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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
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