Holliday's World Famous Fishing Thread - 2023 Version

[oldslowandugly]

Have you ever deep sea fished?

I have. On party boats. Many moons go my Uncle from Pennsylvania took 10 year old me and my Dad to Montauk for Cod. It was January, no one checked the weather, my Mom stuffed us with a big greasy breakfast, and the Viking boat stunk like hell. Needless to say, the weather was horrible cold with nasty seas, everyone got seasick, and the only thing caught was a Wolf fish that I hooked and threw back.

Since then I got smart. In Summer we would go for Bluefish at night, or in Winter Cod during the day. We start with seasick pills the night before. A non-greasy dinner, and a dry breakfast. Bring snacks that won't upset your stomach. Bring fresh water and Pepsi to drink. Take another seasick pill before boarding. Don't drink alcohol. Pick the best weather days you can. No crazy windy days. No below freezing cold. No 100° days. The best fishing near me is about 20 miles offshore at the wrecks. Water is over 100 ft deep. You need HEAVY tackle. We use big sturdy rods, Penn Senator reels, and 50 lb line. Often when anchored up, the best spot is at the stern. Be prepared to suffer from diesel fumes as the boat idles. Pray for a slight breeze. When Bluefishing at night, they toss chum to make an attractive slick. That stinks too. The payoff is that you can catch a lot of really BIG fish. Winning the pool can be several hundred dollars on a packed boat. And you never know what you might catch.

I was with my Daughter's annual work sponsored fishing trip. They fished some inshore man-made reefs for black sea bass, fluke, porgies, blues. She thought she was stuck, until it moved. She fought this thing for half an hour. It was a 42 lb Cobia. HUGE! It took three mates to get it aboard. We had delicious dinners for a long time and it won the pool too.

PS: @oldslowandugly Always wanted one of those Eagle portable fish finders w/greyline.
They were always 99$, and a little to rich for me back then.

Not a useful item for a bank and wet wading fisherman.

They make a cast-able fish finder now.

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They are still around $100. They may or may not find actual fish- but you can search and find holes, drop-offs, and other structure. Imagine taking a map of your fishing area, then casting across the water at intervals, and filling in on the map all the structure. That would be invaluable data. That is what I use my Piranha for. I look for structure the fish use for ambushing bait.

42 lb Cobia pool winner fish.

 

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Thanks for the tips!

 

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He was fishing for mackerel.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Thanks for the tips!

No problemo. I should add that party boats can have some crude customers that can ruin the trip. Drunks, loudmouths, spot jumpers. You can turn away from your spot at the rail to unhook a fish, and some idiot will try to jump into your spot. Sometimes the mates will hold the best spots for regular customers. Imagine getting up at 3AM to get to the boat early and grab a good spot, only to see rods already in holders but no one is around. It should be first come first served but money talks. And be sure to tip the mates if they did a good job for you. Unhooking fish, keeping your bait fresh, cleaning your catch. If they sucked, let them know.

 

[Alticus]

No problemo. I should add that party boats can have some crude customers that can ruin the trip. Drunks, loudmouths, spot jumpers. You can turn away from your spot at the rail to unhook a fish, and some idiot will try to jump into your spot. Sometimes the mates will hold the best spots for regular customers. Imagine getting up at 3AM to get to the boat early and grab a good spot, only to see rods already in holders but no one is around. It should be first come first served but money talks. And be sure to tip the mates if they did a good job for you. Unhooking fish, keeping your bait fresh, cleaning your catch. If they sucked, let them know.

Thanks again :)

 

[Alticus]

No problemo. I should add that party boats can have some crude customers that can ruin the trip. Drunks, loudmouths, spot jumpers. You can turn away from your spot at the rail to unhook a fish, and some idiot will try to jump into your spot. Sometimes the mates will hold the best spots for regular customers. Imagine getting up at 3AM to get to the boat early and grab a good spot, only to see rods already in holders but no one is around. It should be first come first served but money talks. And be sure to tip the mates if they did a good job for you. Unhooking fish, keeping your bait fresh, cleaning your catch. If they sucked, let them know.

A guy from the club once told me that he saw a video a long time ago where it took a fisherman 7 hours to hook and reel in a Swordfish. Is that even possible?

 

[oldslowandugly]

Yes. Of course it all depends on what grade tackle he was using, the size of the fish, and the skill of the captain. Ever see a fisherman strapped into a fighting chair? That way much of the strain is absorbed by the chair. If the tackle is not adequate, the guy can't horse the fish at all. A good captain will back down the boat when the fish makes long runs. And then there is the chance that the fish is really HUGE and full of vinegar. Another thing is that if the guy is looking for an IGFA record, only he can touch the rod and reel. If anyone helps, the fish is disqualified. Even if everything is correct, the guy fights the fish all the way in, you can still lose it at the boat if the mates are not up to the task. They must grab the leader with heavy gloves to protect their hands, and stick the fish with a flying gaff. Then they can hoist it aboard. Not for the squeemish.

I fish Rockaway Beach at Debs Inlet a lot. One of the guys decided to use 10 lb line for surf casting. You can cast a mile with so light a line, almost right across the inlet. This was in early November. He hooks one of the big huge Bluefish that are around then. It took him almost two hours to get the fish beached. You can't horse the fish with too light a line. You have a big fish that is using the outgoing tide to his advantage. You almost have to bore the fish to death. After that he went back to 20 lb line, which is standard for surf casting. I always use at least 20 lb, sometimes 25 lb, when big Blues are around. Every second the fish is in the water is a chance for it to spit the hook. You have to yank his head off and get him in as fast as you can. I like using light tackle as much as anyone, but sometimes you really handicap yourself and you lose the fish.

 

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Source: Quora

Ouch!

Barracudas. Not only are you not going to tame one, even pulling one out of the water and trying to pose with it can be dangerous as those sharp teeth can take a chunk out of your arm, as many people find out while fishing.

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​

 

[oldslowandugly]

So do Fluke and Bluefish. I also have several fingers that don't work so good. Striped bass have sharp spines on their dorsal fin. They are like porcupine quills. No matter how careful you are, they flip around and spike you. I learned the hard way. I once caught a pretty big Bluefish. When I cleaned it, I found two pieces of a Butterfish inside. The Blue sliced it in half, ate the tail, then came back for the head. You would have sworn a surgeon with a scalpel had cut the Butterfish in half. Razorblade teeth will cut right to the bone and then some.

 

[oldslowandugly]

I got super lucky again. I was perusing Fleabay and I spotted a very nice PENN 704Z. It came with an original PENN 700 'greenie', and a couple of big Daiwas. I figured the asking price of $125 was worth it just for the 704Z, and the rest was just gravy.

The 704Z turned out to be BRAND NEW! Not a speck of sand, dirt, not even a fingerprint. It was filled with ANDE 20lb pink line. How old is that stuff? I can't believe the condition. Maybe a tackle shop demo reel? What a find!

Then the 700 was almost as nice. These are from the early 1960's and built like a brick shithouse. Spotless, no rust, no dirt, perfect paint, and smooth. Looks like the clear ANDE line. I used these when I first started surf casting. I will rebuild it and add the second bail spring that these really can use. This is perfect for Blues.

The Daiwas are not my cup of tea but these were very clean and in great working order. A 2600C, and a PS400BL. I will probably give them away to the kids on my block. They are wanting to learn how to fish. Spread the wealth I say.

 

[oldslowandugly]

It was raining today. I started working on the reels. The old silver Daiwa was a bit crusty. Nothing some Gibbs Oil couldn't loosen. I got that one working pretty nice. The anti-reverse makes a loud clicking noise like all those old ones do. The other Daiwa is graphite, much newer, much cleaner and smoother. The only issue was the line roller being rusted stuck. Gibbs Oil to the rescue again. Now it works like new.

Now, the PENNs are another story. The 704Z is so clean I will leave that for last. The 700 'Greenie' was immaculate too. If it was ever used, it was gently and not much. Judging by the condition of the hard grease, I think I am the first to open this since it was new. I cleaned it with solvent and assembled it with fresh grease and oil.

While open, I did the modification I described last year. I drilled a hole for the second bail spring, replaced both with new springs, and now it is up to 704Z standards. I can't wait to try this on some big ass Blues. These 'Greenies' are hard to come by in this condition. Most are totally beat to shit after decades of use and abuse. The guy who sold these may have gotten a box of fishing stuff from a Grandfather or something, and figured why not try and sell it off. I'm glad he did!

Here is the 700 going back together. Lots of grease on the clicker and it stays quiet. Then the 700 vs the 704Z. From oldest to newest. This is not the new 704Z I just got, but another I had. I don't trust anyone who doesn't have too much fishing tackle or too many tools.

 

[oldslowandugly]

I just now got a Lifetime Freshwater License for NY. I mean, I learned on freshwater, but once I fished salt water I never looked back. Now I have Grandkids and neighbor's kids that want to go fishing. They are not old enough to hit the high surf. That leaves docks, piers, shorelines, and maybe freshwater lakes. Being kids, they will use light tackle, and I like light tackle too.

Unfortunately, I live on Wrong Island, which boasts 250 miles of shoreline, and 225 miles of private property. Every lake and pond is greedily restricted to 'residents only'. Well, they can keep it, because the only place that it is OK to eat their fish is Fort Pond way out at Montauk Point. If it has to be catch-and-release I might as well stick to Shitty City parks. I have a few Bass/Pickerel/Bluegill lakes close to me. They all require a license too.

Kids don't need a license but if I help them I need one. That is why I got it. We may even travel upstate for a change. North/South lake is a great place to rent a rowboat and fish. Once they are good at it, they can graduate to salt water. As much as I like battling a tough smallmouth on ultralight tackle, you haven't lived until you have tangled with a big Bluefish. My older Grandson is hooked on Blues and now his younger brother and sister want to learn. This is going to be fun all over again.

 

[oldslowandugly]

I was near a lake and took a small fishing rod with me. I used a Johnson Sprite and cast it for a while. Nothing, but it's early. Then I saw a guy loading up a cartop boat he had dragged to the water. A nice Sea Nymph 12' Jon boat. Electric motor, fish finder, rod holders on the outside so as not to step on them. We chatted a while. He said that lake was not very good for fish but it was the only one he could use the boat in. He said the next lake over was better as it gets stocked. Then I noticed the huge lures he was using. Big, like 5-6" crappies with big hooks. Hmmmmm. Must be SOMETHING big in there. Looked like this, but bigger.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Today I mostly use EWG hooks

Holiday you there? I read something about the EWG hooks that makes sense. I understand why they are good for chubby baits. But the hook point is in a straight line with the hook eye. That makes it difficult for the hook to penetrate. It would be better for the hook to be offset so that the point is sticking out away from the line. We have been using those Kahle or English Bend hooks for a long time. The hook point is also in line with the hook eye and line. I think that is the reason we miss a lot of hits.

I have a new plan. I want to try using offset shaft round bend worm hooks that I can hide the worm body in. The offset hook should mean more hook-ups. Plastic worms work great for Summer Flounder. But an exposed hook gets loaded up with seaweed. If I can hide the hook it should stay weedless. Even if I want to add a squid strip, it will be on the tiny hook point and not the whole hook. I may even be able to add the squid strip to the point and still hide the hook in the worm. I scored a bunch of 2/0 Lazer Sharp hooks with the 1/8 oz weight at the eye.

 

[The New Holliday]

Hol(l)iday you there?

Yes.

.. EWGs will cause some missed hookups for the reason you stated. They are good for the wider baits but for the slimmer worm baits I like the Eagle Craw Automatic .45 lazer sharps (true turn). They have a longer shank, turned hook and narrower gap, and offset.

.. I had been thinking about Heddon Crazy Crawler lures, and today ordered some Tiny Crazy Crawlers in the black hornet and yellow hornet, and one bullfrog pattern.
. I love the Heddon lures above all others. Spooks, Lucky 13s, Spit n Image, Torpedos, Sonars et al, but never used the Crawlers. I bet the Bass love them when the Cicadas are out. Very exciting purchase anyway.

Heddon is one of the older US lure manufacturers, and the "plug" originator, the legend story retold below.
Also a site, and article on rare antique lures including several Heddon lures.

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Oh and PS: Was looking at this similar lure, the Jackall Pompador.....17-25 $ new. WTF!

 

[oldslowandugly]

OK, thanks for that. I am planning on using the Manns worms I got with these weighted worm hooks. Normally I would use a ball jig maybe 1/2 to 1 oz. But I tend to get most of my fatty fluke in a small creek no more than 12 ft deep. I think the worm on a weighted hook on light line will be a winner. The more I read about hooks, the more I realized the Kahle wide gap hook may be costing us hookups.

I love old lures. Heddon, Creek Chub, Daredevil, I have a few from my Uncle that are in good condition. Nice video.
I have a big old Crazy Crawler. I saved it mostly as an oddity. I also have a Zara Spook and some other old timers.

Look at this guy's invention. I know you are a Bass guy and fish lures. But I can see this thing getting a bunker bait far out to that offshore sand bar.

 

[The New Holliday]

OK, thanks for that. I am planning on using the Manns worms I got with these weighted worm hooks. Normally I would use a ball jig maybe 1/2 to 1 oz. But I tend to get most of my fatty fluke in a small creek no more than 12 ft deep. I think the worm on a weighted hook on light line will be a winner. The more I read about hooks, the more I realized the Kahle wide gap hook may be costing us hookups.

I love old lures. Heddon, Creek Chub, Daredevil, I have a few from my Uncle that are in good condition. Nice video.
I have a big old Crazy Crawler. I saved it mostly as an oddity. I also have a Zara Spook and some other old timers.

Look at this guy's invention. I know you are a Bass guy and fish lures. But I can see this thing getting a bunker bait far out to that offshore sand bar.

Man, you need a long, stiff rod to set a hook 300 yds out.

Oh. I guess they swallow it soon enough.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Ha Ha! I guess so. That is the problem in the surf. The fish and birds always seem to show 3 good casts away. And yet many a fish has been caught right at your feet in the wash.

As we come up to April 1 I am always reminded of the April Fool's Bass. I took my 10 year old grandson fishing at Little Neck Bay. I told him we were fishing for Winter Flounder as the season opens on April 1. I bought sand worms for bait and a couple of very tired Bunker as some small Striped Bass may be around. I told him if we caught a Bass we had to put it back because the season was not open yet. I put the worms on Flounder hooks and tossed two lines out. The Bunker was so old it was falling apart. I rigged a bait keeper Bass hook with a fish-finder sinker and float and literally sewed the Bunker onto the hook. Tossed that out and forgot about it. No nibbles, nothing. About the time he started complaining he was hungry, I noticed the Bass rod twitch. I told him to grab the rod and check it out. He slowly reeled and all of a sudden he was into something big. He was grunting and groaning, put his foot up on a rock to steady himself, and lo and behold he pulls in a big Bass! I netted it, measured it, took some pics, and I said -remember- it has to go back. He agreed and we set it loose. 32 inches of big old Striper! I told him people fish their entire lives and never catch a fish like that. He is 23 now and has caught plenty of Bass since then. But that first monster made a life long fisherman out of him. Plus, he learned sportsmanship. Even though we did not get to cook it, the pics are worth way more now than any meal. That is a BIG salt water net next to the 32" bass.

 

[The New Holliday]

@oldslowandugly
. What reel grease do you use?
I've used Abu Precision reel Grease exclusively over the years, but recently purchased Lew's SuperDuty stuff for both casting and spinning (two formulas). Then I thought, maybe that wasn't such a good idea to spot grease mixing the two types (Abu and Lew's). Bought some Abu then so no troubles, but what's your view on mixing them? I think I'll just mix some in a pan and see what happens although that's not the same as under pressure and heat of actual use.

 

[oldslowandugly]

Normally it is ill advised to mix greases or oils. But on the other hand many are almost identical. I have used Abu but Penn blue is pretty good too. Lately I have tried OMC Triple Guard Grease. It is blue like the Penn, but is more temperature and pressure resistant. Also very water proof, won't wash out. It is meant for outboard motors. It may be a bit thick for small reels, but I love it on my big Penns like the 704Z. On small reels, less is more, it is easy to overdo it. But on big surf or boat reels that may get a salt water dunking- more is better.

Then for something completely different, I have tried some stuff called 'Magic Lube'. It is a silicone grease used for swimming pool filter O-rings and fittings. It is heat resistant, waterproof, and supposedly does not allow metal to metal contact. I began using it for bicycle wheel bearings and I swear by it. I tried it in a reel and it performed well. The only downside was if you did not use the item for many years, the grease got gummy. It is also kind of hard to find these days.

How are you dealing with this allergy season? I am ready to cut my head off.

 

[The New Holliday]

How are you dealing with this allergy season?

So far there's nothing much. I have used Bee Pollen over the years with great success but have been negligent recently so I'll have to wait and see. I get some sort of ill defined stuff around now usually but been okay. When the tree pollens come is when it's worst - for about 2 weeks in early/mid May but just sever eye itching. My eye doc told me about this stuff (which coincidentally I picked up today) - she said just remember it starts with a Z, so today I found it Zaditor, an eyedrop. She also said start using it 7-10 days before the season. I didn't bother mentioning that it varies so I'll start around late April and hope for the best.

 

[oldslowandugly]

We are going crazy here. The tree pollen is off the charts. Even the TV news is all over it. I know I am allergic to everything. Blood test many moons go proved that. Normally cutting the grass will make me sneeze. Right now I feel like I have the Flu.

I wanted to ask you- what water temp do you start fishing lures at? Here, we can get Winter Flounder and small Stripers rooting along the bottom of a Sun-warmed shallow bay even in cold water. They will take bait. But it usually takes at least 50 degree water to get them chasing lures. Then around Mother's Day the Blues and Fluke come in and start biting.

 

[The New Holliday]

We are going crazy here. The tree pollen is off the charts. Even the TV news is all over it. I know I am allergic to everything. Blood test many moons go proved that. Normally cutting the grass will make me sneeze. Right now I feel like I have the Flu.

I wanted to ask you- what water temp do you start fishing lures at? Here, we can get Winter Flounder and small Stripers rooting along the bottom of a Sun-warmed shallow bay even in cold water. They will take bait. But it usually takes at least 50 degree water to get them chasing lures. Then around Mother's Day the Blues and Fluke come in and start biting.

I could catch some in March - Today April 1 was opening day for Trout. Bass I have also caught in March, and April is trophy season, or at least big one season if you're in a place where there are any big ones. Once water gets to 40s (44-45F) it's on. Of course you can catch them through the ice. Topwater for Bass is around 65 degrees F, late in May.
Right now river is at 52, local reservoir will be in 40s. I won't fish for Bass till next week though. Might go a day for the Trout this week. Many of rain coming.

 

[oldslowandugly]

I just got a selection of worm hooks from TEMU. I know, I know, cheap junk. But I wanted a 50 hook selection of each size without busting the bank. I got #1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, and 4/0 sizes. Offset shanks, round bend, fairly strong, about like Aberdeen hooks but black color. When I test them, then I can determine what size works best for my area. Then I can load up on Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp hooks in whatever size works best. I learned one thing many moons go. It is far easier to catch a big fish on a small hook, than it is to catch a small fish on a big hook.

 

[The New Holliday]

I just got a selection of worm hooks from TEMU. I know, I know, cheap junk. But I wanted a 50 hook selection of each size without busting the bank. I got #1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, and 4/0 sizes. Offset shanks, round bend, fairly strong, about like Aberdeen hooks but black color. When I test them, then I can determine what size works best for my area. Then I can load up on Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp hooks in whatever size works best. I learned one thing many moons go. It is far easier to catch a big fish on a small hook, than it is to catch a small fish on a big hook.

Speaking of Aberdeen hooks I went to order some Robo/Gamakatsu #1 this week and nowhere had them. One place had one package of 6 left and wanted 34$ (LoLz). Tackle Warehouse says they will have them in stock very soon and will notify me.. I found last year that the #1 size was best for fishing 4" senko type worms, open hook, but the keepers weren't so hot on the Owner hooks I had. The Aberdeen should hold better.

Re: the Allergies - Just looking into Stinging Nettles/Bromelain combo for the allergies. Now abouts is when to find the young nettles if you want to collect some yourself. Has to be the leaves though for allergy.

 

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[oldslowandugly]

WE'RE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER BOAT!!!!

 

[oldslowandugly]

Re: the Allergies

It's a head cold. I just figured out when I got it. The daughter needed some electrical work done and when I went over to do it they were all sneezing and coughing. Our old school Pediatrician always said it takes a week for a cold to get going. He was right as rain. It was exactly a week after I got exposed. I haven't had a cold since before Covid because I avoid people. She sandbagged me.

 

[The New Holliday]

because I avoid people

Always good advice.

 

[The New Holliday]

. Got out for my first fishing this afternoon. Went for the wild Trout who were batting caddisfly around. I went with a 1/8 oz Panther Martin, white w/ red spots. It has worked well early in the past. Almost 2 hrs and nada. I'm planning 2, 3 more casts...then it hits me, or my lure more precisely. A nice 15" or so Brown. I play er in easy on my cheapo china rod and old Cardinal 101...net it with my brand new cheapo Cortland Trout net. Unhooked and released to go eat more wing*ed beasts. Right at about 3:15 in the aft too.
. Nice day for walking the trail and rocky banks. Forgot my camera again though.
Couldn't think of a nicer place to be.