Thoughts of this past year... and plans for the upcoming season???

[Mikey topaz]

Well... another year has past, I hope everyone enjoyed the time with their family and friends and got some real cool new fishing toys. Right now at this time I feel myself like I do every year reflecting on this past season so far... I like to sit and compare how fishing was to previous years and look at some logs I keep...was there something I coulda did better to be more successful on the water? Did I learn anything new about the places I’ve fished.. ? Or the new techniques I used and worked how well did they work compared to the normal way I’ve fished and caught in the past?? And then think what do I wanna do different this year... any new places I wanna try to learn or fish this year or try some new techniques??? And what goals do I want to set for myself for the upcoming season... I don’t know maybe I’m just weird 🤣 I’m always trying new things and trying to find fish by myself in spots and ways most people don’t...right now the mamba is in the barn getting some much needed tlc and upgrades and setting it up a little different for some new ways I wanna fish this year. I’m curious to see what everyone else thinks and has tried anything new and some of their goals for the upcoming new season.

Some new things I’ve tried this year and was successful was fishing with the copper line for lakers at the valley and Merrill mostly. I bought a lot lures and different spoons I tried but nothing new I tried worked.

I learned a lot of new water to me on the south branch close to my new house parts I never fished before and did really well.

Found some new points on hopatcong for hybrids and a few good rock piles for walleye all should be really good spots in the spring as well...

Overall for me fishing was ok but no real killer bites like the years in the past,
Things I wanna do for the upcoming season new is I wanna step up my laker game at the valley and figure out how I can have four bottom bouncer rods going at one time for lakers.

I wanna troll with the planner boards the way I do at the valley with leadcore at hopatcong in the summer months for walleye with stick baits and worms rigs.

I used to fish a lot of spots as a kid and did really well I wanna go back and revisit some of these spot that used to be really good to me.

Let’s hear it ya maniacs what did you learn this year? Anything new? And what’s your goals for the new season?

[Jigman13]

I wanna stop dropping swordfish at the boat lol...land a marker day time deep dropping, put a triple marker in the boat and deck a #200+ bigeye. To 2020!

I explored a lot of back bay this summer and caught more keeper fluke consistently than I have in the past. Also experimented with winter flounder on ultra light and scored consistently in November and december using some new tactics that allowed me to move vs baiting and waiting. Hadn't caught one in nearly 20 years and was catching 2 to 6 per trip on the right tides. Biggest was just shy of 17".

I also beat up the tog in pt pleasant this fall. Not many keepers but great jig action and got my son involved so he could feel the power lol.

Other than that I did well on walleyes and smallies in the raritan. No beasts but some nice fish and quantity.

I def fished more salt than sweet in 2019. But that ain't a bad thing!

[Hookmanski]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

I def fished more salt than sweet in 2019. But that ain't a bad thing!

Same here! I focused a lot on the salt this year but had some good sweetwater trips as well.

Finally got on some decent stripers this year, which was awesome. Definitely got the surf fishing bug now, nothing else like it! Night fishing trips will increse next year too.

Caught my PB Bluefish at around 5 pounds, hope to break that in the spring time. Also caught new salt species like bonito, mackerel, and nothern sea robins. Missed a false albacore so going to have to cross that one off next year!

Got on some trout in NJ as well as took a trip to NY to fish the esopus which was awesome. Mostly ignored the largemouth bass this year, but did pretty well on smallmouth in splitrock and a few other places. Also caught my PB Yellow perch!

Also did a lot of new water exploring in NJ this year, but a lot of those trips proved unsuccessful. Wouldn't trade them though, great experiences looking for wild trout in NJ, and i found them, next year i'll just have to catch them!

Almost caught my first freshwater hybrid too, but lost him right at the surface on NJSquatch's boat. Gotta say thanks again to him for taking me out on the cong for my first time!

Next year I really want to get on some fluke action as I only tried once this year and struck out. Gotta get redemption on the albie too! Also hope to finally land a pike as I tried about 7 times this year and just couldn't connect even when people around me were. Want to get on a tautog or two as well so i can finally wear the 300 shirts i won at the christmas party more ice fishing too.

Overall, a pretty great year of fishing but i think my 2018 season was a bit better, quality and number wise. Next year is going to be an interesting one, might be moving into Brooklyn so my freshwater trips could become limited and i might be fishing Long Island beaches a lot more than anything else. Its all up in the air still though, so we'll see! Tight lines and happy new year to all!!!

[Mikey topaz]

Originally Posted by Hookmanski

Same here! I focused a lot on the salt this year but had some good sweetwater trips as well.

Finally got on some decent stripers this year, which was awesome. Definitely got the surf fishing bug now, nothing else like it! Night fishing trips will increse next year too.

Caught my PB Bluefish at around 5 pounds, hope to break that in the spring time. Also caught new salt species like bonito, mackerel, and nothern sea robins. Missed a false albacore so going to have to cross that one off next year!

Got on some trout in NJ as well as took a trip to NY to fish the esopus which was awesome. Mostly ignored the largemouth bass this year, but did pretty well on smallmouth in splitrock and a few other places. Also caught my PB Yellow perch!

Also did a lot of new water exploring in NJ this year, but a lot of those trips proved unsuccessful. Wouldn't trade them though, great experiences looking for wild trout in NJ, and i found them, next year i'll just have to catch them!

Almost caught my first freshwater hybrid too, but lost him right at the surface on NJSquatch's boat. Gotta say thanks again to him for taking me out on the cong for my first time!

Next year I really want to get on some fluke action as I only tried once this year and struck out. Gotta get redemption on the albie too! Also hope to finally land a pike as I tried about 7 times this year and just couldn't connect even when people around me were. Want to get on a tautog or two as well so i can finally wear the 300 shirts i won at the christmas party more ice fishing too.

Overall, a pretty great year of fishing but i think my 2018 season was a bit better, quality and number wise. Next year is going to be an interesting one, might be moving into Brooklyn so my freshwater trips could become limited and i might be fishing Long Island beaches a lot more than anything else. Its all up in the air still though, so we'll see! Tight lines and happy new year to all!!!

You got your work cut out for ya! I love it! I thought you got a hybrid that day ???? I’ll get you out in the summer and help out with scratching that one off your list,

[Hookmanski]

Originally Posted by Mikey topaz

You got your work cut out for ya! I love it! I thought you got a hybrid that day ???? I’ll get you out in the summer and help out with scratching that one off your list,

I hooked him and got him to the boat, but my drag was too tight and the hook popped right as Squatch grabbed the net. A heartbreaker for sure, but lesson learned! Sounds good man, can't wait!

[bulletbob]

fishing was bad for me up here in the Finger lakes ..
Caught a grand total of 2 keeper walleyes out of the Susquehanna this fall and maybe 5 or 6 shorts, in about a dozen tries.. They just aren't where they used to be.. i can tell its NOT just me, because not only have the walleyes left, so have the fishermen.. NO one fishing the river for them any more.. SMB was ok , but this river is a mud bucket much of the time, up here.. Its mainly mud bottom, not rocky like the Delaware in NJ is, and runs through farmland, and then through cities and suburbs. Very often its unfishable for weeks at a time.

finger lakes are good for downrigger trollers, but I detest deep trolling.. Some years I have done OK with Ll salmon, big Browns, lakers, by jigging and casting, but a lot depends on where the bait is.. When the bait is down 200 feet over 400 feet, thats where the fish are, and I just do not like fishing that deep for a 3 or 4 pound trout, especially when having to reel up a fish that deep from a moving boat.. Like reeling in a waterlogged easy chair.

caught a few nice fish this year, a good LMB, some nice SMB a big pike, an 11 pound channel cat,but even my panfishing was not great this year compared to others,,

Sadly as i get older [ 65 now] my trips to fish the salt water in my native NJ are becoming more problematic.. Too far for a rapidly aging man to drive down, fish all day, and drive back that night , especially with the reduced bag limits, and often tough fishing. Matter of fact, I might be done with it altogether.. We'll see.. Maybe this year will see me with more time and energy. This past year, meh, not one of my better years, but to be fair, in "good years" typically, I have put for more effort than I did this past year. bob

[thmyorke1]

I had a lot of fun this year. I started work this April and saw myself manage my time on the water better.

Looking back I did a lot of different things although I pretty much stayed in the rivers.
The biggest would be the pike adventures with NickM. That's something Im looking forward to this year and will continue using the paddletail swimbaits. Will try the spinnerbaits more too.

Flukes for smallmouth rather than jigs. More topwater too.
Gonna continue fishing the main stem raritan for stripers this spring.

Until then I will be seeking out trout and probably into PA.

Never know what to expect; just looking to have fun again this year, no real goals except to get a PB raritan river striper and explore more water.

[HerringKing]

Way too much work and not enough fishing.

[Mikey topaz]

Originally Posted by thmyorke1

I had a lot of fun this year. I started work this April and saw myself manage my time on the water better.

Looking back I did a lot of different things although I pretty much stayed in the rivers.
The biggest would be the pike adventures with NickM. That's something Im looking forward to this year and will continue using the paddletail swimbaits. Will try the spinnerbaits more too.

Flukes for smallmouth rather than jigs. More topwater too.
Gonna continue fishing the main stem raritan for stripers this spring.

Until then I will be seeking out trout and probably into PA.

Never know what to expect; just looking to have fun again this year, no real goals except to get a PB raritan river striper and explore more water.

You did great Luke, I remember you a few years back and now... dude you figured a lot of stuff out very quickly- I LOVE IT!!! Great catching man👊🏻

[Jigman13]

We did land this beast end of August. Over 14.5' feet fork length. Hour and change on the rod. Backed down on her 3.5 miles. Wrecked an 80w. Had to get the whole reel rebuilt. Insane experience... prob over #800. Learned a lot... like Pittman leader is indestructible lol.