Sand eels rule

I just had to do it..

Last year we were complaining about “crowds” at Robert Moses in NY when we had a sand eel bite

here is  shot I took at dawn one morning

‘now take a look at the shot my friend Tom Lynch took yesterday during the NJ sand eel blitz that is going on as we speak…that is (and you guys know I hate the word) HARDCORE

49 comments on “Sand eels rule

  1. woodwker99

    Hey if this year on L.I. is anything like it was last year in N.J. Next fall it might look like that here as we will be as fish starved as they were. crowds like this could be seen here if the bite and the fish return.

  2. CTMatt

    We need a caption contest LOL

    “MIND IF I CHUNK HERE?”
    “VS or ZeeBasS?”
    “Can I see what change got in the bag?”
    “This reminds me of my 87th.trip to Block in January”

  3. Jeremy

    Some hilarious posts here…. I believe these crowds of surfcasters have been starved of bass lately and are now going to catch em while they can. Enjoy it NJ!! You waited long enough. I too would jump right in at this point, Though Id be pretty worried about the yahoo next to me with the wild casts and the bail constantly closing shut…(just my luck)lol

  4. Jason

    Starved for bass….these fish have been sitting on the back side of the outer bar since the end of October. It was up in Monmouth at the start and has been slowly pushing south.

    Caption
    “Operation Human Gillnet”

  5. RA

    Damn, I’d rather not fish at all or catch nothing than to deal with something like in that photo. That takes every ounce of enjoyment out of it. How desperate people can be to catch a damn fish. Not me.

  6. striperguy

    To all the guys that replied you wouldn’t fish in that crowd, are full of crap, the fish those guys are catching are in the teen to mid twenty pound range, your gonna tell us you wouldn’t be fishing? Pfft!

  7. Zeno Post author

    I am with you…crowds never bothered me..not catching fish bothers me…I am glad NJ surfcasters are enjoying themselves ..I hope it lasts right trough christmas

  8. Ryan Chenette

    I will never complain about RI being busy again….unless someone is in my spot! Striperguy-you’re wrong, i would not fish in that mess. I would rather sit on the dune and take bets on who tangles up next.

    Caption- ” Hey buddy, you’re in my spot! Do you mind moving over?”

  9. Zeno Post author

    btw..i have to warn you about compression of zoom lens..i have no idea what Tom used to shot the picture but I would bet it would look much different from another angle

  10. Dwight

    As a photographer, I see several clues that this was taken with a telephoto lens. That would compress distance and make it look like people are closer than the really are. Zeno is correct.

  11. Zeno Post author

    As a nonphotographer but someone who puts a lot of work in to Sj, I can tell you that there are tasteful comments and comments made in jest and then there are comments which are common on other sites but not here….

  12. firstlight

    Incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it; however, it does illustrate that recreational fishermen are an enthusiatic and significant slice of the population. It’s important that we protect our passion.

  13. fishtrek

    Hatteras “Did someone say there is a RED Drum Bite at the Point??” Or 1977, HALLOWEEN EVE 5:00 PM as the lanterns went on “Excuse me, Pardon Me, You got the eels? I am going to that first bar so don’t cast over me!” but only this went from Barnegate light south as far as the eye could see. The lanterns were so numerous it looked like a city.

  14. Louis DeRicco

    Hi Zeno,

    You guys have made some very insightful comments regarding the photography. The photo is VERY misleading. I am actually in the picture, and I can tell you, that at its worst, the guys were 10 to 12 feet apart. Last fall at Robert Moses was FAR worse.

    It’s been a great run of fish, and I have not seen sand eels in size and numbers since some of the great days in Cape Cod.

  15. Chris

    Looks like those Jersey guys are afraid to get their feet wet. All wearing waders and only the toes are getting wet. That looks like a complete mess!! At least last year’s run at Moses was peaceful; everyone in an even line, evenly spaced, all casting the same lure and all casting in unison. That Jersey nonsense looks like complete chaos and nothing but a headache. That picture is the reason to fish on weekdays only.

  16. Adam

    I fished both spots Moses & Jersey. They were both the same. Crowded!
    There are good surf casters in jersey who work together & then there are Googs with boat rods out there also. Most people showed up at sunrise. No one was around in the dark except local sharpies. I have to say everyone i have met has been very nice in NJ. If you can fish Browns on columbus day than this is not much different. I wanna see this weekend’s photo of the beach where the dude got a blue fin tuna on a AVA jig today!

  17. CTMatt

    Listen…the flip side to fishing in crowds is you KNOW people are fishing there for a reason. Not liitle bumps, not a hunch, you know fish are present. When I see a few cars in my honey hole lot I am reassured that there is a good chance fish will be there. Midnight-3am solo Commando treks on your own at night sometimes takes the confidence out of my cast if perhaps there is a better place I should be fishing. Know what I mean?

    My favorite is when i am swimming out or wading and there is a boat that doesn’t see me and I start outcatching them (hopefully). That is a time when i like to see a crowd hehehe!

  18. CTMatt

    I hope nobody is psuhing Z’s buttons with any off color stuff but I have to say I like the photographic illusion created by the depth (or lack thereof) of the photograph. A lot of folks I am sure were tricked to think folks were casting in a situation not different from those double decker driving ranges you see at golf shops lol.

    The other thing I think about when i see this photo is some a-hole online must have totally spot burned the crap out of my spot lol…would you see something like this if it was not for the internet/cell phone community?

    Gods honest truth is if i pulled up to this kind of Striper Gridlock I would make the best of the situation, be courteous and have a great friggin’ time catching hopefully a haul of fish. Three will be jerks in the lineup as always but you also have backup if somebody starts crap with others. Dude will get squeezed out of the ranks like a pimple.

  19. CTMatt

    Could you imagine fishing like this at night? Guy is trying to land fish and the fish runs through 80 lines because the guys around him can barely see what is up.

    1200 guys shining their lights in your face, in the water, etc

    I think the hook impailment ratio goes up tenfold when the lights are out…forget about late night jetty jockies in R.I. on the breakways at 2 or 3 at night…BRUTAL!

    Very cool pictures…puts things in perspective. So for all the posts…

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