|
Date: June 21, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Yarmouth, Maine Boat: Maverick flats boat With: Captain EW, Coastal Fly Target: Striped Bass Time: 7:30 AM - 12:45 PM Moon Phase: New plus four days, waxing crescent moon Tide: Low at 8:10 AM, fished the incoming tide Conditions: Early fog giving way by 9 AM to clear and bright conditions with light, alternating winds; 55 - 70 degrees. Water temperatures 58 - 60 degrees (+/-). Water stained from previous weekend's rain. I had invested in a guide for the day, if only to calibrate my fly-fishing skills and expand my horizons. I'd been looking forward to the day, but with a little trepidation; I haven't all that much experience fly-fishing in salt water for striped bass. Honestly, most of my hours with a 9-weight rod had been spent in the back yard, practicing. Note: I could get used to the leisurely convenience of meeting at the launched boat at the civil hour of 7:15 or so! I was fresh as we moved off the dock and down the Royal River. We didn't go far at all; the channel between the mainland and Cousins Island is a maze of flats and bars, and there were birds working over bass in several locations. I started with a large-profile white herring fly of about 4 inches on intermediate line and worked the water quickly, hoping to get a bass to commit to a meal. It sure looked like a Sluggo, and so I expected this to work! There were plenty of bass within casting range for the first half hour or so. I had a couple flash behind the fly, but none showed sufficient interest in eating. Meanwhile, terns and swirls let us know that we were in a good, active location. A switch to a smaller baitfish pattern (about 2.5 inches) with a copper/orange/shrimp back proved effective almost immediately. My casting also improved with a lighter fly and rod (Thomas &Thomas Zone 9-weight with a Rio intermediate line), and the fish were interested. I finally had a legitimate take, but missed the set. However, a quick retrieve on this same cast enticed another bite, and now I was hooked up with an angry bass in shallow water! After a lengthy run into the backing and plenty of back and forth, I'd broken the day's ice with a beautiful, fat 26-inch striped bass! Success! My day was made and it wasn't even 8:30 AM. This same fly quickly enticed another pair of bass to eat. Each of these was in the lower 20s. One had eaten over very shallow water (<2 feet) while blind casting and the other over a deeper channel from the midst of a brief but very intense blitz. I was hitting my groove. The next hour proved slow while the sun got higher in the sky, the fog cleared, and the birds thinned. The fish were now visibly following but refusing this fly, and admittedly, I missed a couple of bites along the way. We didn't exactly chase the remaining birds, but we bounced around hitting spots with a few casts before moving on to available greener pastures. Next we went into the the channel between Cousins and Little John Islands. We depended less on birds and instead focused on sight fishing shallow, light-colored areas. While I rarely saw individual fish, the guide did from his higher perch, and there was still sporadic bird, bait, and bass activity. The fish of the day came from about 18 inches of water over such a spot. We had switched to a favored, olive shrimp pattern, and the captain said "Strike!" I did, even though I had not seen or felt a thing, and the rod loaded. With nowhere else to go, this fish took off and was quickly well into the backing, despite a reasonably heavy drag. After a long battle with plenty of give-and-take, she came to hand. It was my largest on the fly yet, certainly from such shallow water; while not measured, at least 32 conservative inches and heavy! I picked off another fish here before we headed over towards Winslow park, where we could see a lot of birds working the water off Lane's Island. These birds were over deeper water and smaller bass, but I quickly landed three small (20-inch) bass on the shrimp while blind casting along a small current seam. A little after 12:30 PM, we were losing the tide, the sun was bright, we were competing with more boat traffic, and the terns were now centered over kelp. We returned to the ramp after a really nice day. What do I have to say about this? This was solid investment with immediate returns, and I expect future returns, too. The biggest dividend is knowing that there really are large bass in very shallow water; I've not been tapping these with any consistency. I will still maintain that fly-fishing is not superior to other methods, but it might be the best method for these conditions, and every encounter with the long wand is fun. I got everything I could have asked for from this trip; I expand on these thoughts in the "Numenon Home" section, above. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
0 Comments
Date: June 19, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 4:40 AM - 2:30 PM Moon Phase: New plus two days Tide: Low at 6:50 AM; High at 1:04 PM Conditions: Alternating clouds and sun; totally still but then a breeze to 10 mph developing and swinging from east to south over the day; 55 - 65 degrees. Water temperatures 57 - 58 degrees (+/-) just about everywhere. Given a day totally off work, I'd had plans to "Go Big" and try to put something consistent together. If not for myself, then for the pending parade of visitors and guests. With my regular weekend efforts curtailed by wind and rain, it was nice to be greeted by a calm and clear(-ish) pre-dawn. Between 5 and 5:15, I was busy catching fish from the landing's float on suspended blood-worms. With three 20-inchers captured by the camera, my Striper Cup obligations for the week were already fulfilled, but with a lot of potential for upgrade! After that, it was a series of pulled hooks and missed pull-downs. Setting a tone for the day, it seemed like I missed a couple of the bigger-fish opportunities I'd been provided. By 5:45 AM, I was down to dregs for bait and the boat was calling. After a single pass down the Falmouth shoreline with a tube-and-worm (one violent strike missed), I ran to Broad Cove to check out the turn of tide there. Perhaps I spent too much time in Broad Cove. In a couple of hours of effort, I did land a single fish on the tube-and-worm in the cove's channel/gut, and another (23-inch) bass on a 3-inch swim-bait violently retrieved in about four feet of water. I also spent too much time chasing terns over shallow/non-navigable water, as well as tube-and-worming. Clearly (based on sonar), there were fish in the gut, and I had at least five additional violent swings-and-misses. One bent the rod over double and pulled substantial drag before letting go. I am not quite sure how these fish don't find the hook, but it does seem to be part of this technique. This action was generally in 12 feet of water (+/-) and going as slowly as possible with about 65 feet of line off the rod tip. Most of the bites occurred when the boat was coasting in neutral. After a single pass along Sturdivant with the last of my remnant worms (stolen by yet another passer-by), by 9 AM I was scouting for mackerel around Basket Island. There was really no sign of them, but I did find a scattering of them by aggressively changing depths on the Sabiki while I trolled slowly. Whether reeling in fast or dropping the spoon in free-spool, it seems that these changes attract the mackerel's attention. I penned nine prime baits in about 45 minutes, and I felt like that was enough to give the middle-of-tide bass a fair chance to show themselves. I chose Sturdivant as my first destination. Setting up for my first pass in about 20 feet of water, I noted a couple of marks on the screen as I let my first mac back. It was almost instantly engaged, and after a few bumps and chases, was confidently slurped from the surface in a no-doubts take. This was a nice fish, which ultimately taped out at 32 inches. I had eight baits left for Sturdivant, and they were all either plucked, killed and crushed, or converted into four additional landed striped bass. I never even made it to my usual area at the southwest corner. These fish kept me busy further up the shoreline and greatly expanded my area of confidence. These were nice fish, too, including a tagged 28 and a 33. But the story here might have been the aftermath of retiring my old friend, a 2000-vintage Shimano Baitrunner 3500B. This reel has served me well in travels all over the East Coast, but she's developed some gremlins despite professional servicing. After landing the 33, I decided she was no longer up to the task; she was flexing under load and I no longer fully trusted her. So I switched to my Calcutta outfit. After landing the tagged fish, I re-deployed my bait and got hit again. This fish ran hard and long. I turned her, adjusted my grip and lost control of the rod. It sailed across the gunnel without touching a thing and zoomed to the distance as it depended out of sight. Maybe my hands were wet and slimy from re-baiting, maybe I'm just getting old and arthritic, or maybe this was a fish in a different class. Ugh. Well, at least I did it to myself and didn't watch somebody else do it with my gear. And there was plenty of replacement gear on board! At about 11:45 and now out of bait, I went to Clapboard Island's east end to look for mackerel there. (This is my most convenient bait store when it is stocked.) Fortunately, I made quick work of loading the well, and soon had my 20th mackerel of the day on board. With the new limit, that meant I was done! Except not on bass. The east end of Clapboard is a good higher tide spot for me. It produced two smaller (low 20-inch range) bass and several lost baits. Revisiting the best spot without another touch, I tried the west end. My baits were nervous here, but not eaten. Now at just about high tide, I went to Cow Island, looking for my own cow. This was my first visit of the season, and it looked fishy with the tide and the southern breeze pounding into the island's face. I contacted bass along the way, but failed to convert any of the chases and turned hooks into a landed fish. Still, it was good to know they were there, and they revealed themselves on productive waypoints from the past. Those are good spots! I took the short ride to all-tide Crow Island. I didn't elicit any action along the east side, but now the tide was moving out and there was some nice current along the south side. After another missed fish, I finally connected with the last fish of the day. It was a beautiful and fat 26-incher, and I didn't even bother with a picture. It had been a productive day, despite so many missed opportunities. What do I have to say about this? I did go big (10 hours straight on the water and many miles covered), and I had plenty of opportunities. I caught fish with four techniques, I landed plenty including some really nice ones, but was so close to having an epic day. Maybe that will be saved for later. My success ebbs and floods, but without real explanation. Sometimes this is dopey easy, and sometimes it seems impossible. I can execute flawlessly for an extent and then go dry or even inept. And every time I encounter a fish, I get a rush and an associated tingle. I am totally focused, and not much else matters at that moment. No wonder I keep at it. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 18, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: None; shore fishing from landing float With: A Target: Striped Bass Time: 4:45 PM - 7 PM Moon Phase: New plus one day Tide: Low at 6:06 PM; Quadrants II and III Conditions: Muted sun and clouds, still to very light wind and about 60 degrees. Water temperatures 61 - 62 degrees (+/-). Soggy conditions had prevailed for almost the entire weekend, but things seemed be drying out. We visited the float for a relaxed session. I timed it more based on tide than daylight in deference to the chill nature of the trip, but also to save some energy for the next day; Monday was a holiday and I expected to fish hard, then! Keeping things simple, I floated a fresh blood-worm on a single rod. The action started quickly with a few fish and several other chances between 5 and 5:30 PM. The first fish landed was a nice, near-keeper, and I was already satisfied with the evening! The evening's generosity included 30- and 32-inchers, as well as three other bass ranging from 18 to 24 inches. The 24-incher was especially athletic and almost got me tangled in the float's maze of anchoring chains and rope, but patience and steady pressure eased her out. I was surprised to see "just" a 24 emerge, I had thought this was a much larger fish. Quadrant II and slack low produced; the two biggest fish were caught within 15 minutes of predicted low tide. I think we left the float before Quad III gained traction. I am sure there were fish to be caught later in the evening. What do I have to say about this? This was a pleasant bonus session! The only negative was the first gut-hooked, worm eating fish of the season (after over 40 landed to date.) Maybe that's not even a negative, but rather a testament to circle hooks and paying attention to one's float. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 17, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Boat: None; shore fishing from landing float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 4:30 AM - 6:45 AM Moon Phase: New Moon Tide: Low at 5:22 AM; Quadrants II and III Conditions: 100% overcast with persistent, easterly winds at about 10+ mph and rain on the way; 60 degrees. Water temperature 63 degrees (+/-). The first suspended worm hit the water at just about 4:30 AM. I had arrived expecting quick action, but the left-to-right current caused some mild concern. This was exacerbated by the first few drifts going untouched. It was almost dead low when I had my first legitimate take of the day; I landed a nice 24-incher. The next 45 minutes or so produced a flurry of action, and I ended up going 4-for-6, landing fish from about 18 to 26 inches and missing a couple good ones. One particularly athletic fish ran about almost if at will and entangled itself in the float's anchoring system. A cool mind and steady pressure eased that fish out, and I was surprised when it was only 24 inches; I had thought it was much larger. What do I have to say about this? The end of Quad II disappointed, but slack and the first hour of Quad III played fairly well. The session was mildly hampered by floating weed, which made its first concentrated appearance of the season. I also suffered my first break-off of the season to close out the session. While I had replaced much of the leader following after landing the fish from under the float, I guess I didn't find all the damage. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 16, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Boat: None, shore fishing from ML float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 4:30 AM - 6:30 AM Moon Phase: New minus one day Tide: Low at 4:34 AM; Quadrant III Conditions: Clear with little to no breeze. 55 - 60 degrees. Water temperature 60 - 61 degrees (+/-). This was the earliest sunrise of the year. In combination with the New Moon period and the favorable tide, I knew I should be on the float! In position by 4:30 AM at slack low, my float got toyed with and then slowly pulled under on my first drift. I wound down, the rod loaded, and the fish bolted; this was a good one! Several runs and impressive surface boils later, the steady rod pressure won the battle, and she was done. After a quick photo, I resuscitated her patiently, and she took off strong. All before the earliest sunrise of 2023! I'll admit this; a double-full workday later, the details of the session are hazy. There was a lull in the action after that first fish, but once the low sun got obscured by a cloud, there was a flurry of bites. I fished only with plump blood-worms suspended under floats, and I landed four of the five bass I connected with. In addition to the first fatty (which pushed 34 inches), I also landed quality fish of 25 and 27 inches. The bite was pretty much over by 6 AM (low plus 1.5 hours), which made it a little easier for me to report to my desk. What do I have to say about this? Signs of Spring's progression included all the baby birds! There were massive numbers of ducklings about, the osprey chicks were vocally begging for food from their busy parents, and the loons were making a racket. And the surest sign; mosquitos were back in force. Once again, a big fish appeared at slack tide; and Quadrant III produced. This had been a well-executed plan! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 11, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth and Cumberland, Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: new fishing friend PP Target: Striped Bass Time: 5 AM - 1:30 PM Moon Phase: Third Quarter/Waning crescent moon Tide: High at about 5:35 AM, Low at about Noon Conditions: Clear and bright with light winds; 50 - 75 degrees. Water temperatures 54 - 63 degrees (+/-) depending upon tide and location. We met at the designated spot before 4:30, and we were in the boat and on our way by 5. Despite the previous day's successful scouting, I still had some trepidation about the trip based on tide and low bait availability. I chose to visit Prince Point for the first time and got PP oriented to the structure. This has been a reliable location for high tide fish, although I warned P that it was never a "numbers" spot. He chose a walking dog top-water (I'd finally tied on a Rebel Jumpin' Minnow for the season) and I selected the small, white Yum fluke-style bait as a complement. We both thought we noticed some nervous water, and hopes were high for the day! A little after a smokey red sunrise, having already fished Prince's promising high spot, I was thinking about relocating but chose to stay and fish the slot between the high spot and shoreline rocks; there was definitely a little current flowing through. We peppered the area, and suddenly two nice fish appeared behind my struggling lure. The line moved to the side, the rod loaded, and the drag slipped. This was a good fish in shallow water on light tackle! I'd rather P had hooked it, but I was happy enough with this start to the day! The fish evaded the net several times, but patience and pressure won the battle. Soon enough, P scooped her up and we quickly celebrated our good fortune. To cut to the chase, that was pretty much it for the day! We didn't land another bass, despite our efforts and a couple of opportunities. The change to clear skies had really adjusted the fish activity, and negatively so. Our next stop was a timed arrival at the mouth of the Presumpscot River at the Route 1 bridge, just as the outgoing tide began. A and I had witnessed a couple of bird/bass blitzes at high tide in the area over the last couple of weeks. We were first to arrive on the scene other than a single seal. Over the next half hour, at least a half dozen other boats arrived, with a couple continuing to run up the estuary as far as visible. This area (especially the Presumpscot channel itself) was chock full of unidentified bait. Top-waters, swim-baits, tube-and-worm and Sabiki rigs were universally ignored, and the other boats didn't seem to find anything either. Next, we made the longish run to the channel along Basket Island to look for mackerel. We put in our time, and found none. Sneaking behind Basket, we tossed lures and flies along the kelp and rocks. This looked good, but we moved nothing. A current seam through some island rocks and an adjacent submerged ledge reminded me of College Island, and so we ran out to Hussey Sound. Riding the out-going tide, we found only a single mackerel. This was put to long use as we rode through the channel I was thinking about on College's east end, as well as slow-trolled around College Island and the adjacent Long Island shoreline. This mackerel went untouched and so went back into the well. Hoping conditions had changed around Basket, we tried an expanding area for bait; only to find another single mackerel. Well, now we had two in the well and we were headed to Broad Cove about 45 minutes before predicted low tide. We deployed the smaller and fresher bait in the deeper water of the channel about half-way up the gut, and this bait was crunched (killed) and dropped. That was okay after six or more hours without a legitimate bass contact. We deployed our last, tired mackerel and moved very slowly up the remaining gut. I controlled the boat while P casted streamers along the edge and over the deeper water. The mack went untouched, but P enjoyed a chase and follow and had brief contact with a second, small bass nearby. We were close... but we ran out of real estate, and our return pass produced nothing. Our last Hail Mary attempt with the remaining mack at Sturdivant fell, incomplete. We returned to the dock with only the memory of the 5:15 AM striper, and two freshly dead mack for P to use as possible chink bait the next morning. What do I have tp say about this? What a difference a day makes! While I am disappointed that P didn't enjoy a more productive day, we still enjoyed ourselves mightily. Plus, we did land one really nice bass, and there's always the next trip to look forward to! We worked hard and fished well together; I am not surprised. We'll do it again! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 10, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth and Cumberland, Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 9:30 AM - 2 PM Moon Phase: Third Quarter/waning crescent moon Tide: Low at about 11 AM Conditions: Mixed sun and clouds with a few sprinkles and one heavy shower, light winds but mostly from the north; 55 - 60 degrees. Water temperatures 53 (Hussey Sound) - 60 degrees (Broad Cove) and in-between everywhere else. Tired but expecting a guest the next day, I decided to start late and spend the day scouting, while verifying Broad Cove conditions at low tide for any potential fly-fishing opportunity. There was a lot of boat work to do, too, but by 9:30 or so, I was heading east of Clapboard to look for the season's first mackerel. I didn't find any there, but I moved over, closer to Basket. A couple of dolphins and a seal joined me here, so I had some confidence in finding bait here. I did stumble into a deep school of something on the sonar, and when I hovered the Sabiki just above the "blob", I scored a quick double-brace of baits! But that was it here and so I re-located to Broad Cove to check the bottom of the tide. Birds were active at the very top of the Cove; perhaps over mud, maybe over water, but not navigable, regardless. Nothing else showed in previously productive areas. Still, I worked the "gut" with a slow-trolled mack. Moving in, I had quite a few contacts with bass; a couple of runs ending with turned hooks, a long campaign of harassment, and an aggressive "pluck" from the hook. I was down to my last bait and near the terminus of my navigable water and still without a bass. I decided to re-located to Sturdivant Island and so reeled in my live bait. It got crushed boat side, and luckily, the hook found its way into a good spot. This 25-incher fought well in the shallow (< 5 feet) water, and I was glad to finally have landed a gamefish! Now, I went looking for a better bait situation and ran to Hussey Sound for the first time in 2023. Here, I invested an hour and bounced all around, only to find a single, structure-oriented mackerel. Not much else was going on here! The single bait went into the livewell and I decided to return to Basket to see if the change in tide had resulted in any change for the better. Perhaps; I deposited two more into the livewell in about 20 minutes before heading to Sturdivant a couple of hours into the flood tide. I quickly converted all three mackerel into bites, landing two more stripers measuring 24 and 28 inches. These were aggressive fish and made things seem easy. Each had come from near productive boulders in 10-14 feet of water, and my mackerel were clearly vulnerable in a couple of inside turns along my favored stretch. What do I have to say about this? It was nice to enter a new phase to the season with the installation of the livewell and the return of the mackerel. Clearly, they are not in "thick", yet, but the bass seemed to be ready for them, and I will not complain with converting every available mackerel into a striped bass contact. I took it pretty easy on myself and the boat and positioned myself well for the following day's trip. I'd have a new guest aboard, and I wanted things to go well! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 4, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Boat: None, shore-fishing from landing float With: An assortment of young neighbors Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:15 PM - 7:30 PM Moon Phase: Full plus one day Tide: Low at 5:50 PM Conditions: Fog, mist, drizzle and rain; east wind at 10+ mph; 50 degrees. Water temperature 55 degrees (+/-). Quadrants II and III. Given the soggy conditions, I was surprised to arrive at the landing only to find it occupied by three young neighbors. They were floating sand-worms and underdressed for the conditions. I figured I would watch them and take the float over when they'd had enough. But their fishing was so good, they stayed and I joined them at the fringe of the available float space. In the half hour or so that I had observed, they caught a few small bass, missed many, and landed two more over thirty inches. Moreover, I could tell from the urgency and frequency of the takes that the bass were active and abundant. Most importantly, my companions were really enjoying themselves! I quickly landed three on blood-worms in Quadrant II and through the slower, slack low period. These were typical fish between 20 and 26 inches in great body condition. Slack low ended with a single bite for the group, and a young fisherwoman landed the biggest fish of her life, a fat 33. They celebrated and packed up to go, but now my float got pulled down and I tightened into a heavy fish. They stayed to watch the outcome; a nice fight, a subdued and leadered 36-incher; and a clumsy fumble into the water before a picture was attempted. OOPS! But we all celebrated a beautiful fish and a great night; in my time on the float, I'd never seen as many 30+ inchers in one session. As the session progressed further into Quadrant III, the bites continued and I landed four more fish between 19 and 24 inches. I'd just landed fish No. 8 for the session at 7:30 PM. My remaining worms were marginal, the cross-bar on the landing was just submerged, the best window on the tide was closing, the fish were getting smaller, and I had work in the morning. I left, pretty satisfied with the session. What do I have to say about this? Full moon, favorable tide, juicy worms and gray skies; it was an easy call to visit the float. I hope I haven't created a local monster by openly sharing my formula for success from the dock, but these young folks are pleasant enough that I am happy for their success, and I can always row out to the mooring if I need more elbow room. And, I don't think I'll encounter them too often in the morning. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: June 2, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Boat: None, shore fishing from ML float With: A Target: Striped Bass Time: 4:45 AM - 6:15 AM Moon: Full minus one day Tide: Low at 4:16 AM; Quadrant III Conditions: Clear and glassy calm; 60 - 65 degrees. This was the June Full Moon Period, and with some nasty weather on its way, I wanted to take advantage of this small window. Sleep be damned, A and I were up before 4 AM and on the float by 4:30. It took only seconds to validate our presence. While I missed that first bite, my second drift with a juicy, suspended blood-worm resulted in a solid hookup with a 20-inch striper. The next cast resulted in a 22-incher, and it was looking to be a fast morning! After a lull including a scenic and peaceful sunrise, three consecutive bites at about 5:15 (low plus one hour) produced two more bass, about 20 and 25 inches, respectively. Once again, I thought things were picking up, only to go fishless for the next hour. We had lost our tide, and I had no momentum. We called it a morning. Still, this workday was off to a good start! What do I have to say about this? Any opportunity to score a bonus sunrise is worth acting on, even if one is dead tired and facing a 14-hour work day. As a secondary bonus, the mosquitos were not a factor, and as a tertiary note of value, I am approaching 50 stripers landed for the season without a single gut-hooked fish. Circle hooks work, even when the bass are biting as lightly as they seem to be on the worms. In a couple of instances, the float barely waggled before slowly descending beneath the water's surface as if in slow motion. By focusing on a single, hand-held presentation, I am converting bites that might have been missed in the past. The ospreys had a good morning, too, with several successful dives nearby. It was unclear what they flew off with, but there appears to be some larger bait about. The season continues to evolve nicely! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: May 29, 2023 Body of Water: Broad Cove/Casco Bay - Cumberland, Maine Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon (waxing) Boat: amybaby22 With: A Target: Striped Bass Time: 10:30 AM - 1 PM Tide: Low at 1:18 PM Conditions: Clear and bright but with a brisk easterly breeze in excess of 10 mph; swinging to the south. Quite a bit cooler than the previous day, 60 - 65 degrees. Clear water with temperatures 55 - 57 degrees (+/-). We arrived a little too early for the expected tide, but we didn't want to miss out on any action. We killed time by drifting and blind casting, and also by trolling a tube-and-worm. All the while, we kept alert for birds to lead us to active fish. And that never materialized. Although a few scout gulls and terns were aloft, they never got excited, dove, or congregated. And we never saw a splash from a bass. This caught me by surprise, and I had all my eggs for the day in this particular basket. With the wind swinging to the south and building, we returned to the dock. What do I have to say about this? Just when you think you're on to something... a surprise like this smacks you down. Fortunately, it was a pleasant enough outing and A wasn't too invested in catching anything. And, while conditions were ostensibly similar to the previous two days (clear, lower tide), they were different with the cooler temperatures and easterly wind. Humility is certainly a useful characteristic for a fisherman. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceRI --> NH --> MI-->MA-->ME Archives
June 2024
Categories
All
|
Proudly powered by Weebly