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Date: May 28, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay, with a focus on Broad Cove Moon Phase: First Quarter Moon (waxing) Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 10 AM - 1:15 PM Tide: Low at 12:29 PM Conditions: Clear and bright with light, alternating winds but mostly from the south; 60 - 75 degrees. Water temperatures 54 - 60 degrees (+/-). After finding low-tide, active bass under yesterday's bright sun, it only made sense to try to build on and repeat that success. I left the landing at 10 sharp, and still had a little time to dally before my scheduled arrival in Broad Cove. My first stop was the eastern end of Clapboard Island, which I just kept honest by swimming a small swim-bait along the rocky kelp edge. Finding nothing, I invested 20 minutes into prospecting for mackerel between Clapboard, Basket and Sturdivant Islands. (A single seal patrolled these waters.) Although I found some interesting marks, I had no takes on my trolled Sabiki. At 10:30 AM (two hours before predicted low tide), I navigated toward Broad Cove. At 10:45 AM, I had the Cove to myself, and there were already birds working over the five-foot flats south of the main channel. I quickly positioned myself and started working the Z-Man swim-bait just beneath the surface. I was surrounded by feeding bass, and just about every cast produced followers. I swung and missed on the only solid take. A small adjustment was in order, and I settled on my smallest fluke-style bait, a discontinued Yum bait that's been kicking around in my tackle bag for several years. After a couple of casts and rejections, I settled on a quick, twitching retrieve, but slow enough to keep the bait just sub-surface. The bass started to eat! The active fish were constantly moving, but I was able to stay with them and land four before they settled down and I lost touch with them. These were all in four or five feet of water, and they provided some cool, visual eats. The landed fish included a pair of 25-inchers and another at 30; and I had lots of follows and near-misses, too. With a lull in the action, I stopped to each a quick lunch. I'd been joined by the same guide as the previous day, and his guys were catching decently well under the active birds, although it sounded like they had their share of close calls, too. While I ate and rested, I watched their actions. They stayed shallow, seemingly following a contour or other visual cue. But I could see some new bird activity half a mile away, at the northern terminus of the channel. I was off, looking for another round of action. I found it! Once again in about five feet of water, but adjacent to deeper water (8 feet), the bass and birds were once again tag-teaming unseen bait. I quickly landed three to 30 inches, and then decided to switch over to fly fishing. I'd brought the long wand for exactly this opportunity, and with the light wind, there was no reason not to try. When my first, short cast resulted in a quick and visible eat, my day was made! But I continued to pile on the goodness, and landed at least another half dozen from a few separate groups of fish over the next hour or so. These fly-caught fish were perhaps smaller, ranging up to a pair of 25-inchers, but they were prime specimens for a mid-day fly-fishing session. What do I have to say about this? I was able to sleep in, do some chores, and still arrive early for this predicted bite! The bass were thicker and more active than the previous day, and water temperatures are increasing. The bass were no longer singles; most hooked fish had multiple followers. I was prepared with the right tackle to make the most of it, and I really couldn't ask for more from any given session. In fact, it was probably my best day of lure fishing for striped bass in Maine, ever. So many visible bass are a rarity for me, too, and I'm glad to have invested this time into explorations of both place and technique. With the three-day weekend, will it be asking too much for this pattern to continue? We'll probably find out... Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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