How long, how long

[nofish]

How long do you hang in at your favorite spot before you determine no one is home that you can take to dinner?

[Pete_G]

How well do you know the spot? If you know it well I think you can make that determination VERY quickly. Anything after your first few casts, if they were well placed casts, is just hoping something swims into the area, which can certainly happen and I've seen incredible fishing occur many times as a school of fish enters previously dead water.

If I don't know the spot, and I can't make an educated guess, I might sit there the most of the tide. But that would be rare, I'd make a phone call for the intel if it was a spot I've never fished.

I like to fish plugs, and some spots due to casting distance require them but eels are always a good litmus test for a spot. If you can throw an eel out and not get any attention for 10 to 15 minutes, as far as I'm concerned no one is home and you're once again just hoping for a fish to arrive where you are.

I almost started a thread like this myself as there are a LOT of variables, but that's part of what makes fishing for stripers such a challenge.

More and more I like to bring it to the fish instead of waiting for them.

[Dave]

20-40 minutes at a spot especially at this time of year and I agree tossing an eel for a period during that stretch is a good litmus for big fish. This is also a time when fishing spots at those key moments during the tide aren't as important as they were earlier in the season because of fish now being on the move.

[Kevin J]

Depends on my mindset. If I think fish are there and it's a matter of time before they swing in, I'll stay put. If I'm energized and don't want to wait, I'll crawl across 2miles of rocks looking for fish (especially if it's a clear night with at least a 1/2 moon). I like both methods.

[cumberlandflyguy]

Treked down to the Breechway this morning for the last of the outgoing tide. Very little action, couple of guys catching schoolies on swim shads. Headed over to Narragansett and fished off the rocks till 1, no bait and no luck. However, the weather was spectacular and I was able to introduce a friend to the fun of saltwater fishing. Figure I can get in a few more days before I hang up the gear and start tying.

[nofish]

I think I'm about breachway bust. I've put in a lot of time there for few results. I've also been doing the gansett trek with no bait in sight for most of the year. It's going to turn colder now so we'll see as they'll be movement.

[cumberlandflyguy]

I'm going to try and give the upper bay another shot later today.

[witchhunter]

i useally have what i call indicator spots a place at a certain tide that always holds fish usally schoolies but gives me a quick idea if they anit feeding then the time to check the next spot is now 11 i know this can take some time to develop but always go to your most productive place first , then experiment!

"witchhunter" aka bill jakob