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Date: May 22, 2021 Body of Water: Waquoit Bay and Vineyard Sound - Falmouth, Massachusetts Moon Phase: Full Moon minus 4 days; waxing gibbous Tides: High Tide at about 9 AM; Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 7 AM - 3 PM Conditions: About 60 - 75 degrees; shower passed through just before launching; mostly cloudy with mixed sun later; steady SW winds 10+ mph; water was brownish inside and 62 - 66 degrees F; and green and 57 - 58 degrees F in Vineyard Sound I really had high expectations for the day. With warmer weather and increased water temperatures, and based on available public reports, I had reason to believe that my chosen water would be invaded by bass. And, my experience indicated they should be blasting top-water baits as well as chewing a variety of other fun lures. But at my first two stops, I had to grind to catch seven small stripers to only about 17 inches. All were caught on small, white swim-baits. Surprisingly, poppers, walking baits and flukes didn't elicit a single response. I saw no surface activity; nor did I see any active birds or bait. Still, I had punched my Striper Cup 3-fish photo limit, and the gray skies had kept the crowds down. The day hadn't shaped up as I'd expected, but this was still a welcomed grind. But I wanted more, and so I exited the outlet at Menauhant and motored to Great Pond, arriving at about slack high tide. I had stopped a couple of times to blind cast areas with active terns, but raised nothing. I found nothing in my favorite spots on Great Pond, too, in about an hour of effort. I was tempted to find something on Vineyard Sound, but the steady southwesterly winds had built a short and steep chop. Moving about in amybaby22 would not be easy. Still, I could see a couple of collections of boats, and they didn't seem to be too far away. I carefully picked my way offshore. When I arrived at Red Marker 14, I could see that the ebb flow was being interrupted by shoal conditions here and to the east. Some of the boats were working the resultant rips. Others were working the deeper waters further out, presumably for scup and sea bass. I chose to work the south side of this rip line, and motored a mile or so east so that I could troll with the current. I was just about straight out from Green Pond outlet when I placed a Rapala Magnum X-Rap 15 about 75 feet back and trolled as slowly as I could. I tried to keep the boat just off the edge of the shoal, which dropped into 30-foot depths. I approached an area of standing white water, and my graph lit up with marks. I knew I was close when the rod bounced to a hard hit. Line pulled steadily off the drag, and I tossed the boat into neutral to fight the fish. After a stubborn fight, I turned the fish and was surprised that it was only a 25-incher. Still, this was the biggest striper of my season so far, and I expected that there were a bunch more in the same spot. Unfortunately, a guide boat slipped into position and held against the current as his clients fly-fished. I got to watch them fight and land a half-dozen similar fish in the next half hour. I tried to stem the tide, too, but immediately got sea-sick. When I returned to my trolling efforts, mung negated each pass quickly, even when I switched to a single-hooked Hogy sand eel on lead core line. I returned to Waquoit, and repeatedly struck out. I couldn't find anything in my regular haunts, and the birds were giving nothing away, this day. Eventually I returned to my starting point, the familiar wide spot on the Eel River. I knew some bass were there, and the tide had changed; I'd be presented with the last part of the falling tide, now. The small swim-bait revealed the bass' presence along a tideline/scum line in five to seven feet of water. When they tired of the swim-bait, I switched to a white fluke on a weighted hook. I had fun with these schoolies for a while, catching a half dozen or so to 18 inches. I made one last drift through this area, now throwing a pink fluke as a change of pace. This yielded a few follows, but only a single bite. Fortunately, that bite announced itself immediately as substantial. For the second time this day, my drag sang as the bass powered away, but this time on my light spinning tackle. She succumbed quickly after the initial run, and I soon captured my first "Keeper"-sized bass of the season at just a smidge over 28 inches. Of course, now I had to stay a bit longer. I even caught another bass or two on a white fluke, but the day's memories had already been made. What do I have to say about this? I hate sea-sickness! It is fortunately infrequent for me now, but I still dislike it, very strongly! This was a first on the skiff, and it probably won't be a last. Regardless, I enjoyed my time on the rips; I just need a willing and adventurous partner to really explore my capabilities there. In the meantime, I'll take satisfaction in recognizing fishy conditions and in my developing confidence that I'll occasionally capitalize on them. While the fishing seemed slow and "off", I can't really complain about a 17-bass day, including a couple of nice ones. The "keeper" was my earliest ever, which means I still have a lot of season in front of me. There's plenty of goodness ahead. And I haven't even mentioned the leaping Hickory Shad I caught. On a four-inch white swim-bait, in the deep water behind Menauhant Yacht Club during the incoming tide; just like my first, 52 weeks prior! That will give me something to think about in 2022! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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