Your Best Day Of Fishing

[Gerry Zagorski]

We’ve all had that one day of fishing we’ll never forget. What was yours? I’ll start it off…

Was a fall mid day in early October and we were drifting eels for Stripers on Romer Shoal picking a fish here and there. It was a little on the slow side and we saw a huge flock of birds working some bait close by. First thought was bluefish so we were in no hurry but then boredom set in so we switched over to AVAs and headed over to the birds to take a few casts at the Bluefish.

Turns out it was all Stripers and the bite got better and better as the afternoon wore on and there was not another boat in sight. These schoolie Stripers were so hungry and thick if you didn’t catch a fish on every cast you were wondering what you did wrong.

After an hour of non stop fishing I called my buddy Russ and told him YOU NEED TO GET TO THE DOCK so we can pick you up, the fishing is insane! Went back to the dock to pick him up, got back to the scene of the crime and they were still there and as hungry as we left them.

I stopped counting at 40 or so Stripers and bite continued through the afternoon until the sun went down…We each must have had over 80 fish each and have never seen or experienced a day of fishing like that since.

[John D.]

Sea Devil with Capt Pennington approx 17 yrs ago for tuna. Soon as the lines came tight a 50# wahoo was caught and landed on the chunk. For the next 6 hrs non stop tuna on bait and jigs for all. Yft ran 50-70# class. Beautifully cobalt blue water. People passed out from fatigue. We had game for who could cast a jig and reel it in without getting bit. Capt bob, who had fished for a loooong time, said it was one of the top 5 tuna bites he had ever seen. Tuna were free jumping constantly during the savage bite.

[Gumada]

1990’s surf blitz started in Belmar followed the blitz almost to Manasquan inlet. Bluefish, big choppers with stripers following the carnage right behind them. Every cast a fish on Hopkins with a big single hook. People were coming to the beach to watch. Only fish I kept I gave to bystanders if they wanted them....it lasted a good 4 hours, exhausted I got a cab back to Belmar to my truck....

[NJ219bands]

My friend Roger and I caught more than 300 lbs of jumbo fluke including a 12.5 lber on the Manasquan Inlet north jetty in the early seventies in early September one day before they moved offshore with the nor’easter the next day.

[Needlefish]

June 6, 2011 – Three friends and I fished with Capt Allen aboard the Reel Class (afternoon trip). The bass were on the bunker from Mantoloking to Spring Lake. Caught about 30 bass on live/dead bunker, and large swimming plugs and all were 25-35#. At times the bass were knocking bunking clear out of the water.

[spc06]

Love this topic! Love the responses!

I've had some great haddock and striper trips, but my fav day of fishing was when I was 10. My 3 brothers and my Dad and the family dog, got into a 3 man aluminum row boat, and hit a small pond. We caught perch on a lure, and we had never used lures before. We each caught a dozen perch or so, and the waterline came right up to the lip of the boat. We all magically survived, and laugh about that day 40 years later.

[dales529]

Oct 18 2012 on the infamous Jenny Lee with Capt Dave Bender, your handsome brother Joey Da Fish and others. Left at 630 am. 2nd Captain Kevin (RIP) says I am going up top, see you all back on the deck in 88 miles! Great boat and crew on the grounds by 11am

Started off trolling, landed some yellowfins, longfins and mahi. Right before sunset 2 rods go down and we are in a different battle on both. Capt Kevin says you know what we got here? Yup wolfpack Bigeyes. After we passed the rods around for what seemed like forever 2 beauties are on the deck at 175lbs and 145 lbs NICE. Actually got me and Joey on the cover of fisherman magazine.

Night fell and chunked some more yellowfins, then a lull. Around 230am with whales blowing out smelly stuff right next to the boat 2 rods go down and the swordys are on! Double header twins around a buck and a half land on the deck after running around the bow, anchor line etc. Capts Dave and Kevin did a great job making sure all were safe, even us as they ran around the boat to get the fight back to the cockpit.

As a beautiful sunrise came we went back on the troll and picked at more tuna in an aquarium of porpoise and whales. Was my first trip of many more to come on the Jenny Lee so now 30 hours in and a great box of fish on ice slurry I ask Capt Dave "Is there an end to this trip"? His response: 'Its Fing October and 73 degrees out with flat seas, you got somewhere better you would rather be"?
Simple answer was NO Capt , carry on!

[Hookmanski]

Think mine has to be the day Luke and I went surf fishing together. I got there 5 minutes before him and started cracking shad immediately. 10 minutes after Luke showed up, I saw a cloud of bait and cast my deadly dick over to it, thought I got snagged on something on the bottom until the drag started ripping. After a 20 minute fight, landed my PB striper in the ballpark of 40-44 inches with a bellowing "WOOOOOOOOOOO!"

https://i.postimg.cc/9Qhv1mFN/BBASS.jpg

Luke also got his first surf striper ever that night, a night I'll definitely never forget!

[Pennsy Guy]

Mine is totally different...first tuna trip ever--on the old Gambler. Didn't really have a clue about tuna fishing; my buddy told me expect a bigger fight than your 'gator blues. It was raining, windy...10-15 mph... and an honest 8' swell. Got hooked up fishing off the stern with rental gear. Reeling in, saw it looking up on the face of a swell, then down in the trough. Boated, t'was a football 29-30" but my first and legal. Buffett fanatics are Parrot heads, guess I'm a Tuna head...and I love it. ;)

[Ol Pedro]

Mine was with the old Gambler Rat Pack drifting into the deep on the east wall of the Hudson. Todd Burger and I started by catching twin Bluefish. I caught a Bluefin around 80lbs. We had a steady pick throughout the dark and into the morning. Chuck, John, Dennis, and Todd had multiple fish. I caught five Yellowfin and handed off another four or five. I topped the day off with a 15lb Skipjack! Watching Todd winch up those tuna was amazing.

[LotsobitesBB]

This is a tough question as I have had so many great days that are in contention. However, my answer is looking back at the days fishing with friends and family that are no longer with us. Those are the days I remember. A close second is a few kids trips on the Monger in the Evening and kids trip with my late friend Steve and his kids (now in HS and college) in Raritan Bay. Keepers didn't matter, the nibble and tug was enough for the kids to smile. One of twin girls (about 8/9 at the time) once said on a Monger trip, "Is it OK if I eat my sandwich in the car on the way home?" so she could keep fishing.

[Duffman]

Some great stories to read in all the responses. Good stuff!

Tough personally to pick a single greatest trip ever but some of the infamous AndyS tuna trips on the Gambler were insanely good.

The “jigging” trip with surge tubing on the jig hooks was one crazy trip :p

Probably the best ever was landing a limit of 70 lb YFT’s in the first hour and half. A couple of LFT’s to follow. Added a 150 lb swordie before sunup then crushed the Mahi pot hopping at sunup. If I remember right, Richie B had a 70 lb wahoo on the chunk that nite, someone hooking and lost a white marlin (Groovedog?) that trip was damn epic! Tons of great guys on those trips. Learned a ton!

[dales529]

yes hard to pick one so went with the tuna trip BUT next up:
Family vacation in Avalon NJ. 1990 something 94/ 95 maybe. Had to go in June due to kids sports schedule. Iffy weather month but we went. Got there on Saturday to 45 degrees and cloudy.

Walked up to the beach with a 10 to 15 NE and noticed birds hovering slightly offshore of the volleyball net at the Golden Inn now ICONA. Couldn't pull the it off on the weekend and checked again on Monday as the weather hadn't changed much. Said to self I Have to fish this in the AM.

Went to the local tackle shop and asked for some clams. Guys says what for as the seabass boats aren't going out! I said Stripers in the surf. He says they aren't around.

I take my clams and head out 530 am Tuesday, set up the bait / clam rod in the small rip around the birds and start throwing a Hopkins for the heck of it.
Birds / Hopkins has me 100 yards from the bait rod but I see it go down, running for it with the Hopkins still in the water that hooks up as well. No one in sight and I have 2 on. Beached 9 more in 1.5 hrs. all schoolie stripers but lots of fun.

Went back and dragged my son out of bed, also went back and showed the tackle store guy who said there were no stripers in the surf 1 of my fish (kept alive) and said can I have more clams please. He was great about it and enthused as no one down there in the 90"s fished clams in the surf. We released that fish in a net into the bay unharmed.

My son and I went back and got 5 more before human beach traffic.

Wait it gets better. My 5 year old daughter says she wants to go next morning! Take her to the same spot / fish and birds are still there in the same trough and she hooks up a 15lbr and beaches it in a beach chair (with a little help). We caught 4 more schoolies after that and went for breakfast.

No cell phones or Go pros back then and didn't bring a camera but some couple on the beach took a picture of my daughters fish. She is 32 now and just this past weekend we joked that somewhere on someone's refrigerator is a picture of her with a nice striper from the suds.

[CODCHALY]

Never had a Favorite Fish Trip, but like others have said putting a little Kid on the Catch is Priceless,
. And them nights with Master Mate, Old Pedro, night Blues on both GAMBLERS
was ALWYS FUN !!! I could go on.

[Lard Almighty]

Halloween 2009. First ever striper from the surf.

[hartattack]

1- Suicidal Tog bite on the Green Boat - jigs, rigs, greens, clams on a jig... didn't matter, they slammed it all
2- Columbus Day sea bass trip turned into Blackfish trip when this monster came up for my son on a clam

[Bluefish]

Two bests: #1-25 ? years ago Miss Belmar Princess, spent the entire night watching everybody else either boat or lose tuna, me not a hit. At daybreak Went uptop with Capt Alan , looked at fishfinder and watched them coming thru at 75 feet. put on a jig , went up to the bow by myself and counted out 75 feet, first raise of the rod fish on, for next 2 ½ hours jigged and landed 5 tuna finishing off with a 180 lb (weighed) big eye. current capt John on the gaff and took the picture

#2. 45? Years ago: Night bluefishing with capt Jimmy on the old Holiday. My buddy and I stopped counting at 200 and just kept going, weakfish and blues circling the boat, in addition to catching them on rod and reel for variety we were picking the ones we wanted and free Gaffing them. And not spkes or cocktails. Decent sized fish. Jimmy and I still both remember that trip.
Cant forget either trip as both stand out .

[frugalfisherman]

Well it was really something. I went down to my favorite party boat only to find out it was chartered by a bunch of bikini models and strippers. Luckily their manager couldn't show up and they let me on for free. They couldn't keep their hands of me. I begged them to put some clothes on. Thank God for Viagra. Then I woke up, drove down and found the same group of old farts. It was good while it lasted!

[Pennsy Guy]

Mine was with the old Gambler Rat Pack drifting into the deep on the east wall of the Hudson. Todd Burger and I started by catching twin Bluefish. I caught a Bluefin around 80lbs. We had a steady pick throughout the dark and into the morning. Chuck, John, Dennis, and Todd had multiple fish. I caught five Yellowfin and handed off another four or five. I topped the day off with a 15lb Skipjack! Watching Todd winch up those tuna was amazing.

Now I remember that trip---it was amazing!!!

[Detour66]

Any day fishing with my Grandfather out on the east end of L.I back in the 70's. The fishing was unbelievable back in them days and how I miss him.

[Skolmann]

Have 2 (no way I can put one over the other)

1-1976 LBI on a Saturday afternoon, I was 13. Bluefish pinned a school up against the beach with a falling tide. Blues got caught in the trough. For 4+ hours it was all the #8-12 bluefish you wanted. Every cast. People had blues stacked up on the beach in pyramids.

2-Myself and a few other NJFIshing members (who do not post anymore) did an afternoon living lining trip in Raritan Bay. After filling the well with live bunker we found the mother of all striper schools. Long story short the 5 man charter put over 250 stripers in the boat from the upper teens to high 20s.

[BigRock44]

Love this thread Gerry, lots of great stories here!
Like some have said, I've also had many unforgettable trips in my years so it is tough to choose just one, but I'll throw this one out there...

Fished a shipwreck (the Antilla, Aruba) in a department store brand inflatable raft back in the 90's on my honeymoon. When I told the tackle store guy on the island my plans to do so his eyes nearly popped out of his head. I'll never forget what he said to me. "Sir, I strongly recommend you do not go out to there in a small rubber raft by yourself. Here in Aruba we have strong winds and currents and it would be extremely dangerous." I didn't care - it sounded like an amazing place to fish and nothing was stopping me!

So the next day at the crack of dawn I went to a spot I found on the shoreline to launch and loaded up the raft. My wife's eyes were tearing up as we looked into the distance at the wreck site (bit less than a mile off, i think). She begged me not to go but I assured her it was gonna be alright. Set off - not too terrible getting out there, but it was breezy. Tied up to part of the ship sticking out of the water (ship sunk straight down), and jumped in with my snorkeling gear to do some reconnaissance.

Fish all around! Took a deep breath and dove down deeper and saw a school of yellowtails holding under part of the ship. This is gonna be REALLY good I thought! Back in the raft and on my second cast I hook into something that went berserk on the hookset. Jumps, flips, even some tailwalking. Holy crap, my heart is beating through my chest, I think I just hooked a baby marlin! :eek: Finally brought it in - a gigantic houndfish (maybe 4-5 feet long, had no idea what the heck it was when I caught it). Caught all sorts of things that day - Jacks, Grouper, False Albies, 'Cudas, etc. and even a friggin' lizardfish!

Big dive boats starting to come in so time to get the flock outta there. Cut loose from the wreck and rowing like hell back to shore. Wind and current picked up substantially and as I pull hard on the oars waves are crashing over starting to fill up the raft. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea, I'm thinking. Then a large sightseeing/tour boat comes up alongside, sees me struggling with everyone at the rails gawking and someone yells "Are you OK?" I give a thumbs up and finally make it back.

Later that night we are at the hotel restaurant eating the fish I caught that they cleaned and cooked for us. Thinking out loud I asked my wife " Do you think that boat that pulled up to me thought maybe my boat sunk and I was in a life raft?"
She replies "I dunno, but if you ever try any crap like that again your gonna have to find someone else to marry..."

[Jerseyphins]

Great topic! October 23,2018. Took a mental health day from teaching to fish. Ran down the beach to Shrews and was greeted with clouds of birds and acres of falsies. Maybe a handful of boats but it didn't matter. Every cast was a fish. Lost count of how many fish I caught or lost. Spinfishing, fly fishing, didn't matter... Blood everywhere, exhausted but I couldn't get myself to stop fishing. I figured it was one of those days that are few and far between and I should just keep fishing. My former brother-in-law was out in his boat. We were fishing 20 yards from each other, yelling and laughing in disbelief at what a day it was. Ultimately, I left them biting and headed back to the barn.

Obviously my best fishing days are always with my son, but this one was special.

[Gerry Zagorski]

WOW... Love reading these stories and hope this post goes on for another 20 pages. It's like a good book that you can't put down and don't want to end.

[CODCHALY]

160835

160836

160837Agreed, this is a good Thread. All my days on the Water are favored, not one more than another.

[AndyS]

The trip on the old Gambler when we came back in 8 hours EARLY, boat was full, people stopped fishing !! Too many Gambler trips to list as the best. #2 would have to be an all out striped bass blitz in Bay Head years ago in November, lost count.

Would like to see same post on freshwater section.

Can't wait to see the follow up to this "Your Worst Day of Fishing" Duffman knows my worst day fishing as he was with me :)

[tautog]

So many good ones. Trip on a non-sponsor charter back during the glory days of Cape May tog. First crab down 10lber, next one, 8lber. Must have had 45 fish mostly over 6lbs, 5 double digits up to 13.75. Guy next to me had about 20 with a 12.75 on his first tog trip ever. Was confused why tog fishing was considered hard. Only fished for about 5 1/2 hours including 2 hours of running time.

[Capt Sal]

Crew trip on the Rosie R with Capt. Jim Hull .This was before there were limits on Yellowfin Tuna. Eight of us on a party boat over night in Tom's Canyon. Dead flat calm with so many Tuna in the slick you could pick out the one you wanted and toss a Butter Fish to it. I personally decked 18 Yellowfin and 3 Longfin myself. I hooked and passed off that many to a couple of the other young mates. Next was a 250 lb. Sword. If that wasn't enough Big Eyes were mixed in and spooling us. I was so sore my hair hurt LOL What a trip and i still look at the pictures till this day.

[june181901]

It was 11 NOV, a holiday about 35 years ago. Had just respooled a reel and walked over to the ocean just to put tension on it. 4 inch Hopkins was tossed about as far as I could and I let it sink not paying any particular attention. Started reeling in, got a hit and when beached it was a striper. Did it again and same story. Took a fish home and said 'why not' and went back across Ocean Ave. Repeated it for about 20 casts with a total of 14 caught. Was much younger then and could never repeat the effort of nailing that many stripers again.

No mobile phones in those days to spread the word while catching.

[Dclark2]

In my young days my friend got me interested in Tuna fishing and the boats at that time were mostly big party boats. Had some good and not so good trips but always like fishing. One trip on a boat that didn't allow drinking until the fishing was over. That trip it was lights out fishing, yellowfins long fins and whatever else was biting. Was sitting down with my first beer and the mate told me no drinking until the fishing was over..... I pointed up to the top of the boat and where my poles were stored and said my fishing was over. Two days later I had one hell of a rash. Turned had to see a doctor and she told me I had SINGLES. Didn't hurt just inched like crazy. Gave me the low down about being, sick, death in the family or exhausted. Told her I was really dead exhausted and when she asked me from what I said fishing. Can't make that shit up true story. She had the other nurses come in to see what they looked like. VERY VERY lucky they just ich .......

[Duffman]

Any day fishing with my Grandfather out on the east end of L.I back in the 70's. The fishing was unbelievable back in them days and how I miss him.

Where did you fish on the East End? In the 70’s my father and I used to rent boats out of Port Of Egypt. Fishing the north fork then was simply unreal. We would catch every species you can think of in a single trip. Some epic porgy fishing.

Oh and BTW….next threads gotta be “worst trip ever”. Like Andy said, I remember his worst. Personally I thought it was funny

[champ]

Mid 90's I started bass fishing from the surf. Did all my research and practiced some. Went to Pt Pleasant Beach 4:30 am in November for the right tide. Walking up to the beach I could see nothing and only hear the waves. Walked up to the beach thinking what the hell am I doing. Walked to the water, casted into the dark nothingness, couldn't tell where it went, then BAM, I caught one. On a teaser. Couldn't believe it. Caught about 10-12 more all shorts, all on a teaser. The sun came up and it was like opening day trout fishing. To my left and then right anglers as far as you can see. Caught about 10 more. Oddly, when the sun came up no more on teaser all on plug. In the crest of the waves you can see them darting back and forth.

[baseballman]

I'm lucky enough to have had several best days ever.

Surf: 2007 fall run, I was in college. Got to the spot right at dawn, and they were blues EVERYWHERE on peanuts (fishermen soon followed.) Caught them til our arms tired out. I went to class during a quick lull and out of curiosity, took a ride back after breakfast. Not only were the crowds gone, but there were 2 old salts snagging & dropping doing a good number on bass. Did that until dusk (missed 3 classes) when all hell broke loose again, this time on topwaters. They don't make days like those anymore.

Boat: A mid-December 2020 trip on the Fisher Price IV. Caught 20+ on diamond jigs on one nice long drift - the boat limited out - and then we ran out to a topwater bite that featured some really nice fish for that time of year - a couple of overs and a plump 36" that threw up 4 whole adult bunkers, something I've never seen before. Mustve caught at least 50 fish per person and we got back to the dock hours early.

Offshore: This year, I headed out on a buddy's boat to the tuna grounds just after a blow and we weren't sure what to expect. My goodness...we arrived on the grounds to chicks and slicks as far as the eye could see, and the screen LIT up whenever we went around the life. We had to weed through albies to pick at Yellowfins but my goodness did we put a catch together. Ended the day throwing out some peanuts and handfeeding them! Must've caught at least 40+ fish (albies, yellowfin and one single skipjack) with a boat limit of Yellowfin...The fish were smaller but we didn't keep our exact limit, thanks to one BRUTE 70 LB fish that we felt equaled a few of the smaller cookie cutter fish in the area.