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PONDERING CORE ESSENCE
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Progress on my fishing goals for 2019 was discussed in my October 20, 2019 post located at www.numenonfunfishing.com/numenon-home/archives/10-2019 , but because I generally fell short on these, I think I'll just carry them over to 2020. But, with my relocation and limited local knowledge, I am also going to add this; catch a 16-inch trout! This is a super modest goal, but since pond-fishing for trout seems to be available locally (at least seasonally) and the waters I've encountered so far seem to be relatively picturesque, I'll continue this pursuit. So, my Fishing Goals for 2020 can be presented as: 1. Catch a legal-sized striper (28 inches) from amybaby22 2. Share a fresh fish meal with Uncle M 3. Catch my biggest ever striper 4. Catch a false albacore! 5. Catch a 6-pound "bass" (green, brown or sea-) 6. Catch a 16-inch trout! I don't see how a season could not be viewed as a success if it includes the accomplishment of just about any subset of these goals! There are many other possibilities to spice my season, too. I have so many new (and familiar) waters and experiences potentially available to me, it is just difficult for me to visualize how I will choose to spend my fishing time. But, let's admit, the surf, Lake Winnipesaukee, the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers all beckon; as do Upper Narragansett Bay, the Cape Cod Canal and certain fresh waters of Little Rhody and Maine. More importantly, I also envision sharing a specifically-crafted, unique experience with each of my girls in 2020. These may or may not involve being on the water or fishing; only time will tell! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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In my first post here for 2019, I mused and shared five goals for my 2019 Fishing Season. With both boats now put away for the winter, I guess I am in a position to evaluate how I fared in 2019. How about 0 for 5? Ouch! But, the details really aren't so bad... Legal-sized Striper in the New Boat One might think that a single striper out of 180 swung over the side of amybaby22 in 2019 would have measured 28 inches, but that just didn't happen. A few were close, but any striper over 25 inches or so was "big" for me this year. Population dynamics, weather, timing, small boat in protected water, choice of light tackle and lures; these all contributed to the lack of big stripers. But, I enjoyed awesome, fun fishing along the way, and I can't say that I recall encountering and losing any big stripers, so I've nothing to feel bad about. And, in all honesty, bigger fish were generally scarce this year; a "keeper" wasn't a sure thing for anybody on a given trip this year. Share a Fresh Fish Dinner with Uncle M This didn't exactly happen, but it could have. Some sea bass and scup were kept and cleaned in May, but they were still in cold storage when I left for Michigan. And I could have kept some tailor blues on my last trip, but I was staying in a House Divided. Only Uncle M had a taste for these, so I chose not to harvest any blues. I could have even joined him for lunch on my last full day on the Cape, but I was busy winterizing the skiff, so I deferred. I did hear the "Stuffies" and "Chowdah" were pretty good, though! Land a False Albacore In my limited opportunity, this just didn't happen. I never got touched by a tuna in 2019. I was a bit late for the best part of the season in my chosen waters, and the general consensus was that 2019 was no 2018 for funny fish; and 2018 was certainly not as good as 2017. The limited number of tuna I did find within range this year were not interested in my lures, as they seemed to be regionally interested in only the tiniest live baits. But, I'm certainly looking forward to 2020! Largest-Ever Striper When you don't catch a keeper, it's tough to get a personal best. I did, however, catch my largest-ever scup! And, I had a lot of good fishing and fun along the way. 6-Pound Black Bass This is the least likely goal to achieve, in my opinion, but it kind of did happen! Still, I won't give myself full credit, because A caught her 6.1-pound smallmouth while I was busy with a measly four-pounder. What a catch! And I might never scoop, with a single swipe, over 10 pounds of smallmouth into the net again! What do I have to say about this? Well, I already have my first 5 goals for the 2020 fishing season! I'm sure I'll add a couple or few, too, but these will already provide the motivation for next year. And, I won't say I failed in any way; I enjoyed the process in pursuit of these. That process is, ultimately, much more important than any particular outcome. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways From her inaugural splash under my ownership on May 17, through the end of her season on October 3, my little Maritime skiff proved to be a stable, reliable, fish-catching craft. It took the symmetry of the first and last days of the 2019 season for her to earn her name. Twenty-two stripers came aboard each of those days. My best friend's "number" is 22, and so it was natural that I've named this craft the amybaby22. She had quite a season. My records indicate a total of 180 stripers over her side in 16 days of use. There were dozens of other fish, too, including blues, mackerel, scup, sea bass and a single specimen each of flounder and Spanish Mackerel. She fishes well! Welcome aboard! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Along with the New Year come New Goals. These are just a few of the things I hope to make happen in 2019. By no means are these my most important goals, but they're fun to think about because they are fishing-related. In no particular order: Land a Legal-Sized Striper in the New Boat I'd prefer to not count my chickens, but this should be the most likely of the goals to accomplish. I don't care which state coughs up a 28-incher, but hauling such a fish over the gunnels will initially validate the new boat's purchase. It might be all about timing, as the last few years in Maine have produced only a very small percentage (2-3%) of legal-sized stripers for me; and so my best bet might be earlier in the season at Cape Cod. I wouldn't mind scratching this modest goal off my list early; and if I do it in a new location or with a new technique, all the better! Share a Fresh Fish Dinner with Uncle M I am not too keen on eating fish, but I can tolerate it occasionally. I even enjoy the very occasional fish I harvest myself. Since Uncle M and his Significant Other both expressed disbelief in my dogged pursuit of fish last fall, with no potential opportunity for a meal, I know that they would appreciate a few sea bass or striper fillets. Uncle M even expressed a taste for bluefish. I should be able to provide them something whenever I am on Cape Cod. Plus, sea bass, scup and blues are all very gyotaku-worthy. Land a False Albacore I've had The Fever and there's only one cure; I need to land one of these funny fish. Catch My Largest-Ever Striper This is a tall order, but I might as well state it as a goal, and I might as well do it this year. If I don't accomplish this, it will simply slide to 2020. And if I do, I am sure that this will stay on my list perennially. I've approached, but never confirmed possession of, an honest 20-pounder. Let's face it; that's a beautiful fish, but by no means a giant striped bass. I'd like to make some progress towards that giant. Land a 6-Pound Black Bass A 6-pound bass here in Michigan is an outstanding fish, and one cannot expect to catch one unless one is on the water a lot, at the right time(s), and a bit lucky. What more could one ask for from a fishing season? As I drafted this, I was thinking about freshwater fish and so envisioned a lunker largemouth or smallmouth bass. But, as I type this, I think I will liberalize this goal to also include black sea bass on Cape Cod. That, too, would be an awesome catch! I'll be satisfied with any combination of these, I promise! So, here's to an excellent 2019! Good luck to you and yours! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways So much has changed since my Rhode Island youth. To the point, striped bass returned! While they never truly or totally disappeared, they were simply not part of my world. If they existed to any fishable extent in Rhode Island's waters during the late 1970's or early 1980's, nobody talked about them; at least not anybody I knew. I was introduced to stripers in Casco Bay, Maine in August of 2000. I've been fortunate to fish for them just about every season this Century, and I've probably caught close to 2,000 of them. Ninety-seven percent of these have been caught within a few hundred yards of our "float" at the end of our communal landing. I'm fortunate to have had this access, and I'm fortunate to have encountered so many fish on my intermittent trips. I love fishing there, but I have to admit, I've been frustrated by lack of consistent access to other striper grounds within the bay. Sometimes the fish aren't present in front of me. Even if I'm on fish from the float, perhaps the stripers would be bigger elsewhere? Perhaps they'd be more likely to take a topwater lure? Perhaps I could sabiki some macks and live-line them for some real bruisers? And if I were to hook a cow, perhaps I could chase it down instead of simply watching line melt off my reel? With the recent acquisition of the Maritime 148, I've taken some steps to remedy this frustration. And while I purchased this boat with plans for a long-term future on Casco Bay, I'll be honest; the boat is on the Cape, and I'm currently day-dreaming about black sea bass! It's probably been more than 40 years, but I have caught black sea bass in the past. On very occasional summer-time head-boat half-day trips from southern Rhode Island or Martha's Vineyard in the mid-to-late 1970's, the quarry was scup and sea bass. I caught both on the heavy tackle provided. I have specific memories of the take and dogged pull of a single, outstandingly nice scup, and I remember a particularly bounteous day with my father out of Martha's Vineyard. While I remember having caught sea bass, I haven't retained the specifics of any particular fish. I recall them as having been black, ugly and small; really nothing beyond that, and I know that these memories do not do them justice. Apparently, this species has been aggressively expanding to the north. While I remember them as small, summer fish and a subordinate, incidental by-catch to scup, their numbers and average size around Rhode Island Sound and Buzzards Bay have exploded! Moreover, they are available for a longer part of the season, and advances in tackle and tactics have made them a more sporting quarry. In short, black sea bass are now a "thing" for the southern New England saltwater fisherman. The peak of their availability in Buzzards Bay likely coincides with my ability to pick my new boat up; let's say mid-May. The bigger stripers and bluefish might not have arrived by then, and so it only makes sense that I am dreaming of black sea bass. I was wrong about them being ugly, too. The males, especially, are decorated with beautifully iridescent blue highlights, and they all feature interesting fins and filaments. They are heavily scaled and will make a fantastic subject for some gyotaku! I understand they taste very good, and I suspect they can pull just fine, especially if my bait or jig is presented on light spinning gear. If my timing is right, their seasonal abundance will provide lots of action. If my timing is really on, then they will provide a fun, day-time break from pursuing shy, shallow-water stripers during low-light periods. So, much has changed since my Rhode Island youth! It's kind of cool to be reminded that change is not necessarily a bad thing! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways The Michigan autumn nights have been getting longer, and that has just given me more time to daydream. Perhaps I was still stinging from getting shut out by the tuna on Cape Cod, or perhaps I was just reminiscing about my season. I was innocently poking around On the Water's classified section, and I'm sure that led me down a worm-hole as I looked for a perfect, seasonal saltwater boat for my occasional trips to New England. And then, there it was: www.atlanticboats.com/inventory/skiff/2016-maritime-skiff-14-series/ I've long been a fan of Maritime boats. There are several in the harbor in front of my position on Casco Bay in Maine, and there's a particular one that frequently comes and goes from our dock. It's a simple, stable and understated craft. I've spent too much time on their web site located at www.maritimeboats.com . They are self-proclaimed "Boats you can depend on!" and I strongly identify with the various advantages they seem to offer (safety, efficiency, ease of maintenance and reliability.) There might very well be a 23-foot Patriot in my long-term future. But this particular little boat, so simply laid out, and in a spacious tiller version with flat flooring, could possibly fit into my immediate (2019) future! This boat was located only a few miles from where I'd been fishing for tuna, just weeks before. I dispatched my local, nautical uncle to take a peek at her, and now, with everything having checked out, I own her! I'll pick her up in May or so, when the fish have arrived for the spring in Massachusetts' Buzzards Bay and vicinity. I'm sure she'll see Casco Bay next summer, and I hope to return to Woods Hole for 2019's Albie Chase. After that, who knows? But what is her name? Sweet Bilge, MC Maritime, Rain Bait, Salty Pup and Bonah for Tunah are the current leading contenders. I've got all winter to think about it. Maybe I'll know for sure when I finally meet her. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceVia Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Michigan and now, back to New England! Archives
June 2024
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