week.

October was a little better. Over the week I had 5 fishable days. Had a nice croaker dinner one evening (with hushpuppies), which really makes the trip complete for me. Everything else went back in which included a number of small blues and spots, a few puffers, and 1 large very angry sting ray which gave me a nice workout.

Incidentally, I left my lucky fishin' hat in Asheville and had to scrounge to find something. It's hard to find a summer hat in October. I ended up with a strange looking "Bing Crosby" hat, but it did the job. So if you saw a weird looking Bing Crosby type dude in a blue ugly hat near Rodanthe in October, that was me
:)

[Drumdum]

The weather and Izab@tch had a great deal to do with it.. As I said it was the worst yr I have had in over 27yrs.... :(

[nnj surfcaster]

Drumdum... you worst year was probably10 TMES better than my best year in 30 some odd years .

HAPPY
HOLIDAYS

[Drumdum]

This is the way I figure,nnj surfcaster.. I fish every weekend here in "the meca of fishing",so have to stumble into a couple. If a "blind hog" was down here he could have picked up more acorns than I did fish this yr.. :D

[nnj surfcaster]

Drum:D :D :D :D :D come back

[DOVERPOWER]

My best catch

[Cdog]

It wasn't pier an surf but I did have one real good day!

[emanuel]

I did really well this year on big reds, flounder and sharks. Biggest red this year was 43", caught while shark fishing. Biggest shark was approximately 6', a hammerhead, on #17 mono. Biggest flounder (from the shore) was 20", caught alot of them this year. I think next year, I'll be able to catch alot of flounder using my newfound flounder knowledge. (Thanks Jake):D

[Kozlow]

Seatrout , Reds , Spanish Macs , Jacks , Blues , Pompano , Sail Cats , Whiting , Skates , Snapper and a Shark . well rounded list if I do say so myself .

http://www.pierandsurf.com/forum/attachment.php?s=&postid=39872

Good Luck to all in 04

[Fatback]

A good year for me

Lots of trout, whiting, pompanos, and blues. Best trout was 21", best whiting 14", best blue 11". Allso got spanish,black drum, spottail, shark, rays, ladyfish,spot, one black sea bass, and one horse shoe crab. But as much as I tried...got skunked on flounder. Oh, and one jack. Eating on um' this winter....gonna smoke some this weekend. Mmmmm smoked fish.

[kq6]

after the piers were washed away i started at the lesner in october. lots of guys that gave me great advice and i recieved the fishing bug. bougth the waders, reels, poles and tackle needed and caught about 15 stripers two that were 27" and fat kept those for christmas dinner. it is slow now but i still head on out twice a week.
now in the learning curve to fish the ocean. may go to chicks beach or sandbridge this friday and saturday to try to longcast("try" is the operative word). Oceans east tackle has been a great help with logical advice. merry chistmas to all.

[Manayunk Jake]

Greetings All!

Worst year ever! Two semi-successful trips (both on boats), otherwise blanked on keeper stripers, weakies (trout), fluke, and blackfish. The highnote of the year was meeting Anthony and Jason, and fishing with the Wild Bunch at the Choptank II Clean-Up!! Can't wait for 2004....

[Axon]

Got to fish the spring run and had an awesome spring, caught my personal best. Left for Korea in May, Fished several times in Korea without buch luck. Caught 1 eel, 1 fish that was definitly related to the carp family and one tiny fish that had teeth like a blue fish. Then fishing gear got stole and ended my fishing.

Bottom line good spring everything else sucked

[rockhead]

had a good summer and fall, got my two biggest flounder 5lb and 6lb both from shore, and pretty good luck with small striper, and my 1st black drum also from shore

[FL FISHERMAN]

Even though it was my best year striper fishing. Caught tons of schoolies and a bunch of keepers. Few flounder and in the spring cleaned up on croaker with Axon at seagull. Only a few bluefish(one being my biggest to date) And 1 single trout. That right there makes it a bad year. Oh well fishing is looking better this year already. Happy New Year!

[Drum Runner]

spring fishing: didnt do much spring fishing. caught 2 striper a 22" and an 18"
summer fishing: was ok. went to outer banks nothing spectacular, a few blues.
fall: slayed blues in outer banks in october. dad caught a few pups. also found a hot spot on the James River, caught several keeper striper ranging from about 12" to 23" did catch 1 30" and a 23lb. catfish. pretty good year.

[BigJeff823]

This year was the worst year ever for Sea Trout(Weakfish);Flounder fishing was good to fair;Striper fishing was awsome in the Spring but fair to lousy in the Fall.Tautog fishing was OK.Caught decent Flounder,Black Drum,and some monster Stripers 30"+.I hope for a hot dry year for 2004 to bring the fish up and for the NC Net Draggers to stop killling their bycatch;the Menhaden fishermen to stop overfishing and we might see better fishin then we ever expected.;)

[BigJeff823]

Hey,Jake I guess I'm one of the guys in the wild bunch with my flying fish show.:p When I say heads up;I should really say GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!FISH ON!;)

[HighCap56]

We moved here on August 26th, and as you all know I knew NOTHING about what to fish for here.

Still, I (and the wife at times) managed to have a blast on the Lynnhaven Pier catching crabs, some Spot, and quite a few Croaker.

Then there was my first Lesner experience when I caught that little Stargazer that members here helped me to ID.

In the Bay, trolling by the CBBT I managed to land that 34 inch 22lb Striper on a Stretch 30. That was in early November.

http://www.quickhelp.com/images/striper.jpg

Since then, both at the shore and even on a boat once again, the skunk has remained.

I have no idea what to fish for at this time, if anything, but I can't wait till it warms up. I will likely get divorced if I spend as much time fishing as I think I might!

So, I learned a lot in a few short months, but don't have much to show for it yet!

Bob

[nnj surfcaster]

Hi..HIghcap..are those some kind of scrubs you'r wearing????
Did you have to operate on the fish???
Happy New Year and many more of those to you.:cool:

[HighCap56]

Originally posted by nnj surfcaster
[B]Hi..HIghcap..are those some kind of scrubs you'r wearing????
Did you have to operate on the fish???

Nah.. That is some windbreaker pullover kind of thing that rolls into a pouch. Makes me look like some kind of fat topwater bait!

I did operate on that big boy shortly afterwards. I am sorry to say that the patient did not survive....

Cheers!

Bob