My first tourney: What days/nights would YOU fish?

Themis · Oct 11, 2007

Coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet, NJ out 20 NM
FZUS51 KPHI 110825
CWFPHI
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
425 AM EDT THU OCT 11 2007
SANDY HOOK NJ TO FENWICK ISLAND DE TO 20 NM OFFSHORE AND DELAWARE
BAY
ANZ450-451-112100-
/O.CON.KPHI.SC.Y.0066.071012T0000Z-071012T2200Z/
COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20 NM-
425 AM EDT THU OCT 11 2007

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH
FRIDAY AFTERNOON

TODAY
E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT... BECOMING SE
LATE. SEAS AROUND 3 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. ISOLATED TSTMS UNTIL
LATE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT
W WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT WITH
GUSTS UP TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. A
CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

FRI
W WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT.

FRI NIGHT
NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT.

SAT
W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT.

SAT NIGHT
W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.

SUN
W WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS AROUND
3 FT.

Tourney starts 7pm Friday night and goes until 2pm Sunday. Can finish anywhere in the ocean to 3 miles out, and the less productive, but calmer bay..... This is my first one; I will be with my son, and experienced friend and his grown son.

B-Faithful · Oct 11, 2007

Pick the days with West winds. The beachfront knocks down the winds and the seas can be relatively calm along the beach.

Bring buckets or a sea anchor to slow the drift on the windier days.

What are you fishing for?

Themis · Oct 11, 2007

Striped bass.....

So it probably won't be too bad by the beach, although I am kind of scared at night. More scared of Barnegat Inlet I guess...

B-Faithful · Oct 11, 2007

Hmm.. what are the reports like? you could drift live spot or eels just past the jetties, troll spoons (bluefish would kill platsics), or anchor and chunk bunker off of shoals or ledges. I would probably look to drifting eels or spot just before and after dusk. Bad part is that spot and eels are going for over $2ea these days and it only takes one bluefish to ruin them.

Good luck. I hope the stripers are on their way south!!

check out http://www.thebassbarn.com for south jersey reports. (I cannot wait for my Oct 29th trip!)

Themis · Oct 11, 2007

Thanks Greg for the advice.

Lucky John · Oct 11, 2007

Sal,last year at this time I was drifting bunker chunks in 30-40' of water off Beach Haven,I wasn't getting alot just 2-3 fish everyday and they were 20-30lb fish.I would just look for readings and start drifting.I did this for a couple weeks until the water temps dropped and I was able to fish in the white water out of Little egg Inlet.
I also know they are getting some @ night using eels,not totally sure of the area fished,but I bet if you took a few drifts near the jetty you might see some action,only bad thing is the weather is going to be ugly for fri/sat.
Good luck