# Rockfish



## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

when they first opened the season about 5 0r 6 years ago there were fish to be caught.
Now there seems to be no inshore fish.
Is it just water temps or possibly water temps and plunder of inshore menhaden or maybe:
too many commerical rocks were taken, or maybe all three.
BUT for about 90% of us the catching on the OuterBAnks has plained sucked.


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## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

I think water temp coupled w/Omega's efforts off of NC killed the season....


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## pier_man0909 (Feb 28, 2006)

I believe that the lack of food and warmer waters have had them more scattered than years past. I think the biggest reason is that I believe they are being over fished again and that recreational anglers are more to blame than commies. I have a friend that says "they are too dumb and taste too good." I dont think it could have been said any better. I still do think there are more fish off NC than people think.


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## Woodduck (Sep 21, 2007)

I think there were too many a few years ago. They went up the rivers to spawn, didn't let us keep enough and they ate all the bait.
Now they're up north where they got food. 
Hey, everybody's got an opinion. jm $0.02


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

*Too many factors for me to form a definate opinion..*

1 Rec fishermen
2 Com fishermen,in particular trawlers
3 Pogy boats
4 Weather
5 Bait and fish have taken to different paterns as drum did back 20yrs ago,when menhaden totally disappeared from the surf.
6 Cycles have started kicking in. Like back when the stripers crashed yrs ago,all attributed to com fishing. 
7 Cheasapeake Bay has more forage for them,therefore holds them longer.

It's all a *big question and puzzle to me??????????*


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## Starboard (Apr 23, 2008)

It is frustrating. I spent last weekend driving the beach from OI to the Virginia line and the rockfish aren't there. Lot's and lot's of spineys. I think there's a lot of fish, but they are staying up north and FAR up north a lot longer. My brother-in-law lives on Long Island and fishes the Montauk beaches alot. This year he's been in striper blitzes well into November. Take a look at the Montauk fisahing reports. Lots of bait and the fish are holding. I'm heading to Montauk next fall...

10/31/08 - Surfcasters reported a massive cloud of birds this morning out in front of Gurney's. The birds were over a school of Striped Bass that was feeding on adult size Bunker, which was making it tough to find a lure big enough to make a convincing imitation. 

11/7/08 - There have been loads of Bluefish around including some BIG, BIG, BIG ones!!! Striped Bass action by Montauk Point has started to simmer down a little with the fish starting to move West down the beach, even though there is still loads of bait in the water, including very small anchovies (aka. rain bait) and slightly larger shiners. 

11/12/08 - The crazy striped bass action that has been going on for well over the last month is finally starting to taper off with the fish moving West down the sandy beaches. 

11/27/08 - Word on the street is that the herring are starting to move in, and along with them some bigger Striped Bass. 

12/6/08 - Striped bass action has been a little sporadic, but there are still some nice fish to pick away at from time to time. 

Bryan


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## PSUPOWER (Dec 1, 2003)

Now I like that report from Montauk! 

Gosh Man, makes me want to drive north!




Starboard said:


> It is frustrating. I spent last weekend driving the beach from OI to the Virginia line and the rockfish aren't there. Lot's and lot's of spineys. I think there's a lot of fish, but they are staying up north and FAR up north a lot longer. My brother-in-law lives on Long Island and fishes the Montauk beaches alot. This year he's been in striper blitzes well into November. Take a look at the Montauk fisahing reports. Lots of bait and the fish are holding. I'm heading to Montauk next fall...
> 
> 10/31/08 - Surfcasters reported a massive cloud of birds this morning out in front of Gurney's. The birds were over a school of Striped Bass that was feeding on adult size Bunker, which was making it tough to find a lure big enough to make a convincing imitation.
> 
> ...


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## JeepMike (Feb 4, 2008)

Stripers, like all other animals, follow their food source. All pelagic fish follow food. You find people, mammals, other land dwelling critters near water because it is essential to survival but we aren't swimming through it. Pelagics follow food, and if the food responds to a temperature change (trying to find their food), fishing pressure, nets, etc.. the stripeys will follow. Predatory fish always follow food, even to their demise.

If you find a surplus of bait, stripers can afford to be picky and find water temperatrues more comfortable to them. Make the bait scarce, or simply put it on the move with a storm, and they are all over the place looking for it. I am no expert by any means, but I have been fishing all of my life and the one thing that is constant - fish follow their food.

Find the bait on the move, and youll intercept the stripers.


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

*Food*

That seems to be the difference they have inshore bait fish for the bass and ther fish.
Most of our inshore bait seems to be gone.


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

The first thing that I noticed in the Montauk reports was 'Adult sized Bunker' 

If allowed to grow into 2-3 yr. old adult sized fish (menhaden) you'd find every game fish in the book hanging out to feed. When was the last time anyone saw 10-12" bunker either in the Chesapeake bay or the beaches of Va. or N.C.

The Lynnhaven was slam full of peanuts this fall but where are they now ??? Probably in some cat food, omega3 pills or make-up. 

Say or think what you want fish are like any other animal including humans, if there's no food in this spot then they'll move to another until they find some.


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## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

The over harvesting of bunker has had a big impact, along with many other factors.


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## Lipyourown (May 11, 2005)

I stick by the bait/bunker.water temps combo. I believe Omega has been taking it easy on the Bay for the last couple of years because they are being monitored more closely so the Gov't can set a new quota...Now they focus further south and the stripers then have no reason to be down there.


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## NCsurffisher (Jun 27, 2004)

In the late 90s and early 00s, the first big stripers would show up around OI and the north beaches in late October, with the first blitzes/lure bites starting in early-mid November. October and November! In the mid-90s, it was mostly big blues with an occasional striper mixed in; then by the late 90s/early 00s, it was almost all stripers. IF (big if) we get anything now, it starts about a full month later in the season. Crazy, man, crazy.


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## Mudd (Jan 10, 2004)

Yep, schools and schools of Big Blues tapered off in the mid 90's as schools of Stripers picked up in the mid 90's. Now maybe 10-15 years later we will see the Blues comeback. I hope something gets better....

Drumdum, whats happened to the Monster Bluefin Tuna? They seem to be less and more spread out.


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## JeepMike (Feb 4, 2008)

I'll start a new post, but it always seems that this is a re-occuring theme in fishing posts... "There were so many fish back in the ___(insert decade here)___ and now they are all gone". I know comm fishing and rec fishing take their toll, but if fish are disappearing exponentially as is commonly thought, we would have run out of fish long ago. I think humans look to the past as being nostalgic, with the future being unknown and approached with caution; this carries straight over into fishing. The stripers are out there, and they'll be back when the food comes back.


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

Mudd said:


> Yep, schools and schools of Big Blues tapered off in the mid 90's as schools of Stripers picked up in the mid 90's. Now maybe 10-15 years later we will see the Blues comeback. I hope something gets better....
> 
> Drumdum, whats happened to the Monster Bluefin Tuna? They seem to be less and more spread out.



How big of blues are we talking? 10-15lbs arent THAT uncommon. I think DD said a lot of schools of big blues hold off of the coast throughout the year. As far as Bluefin Tuna? Ask Japan.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Mudd said:


> Yep, schools and schools of Big Blues tapered off in the mid 90's as schools of Stripers picked up in the mid 90's. Now maybe 10-15 years later we will see the Blues comeback. I hope something gets better....
> 
> Drumdum, whats happened to the Monster Bluefin Tuna? They seem to be less and more spread out.


 The big bluefish are thick on offshore wrecks come springtime,but inshore as in Cheasapeake Bay and Hatteras surf in the fall,they aren't there.. Not sure about the bluefins as to why they aren't there like they were. 



JeepMike said:


> I'll start a new post, but it always seems that this is a re-occuring theme in fishing posts... "There were so many fish back in the ___(insert decade here)___ and now they are all gone". I know comm fishing and rec fishing take their toll, but if fish are disappearing exponentially as is commonly thought, we would have run out of fish long ago. I think humans look to the past as being nostalgic, with the future being unknown and approached with caution; this carries straight over into fishing. The stripers are out there, and they'll be back when the food comes back.


 Jeep Mike,I'm not implying that fish are gone.. They could be in a cycle as Mudd is indicating in his post about the inshore bluefish.. They could be following bait as you said,and I said in my post above along with other suggestions.. Who really knows??? Yes I do say fish are not here like in the past,or at least certian species such as inshore kings,big inshore bluefish,false albacore.. But,and this is a big but there are more cobia than I saw in my first 20yrs of fishing,more spainish,and one thing is for sure,never saw a striper from the surf during my first 20yrs of fishing on OBX either...


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

drum runs in 90s and early2000's would last 6 weeks.
no you weren't garunteed a drum but there would be fish around and they moved in and out.
no more. 
seems that stoped about the time blackened drum became a craze and 80% fish of the fish being sold came out of N.C. water as most every ther state didn.t allow commerical fishing of Red Drum. EVEN the states that were eating them.

maybe if you live at Hatteras and fish when it's happening things are good.
I take 4 or 5 weeks a year to fish Hatteras and been doing so since 80's.
Fishing has only gotten worse.

Remember when the spotter planes and trawlers worked for weeks sucking up the menhaden and anything else in the schools alll up and down the coast we'll their gone and so are the inshore menhaden.
SO are inshore bluefish.
Let's be honest about it commerical fishing rules NC. and as always when ther's money to be made little else matters.
There's menhaden in the northern states because they stopped the inshore fishing of menhaden. 
seems fish are managed by crisis. fish till there gone , pass some regs, bring them back---fish till there gone


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

surffshr said:


> drum runs in 90s and early2000's would last 6 weeks.
> no you weren't garunteed a drum but there would be fish around and they moved in and out.
> no more.
> seems that stoped about the time blackened drum became a craze and 80% fish of the fish being sold came out of N.C. water as most every ther state didn.t allow commerical fishing of Red Drum. EVEN the states that were eating them.
> ...


 I remember everything you're saying,was there and did that.. Having said that,I can't wholeheartedly agree with your theory... It bears merit,but so do the cycles of fish.. You were talking about the blacked redfish craze,I caught more drum during that time period out of a boat than I have ever caught... Imho,those fish weren't inshore because of what you stated,"inshore menhaden" that they followed every fall weren't there,as was the case this yr... Also,if you remember when the drum law was first put into effect,two yrs afterwards we started catching drum on n beach again.. You think that was because of the new regs?? I ain't buying that drum grow to 25 to 60lb in two yrs... Those fish moved back in because there were inshore menhaden that yr.... 

Agreed commercial regs need revamping,but it ain't the whole problem...


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## PEEWEE (Jan 6, 2008)

Mudd said:


> Yep, schools and schools of Big Blues tapered off in the mid 90's as schools of Stripers picked up in the mid 90's. Now maybe 10-15 years later we will see the Blues comeback. I hope something gets better....
> 
> Drumdum, whats happened to the Monster Bluefin Tuna? They seem to be less and more spread out.


Yeah we are due for a good blue blitz.. Drum, striper, or something.. Without having to boat out to reach em.. I don't know about you but I'm tired of feeding doggies..


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## Moon (Feb 24, 2007)

On the west side of Pamlico sound I could find large schools of 6 to 10 inch bunker while drum fishing in 2007. The sound was full of them. Caught a lot and used them for bait. This past year never (not one time) did I see a school of bunker over 3 inches. There were large schools of peanut bunker, but larger size fish. There were no larger size bunker in the area for over 6 weeks. Where did they go? I feel predator fish are going to follow the bait. You would if your staple diet was bunker or some other bait fish. NO bait fish = NO game fish. Seems simple.


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## Rockfish1 (Apr 8, 2005)

if this cold front don't move some bait and fish down outta the bay there ain't none coming down ever again...


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## snapshot48 (Oct 29, 2007)

This is the 3rd year in a row that I took a group down and got skunked. I really think this was the worst year because many of the guys didn't even catch the dogs or a skate and we road the beaches from Carolla to the Point, tried the catwalk and even the small bridge at whalebone.
I didn't even get a bite from anything and totally lost interest after the second day. Did catch up on some well needed rest and watched more TV in 5 days than I've watched in 3 years. It's still a beautiful place and we all enjoyed the break. Being a non-profit and dependent on individuals to sponsor our trips, I really think this is the last year they'll let us go to OBX. I've already been told they could send us to Emerald Isle for a third of what it costs at OBX. Sure will miss it if that's the case.


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## JeepMike (Feb 4, 2008)

snapshot48 said:


> This is the 3rd year in a row that I took a group down and got skunked. I really think this was the worst year because many of the guys didn't even catch the dogs or a skate and we road the beaches from Carolla to the Point, tried the catwalk and even the small bridge at whalebone.
> I didn't even get a bite from anything and totally lost interest after the second day. Did catch up on some well needed rest and watched more TV in 5 days than I've watched in 3 years. It's still a beautiful place and we all enjoyed the break. Being a non-profit and dependent on individuals to sponsor our trips, I really think this is the last year they'll let us go to OBX. I've already been told they could send us to Emerald Isle for a third of what it costs at OBX. Sure will miss it if that's the case.


2nd day!? You can't quit snapshot!! That old saying - Gotta have bait in the water to catch fish! Come on back down and give it another whirl!


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