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Date: May 19, 2024 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Yarmouth and Falmouth, Maine Boat: amybaby22; but finishing with shore fishing from float With: Alone Target: Stripers Time: 8:45 AM - 3:30 PM Tide: High at 9:10 AM, Low at 3:13 PM Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous moon Conditions: Cloudy, mist and fog; mild easterly breeze < 10 mph; 55 degrees. Water temperatures 55 degrees F (+/-). I launched in Yarmouth and proceeded to fish all the way to Falmouth's Mill Cove without a hint of a bass or bass activity. Active birds and bait were equally absent. Still, I enjoyed searching with small swimsuits, a fluke, a walking top-water, and a tube-and-worm. I explored waters both new and familiar. Despite the "bassy" conditions, I just couldn't find them, not even in known Honey Holes. It's still early! But part of my day's plan was to end at the float and fish around low tide (if necessary.) I had the boat moored and was in place on the float by 1:30 PM or so. Before my first cast, neighbor DV caught his first of the year! The bite on suspended worms was pretty consistent from start to finish. I finished just after low slack at 5-for-7, with all the stripers between about 24 and 27 inches. The largest of the day came at predicted low slack tide. What do I have to say about this? The two "lost" fish included one that just came unbuttoned, but the other was a break-off! The braided line broke above the leader knot, and so clearly had been damaged at some point. Circle hooks started the season strong, with all nine of the bass landed to date hooked in the corner or roof of mouth and easily released. There was a lot of empty water out there, and no real signs of birds, bait, or bass. I think the bass are trickling in (although probably thick in rivers with spawning bait). My local guide contact reports scratching a few fish on the flats, but he's clearly anticipating a push of fish. This week's weather looks to be quite a bit warmer. Maybe that will move things along! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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Date: May 18, 2024 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Falmouth, Maine Boat: None, shore fishing from float With: A Target: Striped bass Time: 12:45 PM - 3:45 PM Tide: Low at 2:30 PM, Quadrants II and III Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous moon Conditions: Cloudy and gray, persistent southeasterly wind (10 mph) relaxing at low tide; 60 degrees. Water temperatures in the mid-50's degrees F (+/-) and clear! The plan had been in place for quite some time; I'd float some worms during the afternoon low tide in search of my first striped bass of the year. Blood Worms were not available, and so I reluctantly turned to the alternative, "Chinese Lug Worms". These are pre-packaged by the dozen, seem similar if not identical to our local Sand Worms, and as it turns out, are effective baits for striped bass. The gray skies and walleye chop looked good to me as I eagerly started the session and the season a little bit earlier in Quadrant II than I though absolutely necessary. I quickly settled in and intently watched my slip float for the first few drifts. When it became obvious that the action would not be furious to start, I added and tended to a second line. After a fishless first hour and about 45 minutes before predicted low tide, I finally saw a float slip beneath the chop. I wound down, got tight, and quickly landed my first striped bass of the year! I was glad to see a fish in the low 20-inch range! Some more fish came to play, too! By the time I left (having given Quadrant III a generous 45 minutes post slack tide, if only for symmetry), I'd landed four stripers to 27 inches and had dropped a fifth chance. The action was about equally distributed; the fish came as singles and not as schools. Perhaps Quad II outperformed Quad III, but not by too much! With the local presence of stripers confirmed, bait to spare, the Portland Pudgy launched, and a potentially complete Striper Cup entry for the week secured, I was in a good position to start my local boating pursuit the next day! What do I have to say about this? It's about the simplest fishing I will do all year, but I truly enjoy floating worms under slip-floats in this quiet water. When the proper conditions (low light and low tide!) coincide with my schedule, I can usually stir up some positive action! This is geared towards smaller fish and lighter tackle, but I also know that quite often, the largest fish of the season will present itself right here and under these circumstances. So if the fish I am fighting is not a giant, I always think that the next one might be! Finally, please recall - Quad I = First half of ebb Quad II = Last half of ebb Quad III = First half of flood Quad IV = Last half of flood Each spot fishes differently, and I try to be at each location at the preferred tidal condition based on intuition or specific, accumulated experience. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: March 3, 2024 Body of Water: Flats and Mangrove Channels near Marco Island, SW Florida Boat: Slacktyde With: DC Target: Snook Time: 8 AM - 2 PM Moon Phase: Waning Quarter Moon Conditions: Similar to the previous day, but a touch cooler and cloudier, with perhaps less breeze. Once again, low slack conditions interrupted the day's fishing. Water temperatures were a little lower, too, generally registering 73-74 degrees. The water in the channels was clearer overall than the day before and further east. We left the Goodland Ramp at 8 AM, this time with Captain T from https://www.slacktydecharters.com. We'd indicated a preference for game-fish as opposed to food fish, and he'd been in touch with Captain J the night before. His live well was loaded with pilchards and we headed south to some new water! Once again, the program was pitching free-lined pilchards to the edges of mangroves, especially by cover in narrow channels with current. There's an endless amount of such water, but Captain T had specific locations in mind, many of which were well beyond the reach of most vessels under control of less daring navigators. The overall bite was tough, but five or six spots out of 12 or 15 produced good bites. While our largest landed snook was about 25 inches, overall the snook were better quality than the day before; we weren't entertained by tiny snook, and a few very nice fish showed themselves either as a retreating streak or on top while taking advantage of freebie baits. We were definitely on some of the right fish! DC once again completed his slam, while I missed out on the redfish. We both caught a few snappers, as well. The chance at a big snook once again kept everybody motivated for the entire trip. The sun was late to the game, and the current was suppressed, but we still had a good day of fishing! Captain T seemed to prefer riverine mangrove edges to oyster bars, but we visited a few open beaches and a deep slot adjacent to a marina, too. In the marine, we anchored our baits with a single split shot, and that kept the baits in the strike zone for long enough that the local snook and trout could find our baits. That simple adjustment put a few more nice fish in the boat. Too soon, the day was over, and it was time to return to Maine. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: March 2, 2024 Body of Water: Ten Thousand Islands, East of Marco Island, SW Florida Boat: Love-N-It With: DC Target: Snook Time: 8 AM - 4 PM Moon Phase: Waning Quarter Moon Conditions: Mixed sun and increasing clouds, generally southerly breeze, part of a recent warming trend after a cool Florida winter. Water neither clear nor muddy. Air temperatures to 80 and water temperatures finally exceeding 75 degrees to about 78 degrees. Slack low tide in the middle of the trip. Perhaps DC and I had not fished together in six or more years, but our friendship and fishing compatibility picked up right where we'd left off. After more than 35 years of sharing boats and adventures, we found ourselves comfortably together in the company of Captain J. of lovenitfishingcharters.com/home-1. Warm weather was arriving, water temperatures were climbing, and snook, tarpon, redfish and seatrout were all on our radar. We left the Goodland, Florida town launch and headed out in a generally easterly direction and into the Ten Thousand Islands Region. After a substantial run over the shallow, calm water and through multiple mangrove mazes and channels, we pulled up to a spot I'd have targeted for stripers on Casco Bay or Vineyard Sound. The ebbing tide created a mild current seam off the tip of an oyster-laden point. We set up and started presenting free-lined pilchards (small green-back herring) to any available predators. This spot added the bonus of "deep" water nearby as our boat sat in about 9 feet of water as we pitched to the shoreline and bar edges. We had a few taps and nervous baits here, but quickly moved on in search of active predators. At our third stop, and at about the height of sunshine for the day, we enjoyed the first real action of the day. A gut between two islands poured current out and over a lengthy oyster bar. We missed a couple of chances from small fish, and a large swirl indicated bigger ones were around before I finally got hooked up. An approximate 20-inch snook lept out of the water to identify himself. Unfortunately, our lines tangled and in a moment of slack, our first catch was slightly delayed. Fortunately, my next cast produced a similar-sized snook and we were on the board. After a couple of others, DC suddenly hooked up while retrieving his bait; soon a 28-inch, fat snook was in the net! Snook were finally waking up for the day and for the season, and this was the largest of J's for the year to date. After the action here quieted, we set up off another non-descript "island" of just a couple of mangroves. Here, I landed my best-ever snook on a larger-than-average pilchard. This snook was also 28 inches, but sleek and less energetic than DC's. Our next stop was in the Fakahatchee State Park East Strand, and we found a pocket of active snook in the the clearer water. These energetic guys were energetic but small. I was treated to a juvenile Goliath Grouper, too, for some spice and variety. This was a new-to-me species, and a cool-looking one, to boot. At this point (about 11:30 AM or so), slack low caught up to us and the fish activity slowed way down. We tried a variety of wind-blown edges and points, and worked hard to scratch out additional bites and fish. Several seatrout and a couple of jacks came aboard, as did a small shark, some mangrove snappers and some more small snook, but a hot bite never redeveloped. Still, the prospect of finding the right snook (or tarpon!) kept us motivated, and a few obviously bigger fish did avail themselves to chummed livies. We had transitioned from oyster bars to sandy beaches and mangrove edges, and as the current started to pick up, so did the quality bites. We added several more snook in the low-20s, and DC completed his Inshore Slam with the single (small) redfish of the day. We were running out of time, but our last stop produced another nice snook for me and a final solid miss, while several nice fish showed themselves on freebies. Unfortunately, we never connected with The One, but we were already looking ahead to the next day! What do I have to say about this? I cannot thank DC and his wife for reaching out to us and inviting us to join them. We've been friends for 37 or more years, and we should continue to do so. Every aspect of the weekend was pleasant. It was great to be outside and fishing again! Conditions were comfortably warm but not too hot, and the clouds made the long days bearable. But maybe hotter and clearer would have been better; the snook seem to prefer those conditions. Captain J at Love-n-It did a great job, working hard on our behalf to keep us on productive spots and near active fish. We burned a lot of gas and were mostly fishing alone and away from others. He provided a full day of intense fishing and opportunity. I'd fish with him again, without hesitation! It was great to be fishing with DC again. He's really the only fishing partner that I've had with the same consistent attitude, approach and appetite for fishing long and hard. I'm really pleased that we've re-connected. So many bites! We used the same presentation all day; nose-hooked 3-5 inch pilchards with no weight, light and small circle hooks, and the bail closed. Small fish proved pesky, but even they entertained with their multiple attempts to engulf the bait from the surface. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: October 14, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: None; shore fishing from landing float With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 4 PM - 5:45 PM Moon Phase: New Moon Tide: Low tide at 5:45 PM Conditions: Mostly sunshine but with some clouds, decreasing winds to calm, about 55 - 60 degrees. Quadrant II. Clear water, temperatures 55 - 58 degrees F (+/-) I had this tide marked on the calendar. I really didn't want to miss one of the major (and perhaps the last) Moon Tides of the season. The evening was open, I had frozen mackerel for bait, the rods were freshly rigged, and there really was no better use of my time. I headed down to the landing float to see if any stripers lingered. After completing a couple of quick chores, I was in place at 4 PM with my spread; a choice tail section free-lined to the bottom, and a mid-section chunk suspended under a float. The dock's cross-bar was just appearing at the water's surface, and so I knew I had the best portion of Quadrant II (second half of the falling tide) ahead of me. Almost immediately, my float jiggled and slipped under. I missed the fish and my bait seemed pristine, so I sent it back, wondering if I'd missed my last chance for the season. I had not; the float submerged again and I wound down to a small fish. It was a large mackerel that I had luckily hooked, and this improved my bait situation; frozen baits were quickly replaced with the freshest possible chunks. At 4:15, my float slipped under for real, and I connected with a small striper in the low-20s. Success! For the day, for the season, and as redemption for ending the previous session with a broken-off fish. I repeated this almost immediately with a similar fish, but then things went quiet. Still, I was more than happy with the session's outcome. There was still bait to be used and conditions were so pleasant, I stayed until slack low tide (and almost sunset). Floated chunks produced two more bites and resulted in two more bass of about 26 inches. The last one even came on a frozen bait! Meanwhile chunks and heads sent to the bottom attracted nothing but crabs. I hadn't deployed the float rod in quite a while, but this had been a perfect opportunity to do so! What do I have to say about this? With the boat out of the water, work schedules, impending fall weather, etc., this could certainly have been the end of my local striper season. But I'll continue to maintain some level of readiness, because... one never knows. I spent a portion of the evening rigging gear for freshwater trolling. Trout will have to replace stripers, at least at the margins of our open-water season. And I'll be pleased to catch any local trout that pulls drag like even today's smallest bass. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: October 9, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 9:30 AM - 1:45 PM Moon Phase: New moon minus five days; waning crescent moon Tide: Low tide at 2:18 PM Conditions: Clear sunshine, persistent southwesterly wind increasing to over 10 mph, about 55 degrees. Water temperatures 57 - 58 degrees F (+/-) Tropical storm Philippe must have scattered the mackerel, because it took 45 minutes for me to land a dozen off Clapboard - East. These came in singles and doubles, and I never got a frenzied school beneath the boat. Still, I had plenty of bait to start the day. I thought Cow Island deserved a shot, even if I'd missed the highest part of the tide. If it didn't work out, I could easily slide over to Crow. As I approached Cow and prepared to deploy a bait, I noticed what I thought to be mackerel about 10 or 15 feet down. After my first pass along Cow went unnoticed, I returned for a second pass through the choicest spot. But first, I dropped my Sabiki and instantly hooked up. Soon enough, I had another dozen or so live macks in the well. Even though conditions at Cow seemed prime (nice current to the east and wind and swell into the face of the rocks), I raised nothing and so motored over to Crow. I'd fished the north and then the west sides of Crow with nothing to show, when finally a bass showed itself. At Crow's southwest corner, this bass chased my mack as if in slow motion, finally crashing the bait on top, but somehow missing. I loitered here for a bit with a fresh bait before moving on. Having now fished all the way around Crow without a true bite, I decided to return to the southwest corner before leaving the area. I managed to finesse my bait right along the rocks plunging into deeper water and got bit! Finally, I was connected to a striper! It was just another 23-incher, but the day's goal had been completed. After another pass, I moved to Clapboard's west end. After an unsuccessful pass, I relocated to the Falmouth shoreline to end the day (and possibly, the saltwater boating season) with a Spot-Lock and chunk session. I was in position with chum bits flowing by 12:30 PM, with the best part of Quadrant II ahead of me. I had time to build the bite before making a decision on when to pull the plug; on both the day and the season. "Spot-Lock and Chunk" has been a very reliable technique for me in the second half of 2023, and I was surprised that I hadn't;y made contact with a bass by 1 PM. I decided to stay and stick it out, as opposed to relocating, based on the tide. I was even more surprised when I still hadn't a touch by 1:30. With the wind building, I decided to call it at 1:45 PM, unless something good had developed. All the while, I was dead-drifting my bait while introducing a steady rain of mackerel bits. At 1:45, I started cleaning the boat, storing extra macks for potential future use, and generally putting things away. Meanwhile, I left two baits resting on the bottom with the reels in free-spool. Everything was stowed and I was reaching for the last rod when the line jumped and raced away. I wound down and got tight to this last-second fish! What a way to end the season! But the bass was dogging towards a mooring and I put some additional pressure on it to turn it away. My line parted at the leader! Ugh; what a way to end the season! I returned to the ramp, a bit befuddled about what I thought about this turn of events. I can say, 18 hours later, that it's just another story to add to a fine 2023 season and overall experience. What do I have to say about this? While I didn't exactly execute well on my last few trips, I can certainly say that I tried to squeeze what I could out of the season's end. There are still some stripers to be caught; just not too many in my local waters. I can choose to trailer elsewhere, or I can move inland and target some trout in fresh water. And the landing's float is still in, and I kept some mackerel for cut bait... so another striped bass encounter is at least still possible, if I so choose. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: October 7, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM Moon Phase: Quarter Moon (waning) Tide: Low tide at 12:13 PM Conditions: Tropical Storm Philippe on the way; heavy clouds with showers and squalls, persistent ESE wind >10 mph, about 60 degrees. Water temperatures 59 - 60 degrees F (+/-) Mackerel remained abundant in the top 20 feet of water over 60-foot depths off the east end of Clapboard Island. Fifteen minutes of drifting and jigging secured a couple of dozen in just 15 minutes, and I started the real fishing by live-lining a fresh bait off the rocks of Clapboard's southeast corner. Within minutes, my bait was chased to the surface and eaten in about 14 feet of water. What a great start! But as I wound tight, the leader parted even before I felt the full weight of the fish. I did NOT want to end the season on a lost opportunity go my own making! I continued my exploration here without raising another fish. I wandered around the corner to the northeast portion of the island, where another bass revealed itself by chasing my mack as I retrieved it. Still, subsequent drifts with livies and a casted fluke were not met with any enthusiasm. I ran to the west end of Clapboard, and I still could not find any fish. I'd thought to Spot-Lock and chunk here, but without any sign of fish, I decided to return to the area where I'd received the first and only hit of the day. When this proved futile, I decided to take advantage of the tidal stage (Quadrant II) and try some Spot-Lock and chunking along the Falmouth shoreline. By 10:30 AM I was positioned near the Bauman/Brown mooring buoys that have long been a marker of a fishy area (at least for me), with plenty of baitfish in the well to allow a steady dribble of fish bits to generate some local interest. The tide was weak, but the wind was strengthening. My drift wasn't great, but I was reaching bottom, based on the crabs! It seemed a little hopeless, but I also knew from this year's experience that if often takes 15 or more minutes for this activity to build before the fish start biting. And at 11 AM, my line jumped and I tightened up on the day's only striper. It wasn't a lunker (at just 23 inches), but it beat the day's skunk, and I have to admit; it could be the last of my Maine season. So I was happy to have landed this fish! I fished for another half hour without a bite. The wind was steadily increasing; Philippe was clearly on his way. What do I have to say about this? I don't tolerate break-offs very well, but am happy to have gotten another chance for another striper. And with a holiday on Monday, I might get even another chance or two. I am also thankful for avoiding disaster at the dock. As I pushed off the float to return to the mooring, my left Croc got snagged by the cleat. My right Croc was on deck, and my body was in-between. The wind was pushing amybaby22 into the dock (no real danger there), but also under the connecting gangway. I finally shrugged my left Croc off and centered myself in the boat. I was happy to avoid the dock, but then I heard several rod tips scraping the underside of the gangway. I could have broken all six rods standing in the rod holders, but quick action and a lot of luck enabled me to lay each rod down before it was broken. A couple were under a lot of stress (including a pair of my favorites), but I seem to have escaped this unharmed. I guess I really won't know until each rod gets stressed by the next fish or two. Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: October 1, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 1:15 PM - 3:45 PM Moon Phase: Full plus one day; waning gibbous moon Tide: High tide at 1:03 PM Conditions: Brighter but still hazy sunshine, very little wind, about 70 degrees. Water temperatures 57 - 58 degrees F (+/-). The water is markedly clearer. Mackerel remained readily available right near the surface over 60 feet of water off the east end of Clapboard, and I had 20 in the well in very quick order. With a little more time available to me and the extreme full moon high tide, I went directly to my favorite stretch of Cow Island's southern face. Moving as slowly as possible with the current and just starting to fret about the lack of action, my first mackerel got smacked hard without warning, and immediately over a favorite waypoint. I was relieved to connect and enjoyed a nice fight over deep water. A few minutes later, I slipped the net under my 250th Striper of 2023. I repeated this pass and even threw a fluke along the wave-swept concrete wall. This looked and felt prime, but I moved no other fish, and so I motored over to Crow Island. I missed another hard strike on a live mack off the steep southern face, and that was it. The outgoing tide was hitting the north face of the island, hard, before deflecting over an historically productive waypoint into deep water. As I prepared to position myself for a chunking session here, I discovered my battery was spent; neither the trolling motor nor the bait well pump was running. So much for the chunking session! Knowing my bait would not last long without recirculation, I ran over to the Long Island shoreline near College Island. I drifted a quarter mile or so without a touch or a hint of action. Things are really slowing down; I returned back to the dock a bit earlier than I had anticipated. What do I have to say about this? It's been a fantastic season, and I hope to keep it going. If I can continue to make bait, I'll try to hit a chunking home run. If I can catch any low tides, I may search the shallows for some crustacean-seeking bass. And then, it will be time to go trout fishing! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: September 30, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM Moon Phase: Full moon Tide: Low tide at 6:28 PM Conditions: Hazy sunshine, very calm, persistent but light southwesterly wind, about 55 degrees. Water temperatures 58 - 59 degrees F (+/-) The hunt for macks was easy, and by 4 PM I was drifting along Clapboard Island's east end. My lively mack was chased to the surface at a northeastern nook and race below the boat. I retrieved the slack line and tossed the bait out with a "splat" in the area of disturbance. The bass was on it quickly and captured the mack from the surface. Perhaps I wound down too quickly, but the hook pulled after a brief slip of the drag. I missed my only real chance of the session. This quick start belied a very slow trip. I circled through this same area and raised a fish on a popper, and I closed the time with a lackluster surface chase of my mack right in front of the landing float. All in all, things were eerily quiet under smoke-dampened skies. In addition to Clapboard - East, I also fished Clapboard - West pretty carefully. I ended along the Falmouth shoreline as I awaited the arrival of my nephew and his family for a quick Seal Tour. (There were piles on Sturdivant Ledge.) What do I have to say about this? I'll continue looking for No. 250 of 2023, but it certainly seems as if the number of hunting bass has declined. This is not necessarily unexpected, but perhaps is a bit sooner than expected. Perhaps the big northeasterly winds of Lee spurred the annual migration and got the stripers moving. And perhaps I am incorrect and will stumble on a nice concentration of fish or two in coming sessions. Regardless, I've got two weeks (tops) left in my moored-boat season, and so I'll keep looking and enjoying myself while I can! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways Date: September 29, 2023 Body of Water: Casco Bay - Maine Boat: amybaby22 With: Nephew, J Target: Striped Bass Time: 9 AM - 11 AM Moon Phase: Full moon Tide: Low tide at 5:14 AM Conditions: High haze and wood smoke, persistent but light easterly wind, about 55 degrees. Water temperatures 58 - 59 degrees F (+/-) After scoring eight or nine prime mackerel off the east end of Clapboard Island pretty quickly, my nephew J and I began our search for his first striped bass. We had just a short window to fish, but were determined to make it work; we hadn't fished together since approximately 1996, when small bluegills and bullhead were are targets. Our first stop was Clapboard Island - East. The tide was building and our macks were nervous, but with our available time dwindling, having not had a single contact, we ran to Clapboard - West. A prime rocky shelf provided a single, last-minute chance, and J made the most of it, hooking and landing a 25-inch striper, just in time! What do I have to say about this? The biting mackerel remain near the surface, a good thing for me to remember for the season's remainder and latter portions of future seasons. We spent the rest of the day doing the requisite local Maine Tourist stuff and enjoying the company of J's wife and toddler daughter. Important stuff, sure! But sharing some time on Casco Bay for the first time and encountering seals, loons, macks and bass is pretty important, too! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways |
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