Why No Big Fish When Plenty of Bait Fishes Around?

Yesterday I went fishing in a pier inside a harbor that is facing Long
Island Sound in New York State. I could see many bait fishes (called
spears) swimming around, and I also caught bait fishes as live baits.
But all I could caught were small snapper and small sea-robins --
nothing big. People who used bigger baits caught slightly bigger
fishes, like someone used a 5 inches snapper to catch a 10-inches blue
fish. But no one in the pier caught anything big.

I thought if there were plenty of small bait fishes and "not-so-small"
fishes that fed on the bait fish, I should see big fishes that fed on
the "not-so-small" fishes - a complete food chain, right? What kept
the big fish away?

The boat traffic in the harbor was quite light; I could count the
number of boats passed by in that morning in one hand; I doubt that
was keeping the big fish away.

The temperature was like 76 degree and sunny just like the two
previous days -- meaning that the weather was stable.

The depth around the pier was like 5-ft to 10-ft. We were casting to
the deep water near the channel and reeling in to the relatively
shallow water near the pier. I were fishing from low tide to mid-high
tide. I am not sure if this made any different though. I mentioned
this just in case this might make a difference.

Should I catch a 8-inches snapper and use it as bait? Big bait, big
fish, right?

Any idea? Thanks.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
ps.com...
Yesterday I went fishing in a pier inside a harbor that is facing Long
Island Sound in New York State. I could see many bait fishes (called
spears) swimming around, and I also caught bait fishes as live baits.
But all I could caught were small snapper and small sea-robins --
nothing big. People who used bigger baits caught slightly bigger
fishes, like someone used a 5 inches snapper to catch a 10-inches blue
fish. But no one in the pier caught anything big.

I thought if there were plenty of small bait fishes and "not-so-small"
fishes that fed on the bait fish, I should see big fishes that fed on
the "not-so-small" fishes - a complete food chain, right? What kept
the big fish away?

The boat traffic in the harbor was quite light; I could count the
number of boats passed by in that morning in one hand; I doubt that
was keeping the big fish away.

The temperature was like 76 degree and sunny just like the two
previous days -- meaning that the weather was stable.

The depth around the pier was like 5-ft to 10-ft. We were casting to
the deep water near the channel and reeling in to the relatively
shallow water near the pier. I were fishing from low tide to mid-high
tide. I am not sure if this made any different though. I mentioned
this just in case this might make a difference.

Should I catch a 8-inches snapper and use it as bait? Big bait, big
fish, right?

Any idea? Thanks.

Jay Chan


The schools of bigger bluefish are further out than the pier. This is why
people get on partyboats.
The spearing you see are not the main food for Bluefish,
the huge schools of bunkers are. Spearing is used mostly
to catch snappers. Or as fluke bait.

On Oct 1, 4:07 pm, "Musashi" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

ps.com...





Yesterday I went fishing in a pier inside a harbor that is facing Long
Island Sound in New York State. I could see many bait fishes (called
spears) swimming around, and I also caught bait fishes as live baits.
But all I could caught were small snapper and small sea-robins --
nothing big. People who used bigger baits caught slightly bigger
fishes, like someone used a 5 inches snapper to catch a 10-inches blue
fish. But no one in the pier caught anything big.

I thought if there were plenty of small bait fishes and "not-so-small"
fishes that fed on the bait fish, I should see big fishes that fed on
the "not-so-small" fishes - a complete food chain, right? What kept
the big fish away?

The boat traffic in the harbor was quite light; I could count the
number of boats passed by in that morning in one hand; I doubt that
was keeping the big fish away.

The temperature was like 76 degree and sunny just like the two
previous days -- meaning that the weather was stable.

The depth around the pier was like 5-ft to 10-ft. We were casting to
the deep water near the channel and reeling in to the relatively
shallow water near the pier. I were fishing from low tide to mid-high
tide. I am not sure if this made any different though. I mentioned
this just in case this might make a difference.

Should I catch a 8-inches snapper and use it as bait? Big bait, big
fish, right?

Any idea? Thanks.

Jay Chan

The schools of bigger bluefish are further out than the pier. This is why
people get on partyboats.
The spearing you see are not the main food for Bluefish,
the huge schools of bunkers are. Spearing is used mostly
to catch snappers. Or as fluke bait.- Hide quoted text -

Thanks for the explanation. I recall reading that bunkers are very
rich and are very attractive to big fishes. I don't see any bunker
around the pier. This explains the reason why I don't see anyone
catching big fish near the pier. This also means that if I want to
catch big fish from shore, I will have to follow the movement of the
bunkers; I have a feeling that I probably was several weeks too late
and bunkers have already headed to deep water in Long Island Sound.

Thanks again for the tip.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 1, 4:07 pm, "Musashi" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

ps.com...





Yesterday I went fishing in a pier inside a harbor that is facing Long
Island Sound in New York State. I could see many bait fishes (called
spears) swimming around, and I also caught bait fishes as live baits.
But all I could caught were small snapper and small sea-robins --
nothing big. People who used bigger baits caught slightly bigger
fishes, like someone used a 5 inches snapper to catch a 10-inches blue
fish. But no one in the pier caught anything big.

I thought if there were plenty of small bait fishes and "not-so-small"
fishes that fed on the bait fish, I should see big fishes that fed on
the "not-so-small" fishes - a complete food chain, right? What kept
the big fish away?

The boat traffic in the harbor was quite light; I could count the
number of boats passed by in that morning in one hand; I doubt that
was keeping the big fish away.

The temperature was like 76 degree and sunny just like the two
previous days -- meaning that the weather was stable.

The depth around the pier was like 5-ft to 10-ft. We were casting to
the deep water near the channel and reeling in to the relatively
shallow water near the pier. I were fishing from low tide to mid-high
tide. I am not sure if this made any different though. I mentioned
this just in case this might make a difference.

Should I catch a 8-inches snapper and use it as bait? Big bait, big
fish, right?

Any idea? Thanks.

Jay Chan

The schools of bigger bluefish are further out than the pier. This is
why
people get on partyboats.
The spearing you see are not the main food for Bluefish,
the huge schools of bunkers are. Spearing is used mostly
to catch snappers. Or as fluke bait.- Hide quoted text -

Thanks for the explanation. I recall reading that bunkers are very
rich and are very attractive to big fishes. I don't see any bunker
around the pier. This explains the reason why I don't see anyone
catching big fish near the pier. This also means that if I want to
catch big fish from shore, I will have to follow the movement of the
bunkers; I have a feeling that I probably was several weeks too late
and bunkers have already headed to deep water in Long Island Sound.

Thanks again for the tip.


If you want to catch big fish from shore, you probably would have much
better luck surf fishing. Although that will require new equipment.

On Oct 2, 11:07 pm, "Musashi" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

ups.com...





On Oct 1, 4:07 pm, "Musashi" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

ups.com...

Yesterday I went fishing in a pier inside a harbor that is facing Long
Island Sound in New York State. I could see many bait fishes (called
spears) swimming around, and I also caught bait fishes as live baits.
But all I could caught were small snapper and small sea-robins --
nothing big. People who used bigger baits caught slightly bigger
fishes, like someone used a 5 inches snapper to catch a 10-inches blue
fish. But no one in the pier caught anything big.

I thought if there were plenty of small bait fishes and "not-so-small"
fishes that fed on the bait fish, I should see big fishes that fed on
the "not-so-small" fishes - a complete food chain, right? What kept
the big fish away?

The boat traffic in the harbor was quite light; I could count the
number of boats passed by in that morning in one hand; I doubt that
was keeping the big fish away.

The temperature was like 76 degree and sunny just like the two
previous days -- meaning that the weather was stable.

The depth around the pier was like 5-ft to 10-ft. We were casting to
the deep water near the channel and reeling in to the relatively
shallow water near the pier. I were fishing from low tide to mid-high
tide. I am not sure if this made any different though. I mentioned
this just in case this might make a difference.

Should I catch a 8-inches snapper and use it as bait? Big bait, big
fish, right?

Any idea? Thanks.

Jay Chan

The schools of bigger bluefish are further out than the pier. This is
why
people get on partyboats.
The spearing you see are not the main food for Bluefish,
the huge schools of bunkers are. Spearing is used mostly
to catch snappers. Or as fluke bait.- Hide quoted text -

Thanks for the explanation. I recall reading that bunkers are very
rich and are very attractive to big fishes. I don't see any bunker
around the pier. This explains the reason why I don't see anyone
catching big fish near the pier. This also means that if I want to
catch big fish from shore, I will have to follow the movement of the
bunkers; I have a feeling that I probably was several weeks too late
and bunkers have already headed to deep water in Long Island Sound.

Thanks again for the tip.

If you want to catch big fish from shore, you probably would have much
better luck surf fishing. Although that will require new equipment.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You are quite right. Instead of staying in the pier and hoping that a
school of bunkers will come by and bring along big fishs, I probably
better off chasing after them in the surf.

Having said this, I also read an article saying that most of the
bunkers are still in the river and bay in early October waiting to
head out to deep water in Long Island Sound. Therefore, people may
still be able to catch big fishes in the pier if the school of bunkers
just happen to come by. Not sure.

Jay Chan

"Jay Chan" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 2, 11:07 pm, "Musashi" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

ups.com...





On Oct 1, 4:07 pm, "Musashi" wrote:
"Jay Chan" wrote in message

ups.com...

Yesterday I went fishing in a pier inside a harbor that is facing
Long
Island Sound in New York State. I could see many bait fishes
(called
spears) swimming around, and I also caught bait fishes as live
baits.
But all I could caught were small snapper and small sea-robins --
nothing big. People who used bigger baits caught slightly bigger
fishes, like someone used a 5 inches snapper to catch a 10-inches
blue
fish. But no one in the pier caught anything big.

I thought if there were plenty of small bait fishes and
"not-so-small"
fishes that fed on the bait fish, I should see big fishes that fed
on
the "not-so-small" fishes - a complete food chain, right? What
kept
the big fish away?

The boat traffic in the harbor was quite light; I could count the
number of boats passed by in that morning in one hand; I doubt
that
was keeping the big fish away.

The temperature was like 76 degree and sunny just like the two
previous days -- meaning that the weather was stable.

The depth around the pier was like 5-ft to 10-ft. We were casting
to
the deep water near the channel and reeling in to the relatively
shallow water near the pier. I were fishing from low tide to
mid-high
tide. I am not sure if this made any different though. I mentioned
this just in case this might make a difference.

Should I catch a 8-inches snapper and use it as bait? Big bait,
big
fish, right?

Any idea? Thanks.

Jay Chan

The schools of bigger bluefish are further out than the pier. This
is
why
people get on partyboats.
The spearing you see are not the main food for Bluefish,
the huge schools of bunkers are. Spearing is used mostly
to catch snappers. Or as fluke bait.- Hide quoted text -

Thanks for the explanation. I recall reading that bunkers are very
rich and are very attractive to big fishes. I don't see any bunker
around the pier. This explains the reason why I don't see anyone
catching big fish near the pier. This also means that if I want to
catch big fish from shore, I will have to follow the movement of the
bunkers; I have a feeling that I probably was several weeks too late
and bunkers have already headed to deep water in Long Island Sound.

Thanks again for the tip.

If you want to catch big fish from shore, you probably would have much
better luck surf fishing. Although that will require new equipment.-
Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You are quite right. Instead of staying in the pier and hoping that a
school of bunkers will come by and bring along big fishs, I probably
better off chasing after them in the surf.

Having said this, I also read an article saying that most of the
bunkers are still in the river and bay in early October waiting to
head out to deep water in Long Island Sound. Therefore, people may
still be able to catch big fishes in the pier if the school of bunkers
just happen to come by. Not sure.


If the Bunkers are anywhere near the pier you should see them. When they
start breaking the
surface you can't miss them.
The best thing to do is to talk to people at the pier. Not the ones snapper
fishing
with the kids but the guys who look like they fish there alot. If any school
sizes blues
or Stripers are being caught at the pier they should know. Of course it
could easily be in the
middle of the night. The local bait & tackle shop near the pier is also a
good source
of information.

Thank you for your explanation. I remember reading in the sand is rich, is very attractive fish. I do not see any bunker around the pier. This explains why I do not see anyone catch fish near the pier.