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Date: August 21, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: None - shore fishing from landing float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 7:30 AM Moon Phase: New plus five days; waxing crescent moon Tide: Low tide at 8:45 AM Conditions: Greasy calm and overcast, quiet and about 70 degrees. Water temperature about 65 degrees F. Quadrant II, but a bit too early for prime tide. With a few worms available for use, an "almost" tide, and with overcast conditions expected, I scored a pre-work session from the landing's float. For the most part, I was a bit too early for the best part of Quadrant II; the cross-bar on the landing dock was still submerged. In a conventional sense, I was a bit too late, too, having missed the pre-dawn period. But I knew fish were available, I had wonderful bait, and was there really anything better to do with my time before starting the work week? I managed just three bites in 90 minutes (6:35, 6:50 and 7:29 AM), but I converted and photographed all three opportunities. The fish averaged only 23 inches or so. That's a small Striper Cup limit, but it's an early start for what promises to be a very busy week. What do I have to say about this? I'm still realizing I live here in Maine and can do this when I so choose. It got my work week of to a good start! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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Date: August 20, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: Shorefishing from MLA float and then amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - Noon Moon Phase: New plus four days; waxing crescent moon Tide: Low tide at 8:15 AM Conditions: Mostly clear, light southwesterly wind, about 60 - 75 degrees. Water temperatures 63 - 65 degrees F (+/-) The goal for the day (other than safety, appreciation, and enjoyment) was obvious; Catch Five Stripers to get No. 200 for 2023. I started from the float, where the bass had no interest in mackerel chunks, but still some taste for juicy blood-worms. In about 90 minutes, I landed three to 32 inches (always a fine fish on light tackle from shore), enjoyed most of the fun from a couple others before the hook pulled, and flat-out missed a couple of bites. I left the dock aboard amybaby22 at about 7:30 AM and pointed her east. My plan was to try a couple of known big-fish spots with a tube-and-worm before making any audibles for the rest of the day. Both Littlejohn and Chebeague Islands failed to produce any action, despite some promising marks. My experience with the tube-and-worm continued its hot-and-cold nature. After unsuccessfully exploring a color- and current-line with an Al Gag's swim-bait, I decided to try Green Island Ledge for mackerel. The water here was downright dirty from the Royal River, and I wouldn't have stayed long, except I did catch a nice mackerel almost instantly. But after 20 minutes of effort, that was it, and so I moved over to the Green Islands to bump-troll my single bait along their edges. The only excitement here was identifying a pair of American Oystercatchers, so I moved over to Moshier Island, recalling long-ago advice to always explore the southwest tip of these glacial islands. As I approached, I noticed a bit of current-induced rippling of the water, more than enough for me to deploy my lonely live bait and drift through. The listless bait suddenly awakened and got popped but not eaten. After a couple of other splashy attempts, the bass lost interest and my bait keeled over, dead. I quickly deployed the Minn-Kota for a spot-lock session in about 15 feet of water, with the current conveying my baits right into this new-to-me Hot Zone. I had the single dead freshie and a few frozen mackerel from the day before. The choice tail sections were set aside, and all else was minced for a slow but steady trickle of chum. It took about 15 minutes for the first bass to show itself. My free-lined chunk zipped off suddenly and I wound down on a nice one! After a tough battle on light tackle from the stationary boatit, I finally landed a fat 30-incher. I was one bass away from the day's goal. Having landed No. 199, I resumed my quest for No. 200. Once again, it took about 15 minutes for the next bass to appear. This one took my bait from the far reaches of my drift. It was a modest 23-incher, but I was still very happy with it! I was running out of bait and thinking about my next move when my youngest daughter called. We chatted for quite a while. My steady drizzle of chum had been interrupted, and I didn't really have enough to get it going again. Instead, I cleaned up, organized a bit, and called it an early end for the day. The 18-minute run back to the anchorage kept me cool, and I still had all afternoon ahead of me! What do I have to say about this? Mission accomplished, and with some nice fish participating along the way to boot! But the best part of the day might have been the call from M! I managed to stumble in the boat and smashed a couple of guides on my too-fine light-tackle chunking rod. I bent these back into shape for the short term, but I will certainly have to replace them this winter. If there's any good from that situation, it's that I might have convinced myself to purchase another rod of this same series and to retire this one for chunking duty only. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: August 19, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: None, shore fishing from MLA float With: A Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:45 PM - 7:45 PM Moon Phase: New plus three days; waxing crescent moon Tide: Low at 7:45 PM Conditions: Pleasant, about 70 degrees. SW wind diminishing; water temperatures about 65 degrees F. The day had already been fine, but as an added evening bonus, A and I hit the dock for a pleasant session from shore. We had the best portion of Quadrant II in front of us, and we were armed with a couple of dozen juicy bloodworms and some fresh mackerel from earlier in the day. The bite was pretty consistent and split equally between suspended worms and fresh tail chunks (also suspended under floats). We landed a total of seven stripers, including a pair of 30-ish-inchers, a fat 26, and several in the lower 20s. It had been about two months since we'd last shore-fished, and the pleasant nature of the session reminded us why we should make sure to incorporate this into our routine. What do I have to say about this? One cannot argue with a ten-striper day, especially in August; and double-especially when I hadn't beaten myself up too badly in the process. The quality of the fish was high, too, as I landed four in excess of 28 inches and lost at least one other "nice" one! The day had also (surprisingly) positioned me within reach of 200 stripers landed for the season. With 195 under my belt, I thought I'd go for it the next day! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: August 19, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 7:30 AM - 1 PM Moon Phase: New moon plus three days; waxing crescent Tide: Low tide at 7:43 AM Conditions: Clear and crisp but with increasing clouds over the course of the day; persistent SW wind of about 10 mph, 60 - 70 degrees F. Water temperatures 62 - 64 (+/-). There was a hint (or more) of Fall in the morning air, and I motored across Casco Bay to Hussey Sound wondering if I would have to brave wind, waves and more open waters to find bait. I didn't want to go out to Red Marker No. 2 if I didn't have to, given the wind and apparent four-foot swell coming in from the ocean. I dropped my Sabiki rig in about 60 feet of water just past College Island to start prospecting, and pretty quickly I found a single spike mackerel of about five inches. As I dropped again, I stopped the descent short when I marked a possible fish less than 20 feet deep. Another spike came in and I fell into a reasonably productive pattern of drifting and dropping to marks. As the water quickly shoaled south of College Island, I dropped to some bottom marks and landed a double; and I was well on my way to making bait. By 9 AM, I had 16 live macks in the well. All but one were similar spikes. My first stop was Crow Island, which seems to produce during all tides from one rocky corner or another. I found some juicy and promising marks as I circum-fished the island, but surprisingly had no chases or bites. I returned to the swell-swept southeastern portion of Peaks Island. I soon found the thick mung and big swell dispiriting as well as unproductive. I was a bit queasy, too, so I retreated to Crow for a second shot with the building incoming tide. Now about 11 AM, I was drifting my live mack right along some wind-swept rocks with deep water nearby. Suddenly, my mackerel woke up, and after a quick race to deep water, it was intercepted by a bass. I wound down and got tight to a well-earned fish. It was a nice one, too, as it went on several drag-pulling runs. On the fourth or fifth, we were suddenly disconnected. I thought the hook had pulled, but a tired knot joining line to leader had failed. Ugh! I grabbed another rod, circled around, rebaited and redeployed up-current. This lively bait was quickly corralled between rocks and the surface, and after a couple of splashy misses, a bass thunked it with ill intent on the surface. Once again, I wound down, and this time everything worked out fine. Despite several runs to submerged rocks and some dicey boat control between lobster pots and hazards, I slipped the net under the day's first bass. This was a fit and beautiful 31-incher! I continued to work Crow Island for a bit (these were nice fish and my sonar promised more!), but slid over to Cow Island at about Noon with the increasing tide. My favorite stretch of Cow fishes best at the highest tides, and yet, so far had not produced a fish for me in 2023! I wanted to end that! It didn't take long; once again, by presenting baits immediately adjacent to rocks with current and deep water nearby, I enjoyed landing two more bass (27 and 28 inches) on consecutive drifts. After another pair of unproductive passes , I called it a day. What do I have to say about this? I was surprised by both the bait (more productive and easier than anticipated) and the bass (stingier than expected). But with some fresh macks for chunk bait and a good evening tide ahead, there was a chance of building on top of a good day to an even better day. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: August 12, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 7:30 AM - 12:30 PM Moon Phase: New minus four days; waning crescent moon Tide: High at about 9:18 AM Conditions: Clear and bright, light southerly wind, about 60 - 70 degrees. Water temperatures 61 - 63 degrees F (+/-). I am getting either less patient or smarter. Regardless, I spent little time checking my usual mackerel haunts with only a single touch, and by 8:30 I was outside Hussey at Red Marker No. 2. Fortunately, my deep friends were there. The bite wasn't fast and furious, but by 9:15 (slack high tide), I was motoring over to the whitewashed shoreline of Vaill Island with a livewell loaded with pollock and mackerel. This was my first visit of 2023 to Vaill Island under favorable high-tide conditions, and with the swell-generated wash in rocky pockets, I was confident that I would find some bass. Staying safely away from the rocks, bump-trolling a live mackerel produced nothing. But the first time I tossed my bait right up against the rocks into some confused water, a striper pounced on it. The pattern for the day was established; the biting bass were tight and under the cover of the wash. I pulled six bass from 24 to 26 inches from the rocks in about two hours of effort. Mackerel produced four, but pollock scored two. All came from rocky whitewater pockets, and the island's complex and exposed southwest corner was most productive. This was nerve-wracking fishing! The three-foot swell was providing the opportunity for this reasonably productive pattern, but it was also threatening to push me into the rocks if I ever let my guard down. When bass number six came in at about 11:30 AM and was still a "small" 26-incher, I decided to take a breather and re-located to Peaks Island. I left biting fish and lost my groove. I couldn't get anything going. My choice mackerel were gone, there wasn't suitable wash for productive use of the pollock, and the wind was picking up. I called it an "easy" day and was off the water by 12:30. What do I have to say about this? Not bad for a mid-day August effort. While I prefer mackerel as bait, pollock produced again, and once again I experienced their attraction to bass in the wash. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: August 6, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 9:30 AM - 1:45 PM Moon Phase: Full moon plus five days; waning gibbous moon Tide: Low tide at 9:22 AM Conditions: Clear, light southerly wind, about 70 - 80 degrees. Water temperatures 58 -62 degrees (+/-). I launched into the teeth of another slack low tide, going straight to Hussey Sound. I checked the deep water near the last red marker; finding nothing, I quickly headed offshore to Red Marker No. 2. The targeted bottom marks were within 10 feet or so of the can, but in the slack conditions and light wind, I could hover and drift over the marks without the electric motor. Forty-five minutes of effort gave me a solid dozen pollock and a couple of mackerel. A number of cunner joined the party, too, but these were released on the spot. I returned to Peaks Island, but tried a new stretch of shoreline. The ocean swell created a fair amount of wash along the southern face. I decided to try this bold ocean stretch for the first time. I found no biters! But I was, admittedly, cautiously staying away from any hazards in this new area, and my mackerel wisely insisted on swimming to the outside, deeper water, consistently avoiding the rocks and whitewater. By 11:45 or so, I moved and was setting up along the more familiar water along the eastern shoreline; there had been fish there yesterday, after all. After another swim without any action, I reeled my bait in and tossed it right along the rocks in a wave-swept spot. It didn't take long; my mackerel was taken with confidence, and I landed the first bass of the day, a surprisingly strong 26-incher. It was a slight upgrade for the Striper Cup, too; every inch counts, every week! My next mackerel swam for only a minute before getting "popped" off the hook. Still, another bass had revealed itself along the rocks, and so quickly after such a slow start. Now, I turned to the pollock as bait. But with proximity to the rocks being so obviously important, I less slow-trolled these as opposed to tossing them into potential areas, as defined by rock structure and/or wave action. In short, I went through my dozen pollocks pretty quickly. I lost a few to weedy rocks and torn flesh on the cast, but the majority got eaten! Hooking up was another story; I did best with shoulder-hooked baits, but still had many pulled hooks. I may have to resort to larger hooks to accommodate these "thicker" baits. I landed three additional bass, with two in the low-20s, and another "keeper" at 30 inches. All were pulled from adjacent to rocky edges, and most were contacted in a veritable washing machine of sloshing whitewater between rock points. The final count of "four" landed bass did not represent the potential catch or action that I experienced between Noon and 1:30 or so (advancing mid-flood). What do I have to say about this? It's good to know I have a reliable, backup bait stop, and I may be refining how to use the pollock as effective baits. Next time, I'll be sure to try some bigger hooks. It's August, and the fishing is tougher... but the weekend still yielded an unexpected blue, a solid Striper Cup entry with three "keepers" from 28 to 31 inches, and a bunch of other chances. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: August 5, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 7:30 AM - 2:45 PM Moon Phase: Full plus four days, waning gibbous moon Tide: Low tide at 8:30 AM, High tide at 2:48 PM Conditions: Thin fog giving way to clear and bright conditions with light winds; 60 - 75 degrees. Water temperatures have dropped considerably, 58 - 64 degrees (+/-) depending on tide and location. Expecting a tough bait condition, I decided to just keep moving until I found some. I also had the fly rod available, to catch the early incoming flood over shallow water, if I hadn't yet found anything more favorable. I ended up covering more Bay than ever, extending from French Island out to Red Marker 2 outside Hussey Sound before finding my bites along familiar Peaks Island during the last half of the incoming tide. After unsuccessful bait stops at Clapboard Island (E), Basket Island markers and the channel between Chebeague and Littlejohn Islands, I swung into the shallows between Littlejohn and the mainland to scout for fly-fishing targets. I got a solid and productive hour of casting practice in while I slowly searched shallow edges for signs of fish. I saw none, but a fellow fly-caster in a kayak hooked up in slightly deeper water, so I guess a few fish were available. Nevertheless, this approach is inefficient in my boat (I don't have the vantage point to see into the water very well), and I will need to either concentrate my fly-fishing on blitzes or structure; or simply accept the peaceful process itself as opposed to pushing myself to produce fish. By 10 AM, I was back on the prowl and heading east. I looked for bait at Green Island Ledge, both ends of the Green Islands and the east end of French Island without any sign of bait. Pushing further into the bay was not working, so I reversed course and headed back towards the mouth of Hussey Sound, but taking an "outer" route via all new-to-me water. On the "out" side of Chebeague, I checked every marker for bait as I now headed west. Threading the needle between Hope and Cliff Islands, and still without any sign of fin-fish bait, I decided to return to my pollock-producing navigation aid, Red No. 2 outside of Hussey. That turned out to be the correct call for the day. I arrived just as the tidal current really started ripping. Having already marked my bottom-oriented targets on the sonar, I deployed Spot-Lock and dropped a 3-ounce jig and Sabiki. The bite was fast and productive; and included several biting mackerel as well as the expected pollock. Soon enough, I had 15 or so pollock and eight or nine macks in the well, and I was off to Peak Island, where I could see some attractive whitewash along the rocks. I ended up using only the mackerel and releasing the pollock. The macks alone produced enough action for me, including stripers of 25, 28 and 31 inches, as well as a smallish bluefish of two or three pounds. I missed several opportunities, too, from simple pulled hooks to baits being "popped" off the hook by sudden strikes. All of this was along my familiar stretch of Peaks Island, and if there was a theme to any success, it was keeping the live baits as close to rocks, moving water and foam as possible. I finished my day with a pass along Crow and Cow Islands as the tide peaked, but found no active fish at either location. What do I have to say about this? It was a good day to choose such explorations. It was nice and calm, and the morning's thin, early fog made my fly-fishing option theoretically viable. There is so much good-looking water to explore! Points on both Green Islands and French Island looked worthy. The boulder field along Littlejohn looks like it might hold promise at higher tides, I found several promising points along Chebegue, and the ocean swell revealed lots of whitewashed stretches along Long Island. Spot-lock for the win, again! I made quick work of making bait in the heavy tidal current, all while safely and comfortably avoiding the red can! Working the boat so close to the rocks, especially in any wash, is intense and draining. But I still get a thrill out of every chase and strike! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: July 29, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 8 AM - Noon Moon Phase: Full minus three days; waxing gibbous moon Tide: High tide at about 8:40 AM Conditions: Mostly clear, hot and sticky. Overnight lows in the 70s and PM thunderstorms on the way. Water temperatures 72 at the dock, 63 - 65 degrees (+/-) at the mouth of Hussey Sound and 68 - 70 in most of my portion of Casco Bay. The days of sleeping in, ignoring clock and tide while still enjoying easy success on Casco Bay are over, at least temporarily. The water is "hot" and mackerel have dramatically thinned out, while bunker have disappeared. Still, I launched into the teeth of a mid-morning high tide under clear skies and gave it my best. Condensed version; I managed only two single mackerel from 115 feet of water in outer Hussey Sound. Each came in as a single with no followers. I pretty quickly converted each of these into a solid bass bite in the white-wash of Peak's exposed shoreline, but did not connect with either fish. I switched to "Spot-Lock and Chunk" mode in this same area with the frozen mackerel I had brought along in case the bite was slow. I quickly became sea-sick with the close work of chunking and drifting while "anchored". I retreated further into Hussey and set up off a point of Crow Island. Still queasy, I retreated even further into the bay and set up in a protected cove off Clapboard Island (W). Whether it was the day, my spot selection or the quality of the bait (quite soft after a month in the freezer), I never got a take despite my fairly generous chumming. Summer has arrived in full force, and I limped home; hot, sweaty and tired. What do I have to say about this? This is not unexpected and happens every year. I usually counteract with very early morning worming, and I can resort to this if I choose with the pending Full Moon. Finally, Sea Sickness sucks! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
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