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Date: October 25, 2022 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth, Maine Moon Phase: New Moon Boat: None, shore-fishing from landing float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 4:15 PM - 5:45 PM Conditions: Low tide at 5:42 PM; mostly Quadrant II and Low Slack Tide. Thick fog and dead calm; about 60 degrees. Water temperature about 57 degrees (+/-). This was likely my last local striper attempt for the season. My motivations were simply opportunity and to verify that I wasn't leaving anything good left on the table for my local striper season. The session started well enough. I had frozen macks for bait, the float was still in place (!), and the low tide and gray conditions were favorable. But I did note that the water was filled with fallen leaves (a first for me in my striper fishing), and the current was flowing to the right, which usually is less productive at this location. Still, I was glad to just be there. I set and tended three baits, two chunks suspended beneath slip floats and alternately, heads and tails deployed to the bottom with a third rod. An inshore loon and bottom-feeding crabs were my only company. There were no signs of other bait or fish. It seems like my local salt season is over, but at least I know it. What do I have to say about this? It's okay to skunk on the first and last sessions of the season. This effort confirmed what I thought I already knew. The stripers have migrated away. Will I use my remaining mackerel as bait for pike or cusk through the ice? I should! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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Date: October 9, 2022 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth, Maine Moon Phase: Full Harvest Moon Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 8 AM - 1:15 PM Conditions: High tide at 11:15 AM; mixed sun and clouds, building westerly winds becoming strong and gusty; 35 - 55 degrees. Water temperature 54 - 55 degrees (+/-). One day on Casco Bay left for my season, and a simple goal; land seven stripers! It was sub-freezing overnight, and so I started an hour later than expected to let the edge burn off. I was pleased to see that the water temperature had barely budged, and I went directly to Hussey Sound to make bait. Similar to the previous day, it took a little hunting and pecking before I found a tight school, but when I did, I made short order for a couple dozen baits. I proceeded to the rugged stretch of Peak's Island shoreline just east of Wharf Cove. Maneuvering close to the rocks and moving with the flooding current, it took only a couple of minutes for the first bass of the day to announce itself with a violent surface take. I started my bass-fishing day well with a solid 30-incher! I circled back and immediately caught a small one. Another, bigger bass was excitedly chasing the dislodged mackerel up the line while I landed the small fish. As it turned out, there were several other fish in this pocket, because by 9:30 AM, after just a half hour of targeting stripers, I'd landed five, including another pair of 28-inch "keepers" and one just shy of that mark. Most were very close to the rocks, although I apparently hand-fed one of the keepers in slightly deeper water as I re-positioned the boat for another approach to the rocks. At that point, the day returned to reality, but it was a good version of such. As I poked towards and then through Wharf Cove, another fish revealed itself. After a prolonged chase, it finally ate; and I fought this nice fish most of the way to the boat before the hook suddenly pulled. My stretch of perfection was broken, but at least I knew there will still some fish to be caught! I circled back and my extra-large mackerel was confidently taken in almost the same spot; a mid-20s fish came to hand, leaving me one shy of 200. After another lull and right around slack high, I saw a fish chase my mack from the surface to a rock face and violently strike. I hooked up and carefully fought this strong 26-incher to hand; the day's mission had been pleasantly accomplished! But there was still bait and time, and so I continued down the Peaks Island shoreline. I picked up another fish from Josiah's Cove. At about Noon, I took advantage of the increasing tidal current and relocated to Crow Island. The north side exposed a couple of fish, but the real eaters were on the east side. At 24 and 25 inches, they weren't necessarily the big fish I was hoping for, but in the middle of a bright day, any action is welcome. I made one last try for the day and the for season at Clapboard's wind-blown western point and reef complex. My mackerel sure was anxious, but never eaten, here. I had to content myself with final images of an bald eagle souring overhead and over Clapboard I stand, and the herd of young seal pups acting in unison at the tiny exposed beach on this ledge. It was windy, I was tired, and it had been another really fine day - I headed in to close my Casco Bay boating season for 2022. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: October 8, 2022 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous Moon; Full minus one day Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 7 AM - 12:15 PM Conditions: High tide at 10:31 AM; Cloudy but clearing; northerly wind and 45 - 55 degrees. Water temperature 55 degrees (+/-). My excellent fortune on October 1 had brought a revised and revived goal of "200 Stripers Landed" for the season within reach, and I hit the water knowing that 13 more would get me there. I didn't necessarily expect to reach it this day, but with only this weekend of fishing left in my Casco Bay boating season, I wanted to at least make a dent in that number. I went straight to Hussey Sound to look for bait. I figured a dozen or 18 would be sufficient for the time I had available for the day. I hunted and pecked for a few minutes in deep water and put a few in the live-well, but then made a short move and really found them. At the peak flood current, they were stacked thick near and over the submerged bar extending from College Island. In short order I had over two dozen and I headed over to Josiah's Cove on Peaks Island. My first bait was deployed by 8 AM, and I was hooked up by 8:05! This was just a modest 23-inch bass, and after another swing and miss from a small fish, I relocated to the stretch of rugged shoreline past Wharf Cove. By keeping the boat and bait as close to the rocks as I dared, I landed three more bass to 26 inches quickly. When this bite slowed, I returned to Josiah's and landed my fifth of the day by 9:30. It had been an active morning! But an hour from high slack, the action died and I entered a bit of a slump. The one bite I got, from inside Wharf Cove, pulled free a dozen feet from the boat. At slack high I made a change and relocated to Cow Island, which has always fished best for me at the highest tides. I made two passes down the southeast stretch and poked around the flooded adjacent cove. My mack was nervous, but nobody came to the table. I then moved to Crow, which I favor during the falling tide. I hovered in a patch of nervous water with wind and current at odds. My mackerel got smashed on top, and I was briefly tight to a good fish; but the hooks pulled again! This fish kept me in the area, though, and as I explored the eastern edge of Crow, an aggressive bass pushed my bait into the rocks and ate. I ended my day on a high note with a bright and spunky, 25-incher. I'd halved my quest, and I had a full day ahead of me the next day. I'd positioned myself well, and I'd enjoyed myself along the way. What do I have to say about this? Wow! October fishing has been fast and furious, and (other than wind from named tropical storms) the weather has been either glorious or super-fishy. I was focused and present and really enjoyed a fine day, even if the fish were "small" by 2022 standards. I enjoyed many top-water displays and chases, usually punctuated by a solid and confident take. I can't decide which is the best part; the chase, the bite, or the confirmation of connection when I tighten up? None of it gets old! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: October 2, 2022 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing Quarter Moon Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 8 AM - 10:30 AM Conditions: Low tide at 10:15 AM. Mixed skies and "breezy" with northeasterly winds sustained at 20+ mph and gusting well beyond. Water temperature 55 degrees (+/-) and Casco Bay was rough! This was about as different a session from yesterday as possible. It's often difficult to sustain a good thing. Hurricane Ian caused a lot of problems over a large area, and my small associated problem was simply too much wind for comfort and effective boat control this day. I was drawn to Hussey Sound based on the previous day's bait success; given the degrading conditions, this was perhaps a mistake. The wind had a lot of fetch here, and water was rough. Still, trolling with the wind, I connected with a mack quickly and I thought I was on the right path. But 20 minutes later, I still had just the single bait. I took it to the Long Island shoreline and started a slow troll with the wind. Staying on touch with the bait was difficult, and it wasn't until I was in the lee of College Island that I developed any confidence that I wasn't simply fishing blind. Here, I picked up the grass edge in about 13 feet of water and marked a couple of likely targets. Soon enough, my bait was smashed on the surface. It took a moment for the fish to move, but I came tight to a pretty nice fish! I got most of the fun from this fish, but the hook pulled before I could bring her to hand. Had I blown the day's only chance? Since conditions here seemed fishy, I picked up the rod rigged with a 1/2-ounce Al Gag Whip It swim-bait. I do, after all, have one tied on all season, for exactly these sorts of situations. Casting the the lee shore of College Island and swimming the bait back over the grass, my third cast was intercepted with a solid thump. Soon I was happy to land a 26-inch striper under these tough conditions. I casted this area and near the College-Long saddle with no further contact. I thought to make bait, but when I was greeted by the conditions outside of College's protection, I decided it was best to head upwind and closer to safe harbor. My initial thought was to try to make bait around Clapboard, but with the Bay as angry as I've experienced, I simply returned to the landing and called it a day. What do I have to say about this? This was a tough day, and I made it even tougher by heading down-wind across one of the most open portions of Casco Bay. I simply miscalculated the strength and direction of the wind. Still, after such a good day yesterday, is it a surprise that I tried to replicate that success? I was never in danger, and my gear kept me pretty dry, so other than opportunity, not much was lost. It was nice to catch a swim-bait fish, and this was the first striper landed on the "new" Ocean Master jigging rod. It's no longer just a bunker rod! I liked how it handled the fish, and its ability throw larger lures will keep it rigged and ready on the boat! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: October 1, 2022 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth, Maine Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent Moon; New plus 6 days Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 9 AM - 3:30 PM Conditions: Low tide at 9:19 AM. Mostly cloudy; inconsequential northerly breeze and 45 - 60 degrees. Water continues to clear; water temperature 55 degrees (+/-). A day with perhaps perfect conditions for fishing and fish willing to play; I enjoyed a very pleasant and productive session! I quickly located mackerel in the deep water of Hussey Sound. It took a couple of minutes for my trolled Sabiki to find them, and I briefly lost touch with and quickly relocated the school. In the end, I put 26 baits in the well in 25 minutes. Once I was in contact, I was able to simply vertically drop the rig and the macks would intercept it in the top 30 feet. It was my kind of bait session; efficient, productive and fun! I took my well full of baits to the eastern shoreline of Peaks Island. I selected my stretch base on availability of some limited white-wash. I never strayed far from the area around Elm Tree and Wharf Coves. Prominent rocky points were hot at first during the beginning of the flood, and then the coves themselves had plenty of biting bass as the tide level increased. Every bait got attacked, and a few recycled baits got eaten multiple times. The bite was intense between 10 AM and Noon (beginning of flood); these were the better fish of the day, too. After a lull around mid-flood, the bite resumed until I ran out of bait at 3 PM (end of flood). These were mostly smaller fish, but I ended with a fat and beautiful 27-incher. I landed 17 stripers, pulled the hooks from a couple and had a few baits plucked or crushed on a turned hook. These ranged from 21 to 31 inches, included two "keepers" over 28 inches, with another half dozen or more over 26 inches. Most came from close to rocky ambush points, and I was able to maneuver very close to the rocks with the calm winds. The small coves held fish as the tide increased. A couple of season milestones crossed the gunwales during a busy day, including amybaby22's 100th striper of the season and 600th striper since my ownership. Seventeen stripers landed in a single session also represents a personal best on my boats in Maine. It was a good day! What do I have to say about this? Not too hot, not too sunny, and just enough breeze to ruffle the water but not cause issues with boat control. Quick and available bait, and hungry bass on the verge of leaving for the winter; conditions converged nicely! It was nice to return and find some bass waiting for me. I fished pretty well, and this performance brought a revised goal of 200 Stripers landed for the season within grasp. My numbers are down, but with a chance at 200 stripers landed and the improved quality of this year's fish, nobody could argue that it hasn't been a fine season. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
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