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Date: May 16, 2021 Body of Water: Waquoit Bay - Falmouth/Mashpee, Massachusetts Moon Phase: New Moon plus 5 days; waxing crescent Tides: Low Tide at about 9:40 AM; but my on-the-water estimate was off! Boat: amybaby22 With: Alone Target: Striped Bass Time: 7 AM - 1 PM Conditions: About 60 - 60 degrees; mostly sunny but with some mixed clouds; mild southerly breeze; water was cloudy from plankton blooms and 62 - 66 degrees F Expecting good things based on memories past and with dramatically increased water temperature (compared to my visit nine days prior), I had high hopes for an action-packed day as I motored downriver from the Childs River boat ramp. Although conditions were already bright, things were quiet, and I believed that I'd have a chance to bend some rods, try some new gear and relax after an eventful, stressful week. When I arrived at the wide spot/pond/turning basin where I've started my last two seasons, I scouted simultaneously with the small, white swim-bait and sonar. The weak tide was going out, and nothing was evident in the couple of key spots from which I've taken so many stripers. Five minutes into my fishing, I already had an indication that this was not going to be the day I had expected. I made a small move up the channel connecting this pond to Waquoit Bay, proper, and casted the swim-bait up current and alongside a prominent dock system. I felt a couple of "ticks" before the fish ate, and the day's first striper came aboard to be photographed. I had another entry for the Striper Cup, although I certainly hoped to find fish bigger than 16 inches to enter! This fish proved to be a loner, and I enlarged my search radius. The slow primary outgoing current was against the wind, and a scum-line was forming along a depth change along the bank. After a period without any contact, I switched to a topwater pencil popper, if only to move a fish. Sure enough, one revealed itself with a half-hearted chase-and-swirl. Several fish in this group visibly chased the follow-up swim-bait without eating. I was almost surprised, and may have over-reacted, when I had a solid take, swung, and immediately broke off (!?!?!??!?!!!) Down a rod, I looked to switch to a fluke, and realized that I had four "experimental" baits on my other rods... and so I took a deep breath and carefully retied a new, identical swim-bait and replaced a hard jerk-bait with a white/chartreuse fluke on a 1/8-ounce weighted hook on my other light setup. My first cast with the fluke was pounced on by a 17-incher, and a few casts later I completed my Striper Cup limit with a third fat bass of 16 inches. It was still only 8:30 AM, and my primary goals had been accomplished. After a couple of more teenaged bass from this same area, I left them to find some others. I scouted the north (deeper) end of Waquoit Bay. There was no visible bird, bait or bass activity. A lone surf fisherman at Caleb Pond's outlet landed a schoolie while I scratched around with the swim-bait. I missed a solid "thunk" but hooked up shortly thereafter with fish number six of the day. But this wasn't what I was looking for, and so I motored south. Near the southern edge of the mooring field, I noticed a large school of happy bait. I couldn't quite tell if these were bunker or herring, but they were harassed by neither birds nor bass. Still, I casted a large Hogy dog-walker with some hope of raising a larger bass, but all to no avail. I then wasted an hour or more in Great River. I was thinking I'd ride the rising tide upstream, but I was dismayed by the lack of water and movement. My calculations were off, the sky was high and bright, and I saw no fish in the areas I'd hope to encounter them. This blunder cost both time and energy. I trolled up Waquoit, hoping for a fish to reveal a productive location. I spent extra time around the happy bait; it was still in the same general area. I saw the "head" half of a freshly chopped adult bunker; there were at least some bluefish roaming about. Still, I raised nothing. I scratched two more small bass (one was a micro, the other about 17 inches) near the break at Caleb Pond outlet. I then tried the north end of the river connecting my "pond" and Waquoit. I've never fished here before, but there was good current, and I raised a fish despite the high skies. From there I relocated to the "pond" and tried my productive haunts again, without any sign of fish. By 1 PM, I was pulling the boat! What do I have to say about this? When I realized my blunder while far up Great River, I figuratively ran out of gas. I could have tackled the outlets and Vineyard Sound. But at 11 AM the breeze kicked up and I was suddenly very tired. I chose to stay comfortable in Waquoit and try to grind out or otherwise awaken a few more fish. As it went, my acquiescence to fatigue got me off the water before the ramp clustered up and before a couple of pop-up storms... so it had been a good call. And while I am used to making more from such a promising set of conditions, I learned a bit, didn't end up abusing myself too badly, and got a chance to really enjoy the new-to-me St. Croix Avid rod paired with the Shimano Vanford 4000. This light set-up is clearly a joy to fish with, even if I have to admit that I caught more fish this day on my 26-year-old, trusty homemade Loomis! Pondering the questions of core essence and finding meaning in unexpected ways
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