Fishing The Rocky Shorelines
December 27th, 2009 | Fly Fishing News | No Comments »The northeast including the shorelines of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are rich with beaches and other rocky surfaces that provide perfect feeding grounds for predator fish. They also contain an abundance of the smaller fish that they love to eat. These areas are great for fishing – and the man-made structures that are found in these areas can turn an otherwise dull fishing experience into one you’ll never forget.
Jetties
Jetties are rock structures made by human hands that were built for a host of reasons. Rational reasons include curbing beach erosion, quelling storm surges, and creating a causeway leading into a river or salt pond. They are all good reasons, but the most important fact to a fisherman is that they all will hold fish at some point.
Baitfishes often spend their final moments of life up against the walls of these jetties. In fact, bluefish, striped bass, weakfish and false albacore love these areas simply because they are rife with turbulent waters that are fast moving. The baitfish become confused in these areas and turn out to be an easy meal for a hungry school of predators. One reason they are so close to the walls of the jetty is that the water is generally most turbulent in that area.
The jetty has become home to whelks, mussels and periwinkles and they are often joined by scup and tautogs. These fish love the jetty for the protection they believe it offers – initially they feed of the algae and moss but eventually they feed on each other. The jetty does offer a significant advantage to them – the rocks allow them to nestle in and stay away from their larger predators.
The ideal time for fishing at the jetty is high tide. In fact, the closer you can start fishing to high tide the more abundant your catch will be. Baitfish tend to be more focused during this time as the water is even more turbulent and they tend to need to stay more focused to keep their bearings. Causeways that lead to local rivers and ponds will be filled with baitfish as the tide ebbs and flows.
If you love fishing for blackfish and porgies, the advantage is they seldom get too far away from the jetty wall. These fish find all they need for their survival in the rocks and allow you to take advantage of the jetty. Blackfish and porgy fishing allow for shorter casts and requires little weight to be added to your bait.
One overlooked necessity in jetty fishing is safety equipment. While safety at all times should be a first consideration on every fishing trip, fishing a jetty means additional safety precautions you might not think about for shore fishing. As with any fishing, a personal flotation device is a must. Don’t try fishing without one at any time, but especially if you are fishing a jetty. Remember, these waters are extremely turbulent and you could turn an afternoon of fishing enjoyment into an afternoon of disaster without taking the proper precautions. If you are planning on jetty fishing you will want to invest in a pair of cleats. Algae and moss are rich on these rocky surfaces which remain wet almost the entire season. A misstep can easily cause a broken arm, a broken leg or a broken ankle or other more critical injuries. Common sense precautions can keep you safe during your fishing trip and the minor expenses involved in securing this gear can save your life.
As you can see, if you have not yet made use of the jetties you have been missing out on some excellent fishing opportunities. Some days the beaches will offer the most fish, and other days the jetties will. The important thing is that now you can fish both areas in one trip. If both areas seem to be missing bluefish and stripers, then you can totally shift gears and fish for blackfish. This is just one more excellent option to add to your surf-fishing approach. It could turn a miserable evening of fishing into one that you will never forget.
There are many great types of reels to use when fishing from rocky shorelines, some of them include BG90 and Shimano Calcutta