Eastern Shore (Honga River) 15 Nov 2014 report.

[Cowpokey]

Nothing against you man... you are very active on the forum and put plenty of time on the water and you were just invited to this location by others....... but don't give credit to those individuals for putting in work and finding and figuring out the location, when it was just poached and all the work was done by others.

I wasn't talking about this location. They took me there, sure...I've been there with the same crew several times, we put the work in together as far as I'm concerned.

None of us learned this alone. But all of us have had our spots poached by power boaters/charters by putting up too much information on open boards. I'm happy to share information with anyone that fishes from a kayak. Especially the ones just starting out.

[Shady]

Snaggedline and other kayak fishing forums were different because we all shared very specific information about lures, techniques, locations, etc. Im seeing things turn though....the secrecy is increasing and the tone is changing. Im torn on the issue. It does suck when we lose launch places like Hemingways (although, that had to do with ownership changing more than anything). On the other hand, the lower eastern shore is so full of relatively unfished waters that I wonder if the secrecy is necessary. For the most part, everyone is chasing and catching small schoolie stripers (18-25"). I'm not sure thats terribly difficult to do.

Please dont interpret this as a slight towards anyone. How and what you choose to report is up to every individual, of course. The growing pains of a sport are inevitable though.

Also, im fishing tomorrow if anyone wants to join.

The spot was supposed to be somewhat secretive because of the other species that frequented waters. Sure, schoolie Stripers can be caught throughout the bay. The problem is not "us" its "them" - those that troll these forums to "poach" info and never leave a single post...

[Cowpokey]

The spot was supposed to be somewhat secretive because of the other species that frequented waters. Sure, schoolie Stripers can be caught throughout the bay. The problem is not "us" its "them" - those that troll these forums to "poach" info and never leave a single post...

That's the point I was trying to make. You did a better job of conveying what I was trying to get across.

[longislandtomd]

Not trying to be silly, but saying that the lower eastern shore holds puppy drum, specks and/or weakfish is to say that Montauk has "decent' fall fishing. I wont burn your spot.

For newbies, hop on google maps and look around on the lower eastern shore. For most people thats a three hour drive give or take. You can launch from a public ramp (google) or park your car in a place that you think you won't get a ticket. Launch your yak and cast or troll soft plastics (anything in the 3-6" variety that will look like a juvenile bunker or something similar). Most people troll two rods (with braided line and a fluorocarbon leader) but if you can handle more without the tangles, all the better. Troll areas that are fishy (breaks, ambush points, etc.). Not sure what I mean? You can google that too or save yourself the effort and purchase Alan's book. If you see birds, you will likely find bait and fish. Likely you will find young rockfish/striped bass that are barely keepers. You can catch lots of these fish, and brag about the numbers of smallish fish you caught on the interwebs. You can then drive 3 hours back home.

Seriously guys. Lets keep some perspective here. We are fishing in a hunk of expensive plastic and trying not to get run over by powerboats. I dont think that posting that you caught fish in the islands of the Lower Eastern Shore, during the fall is a shock to anyone.

Concrete ships at Kipto hold fish in the winter too.... Posted for all to see but it takes the best to go out and consistently catch. Im sure folks were upset that kevin "spot burned" the ships but really?

I say all of this ranty nonsense to say...what are we doing fellas?

[Cowpokey]

Not trying to be silly, but saying that the lower eastern shore holds puppy drum, specks and/or weakfish is to say that Montauk has "decent' fall fishing. I wont burn your spot.

For newbies, hop on google maps and look around on the lower eastern shore. For most people thats a three hour drive give or take. You can launch from a public ramp (google) or park your car in a place that you think you won't get a ticket. Launch your yak and cast or troll soft plastics (anything in the 3-6" variety that will look like a juvenile bunker or something similar). Most people troll two rods (with braided line and a fluorocarbon leader) but if you can handle more without the tangles, all the better. Troll areas that are fishy (breaks, ambush points, etc.). Not sure what I mean? You can google that too or save yourself the effort and purchase Alan's book. If you see birds, you will likely find bait and fish. Likely you will find young rockfish/striped bass that are barely keepers. You can catch lots of these fish, and brag about the numbers of smallish fish you caught on the interwebs. You can then drive 3 hours back home.

Seriously guys. Lets keep some perspective here. We are fishing in a hunk of expensive plastic and trying not to get run over by powerboats. I dont think that posting that you caught fish in the islands of the Lower Eastern Shore, during the fall is a shock to anyone.

Concrete ships at Kipto hold fish in the winter too.... Posted for all to see but it takes the best to go out and consistently catch. Im sure folks were upset that kevin "spot burned" the ships but really?

I say all of this ranty nonsense to say...what are we doing fellas?

I'm not sure if I like you any more. You are posting way to much logical public information. Not to mention, your comment about my PB 25" striper being a "schoolie", and witnessing me falling off my kayak....wait, I shouldn't have said that....nobody else saw me splash....dang, that should remain unposted.

[longislandtomd]

I've never seen a smoother re entry....

[Cowpokey]

I've never seen a smoother re entry....

I watch Discovery Channel...penguins and puffins are my mentors

[Goody]

Goody - gopro in the future?

I'll stick with Dao-Pro. Just wanted to see how to do it. Curiosity kind of thing.

Mobile

[jsnyd86]

I haven't been on this forum too long and I tend to come and go as life gets in the way. Sometimes reading the threads just tease me rather than hold me over, so I pull the plug until the time is right.
Maybe I'm just padding my numbers or giving somewhat of an outside perspective, but I understand why this forum has changed a bit over time. Even for not being much of a regular I see patterns of new posters, looking for hot spots and hanging around for a few months before disappearing. Even myself. I can't blame anyone for not wanting to share their location or what seems to be working through a public forum. Some of these launches could even be private. Get a few extra guys there on a weekend and that launch is gone. Then there's the spot burning issue. You can openly google fishing reports and get a few from snaggedline. Even this one. Or at least see that there are juicy reports and get a username for a peak inside. I like the idea of keeping it close. Most everyone interested in the report knows the general area anyway. If someone wants details bad enough they'll come out. I've never seen an instance when someone has been turned away.

[Cowpokey]

I'll stick with Dao-Pro. Just wanted to see how to do it. Curiosity kind of thing.

Mobile

"Dao-Pro", we need to make sure that is on every trip. LOL

[Cowpokey]

Some of these launches could even be private. Get a few extra guys there on a weekend and that launch is gone. Then there's the spot burning issue.

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a public/state launch within peddling/paddling distance of decent fishing anywhere on the bay. The problem is all of the people that only get on the forum to harvest intel. When 3 or 4 kayaks go out and have everything to the horizon to themselves catching fish one day, and go back the next day and there are a dozen charter boats, we have a problem. That is the reason several of us are pissed off and quit sharing additional info with the forum. It's unfortunate for the members here that just want to share and grow our addiction of fishing out of tupperware.

[Romo]

Happens to every site. I'll be the first to say the internet ruined fishing. When I first got on here I was amazed at some of the specific spot info I saw. If you guys were fishing in NJ, which in my opinion is the worst state to be a fisherman of any kind, posting any info that would give someone a 5 mile radius of your spot would result in hundreds of people going there the next week. Even if it was only about 15 inch stripers. You guys are lucky there is so much water down there and not a bunch of NJ cell phone mafia, binocular-wielding, van staal owning googans everywhere.

[Slobber Bob]

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a public/state launch within peddling/paddling distance of decent fishing anywhere on the bay.

That may be true where you guys fish, but the further south you go from the area in this report the harder it can be to find launches in kayak distance. Once your bayside on the ESVA they can be far and few between.

I don't mind see detail in the reports, I know I've given plenty in the past, but you do need to be careful about openly posting launch spots. Public access ramps I have no problem with - anybody can launch there if they want. A report with good results may prompt people to up and try there, so I'd probably give less details on the exact locations where I fished when I left the launch. However, I don't think it's a good idea ever to detail "secret" launches on a post. I know a few that a couple of us share and if more people started showing up there they would be ruined for sure.

I didn't have any issue with your report.. but I haven't fished the Honga area in a few years so it wouldn't bother me like it may others that fish that area. But don't sweat it - others post the same info on personal websites all the time.

The id question: I second skilletfish. I've seen a few under the rocks around OC before. P1000775.jpg P1000779.jpg

[Cowpokey]

That may be true where you guys fish, but the further south you go from the area in this report the harder it can be to find launches in kayak distance. Once your bayside on the ESVA they can be far and few between.

I don't mind see detail in the reports, I know I've given plenty in the past, but you do need to be careful about openly posting launch spots. Public access ramps I have no problem with - anybody can launch there if they want. A report with good results may prompt people to up and try there, so I'd probably give less details on the exact locations where I fished when I left the launch. However, I don't think it's a good idea ever to detail "secret" launches on a post. I know a few that a couple of us share and if more people started showing up there they would be ruined for sure.

Public launch sites are listed on the DNR website. The NOAA website has charts with depth soundings, markers, wrecks, etc in great detail.

The id question: I second skilletfish. I've seen a few under the rocks around OC before.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]14229[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]14230[/ATTACH]

Interesting, what is it hanging onto in the first picture?

[Slobber Bob]

It was on the underside of a rock that had some coral growth on it.