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As a change of pace to the daily slog of 2020, we rented a house on post-season Cape Cod for the week. Equipped with Internet access, this allowed all of us to continue our teleworking, but from a refreshing location and with amybaby22 docked at our doorstep. All of Waquoit Bay, the south-facing salt ponds, Nobska Light, Vineyard Sound and various shoals and rips were within theoretical reach, and with funny fish presumably around, I had more fishing opportunities than I could avail myself to in our limited time. I can see this becoming an annual event! Saturday - Doubly Pleasant Date: September 19, 2020 Body of Water: Waquoit Bay - Falmouth, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New Moon plus two days Tides: Pretty much falling from Slack High Tide throughout Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone, but joined by A for the evening Target: Striped Bass, False Albacore Time: 2:30 PM - 7 PM Conditions: Clear, about 60 degrees F with strong NE wind, diminishing for a beautiful evening; water about 64 degrees I picked up amybaby22 from her resting spot in Maine, quickly turned around, and was launching into Waquoit Bay by 2:30 PM. My Old Friend, Strong Wind, had joined me on the Cape, again, but I suspected that I'd be able to find some fish and navigate to our rental home for the week in the protected waters offered by Waquoit. Old habits die hard, and so my first spot to try was at the confluence of the two "rivers" just down from the launch. After a few scouting casts with a top-water lure, I moved to the deepest available water and switched to a white Yum soft jerk-bait on a 1/4-ounce lead head. It didn't take long to confirm the presence of stripers in this deeper water, and my sonar indicated a lot of them! It was fun to be back on some fish, and I took about equal numbers on the soft jerk, a Crippled Herring jigging spoon, and a 6-inch plastic eel on a jig head. I landed a dozen bass into the low 20s (inches, that is) and two bonus scup before I headed further down the bay. I trolled a stick-bait to the outlet by Menauhant Yacht Club with only a single swing-and-miss. I beached the boat at the outlet and expected good things in the strong outgoing tidal flow; but nothing happened here, and so I got back in the boat and continued out. Despite the strong northerly winds, Vineyard Sound was flat and navigable; and as I passed the jetty, I saw some surface explosions in shallow water a few hundred yards to the west. Three other boats surrounded these apparent Albies (!!!) as I skirted the edges, casting blind. After 15 minutes or so, nothing had happened, the fish were seemingly gone, and everybody involved dispersed. I motored over to the main Waquoit Bay outlet. After scouting here with no sign of fish, I pushed against the current and into the Bay; then crossed the Bay to the Great River Channel. From there, I turned up the Little River and into Hamblin Pond, where my girls flagged me down and oriented me to our dock-for-the-week. It was now about 6 PM and I urgently pointed out the frantic birds across the pond. A jumped in to join me, and a few minutes later she was casting a Hogy popper under the dipping birds. I threw the jig-and-jerk, but A confirmed that there were bass here with multiple missed strikes. I soon had a Jumpin' Minnow tied on, and a moment later we doubled up on bass between 20 and 23 inches. It was an awesome start to an awesome evening, as we enjoyed a couple more doubles and lots of action as the wind subsided. The biggest fish got away, and we missed more than we caught, but it had been a long time since we had enjoyed fun, productive and pleasant fishing together. Our week of telework was off to a good start! With the tally for the day stuck on 21 bass as the sky continued to darken, we called it a day. Note, I've been using using www.tideschart.com/United-States/Massachusetts/Dukes-County/Waquoit-Bay-entrance/Weekly/. (excerpted, below) to track local tides and make my plans. It's not 100% reflective of actual conditions in any particular spot at a given time, but it's been a valuable resource for envisioning what to expect. Sunday - Doubly Windy Date: September 20, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New Moon plus three days Tides: Pretty much falling throughout to Slack Low Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6:20 AM - 8:30 AM Conditions: Clear, about 50 degrees F with strong NE wind, increasing sharply at 8 AM; water cooled down to about 59 degrees overnight I hit the water before sunrise, but I still felt as if I were late. And I was, but not totally; I enjoyed a solid hour of active bass chasing top-waters. Bites got scarce after 7:15 AM or so, but until that time, the Jumpin' Minnow worked along steep sod banks (especially points on these) drew out a number of aggressive bass. My first cast of the morning produced a solid bass of about 24 inches, and the largest of the morning challenged 26 inches. Once again, I moved a great number of fish compared to what I hooked, but each splashy show just increased the morning's enjoyment. By 8 AM, the wind was picking up from the north, and I resorted to a swim-bait for my fifth bass of the morning. With the entire day and week ahead of me, I called it quits at about 8:30; the wind was already sapping my energy! Date: September 20, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New Moon plus three days Tides: High and falling Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM; and again at 6:45 PM - 7:30 PM Conditions: Northerly wind continues at 20 (+) mph; clear and bright; calming after dinner to simply breezy Despite the strong wind and intense sun, I hit the water and set up a long drift. Although a small bass missed my Hogy popper on my first cast, it seemed as though my bait was lost in the wind-tossed water. I switched to swimming the swim-bait, and I caught a couple of 20-inch bass. But the highlight of this session was a nice 26-inch bass that ate a nose-hooked Original Hogy, slow-twitched over the same flat that had produced so much action the night before. I've not had a ton of experience or success with these plastic baits, but I know they have a tremendous reputation and a lot of upside (for me). It's alway's gratifying to catch fish on new baits or with new rigging techniques. After a dinner break, I hit the water again. The wind was diminishing, and I returned to this same flat to drift slowly with the breeze. Four stripers to 26 inches ate my Hogy popper and/or Rebel Jumpin' Minnow. The action died before full dark, as if a switch had been flipped. I'd had to work hard for them, but the day had produced a dozen stripers, 10 of which had eaten top-water baits. I think that's a pretty good day! Monday - Telework! Date: September 21, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New Moon plus four days Tides: Pretty much falling throughout Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 7:45 AM Conditions: Work day; clear and bright; surprisingly mild wind (almost calm) from the north; Air temp 50, water temp 58 degrees F I returned to the same central flat. Conditions were surprisingly calm, and there was a good amount of small bait visible. A bass exploded on my first cast with the Jumpin' Minnow and knocked it into the air. When it landed, another bass pounced on the bait, somehow missing the hooks. By the time I'd retrieved the lure back to the boat, I'd already missed five strikes! Strike Number 8 got converted into the first bass of the morning; this was my first pre-work fish since moving to Massachusetts. It was about time! The next hour was more of the same. Concentrating on sod points and current sweeps, I probably had 30 strikes (as well as a number of visible follows) to convert into three landed stripers. I was able to add a fourth on the Hogy Original; this fish provided a cool, visual sub-surface strike right at boat-side. At my "desk" at 8 AM, I noticed the wind was really picking up. I kept my head down for the work day, but it was still uncomfortably windy by late afternoon. I gave the water a rest and pursued other, familial, activities for the remainder of the evening. Tuesday - ALMOST Hookless Date: September 22, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New Moon plus five days Tides: High at 4:25 AM; falling throughout Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 7:45 AM Conditions: Overcast and still a 10+ mph breeze from the north; about 48 degrees F, water temp 56 - 57 degrees F. Wind subsided, swung slightly more westerly, and started to crank by 7:45 AM; sustained over 20 mph with gusts likely beyond 40 mph throughout the day Things started slowly, with only a couple of small, half-hearted swirls on my Jumpin' Minnow in the first half hour or so. Then, I either found a pod of fish along a sod bank, or they woke up, because between 6:30 and 7 AM, I enjoyed fast top-water action. Many casts resulted in multiple, frenzied strikes, but still and for whatever reason, most attacks missed the hooks! It took 11 strikes to finally hook up, and I only landed three bass to the low 20s in my first 25 (or more) strikes. While this wasn't super-productive, and the fish weren't large, this was fun, and that made it difficult to change gears. But I did; after having an explosive, nuclear bass miss my lure at least five times on a retrieve, I decided to switch baits; perhaps they would eat a fly trailing behind a popper? A few of them would; the pace of the action slowed, but my hooking percentage and rate increased. In the next twenty minutes I landed three stripers, including a nice, approximate 24-incher. All of these ate the fly (not the popper), and all bit on a pause or extended pause. Live and learn; this might be a good technique for less experienced guests when confronted with finicky fish. And I have to admit, it was pretty cool to see the popper get sucked under as if I were fishing for bluegills! With a six-fish morning under my belt, I was once again at my desk by 8 AM. This is not a bad way to live! Wednesday - AM - Change in the Air? Date: September 23, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New Moon plus six days Tides: High at 5:25 AM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 8 AM Conditions: Mostly clear, about 50 degrees, and quite a bit calmer; winds still 10-12 mph, but more westerly. An expected stretch of good weather predicted, ahead. Water temperatures were down to 55 - 56 degrees F. Things started tough and slow, and they stayed that way; although I am spoiled if I think anything other than it was another great morning on the water. Sure, things were slower; there was little bird, bait or bass activity compared to previous days. In the first half hour, I only raised a single, tiny bass that took a wimpy swipe at my popper. At about 6:30 AM the first aggressive fish of the day chased my Jumpin' Minnow and crashed it several times without hooking up. I followed up with the popper-and-fly, but that, too, was ignored. Around the sod point, the same thing happened; but this fish ate my first follow-up cast with the fly. It was only a 20-incher, but I was on the board, just before sunrise. The next half hour produced decent action. A few fish ate the walking minnow, and another ate the fly. I farmed out one of the walker fish, so I ended with a total of four stripers for the morning. All were between 20 and 22 inches, big enough to keep me interested. Confronted with the first tough fishing of the trip (at least where boat control was not the primary issue), I thought long and hard about everything that had changed, and what the fish might be reacting to. The water had cooled (down to 55 degrees), the tide was higher, the wind direction had changed, the water was calmer, etc. I worked hard for my strikes, and I'd like to think that these fish won't "Fall Run" away from me during the rest of my stay. And did I convince myself that they were tucked a bit closer to the sod, and further into the cuts? Had I really encountered more fish on secondary point areas than the primary ambush points offered by the sod banks? I don't know. It will take a lot more time and experience for me to convince myself that I really know anything about these fish. Wednesday - PM - New Water with a Better Quality of Bass Date: September 23, 2020 Body of Water: Great River - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New Moon plus six days Tides: High at 5:45 PM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 4 PM - 7:30 PM Conditions: Much milder and still sunny, still breezy to windy (15 mph) from the southwest. 60 degree F water. I decided to forego the known conditions of Hamblin Pond and expand my radius of experience into the adjacent Great River and its confluence with the Little River and Waquoit Bay. My first stop was the grass-lined point at the junction of the two rivers, and my second cast with an aggressively retrieved Hogy popper was intercepted by a confident take. The fish pulled quite a bit of drag, and I maintained contact for several minutes without catching a good sight of what was clearly a good fish. Unfortunately, this spot was very exposed to the wind and I was blowing into a dock system; I was simultaneously running the boat, fighting the fish and powering up the GoPro. This was too much, and the hook pulled. This was a good, if still disappointing, start. I motored across the mouth of Great River and set up a drift along another grass-lined bank. I continued working the Hogy popper loud and quick, and a fat 25-incher provided a stunning strike within a few feet of the boat. My disappointment waned! After a lull, the bass really started biting as I worked my way upriver. I continued to focus on points and breaks in sod banks; these provided a plenitude of ambush points. Unlike the morning, for the most part these fish were feeding aggressively and with purpose. Between 5:30 and 6 PM or so, I added four more bass, all between 24 and 25.5 inches. They all ate next to the grass or visibly chased the bait out from the bank before committing to it. At about 6 PM, the action continued, but I started to encounter many more slaps and misses. The two fish I caught after 6 were also smaller, in the 20-inch range. But, overall, this area provided a quality experience for quality, light-tackle bass. Once again, the bite petered out and was done by sunset. As the wind died down, I started using the Jumpin' Minnow and popper-and-fly, only to be teased and taunted by fish that no longer seemed to want to really eat. With plenty of action and some bigger fish, I knew I had made a good decision to try some new water! Thursday - Calm...Too Calm? Date: September 24, 2020 Body of Water: Great River - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Quarter Moon Tides: Empirically, end of Flood and Slack High Tide Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 8 AM Conditions: Too nice! Clear and 60 degrees F, warming and dead calm. Water temperatures between 58 and 59 degrees. I chose to continue to explore some new water, concentrating at the mouth of Great River below the confluence with Little River. I concentrated on sod and rock banks, and mostly threw the Jumpin' Minnow since it was so quiet and calm. When unwilling bass revealed themselves, I followed up with the popper-and-fly. Conditions were surprisingly quiet, with no birds and little bait visibly present. There were bass around, for sure, as once again the Jumpin' Minnow betrayed their positions, but most only slapped or chased, and only three fish ate all morning. Each contact was between 7 and 7:30 AM. I lost one after a long run (getting to be something of a bad habit), but was pleased to avoid a skunk and land two, one each on the Jumpin' Minnow and the other on the popper-and-fly as a follow-up presentation. Both fish were in the low 20-inch range. It really was a beautiful morning; but GoPro battery issues prevented me from taking any pictures. I guess I'll just have to remember it. Thursday - Seduced and Swindled? Date: September 24, 2020 Body of Water: Waquoit Bay, outlet, and Great River - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Quarter Moon Tides: High Tide forecast for 6:45 PM; Flooding tide to Slack High Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM Conditions: Overcast, SW wind 10-12 mph, 70 degrees. Water temperatures increased to 62-63 degrees. The slow morning, calm day and allure of encountering some false albacore seduced me to try to get outside Waquoit Bay. But over the course of the afternoon, as clouds increased, so did the southwest wind. While it wasn't windy, it was ruffled and brisk; and by the time I made it outside the outlet, it was less than pleasant, and there were no signs of birds, fish or boats. After trolling a Yozuri swimming plug around the pier-heads for a couple of passes, I trolled into the bay and headed for Sage Lot Pond. Even though the tide was flooding, I didn't feel comfortable entering this pond; the clearance was too slim, and with the western wind blowing into this area, I had little room for error. So, I simply motored back to Great River. I thought I'd been swindled out of my time, but the bite inside was tough and slow to develop. I'd likely not missed much at all with my outside adventure. By 5:30, a subdued bite developed, and I missed or farmed out an epic number of consecutive bites (I was using the Jumpin' Minnow along sod banks in the more protected water, here). By 6:30, I'd landed just three bass (all 20 inches or smaller), two on this bait and one on the popper-and-fly. The bite dwindled thereafter, and so by 7 PM, I was motoring back home. Friday - "Offshore" Success Date: September 25, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus six days Tides: High at 7:35 AM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 8 AM Conditions: Clear but then thin fog settled in. About 60 degrees, water was 61-62 degrees. Mild breeze from southwest. I stayed in Hamblin Pond for a short session, if only to save some energy for the week's final push! With the tide flooding, I tried the sod bank at the north of the pond, and immediately moved a fish with the Jumpin' Minnow. After a hot and splashy chase, it showed no interest in my popper-and-fly as a follow-up presentation. And so the stage was set for a good chunk of the morning. At about 7 AM, a bird and bass ruckus halfway across the pond caught my attention. I motored over gingerly, and immediately connected with my first striper (20") of the day. It had plucked the plug off the surface with certainty in the energetic, but short-lived, feeding session. I moved from that feed directly to another and repeated these results, but this time with several misses, too. Returning to the sod banks, I endured another series of follows and misses. Again, all the fish I moved subsequently ignored the popper-and-fly. At about 7:30, a third feed across the way attracted my attention. It was slightly windier now and the surface was more ruffled; I switched to the Hogy popper. In about 10 minutes, I converted six strikes into five stripers to 23 inches. When this action died, I moved to the central flat that had produced so many fish earlier in the week. I drifted, casting my popper, but nothing moved. No birds; no bass; it was time to go to work! All seven fish came on the top-water plugs, away from the bank. All were betrayed by their surface activity and birds. My hooking rate was way up in these "offshore" locations (it's a pond and the water was never much deeper than five feet). I love it when the birds can lead me to the fish! Friday - Rest and Relaxation Date: September 25, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus six days Tides: High just before 8 PM and so incoming tide for the duration Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone at first, but joined by A and K Target: Striped Bass Time: 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM Conditions: 80 degrees, clear and just about calm; water temperature 64-65 degrees I changed things up, at least a little bit, by replacing the popper-and-fly with a five-inch, white fluke on a weighted swim-bait hook, and preparing to replace the Jumpin' Minnow with a slightly smaller walking popper. Perhaps these would be more edible from the stripers' perspective. I never got the chance to throw the smaller popper (which had been so good for me in the last couple of years with Cape Cod estuary bass). Under sunny, clear skies, I quickly scored two very nice bass (24 and 26 inches) on the weighted fluke. Why had it taken me so long to even try this presentation? I have long loved soft plastic jerks, and this is such a common rigging method. Why had I not gone there previously? Regardless, the weighted fluke stayed tied on for the remainder of the trip. I liked the popper-and-fly, but I liked the higher quality fish, the faster pace of fishing and the hooking-and-holding power of the fluke more. At about 4:30, I picked the girls up at the dock and proceeded down river. After a couple of unsuccessful stops, I found a group of active fish along a sod bank. A pair of small bass crushed the Jumpin' Minnow and were landed; a few others missed it. For whatever reason, by 5:30 PM, the bite was off; and by 6:30 PM, we were headed back to the dock. I'd cut the session short (by my standards), but why push an evening where everything had gone so beautifully? Saturday - Super Grand Slam Date: September 26, 2020 Body of Water: Little River and Vineyard Sound - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus five days Tides: High at 8:43 AM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass and False Albacore Time: 6 AM - 2:30 PM Conditions: Calm, with generally southerly (SE to SW) winds 7 mph or less; alternately clear and foggy; water temperatures 63 - 65 degrees F Even though the previous evening had been pretty slow, I had all day in front of me, and I chose to start at the confluence of the Little and Great Rivers. In the calm, I started with the Jumpin' Minnow and immediately moved a fish at the same grassy point where I'd lost the good one a few days prior. But conditions remained slow, regardless of the bank I fished. A single 22-incher came aboard, and a few others swirled and missed. None showed any further interest in the fluke, either. Meanwhile, a parade of boats went out, into Waquoit and beyond, likely looking to scratch their Albie Itch. At 7:15, it was DEAD calm and getting bright and too warm for my comfort. The striper fishing was off and likely to get tougher. I had my own albie dreams, and it only made sense to take advantage of the conditions and make a concerted effort to find some funny fish. With nothing evident at the outlet and no concentration of boats, and with calm seas to sail into, I went in search of rips, birds, boils, busts or anything else of interest that I could find. I arrived at Bardow's Shoal at just about slack tide; again, nothing was evident. I decided to use my slack time to travel the several miles to the east end of Succonnessett Shoal. By now it was foggy, with about 1/4-mile visibility. No rips, birds or fish were evident, but I decided to troll with the building westerly current. I started with a Yozuri stick bait (shallower) and a Rapala X-Rap (15 foot model; deeper). I varied speed between 2 and 4 mph, but generally settled in between 2.5 and 3.5 mph. It didn't take long for the deeper bait to get smacked, but I did not hook up. Fortunately, just tens of yards later, in about 23 feet of water, this same bait got eaten again; success! Well, of a sort; it was neither the bluefish I expected nor the funny fish I wanted; it was just a very decent and aggressive Black Sea Bass. It would have been a beautiful gyotaku model, but the season is closed, and so it swam off. Since the deeper bait had now been hit multiple times while the Yozuri was silent, I switched the Yozuri out for a very old-school Rapala Sliver in a Wonder Bread coloration. It looked like a sand eel to me, and I knew it would get a few feet deeper than the Yozuri had been swimming. I don't think I've tied that lure on since 1991 or so, but it immediately sprang into action. This particular turn in the shoal, facing into the current, produced at least four similar sea bass, a 4-or-5-pound bluefish, and a giant sea robin. These were all concentrated in about 20 - 23 feet of water. By now, a rip was forming on the western portion of the shoal. I expanded my trolling pattern and emphasized the shallow and deep sides of the rip. I caught a few more sea bass, but as singles and not in a concentrated area. Both lures produced equally. By 11:30, the fog had lifted, and I expected peak flow from Waquoit outlet. I relocated, but once again, there was no evidence of fish here; I set up my trolling pattern again, focusing on the outlet and proximity. Speaking of flukes, how about catching a pair of flounder while trolling stick-baits near bottom? Yes, the lures were alternately digging or near bottom, but a pair of fluke rose up and ate them. Both were from about 19 - 20 feet of water. I continued with the current to the west, finding it difficult to call it a day. Just past Green Pond outlet, I had edged out to slightly deeper water (25-30 feet) and the Sliver went off for the last time. A spunky, drag-pulling blue came aboard. It was slightly smaller than the first, but added to the fun of the day. I continued my troll past the Great Pond outlet without another hit. Weeds were becoming an issue with the slacking tide. It had been a long day, and I had a long ride and lots of cleaning up in front of me. I saved time for one last pass by the Waquoit outlet, but I was done catching fish for the day. Sunday - Peace and Calm Date: September 27, 2020 Body of Water: Hamblin Pond - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus four days Tides: Incoming; High Tide just before 10 AM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 8 AM Conditions: Clear and calm; about 65 degrees F; water temperature of 66 degrees What I thought might be current seams from the incoming tide, or perhaps ruffles from the very mild breeze turned out to be a River of Bait from the pond's outlet and up into the main "flat" where I'd enjoyed good fishing at the start of the week. I stopped in the pre-dawn darkness and started casting the Jumpin' Minnow. I was surprised to move no fish. I moved further into the familiar waters of the flat, surrounded by waypoints from previous encounters, and continued to cast with hope. I even mixed in the weighted Fluke and a swim-bait; but all was eerily quiet. I moved to a prominent sod point on the pond's eastern shore and moved a small bass with the first cast of the Jumpin' Minnow. I followed up with the Fluke, killed my retrieve and missed a tap; but when I resumed my retrieve, I got crushed by a nice bass. At about 24 inches, it would be the biggest of the day, but five more would follow. Unfortunately, it was too dark for the GoPro, and the pictures weren't worth saving. But I know, a 24-inch striper on light tackle, in shallow water in the dark, is a good recipe for fun. A few casts later, the same Fluke fooled a fine 21-incher with the same attitude. It was still before sunrise, and it was already a good day! I had to hunt and peck to find the next group of bass. I followed that River of Bait from the outlet to the inlet, and tried an isolated offshore island point that almost intersected the parade of baitfish. Again, the first bass missed my Jumpin' Minnow, but two 20-inchers ate the Fluke, just fine. At about 7 AM, I started looking out for "offshore" bird action. I heard, rather than saw, the first ruckus, and an aggressive bass inhaled the Jumpin' Minnow top-water bait. It was another 20, but still fun. A few minutes later, another group surface 50 yards away, and a twin ate this same bait on my first cast on the edges of the commotion. My plastic bait slid up the line, and it was a cool sight to see a second bass chase and repeatedly explode upon this hookless bait, as my hooked bass frantically fought the pressure of my rod. Shortly thereafter, the sun intensified and the remaining wind fled; with action dwindling and a house to pack, I returned to the dock at 8 AM. I'd encountered just a few fish this morning, but they had been in an agreeable, eating mood. And, other than the very first daytime session of the trip, this was the only session where a subsurface presentation out-performed one of my top-waters. And, I should recognize the multiple owls talking among themselves as I prepared the boat and headed quietly across the pond. Sunday - Bonus Session Date: September 27, 2020 Body of Water: Waquoit Bay - Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus six days Tides: Just about High Tide Boat: amybaby22 With: K and A Target: Striped Bass Time: 10 AM -10:30 AM Conditions: A bit overcast, southerly wind, mild chop; 65 degree water; birds! A and K joined me for what I thought was going to be a quiet boat ride on Waquoit Bay to end our trip. We checked a couple of outlets dumping into the Bay for future reference and investigation, and we were motoring up to the northern extent of the Bay when I noticed the birds; I quickened our pace and when we arrived, there were plenty of fish on top! We all fired off casts, and we all had a chance, but nothing came aboard before things quieted. We blind casted for a bit, and the action resumed 100 yards across. This time, the fish had bait pinned along a dropoff from 3 to about 10 feet of water. These fish seemed a little hotter, and the action was more prolonged. K was the first "in" with a Hogy popper, but seconds later, I hooked up, too, on the Jumpin' Minnow. Mine was the last striper of the trip at about 21 or 22 inches, K's was a fun and scrappy bluefish. They both hit the net at the same time, for a fun double! I caught my own bluefish a cast or two later on my Jumpin' Minnow. I'm not going to say they fight harder than stripers; but they fight different, and seem faster. I enjoyed the variety! Now, it was time to go home! What do I have to say about this? This was such a good week, from multiple perspectives. It was nice to have a change of scenery, and it was awesome to do so much fishing without having to expend any time off from work. Time with family (close and extended) was pleasant and valuable, we enjoyed many good meals together, and the fishing itself was pretty darn good! Once again, I "failed" in my Albie Quest, but I ran into some pretty good fishing along the way. The week was born from a discussion of how the Coronavirus pandemic had ironically disrupted my (now local) fall fishing desires. But, I am mostly fortunate to have a partner who can envision such measures, and who both conceived the idea of teleworking from the Cape, as well as found the house for us. This, or a close version of this, might really become an annual event! But in the meantime, I am six stripers short of 200 for the season. I can't end the season yet! ![]() Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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Date: September 6, 2020 Body of Water: Great Harbor at Woods Hole, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Waning gibbous; Full plus four days Tides: Just about Low at first, flooding throughout and then the turn of tide Boat: None, pier fishing With: Alone Target: Little Tunny, a.k.a. False Albacore Time: 5:45 AM - 2:15 PM Conditions: Low at 5:30 AM; High at 11:45 AM; Clear and bright; 60-75 degrees F; becoming windy from the SW With a day to try to make something happen from shore, I decided to try False Albies at Woods Hole. Certainly, Cape Cod on a long weekend day marking the end of summer is a choice potentially fraught with problems, but the stubby public pier on Great Harbor was a pretty safe bet, so long as I arrived early enough. The small amount of available real estate, the limited but enforced metered parking and the known arrival of funny fish in the area made it a reasonably attractive choice, if still a long-shot for success. Plus, it seems that chasing Albies may have become my saltwater version of choosing to fish for muskellunge in Michigan. Be in the right place with the right presentation on well-cared-for gear, and good things can happen. Otherwise, be prepared for a long slog! Finally, while I am not really tuned in to the albies' behavior relative to tide and current at Woods Hole, it looked like I would be able to experience a slack-to-flooding tide corresponding with daybreak, and that sounded good to me. Woods Hole tides are available here, at www.usharbors.com/harbor/massachusetts/woods-hole-great-harbor-ma/tides/#monthly-tide-chart After the 90-minute drive, I arrived to find myself second on the pier. While I could not claim the coveted pier tip, I settled in comfortably on a flat-ish casting rock about 60% of the way out. By 6 AM, another half-dozen or so folks joined the chase. So far, my planning had paid off. I had three rods rigged with a small epoxy jig, a 7-inch amber Hogy, and a slim plastic eel on a jighead. All three offered good cast ability, could be worked at a variety of speeds, and could cover the water column from top to bottom. Early talk on the pier indicated a strong presence of finicky tunny the previous day at about 9 AM, and so things remained promising; this would correspond to the end of the strongest portion of the tidal flood currents, and I intended to be ready when the fish arrived. They seemingly arrived early, as the most showings occurred between 7 and 7:30 AM or so. Most were well out of casting distance, but the pier had a few moments of excitement when the fish got marginally close. Two small school bass and a Spanish Mackerel hit the deck collectively, but nobody hooked a tunoid. A fleet of boats and kayaks pursued the obvious fish throughout the morning, but I didn't see or hear any of them hooking up, either. By 10 AM or so, pier-bound fishers starting looking for breakfast or another spot. I chose to stay and wait out both the conditions and the fish. If the flood wasn't magic, perhaps high slack or the ebb would be (?) I continued to cast until 2:15 PM or so, when my body just couldn't take it any more. The hours between 10 AM and 2:15 PM had been exceedingly slow. It didn't make any sense to beat myself up any longer. I left the fish to a young couple who were just arriving, full of enthusiasm for their first Albie. What do I have to say about this? I can't call it a skunk, because I did catch a seven-inch snapper blue on one of my first shakedown casts with a slowly rolled epoxy jig. Such fish used to represent the entirety of my saltwater experience, which was okay at the time; but my expectations have apparently grown. Regardless, it was nice to encounter such a fish, it has been years since I've seen one this size. With bluefish stocks "down", I'll take this fish and its peers as a collective good sign. Moreover, I may have had a chance at a Spanish Mack. During the active period I did have a "thunk" almost at the base of the rocks, and my plastic eel was definitely torn. But, the day was certainly about tunny, and they were conspicuously absent, again. I fished hard! I tried a variety of epoxy jig sizes, colors and retrieves, but I also spent serious amounts of time with the plastics and a sub-surface Crippled Herring. I've learned from my previous two years of unsuccessful effort that I cannot rely on being a one-trick fisher with these fish; they simply might not be showing, and/or they might be finicky! Getting old is difficult! I seriously wrenched my shoulder while guiding myself along the pier but holding onto the cable rail. I avoided passing out and shock, but barely. And, when I recovered enough to start fishing, I managed to slip and fall on this shoulder again. At least the consultation with the surgeon is already set up! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Finally, a week off to spend in Maine! With negative COVID test results in hand, we arrived in good spirits on the evening of August 21. Water temperatures were about 68 degrees F, not terribly over-heated for August. After a quick survey for life at the landing's float (none evident), I prepped tackle for a morning shore session. While my success on the float is very tide-dependent, with amybaby22 moored nearby, I expected to be able to explore lower Casco Bay, seeking favorable local conditions. But my first effort would be from the float, as pre-dawn and sunrise the next day fell in the second half of the ebb tide, which has historically offered a chance for good striper fishing from this spot. Plus, I'd been smart enough to secure some sand-worms at Arlington Bait and Tackle before leaving home, so I felt pretty good about my prospects to start the trip! Day 1 - (Saturday) Perseverance Date: August 22, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus four days Tides: Low at 8 AM; Quadrant II (second half of ebb tide) Boat: Shore fishing from Landing Float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 5 AM - 7:15 AM Conditions: Beautiful sunrise, clear skies and water temperatures about 67 degrees F Surprisingly, there was absolutely nothing going on; lots of weeds, and both lures and sand-worms were universally ignored. It was time to launch the boat! Date: August 22, 2020; Session Two Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus four days Tides: Building flood Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Mackerel (for bait) Time: 11 AM - 12:30 PM Conditions: Bright and clear; 62 degree water in Hussey Sound Having learned that it is not possible to launch at either the Falmouth or Portland ramps at dead low negative tides, and having returned A and K to the float via sea, I attempted to make bait at Hussey Sound. Despite a lengthy effort, I found none! This was not the start I was hoping for! Date: August 22, 2020; Session Three Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus four days Tides: Low at 8:29 PM; sunset at 7:30 PM; still clear and bright Boat: Shore fishing from Landing Float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6:45 PM - 8:15 PM Conditions: Still clear and bright; 68 degree water; Quadrant II and coinciding with dusk, so I had some hope for success. Conditions remained very quiet, but the single bite of the day came after sunset at about 7:45 PM. The fish had eaten a sand-worm beneath a float, and once I came tight, I knew immediately that it was a large fish; it ran powerfully to the mooring field. I was able to turn her, and a few minutes later I landed one of my three largest Maine stripers, ever, and my biggest on a worm. At 37 inches and around twenty pounds, she was a fine catch any day, anywhere; and especially sweet after such a difficult day. Whew! Unfortunately, mosquitos caused me to swat my glasses over the edge of the float, but I had kept an old pair in the truck for just such an event. The lost pair were never recovered. Day 2 - (Sunday) Finding a Groove Date: August 23, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus five days Tides: Low at 8:55 AM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 9 AM Conditions: Pretty clear and bright; 65 - 67 degree water; Quadrant II Exploring in the boat in the morning for the first time in a while, I focused on Prince Point at Waites' Landing, the mouth of Mussel Cove, and The Brothers. Each of these areas provides rock and weed cover; but other than a single, half-hearted miss of the popper, I encountered no fish. Towards the end of the session, I tried a tube-and-worm in deeper water along this stretch, to no avail. I noted lots of adult pogies, but nothing seemed to be harassing any of these schools. Still, I managed to waste a bunch of time fishing around the schools' edges. At The Tackle Shop later in the day, Dana reported some good fishing opportunities still existed, but that mackerel were extremely tough. He noted that when pogies invade the bay, mackerel generally push out. Of course, first and last light (as well as nighttime) presented the best opportunities. It was good to hear that my efforts were not necessarily futile! Date: August 23, 2020; Session Two Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus five days Tides: High at 3:12 PM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 1 PM - 4 PM Conditions: Clear and bright, but kind of windy I decided to take advantage of the wind and chop and fish fast and aggressively, covering water with a Hogy popper. Even if I didn't hook up, this popper is good at revealing the presence of bass, and I needed to start finding them! I covered the west end of Clapboard Island and the rocky reef there before heading over to Prince Point. Focusing on rock edges and flooded weeds, I'd worked all the day down to Bartlett Point at the mouth of Mussel Cove before a fish exploded on the popper right next to shore at virtual high tide. It was only 22 inches, but any daytime striper on a top-water bait is welcome, and it was my first bass of the trip on amybaby22. Date: August 23, 2020; Session Three Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus five days Tides: Second half of ebb, Low at 9:24 PM Boat: Shore fishing from Landing Float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6:30 PM - 8 PM Conditions: Quadrant II; sunset scheduled for 7:32 PM; still clear and bright; water 70 degrees F Encouraged by the tide schedule and hopeful for a shot at some dusk fish, I hit the float for the evening. The session started ominously, when I fumbled and then punted my GoPro action camera off the edge of the float. It sank like a rock, and I hoped it maintained its position on the sea floor. I figured the best opportunity for recovery would be at dead low the next morning. My float went down almost immediately, and I soon had a small striper in hand. This humble 17-incher was celebrated as Striper No. 100 for 2020! I added sand-worm-eating bass of 24 and 22 inches at 7 and 8 PM, respectively. This was a solid session and a good way to wrap up a couple of tough days of fishing. Day Three - (Monday) Exploration and Home Comfort Date: August 24, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus six days Tides: High at 3:39 AM; Low at 9:47 AM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone, but joined by A at about 10 AM for an adventure cruise Target: Striped Bass Time: 6 AM - 12:30 PM Conditions: The morning started with fog and 68 degree F water; bright sun and clear skies dominated after 8 AM or so Prince Point/Waites' Landing and environs provided three bites between 6 and 7 AM. Two fish fell for poppers along rock/weed edges, and one ate a sand-worm suspended beneath a float. Each was between 22 and 23 inches. After the initial action, I struggled in the sunshine. One takeaway from the week was that fishing got tough once the sun was up and the skies were clear! I was almost glad to return to the dock to try to recover my GoPro. With amybaby22 tied to the float, the camera clearly rested on the bottom under her shadow, just about 6.5-feet down at dead low tide. But I still needed K's assistance to recover the camera. Getting old is tough! The picture of the Day 2 popper fish, above, is from this recovered camera, so all turned out well. At about 10, I left the dock with A aboard. The weather was perfect in A's opinion, and it certainly was suitable for cruising as opposed to fishing. So, we did a little scouting and orienteering. We checked out Sturdivant, Basket and Little Chebeague Islands before entering Chandler Cove and exploring to its mouth at Hope and Cliff Islands. Here, we attempted to catch some mackerel with a Sabiki by trolling with the current. We converted our single strike into a single bait. I decided to deploy this mackerel on a live-line at the west end of Clapboard Island, where some deep water encroaches the rocky and weedy reef. It didn't take long for the bait-runner's drag to start singing in about 20 feet of water; but when I came tight, my connection was momentary as the mackerel slid out of the bass' mouth. The circle hook had turned into the bait and penetrated its skull instead of the bass. Unfortunately, this is part of the price to pay in such fishing. When bait's abundant, these misses aren't a big deal; but when each bait is precious, these failures (if one can call getting the intended quarry to eat your bait a failure of any kind) can sting. Date: August 24, 2020; Session Two Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; New plus six days Tides: High at 4:06 PM; Boat: Shore fishing from Landing Float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6:30 PM - 7:35 PM Conditions: Gray; not an exceptionally favorable tide, but sunset fell within Quadrant II, and evenings had fished pretty well I converted two bites into two fine bass! At about 7 PM, a 27-incher picked my mackerel tail-meat off the bottom. Right at sunset, a 29-incher ate a floating sand-worm. This was my first "legal" fish in a few years, but she was still released to continue growing. Unfortunately, a crack of lightning as I was handling this last fish called for an early halt to my evening. Day Four - (Tuesday) Tough! Date: August 25, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Quarter Moon Tides: High at 4:38 AM; Low at 10:43 AM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:45 AM - 12:30 PM Conditions: Strong storms were predicted for the afternoon/evening, and so I headed off the float provisioned for as long a day as possible, but knowing that I had to keep an eye on conditions. Despite the fog, poppers and sand-worms produced nothing for the first couple of hours. I started at Prince Point/Waites' Landing, but expanded my search to The Brothers and Clapboard Island points. Around 8 AM, now with clear skies, I switched tactics and started trolling a Santini Perfect Tube (tipped with a sand-worm, of course) with lead core line. I scored a fine 26-incher off the east end of Clapboard from about 28 feet of water. This was my first with this venerable technique. However, I was unable to replicate this success in a series of subsequent passes. At about 9 AM, I was searching for mackerel in Chandler Cove. I was able to put a single specimen in the livewell. Returning to the cover-filled area around Clapboard's west end, this bait provided the same results as the previous day; the hook turned into the bait and the willing bass swam off, untouched. I returned to tubing, and expanded my search area to include the channels and reefs around Sturdivant and Basket Islands. I tricked nothing, and by Noon, the wind had picked up to a level that I decided to call it a day. And while it took a while for the storms to arrive in full force, they did; leaving at this point had been the right decision. Date: August 25, 2020; Session Two Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Quarter Moon Tides: High at 5:03 PM and so Quadrant I Boat: Shore fishing from Landing Float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6:45 PM - 8 PM Conditions: Post-storm; gray skies; 65 degree water; dreaded Quadrant I; but I still had a "fresh" mackerel from the AM (as well as a snagged bunker), and so I hit the dock. I started with a bunker chunk on the bottom while I floated a worm with the other rod. When my bunker line started to peel out, I expected to come tight to a bass. Instead, I was met with a frantic but weak reaction on the other end. A cannibalistic pogie had eaten my chunk, a certain first for me. As a bonus, this fish also tangled with my other line, so I had some down time as I re-rigged both rods. I then switched to a mackerel chunk on the bottom. At some point, a bass picked it up and swam under the dock without pulling drag. I'd brought only sunglasses, which I had removed in the growing darkness. I was late to sense the line's movement. I came tight to the bass, but it was wrapped around an anchoring line. A couple of times, I thought I'd freed the bass by alternately free-lining it and then applying pressure, but I was mistaken, and eventually the leader wore through, my first break-off of the trip. I went home, in the darkness, a bit dejected from the evening's results. Day Five - (Wednesday) Even Tougher! Date: August 26, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full minus seven days Tides: Just about High at first, falling throughout Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:45 AM - 11 AM Conditions: Clear and bright; 64 degree water; calm but building into a strong northerly wind This beautiful morning started out with promise when a bass revealed itself chasing peanut bunker in the weedy shallows at Prince Point. My next cast with a popper resulted in an aggressive chase and strike. I had the 23-incher in the boat before 6 AM. From here, I explored The Brothers and Mackworth Island. Despite their fishiness, I could move nothing, and by 8 AM, I had navigated the channel to the Route 1 Bridge over the Presumpscot River outlet. I'd timed my arrival for the increasing ebb and the resultant current. I motored upriver past the bridge and set the tube-and-worm out with three colors of lead. On my first pass, right before the bridge, I hooked up. At about 21 inches, this bass was shorter than my bait! I made several more passes here in the building current without success (other than successfully retrieving my tube each time it snagged bottom). I crossed the bay to the area around Fort Gorges. When I got there, though, I realized the wind was now too strong to control the boat in open water, especially in such a treacherous area. I made the long haul back to the float. I stayed safe and dry, but amybaby22 can only make about 8 mph in a stiff head-wind, and so this took a bit longer than expected. Date: August 26, 2020; Session Two Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full minus seven days Tides: Just about Low; Quadrant II Boat: Shore fishing from Landing Float With: A and K Target: Striped Bass Time: 11 AM - Noon Conditions: Bright and sunny, 65 degree F water, and the tide was right; with the girls already at the float, why not relax with them and maybe catch a fish? I arrived back at the dock at about 11 AM. Low tide was scheduled for 11:42 AM. With my girls already hanging out at the dock, I decided to float a sand-worm right here despite the sunny conditions. I'd caught the very end of the productive portion of Quadrant II, and my float was pulled under almost immediately. Striper No. 3 of the day was only about 19 inches long, but still welcomed! The rest of the day was lost to the wind, and so we made good use of it by visiting relatives, tackling chores and other good things. Day Six - (Thursday) Fast Start, Then Fizzle Date: August 27, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full minus six days Tides: Just about High at first (6:49 AM local High tide) Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:45 AM - 9 AM Conditions: Clear and fresh, 49-degree air temperatures to start; strong west wind, but developing some clouds, raising into the low 60s, and wind becoming NW I tried the reef at Clapboard's west end for the early-morning popper bite, and a 23-inch striper ate before 6 AM. Like many of its compatriots over the week, it was positioned near cover and ready to eat, early! Otherwise, the fishing was slow. I worked hard with sand-worms, tubes, Hogy Originals and jigging spoons all around Clapboard's west end and Prince Point and associated reef. Despite the slow morning, it was wonderful to be out among the pogies, seals, ospreys and loons. But, I chose to tackle some more chores as opposed to pounding the water, fruitlessly. Date: August 27, 2020; Session Two Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full minus six days Tides: Flooding tide, High at 7:09 PM Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Mackerel and Striped Bass Time: 2:30 PM - 6:30 PM Conditions: Generally gray and calm; 62 degree water I hit the water in a poor frame of mind, having lost my phone in the nasty crawl space beneath our house. But, with winds having diminished, I felt free to move about, and I had a good chunk of time ahead of me. I decided to try Hussey Sound for mackerel, but after an hour or more without contact, I took the outside route to Chandler Cove. In fact, one can point the boat right at the prominent red-roofed building at the tip of Hope Island and be there in a matter of minutes! The mackerel fishing was a bit stronger here, as I connected with four between Hope Island and Deer Point on Great Chebeague Island. Unfortunately, I flubbed two of these boat side, and so only two mackerel accompanied me to the east point of Clapboard Island. My first mackerel was taken pretty quickly. After a short run and drop, it got hit hard again and knocked clean off the hook. My last mackerel was a scooch too large for my taste, but it swam hardily for quite a while. It was repeatedly harassed, chased and smashed, and it ended up dying on my hook. I decided to use it as fresh chunks in this same area. My first free-lined chunk got taken over deeper water (25 feet plus), and I wound down to a tight line and a fish with some weight! But just as we settled in for the fight, the hook popped free. I replaced the sand-worm with another fresh chunk and set it out under a float, rod in a holder, while I continued to free-line a chunk with my rod in hand. The next bite came on the floated chunk. Once again, I was tight to a nice fish, but my leader parted when I inadvertently pointed the rod at the fish while I switched my hand-held rod to the holder. Too much going on, and my fourth missed fish in a half hour! Ugh! I'd finally found some active fish, and I was unable to capitalize. Day Seven (Friday) - With K! Date: August 28, 2020; Session One and Only Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus five days Tides: Just about centered around High Tide Boat: amybaby22 With: K Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:45 AM - 9:45 AM Conditions: Beautiful; calm and bright, water temperatures around 62 degrees F I knew it would be tough; and it was; but I was still chagrined to produce no action with K aboard. She free-lined chunks of leftover mackerel while I explored rock and weed edges with the Hogy popper. We started at the west end of Clapboard Island, but then went to Prince Point/Waites Landing. I had an explosive miss on the popper, and that was the extent of action for the day! But we weren't done; we completed several trolling passes with the tube-and-worm at the east end of Clapboard. With no action there, we ran to Diamond Pass between Peaks and Great Diamond Islands. We trolled the length of the pass with the tube-and-worm without a hit; but I did run across Captain Ben of Go Fish Charters; I'd lost track of him on the internet and he was a new boat, but he was chunking the southwest corner of Great Diamond Island. It was great to see him again, he had been a pleasure to fish with in the early 2000's. The fishing was not productive, but it was a great day with K aboard! Day Eight (Saturday) - Rain! Date: August 29, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus four days Tides: Flood through High Tide Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6:45 AM - 9:15 AM Conditions: East wind, gray skies, and heavy rain starting at 8:45 AM or so; water temps outside at 59 degrees F, 61 degrees at Clapboard. Based on the forecast, I knew my time was limited; I decided get an extra hour of sleep and then catch the incoming tide in Chandler Cove for a mackerel test. If successful, I'd have a few baits for the morning and a good starting point for my last day, the next day; if unsuccessful with the favorable tide, I knew I'd have to look elsewhere on Sunday. I headed to the mouth of Chandler Cove, past Hope Island. Trolling a Sabiki Rig with a Crocodile Spoon with the current, I quickly scored a tinker mack. A few minutes later, between Hope Island and Deer Point on Great Chebeaugue Island, a triple came aboard! But that was it for the next half hour, so I headed towards Clapboard Island to search for bass as skies darkened and the wind increased. I deployed the first mackerel at the east end of Clapboard, over a ton of marks. But boat control here was super difficult and so I slid the boat in a bit shallower and slowly drifted along the island's rocky, weedy edge in about 12 feet of water. The free-lined mackerel worked hard for me, and about 100 yards into the drift, just before scheduled high tide, the mackerel was confidently taken. The 23-inch striper fought well; almost at the end of vacation, I'd finally landed a bass on a live mackerel! I stayed for another half hour; the rain arrived in earnest; and I got no more takes. Still, it was good to have finally put a program together, even on such a small scale. Date: August 29, 2020; Session Two Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus four days Tides: High at 9:15 PM Boat: Shore fishing from Landing Float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 6:30 PM - 8 PM Conditions: Cloudy, quiet and 64 degree F water; Quadrant IV I liked the gray skies and dusk, I hated fishing in Quadrant IV (the second half of the flood tide.) Oh well, I was running out of time and I still had bait! Unfortunately, nothing happened during this session. Day Nine (Sunday) - Poppers and Wind! Date: August 30, 2020; Session One Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth Foreside, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous; Full Moon minus three days Tides: Low at 3:44 AM; and so I fished the Flood through High Tide; but within Quadrant III to start! Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 5:45 AM - 10 AM Conditions: Thin fog and calm until 6:30 or so, but then clearing and a stiff NW wind developing by 7 AM; and increasing and sustaining throughout the day. Water temps outside at 58 degrees F, 62 degrees at the Madokawando shoreline. Finally, the progression of tides allowed for an overlap of favorable, locally low tide with the first navigable light. I knew it would become windy, so I wanted to take advantage of the time I had available; and that meant staying close (at first) and throwing poppers to local fish in the calm and low-light conditions. I motored just a few hundred yards down the shoreline, near the "Baumann" mooring buoy. For whatever reason, this area has produced solid fishing for me near the bottom of the tide. I set a "fresh" chunk of mackerel under a slip float as I slowly drifted. Meanwhile, I casted the Hogy popper to shoreline rocks and in all directions out to 14 feet of water or so. It didn't take long at all for the first bass to announce itself over about 10 feet of water. It confidently crashed the popper and fought well; 24 inches of top-water Birthday Striper came aboard. Given the tough fishing, my day was already made; before 6 AM and before sunrise! I was triply fortunate to have two more bass (24 and 22 inches) join the party, as well as enticing a splashy miss from a somewhat interested fish, But, by 6:15, this bite was over and the skies seemed too bright. I decided to try to make bait in Chandler Cove one more time. By the time I got there, the wind was starting to honk. Chandler was totally fishable, and the incoming tide seemed conducive to mackerel. I tried for about 1.5 hours, only to get a pair of baits. Still, I hoped these would give me a chance at a bass or two under the bright sky conditions. I crashed across Casco Bay to Clapboard Island; I tried the east end, but boat control here was impossible in my favored areas. Instead, I slid around the island tip and drifted along the island's south side, bump-trolling when necessary to keep my bait in 10-25 feet of water. I swam my baits for about an hour without a bump, despite their nervousness. The wind was now over 20 mph, sustained. I had a lot of chores ahead of me; my fishing was done. While the fishing was consistently tough throughout the week, this was still a good vacation. Of course it was simply good to get away from work and the busyness of home, as well as to reconnect with relatives, but the tough fishing provided multiple learning opportunities. I explored new water, found new spots, and had success with some new-to-me techniques. Plus, I was simply able to enjoy fishing so much with a popper. Finally, even though it seems like such a long time ago, I did catch that 37-incher! And while I know that's not a tremendously large striped bass, it's certainly a memorable and worthwhile catch for me. I do hope for larger; but if I have to wade through a pile of 20's to get my next 30, I'll be happy to do so. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
Steve LachanceRI --> NH --> MI-->MA-->ME Archives
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