Kingfisher06

This was strange....I was fishing a bass pond on a golf course and using a spinnerbait. Right when the spinnerbait hit the water a huge splash erupted. I set the hook and started reeling in whatever made the splash, it was fighting like a tire. After about ten minutes of slowly cranking this dead weight I get a glimpse. A huge snapping turtle and once I dragged it up to shore I realize it only has the skirt in its mouth and no hook. Once he was on the shore he just let go, turned around, and swam away. :?

I lived on Long Island for the year of 2005 and I can tell you right now that striper fishing is super addictive so be careful! It is very different from anything in the freshwater. I could go on and on about techniques, but I'm on lunch break so I will sum it up. I was a surfcaster without a boat, but that didnt keep me from getting my limits. The stripers and blue fish have a unique relationship. The bluefish demolish the bait schools and the slob stripers clean up the chunks that fall to the bottom. You find the bluefish by following the terns that are hitting the bait from the top. I would cast huge topwater for the bluefish, where out my arm then cast a chunk of fish, clam bellies, or a eel to the bottom and wait for the stripers that follow the blues. Thats one example. My most productive times came during Sept, Oct, Nov. I would cast 1.5-2 oz white/yellow bucktail jigs tipped with a large red pork tail (strike king, uncle josh) at moriches inlet and montauk. Dragging the jig across the bottom with short pops off the bottom. Lots of people use storm shads, but I had better luck with bucktail jigs. I caught the biggest and most stripers at Moriches Inlet out on the jetties with my special eel rig on the outgoing tide. The tides have everything to do with your success rate. The outgoing at Moriches and Shinnecock are more favorable then the incoming. My best night was on Halloween at 1am on a outgoing at Moriches with a full moon. So much to say not enough time. The charters drift eels up and down the inlets and are successful. Check noreast.com (very helpful)

Nice female American redstart, you bill him for a half day?

ReelDiel/Sluggo NY, Thanks alot for the advice, I will rig up a kwikfish. I also use a mepps 3 silver on a three-way rig and have had great results. A bit unheard of I know, but in the current it does produce. I will certainly have my emerald shiners, brown trout sacks, and hot coffee ready to go. I have been fishing Mud Bay all year as well as Bayfiled Bay on the Canadian side of Wolf adjacent to Carlton, particularly in the spring. During the summer I hit the deep water with few results. My spring results were dissappointing as well. The consesus was that they spawned out too early and got a move on well before the opener and all I was doing was chasing them behind schedule. During the summer I think I showed such little results because the walleye were too full on gobies to bother with chasing my lures or jigs(besides the gobies slammed my jigs before the walleye could anyhow). In the past my fishing pal and I would smoke large hogs at night trolling J-11 clown rapalas tipped with worms in Mud Bay. This year I caught sheephead and that is about a zero on the fun scale. I dont mind the occasional channel cat, but sheephead are just embarrassing. I started fishing the Black River in early September for Chinnoks and did really well with the small walleyes as well. I haven't strayed far from that river since, because as the salmon faded the walleyes kept getting bigger. I haven't given up on Mud Bay and will keep the board posted with any results. A prediction on my part: the walleye fishing on the Black River this March is going to be outstanding. See you guys there!

Hey there Muskybob, Yes I did try that hole with no luck that day. I had several poles rigged up with the Niagara river three way rig for the current (pencil sinker and a 5-6ft mono leader with a minnow) and my leadhead with a minnow for the slower currents/eddys. Its been tough getting a steadfast pattern on the walleyes. Somedays have been non-stop and other days I have been dumbfounded. I'm also wondering when I am going to run into a nice steelhead. I have also casted shad-raps with a super slow retrieve once it nears the bottom for some luck. I suggest to anyone who wants to give this a try to bring several poles rigged and ready because you will get snagged left and right if your keeping it in the strike zone. I'll keep you posted.

Went out 12/2/06 to the Black River in Dexter and put in at the RT. 180 bridge. Jigged up one nice keeper walleye on a leadhead and minnow. It has been hit and miss. Last week caught 12 keeper sized walleyes with a 9lber mixed in and repeated the same technique for zero the next day. Heading to the Niagara River friday if water levels are fishable. I will keep you guys posted.