Its like Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

[spideyjg]

Grrrrrrr. All I was trying to do was make bait. 4 hrs and not a single strike at Shelter Island, lost my scissors and pliers. 

Tried to get to the OB pier and it was traffic hell. 

Came home showered and went to work. What a crappy week on the sand.

Jim

[1morecast]

Shelter Island pier is most active during sunrise and sunset with an incoming tide. OB Pier has been a hot bite at night on incoming tide as well. Keep at it and you'll have a freezer full of macs. (no more buy bait at the store) 

[Pinoyfisher]

Grrrrrrr. All I was trying to do was make bait. 4 hrs and not a single strike at Shelter Island, lost my scissors and pliers. 

Tried to get to the OB pier and it was traffic hell. 

Came home showered and went to work. What a crappy week on the sand.

Jim

Tough it out at OB and find parking, still some decent mackerel fishing. Also, you can drive down to IB. Macks biting there too.

[spideyjg]

3.6  hours on the OB pier eith nothing but smelly  hands. People all around landing bonito. I suck

[Latimeria]

3.6  hours on the OB pier eith nothing but smelly  hands. People all around landing bonito. I suck

A few years ago I met Steve on Shelter Island Pier to catch bait.  The pier rats all around me were catching and I had a rough time scratching a mackerel here and there.  Steve looked at me and said (paraphrased of course) "Look around you... the pier people have it wired since all they do all day...and everyday... is fish the pier.  Try and rig up what they are using". 

This streak of yours can't last.  Have you paid homage to the fish gods?  I'd start doing a fish dance on the sand if I were you.  Something has to work since you are fishing where fish are to be found! 

[Eric H]

Unfortunately  we gotta go through those crap days but are ultimately rewarded by sticking to it. Pliers, man I've gone through 5 or 6 in the last 2 years. I just bought another pair knowing I'm gona lose them.

[sasquatch]

Last weekend I fished oside pier Saturday Sunday Monday.

Saturday the bite went wfo for a half hour on fifty feet of the pier. The rest of the two hours I was there I saw a mackerel here and there. Additionally the guys with green sabiki were getting a full string while my red sabiki got one or two.

Sunday the bite was again picky until it went wfo then stopped. This time I had chartreuse power worm on half of my red sabiki. Both got bit however. I used a one oz torpedo sinker both days.

Monday was a pick bite all morning. Then it opened up for fifteen minutes in front of me. It shut down and half an hour later went wfo on the other side of the pier. For fifteen minutes. I got a few bites on the half ounce blue and silver jig. None on the one ounce same color.

Little things matter. Be nice to the guy next to you and you might get an elbow in the ribs and a follow me nod when he notices the bite is on the other side. If you can squeeze in, do. Be polite and watch your line. If you cross someone fix it if they cross you don't get bent. There is a flow. Go with it.

Yeah, they are just mackerel, but there are tricks that the regulars have. Watch and learn.

[j.rasta]

I assume you have a fishing license, try crystal pier. Not as much of a crowd since a license is required to fish it. Two weeks ago it was pretty good on 2 bait sized macks and only a dozen people on the pier fishing... worth a shot and the people I fished near were pretty chill and when they popped up and went wfo everyone was getting em. Jus a sabiki no bait, but a couple kids were getting em on squid strip and a drop shot...

[spideyjg]

Tried SI and OB pier for 4 hours today and nada again. 2 days of bait making and zip. I was in MB long rodding and always have my bait rod so I have a fresh croaker.

With working 2 jobs my fish time is limited and these last 2 days I had off 1 job was for bait making. Seems the key to surf success is fresh bait but I got to make do.

Back to the Asian market tomorrow.

Jim

[Latimeria]

Asian Market Macks work just fine when in need.  I have got my fair share of them on the market stuff!