Your Best Day Of Fishing

[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

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.