Forecasts & Picking A Day To Go

[papabear2611]

I drive 2 1/2 hours or so to get to Highlands, Belmar, PP so I have to be dead on, or best I can, with choosing what days to try to go forecast wise.

I do what I can to read all I can and learn for some years now on reading forecasts and I know a lot of times forecast is wrong.
I seem to hear different things by different peoples, capts, etc. depending on fish your going after, method of fishing.

For forecasts I mostly use Windfinder (forecast tab) because of hourly wind and wave direction forecast, trying to stay away from wind against at all times right?.
Also use NOAA and sometimes weather bouy etc. for further out trips.

But it seems like depending on the type fish your going after and the way your fishing, anchored or drifting, different conditions are better or worse.

So I guess what I am asking is what do you consider your best wind and wave conditions for the following;
(Please post your first and second wind and wave choices and worst, if you feel generous, max and/or min wind,wave)


Striper anchored, spring clamming etc.?
Striper drifting , jigging metals, eeling, etc?
Fluking drifting? bucktailing, bait
Tog anchored?
Seabass anchored?
Deep Wreck?

Thanks

[Fish Tank]

papa.remember this,WEST IS BEST EAST IS LEAST.CANT GO WRONG WITH THAT FORMULA. STAY WELL AND CATCH EM UP.CAPT,TOMMY JOSEPH

[papabear2611]

Originally Posted by Fish Tank

papa.remember this,WEST IS BEST EAST IS LEAST.CANT GO WRONG WITH THAT FORMULA. STAY WELL AND CATCH EM UP.CAPT,TOMMY JOSEPH

Appreciate it, I try to follow that West is best etc.
thing is, this time of year, getting a decent West wind with West waves/current is hard to come by.
I am seeing posted good catches jigging stripers on days with other winds and wave/current directions, just wondering what to totally right off and what is worth a shot?
I am guessing most important is to have wind with current for decent drifts?
Thanks Guys, With the drive I have all help is Greatly Appreciated!
Frank

[AndyS]

http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=264

[Joey Dah Fish]

West is the best especially with out going tides. Rule of thumb. When the winds from the west the fish bite the best. When winds from the east the fish bite the least. When the winds from the north you need not go forth. When the wind from the south it blows the bite to there mouth. I'm not a fan of the last part but that's what I have been taught my whole life. It seems to hold true except for the south thing. That holds true for fresh water but not salt as far as I can tell. But let me just say this. Fish when you can!!!! Life is short

[NoLimit]

I have seen pretty good fishing out of the north

[jlrotary]

I drive 2.5-3 hrs to fish nj and I just go when my schedule and wife allow. Some of those really nice weather days sucked fishing wise and vise versa. My advise is go when you can. I use WindGURU and noaa, neither are 100%.

[Joey Dah Fish]

Originally Posted by NoLimit

I have seen pretty good fishing out of the north

Me too but it's a general statement

[DaveTats]

Originally Posted by jlrotary

I drive 2.5-3 hrs to fish nj and I just go when my schedule and wife allow. Some of those really nice weather days sucked fishing wise and vise versa. My advise is go when you can. I use WindGURU and noaa, neither are 100%.

Agreed. I have limited days to fish and if the conditions are "fishable" I'm going

[Gerry Zagorski]

As far as ocean conditions are concerned, anything with an E in it is going to create swells...NE,E,SE since the wind is coming off the ocean and the wind has all that open ocean to build seas.

Having said this it all depends on wind strength.. If out of the NE anything over 10 knots it's going to be pretty rough. E or SE @ 10 knots is usually fine.

As said above, West is Best simply because you have the land buffering the effects of the winds and the seas don't have a chance to build close in. Point in case, we've been out in 20 knots out of the West tight into the beach and the ocean inside of a mile or 2 was like a mill pond. Go out further it will be nasty. However, when fishing an area like the NY bite, which is exposed to a west wind coming from Raritan Bay, if the tide is incoming making it wind against tide, you are going to get the crap knocked out of you if it's blowing 15 -20.

One other source I use all the time are the beach cams. More than a few days the forecast is doom and gloom, you look at the cams and it's flat. It's also been the other way around too Beach cams and a lot of other good resources for planning can be found above under Resources and choose Fishng Trip Planner.