Jersey Shore (IBSP), Ocean Co., NJ, 12/4/16

[Dave_W]

Hit Island Beach State Park (IBSP) yesterday evening and today. A back injury put a big crimp in my effort, but I was still able to fish most of today from high to low tide. I focused on mid-island and was the only FFer I saw.

Conditions: Westerly wind, light to moderate. Skies were clear with air temp in 40s. Water was very clear, light surf, 53 degrees.

Lots of fishing pressure this weekend. Although a bit late in the season for peanut bunker, they have been prevalent lately and have produced some very good action the last week or two. The peanuts were around today and I found several schools but there were no game fish on 'em. Had one school blitz up just at the far edge of what I could reach with a double haul, but no luck.

I didn't see a single fishermen catch a single fish today. Even the guys fishing bait, including snag and drop guys, were not getting bit. It's been too long since I've seen the ocean, but the fishing was disappointing.

 

[CLSports]

I heard reports that just north of there was the place to be this past weekend. Asbury Park to Lavalette.

 

[Dave_W]

CLSports wrote:
I heard reports that just north of there was the place to be this past weekend. Asbury Park to Lavalette.

Yep, no doubt.
Yuh just gotta be in the right place at the right time.

There are still plenty of positive reports at points northward and with so much bait still around, I'd expect good surf fishing to persist for at least a couple more weeks barring any significant storms.

 

[mszoke1802]

My buddy and I made our first trip to IBSP sunday as well, both using fly rods. Neither one of use got any fish, did see some action about a 1/2 mile off shore. We basically just walked beach for the day. It was a nice day to be out for sure tho.

 

[afishinado]

Sorry you didn't hook up, DW but it is great to get out.

I especially like the first pic...the red skunk

 

[Dave_W]

mszoke1802 wrote:
My buddy and I made our first trip to IBSP sunday as well, both using fly rods. Neither one of use got any fish, did see some action about a 1/2 mile off shore. We basically just walked beach for the day. It was a nice day to be out for sure tho.

Don't give up on IBSP. It's a world class surf fishing destination, but like surf fishing everywhere it can be very hit or miss.

I too saw the offshore action with big clouds of birds, but they were never closer than about half a mile out. Lately there have even been pods of whales feeding on the bunker. I kept an eye out for whales with my binos, but didn't see any.

 

[Dave_W]

afishinado wrote:
I especially like the first pic...the red skunk

😛int: Red skunk - love it! Only at IBSP.

This fella was literally walking the beach and basically looking for handouts. At one point, I saw him climbing on a cooler and pulling at a bag while the fishermen were down at the waterline with their backs turned.

Incidentally, everyone who fishes IBSP knows about the semi-tame foxes and the "do not feed fox" signs along the road. Evidently, the park police have really cracked down lately as they now have $1500 fine signs up for feeding foxes.
Anyway, nobody fed this guy. :-o

 

[chromefinder]

I also fished IBSP Sunday 12/04/16 afternoon, combed the beach from lot A-7 to the inlet and back... nice day to be out...didn't see much in terms of bait or fish... I did see saw one small bait ball with some crashing fish in close for about 5 seconds... I was not able to get a cast off to them. Great day to be on the water though... casting practice was the order of the day. I didn't see anyone hook up in the 5 hours i was there.

 

[Fredrick]

If I'm on the beach I always do a run and gun until I see bait, birds, boats or fisherman. Dave from what I heard from my sources most of the fish were 5-7 miles out over the weekend. I went out Tuesday in the crappy wind and weather and I caught one .

 

[Mike]

How do they know this?

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Good effort guys. Very bad year, but I am hoping a schoolie run materializes this month with all the bait still around up north. I fish Ocean County quite a bit in the fall. There was a lot of this in 2016. If I were 4 feet taller or could cast 100 yards further...

 

[afishinado]

Fredrick wrote:
If I'm on the beach I always do a run and gun until I see bait, birds, boats or fisherman. Dave from what I heard from my sources most of the fish were 5-7 miles out over the weekend. I went out Tuesday in the crappy wind and weather and I caught one .

Mike wrote:
How do they know this?

Fred's tapped into the poachers hotline fishing out in illegal waters...

 

[wgmiller]

Gotta love salt water fishing. Either the fish are there....or they're not :-?. I'm sure it was still nice to be soaking up the salt air!

 

[Fredrick]

afishinado wrote:

Fredrick wrote:
If I'm on the beach I always do a run and gun until I see bait, birds, boats or fisherman. Dave from what I heard from my sources most of the fish were 5-7 miles out over the weekend. I went out Tuesday in the crappy wind and weather and I caught one .

Mike wrote:
How do they know this?

Fred's tapped into the poachers hotline fishing out in illegal waters...

Not very wise to get caught past the 3 mile mark fishing for bass

 

[TJones]

When I was in college some of my best fish came off the north Jetty at ISBP... love that area and need to get back! It's been too many years!

 

[melvinthefisherman]

I went out three times of thanksgiving break with the spinning rod. Two days without anything happening and then the third day(thanksgiving morning) it went off. Caught probably about 20 bass to 34" in the morning. Left the fish biting because my buddy put a treble in his finger and we had to perform parking lot surgery.
If i had a fly rod and a peanut bunker sized streamer i would have killed it. The bass pushed the peanuts over the bar and were blitzing 10-20 feet out. All this with only 2 other guys on this section of beach because of Thanksgiving morning.

 

[JohnPowers]

Guys, the math ain't there. The guys who do well live down there. What you guys described is the story of the surf. Long drive, no fish. Throw in the wind and the flyrod and your sunk. Do yourself a favor and bag it. I have an IM 6 10 wt with battenkill and line if you won't listen to reason.

 

[Dave_W]

JohnPowers wrote:
Guys, the math ain't there.

The math is there. . . it's just tough odds.

I'll keep going back as I can't stay away from the ocean.

Sure it's a gamble, but you know what the folks down the shore in Atlantic City and the lottery people always say- "yuh can't win if you don't play!"
😛int:

 

[TJones]

I'm sure you guys already know, but if you go in spring you probably have better odds as long as weather is decent... the spring run is a little more consistent especially if you don't mind bluefish. The late April through May run of those big racer blues can be a ton of fun. Fall is a little more of a hit or miss game with the bait pods and such.

 

[JohnPowers]

Just kidding but if your skunked on Valley there's a fish within 15 feet. Shunked on the WB? There's a monster within 50 feet. Skunked at Sandy hook, seaside,IBSP or barnegat light? There are no fish within 10 miles. If you go a few times a year the odds are enormous.