Spearing Shortage
When stocking up for the May 4th NJ Fluke opener I learned that Canadian Spearing (silversides) are not available. Looks like the Canadian suppliers came up with a goose egg last fall and whatever is currently available here in NJ is last year's local stuff in the 8oz. packages, bricks not available anywhere. Is it the same in NY ?
Once in a while you can get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
In the strangest of places if you look at it right
First MateOriginal Crew286 postsSince 2018
This should last me the season.
View attachment 94873
Nicely done, Crabman!
CaptainOriginal Crew1,853 postsSince 2018
They look like some real quality size as well. Personally, I prefer the local stuff best.
First Mate510 postsSince 2021
It's as local as you can get. I can throw a rock at them from my backyard. I use local spearing and I get my pick of the best. I enjoy catching spearing, it all part of my fishing experience. It takes a good eye to make a good set. Once they are caught, you have to get them in ice water to keep the bellies from blowing out.
Leave it to a pro like yourself to figure this out!!🙂
CaptainOriginal Crew1,853 postsSince 2018
Thanks Capt. Mike but I learned it as a kid from the masters. I was the shitty little jobs person that got to clean the seaweed out of the net. Over the years, I worked my way up to being a master baiter. (old joke but works here)
I still recall being amazed when over 50 years ago one of my bait guys in Wantagh told me you could keep killies alive in some newspaper wet with seawater in the fridge for about 24 hours. I used that trick for years when killies were the "go to" Fluke bait. Now I don't think anyone uses them anymore, yet I am certain they will still produce.
CaptainOriginal Crew1,853 postsSince 2018
I guess we all learn certain tricks from the elders who taught us about our passions in life.
I still recall being amazed when over 50 years ago one of my bait guys in Wantagh told me you could keep killies alive in some newspaper wet with seawater in the fridge for about 24 hours. I used that trick for years when killies were the "go to" Fluke bait. Now I don't think anyone uses them anymore, yet I am certain they will still produce.
I used to keep a flat of sandworms alive for what seemed like forever in the bottom of my fridge as long as I changed the newspaper diaper at the bottom.
Seems like a lifetime ago....
"Chance only favors the prepared mind" - Pasteur
Captain4,161 postsSince 2021
That is interesting Capt. Mike, never knew that either. I still love using big killies but they are hard to get. They were really hardy and with a piece of squid on it's nose, I feel, they would shake it around and excite a fluke into taking the bait. Now I mostly use peanuts if I'm not bucktailing. I think they are more for a ride compared to a big killie. As a kid I worked at Frank and Dick's potting killies with Dick in a 16', flat bottomed, homemade plywood skiff they called their punt. We could get into really shallow water and would go for killies and eels across from their bait station in the "drains". We would put the killies in a big galvanized tub and they lived in slime for about 1/2 and hour. Never tried the wet newspaper.
First Mate510 postsSince 2021
You can do that with the green killies. The big striped silver ones (that I always preferred) don't last an hour without fresh, clean water.
"Luck" is when preparation meets opportunity.
I prefer fishing evolution to fishing extinction.
If ya want to clean up the water, ya gotta get the pigs out of the creek.
I prefer fishing evolution to fishing extinction.
If ya want to clean up the water, ya gotta get the pigs out of the creek.
CaptainOriginal Crew2,216 postsSince 2018
That is interesting Capt. Mike, never knew that either. I still love using big killies but they are hard to get. They were really hardy and with a piece of squid on it's nose, I feel, they would shake it around and excite a fluke into taking the bait. Now I mostly use peanuts if I'm not bucktailing. I think they are more for a ride compared to a big killie. As a kid I worked at Frank and Dick's potting killies with Dick in a 16', flat bottomed, homemade plywood skiff they called their punt. We could get into really shallow water and would go for killies and eels across from their bait station in the "drains". We would put the killies in a big galvanized tub and they lived in slime for about 1/2 and hour. Never tried the wet newspaper.
For a number of years, I used that method to both buy my bait the night before a trip and even to avoid having to use a killlie cart on board the boat. Just set up a separate cooler with the wet newspaper and some ice cubes to keep the temps low. Not only did it make choosing the largest bait easier, but it also prevented the occasional "brain fart" when you would be rushing back to re-start your drift with the cart still in tow behind the boat!😳
BTW, Lep is correct, this did not work on the striped variant of killie.
CaptainOriginal Crew1,853 postsSince 2018
Not only did it make choosing the largest bait easier, but it also prevented the occasional "brain fart" when you would be rushing back to re-start your drift with the cart still in tow behind the boat!
First Mate510 postsSince 2021
Loved using killies!! I never had a problem getting killies with a 2 man seine. With a strong ebb tide, one sweep through a flowing cut of the eel grass banks of Mt Sinai harbor and we were good to go.
Only stopped using killies when I discovered that I could grab 6” eels hiding under the weeds and rocks on one of the harbors gravel banks.
And then I moved to Purgatory, the Midwest…
Only stopped using killies when I discovered that I could grab 6” eels hiding under the weeds and rocks on one of the harbors gravel banks.
And then I moved to Purgatory, the Midwest…
Shall I go to heaven or a-fishing? - H. D. Thoreau
Veni. Vidi. Cepi. - with apologies to Gaius Julius Caesar
Veni. Vidi. Cepi. - with apologies to Gaius Julius Caesar
AdmiralOriginal Crew21,717 postsSince 2018
Not to mention chum pots!
CaptainOriginal Crew1,853 postsSince 2018
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Spearing Shortage