Favorite fish to catch

[Legacy]

Yep, it's going to hit 50 degrees here in Boston today. That means, according to my tolerant wife that my "fish brain" kicks in. Two questions:

1. What's your favorite fish to catch in your area? School Bluefin tuna to 100 pounds is my favorite, but they show up late. So it'll be striped bass starting tax day.

2. What's your favorite technique for fishing? Casting poppers in the morning and chum and chunking work best for me.

Tight lines!

Rick
1998 Albin 35TE
"Legacy"

[Elizabeth Ann]

When I'm home up in Long Island I generally chase Stripers and Weakfish all season long. I'll mix in a few fluke trips in the bay and out as well as some bottom fishing for porgies and seabass. I never really did get into the tautog (blackfish) much.

I only do about 2-3 shark trips a season and maybe one or two other 'offshore' trips.....mostly because cost expenditure skyrockets (these include trips on friends' boats) and I try to coordinate trips with weather systems that seem 'friendly'.

Down here in S. Florida I generally try to go for sailfish during the winter, dolphin (mahi) during the summer, and tarpon if I can find one.

I stay away from bones b/c I don't fly-rod and don't have a shallow draft boat.

Haven't tried for permit yet, but I want to. Ocasionally snook'n takes up my time and red fish when I get a chance.

[JackK]

My favorites, in order, are (1) Blue Fin Tuna, (2) Fluke, (3) Striper, and (4) anything else that will tug on the end of the line.

My goal this year is to learn to troll effectively. To date, I have the inverse Midas touch when it comes to trolling for Striper. I keep bumping in and out of gear to go slow enough but I catch only Bluefish or no fish.

We have had very good luck slinging live eels and chunking (main early in the season) for Striper. Casting plugs in close to the rocks around Newport has to be one of my favorites. Nothing beats having a Striper hit on a surface plug.

Come on Spring.
Jack
___________________
2003 28 TE Dogonit

[RicM]

Live lining for Striped Bass anywhere in Narragansett Bay is the best in the spring, then off to Block Island in July & August. This year I hope to try for some BFT's and Mahi a little more off shore than I have in the past. Yet to hook either on my own.

[DougSea]

ANY, and I mean ANY fish that hits my line - and I can count on my fingers (with room left over) all of the fish I've caught.

But, it's not called "catching" is it?

At least my beer is always cold...

[SpaceCoaster]

I'd have to say Mahi. Not just to catch but on my dinner plate as well.

[Legacy]

Any members near Boston, drop me a line this season, happy to chase some fish with some new faces. (My friends have heard all my fish tales!)


Rick
1998 Albin 35TE
"Legacy"

[Russell]

This is a test to see if I have the picture posting technique correct. My son Cody caught this striper in January while we were trolling in Silver Lining. We need to get a bigger net as we lost another fish while trying to net it. This one they managed to pull up on the swim platform and Cody reached over and grabbed it. Trolling for stripers is one of my favorite ways to fish. It is exciting watching for the knock downs and then seeing the rods bend as these big fish take the lures. Sometimes we can cast jigs into the feeding frenzy under birds and pull them in on lighter tackle but the fish are usually smaller. Apparently the big ones are deeper and trolling wire line rigs or Tomic lures with in-line weights is a good way to get them.

[JackK]

Russell -

Wow nice fish. If you lost one that size you definately need a new net!

I have one of these nets and it works very well and does store pretty well.
http://www.stowmaster.net/

I'll have to ask you for methods once the season starts. I've yet to catch a Striper trolling. Bluefish I got down

Jack
_____________________
2003 28 TE Dogonit

[Elizabeth Ann]

Nice striper! Do you have some stats on that fish?

I don't use a net for stripers - I like to lip grip them. Most of my fishing is done on small center consoles so getting my arms into the water isn't too hard. On the albin it's a little more difficult.

One thing that people do wrong when using a net is lifting a heavy fish out of the water with the net parallel to the water surface. You really want the handle facing vertical to the sky (the long legth of the handle parallel to your body).

Lifting in this manner is not only easier, but it won't bend the net.

[Mariner]

Up here it's all about Salmon. There really isn't anything else that people fish for. Lingcod is the only thing that comes to mind, but it has a short season and is hard to catch.

For salmon, there are two basic methods: trolling and mooching. When trolling, you use a flasher with a plastic squid lure and zig zag through the current zones at <2 knots using downriggers to keep your lines at the right depth. When mooching, you bait your hook with herring and sit and drift through the current zone with your line dangling at the desired depth.

To be honest, the only skill involved in fishing is knowing the proper depth and location to put your gear on that particular date and time. Boating the fish is usually the easy part.

[Texas Steve]

Some of my fondest memories are of salmon fishing with my Dad out of Ilwaco, WA. Nothing better than fresh caught salmon on the grill the night after the big catch!

What is the prevailing opinion of the size boat it takes to safely navigate "The Bar" where the Columbia meets the Pacific? We always went on a chartered 42 footer with two tons of concrete poured into the hull to keep her in the water. It would seem the Albins would be well suited to that challenge!

[jcollins]

favorite to eat - Mahi, sword steaks, rock.

The best I can catch are those square fish at McDonalds.

[chiefrcd]

Sorry John, I hate to be the first to tell you......they are not fish

[jcollins]

Sorry John, I hate to be the first to tell you......they are not fish

Yeah, but they are really easy to catch