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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
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