After getting skunked yesterday and seriously thinking about buying golf clubs, I decided it was time to switch venues so I went off on a 18 nmi round trip journey to a place I got skunked earlier this year, and all of last year. Why there? The innervoice told me it was time, as when I got skunked last time there were active fish, just couldn't get past swirling and slapping at my popper.
Got to "the spot" at 05:30 and was greeting to the sound of cowbells and squawking geese from the bordering farm. Where else but rural Maine can you catch stripers by a farm's "lower forty"? My first cast had me extremely paranoid, as it got crashed and I hooked up only to drop the fish after a few moments. "Oh great, I'm betting that's it for the rest of the morning!" was the thought that immediately came to mind. Well the next cast was also crashed, but I was able to put a 23" fish on the deck. After a few more ignored casts, I went to Spot B which was right across the cove, and after a few cast, I had some interest in the popper, but no hits. The next cast hit paydirt with a 27" fish. After that spot cooled, back to Spot A for another 23" fish. I alternated A to B for 5 drifts, and a total of 5 fish, one at each spot.
At this point the tide had dropped, rendering the spots worthless, but I had one more spot to test on the way out, which was up against the farm. My initial drift had some interested fish, but no hookups. The second drift produced another 23" fish and then all hell broke loose when a very large, and upset, bass grabbed the plug and took off on a good 50 yd run. Shortly after that ended, and I was starting to feel in control, I felt the heartbreak of the hook pulling out on what was most definitely an "over". That took some of the sting in knowing this fish swam away strongly. One more 23" fish was added to the day's count, before I had to head back to the barn.
No golf clubs for me, yet...
Got to "the spot" at 05:30 and was greeting to the sound of cowbells and squawking geese from the bordering farm. Where else but rural Maine can you catch stripers by a farm's "lower forty"? My first cast had me extremely paranoid, as it got crashed and I hooked up only to drop the fish after a few moments. "Oh great, I'm betting that's it for the rest of the morning!" was the thought that immediately came to mind. Well the next cast was also crashed, but I was able to put a 23" fish on the deck. After a few more ignored casts, I went to Spot B which was right across the cove, and after a few cast, I had some interest in the popper, but no hits. The next cast hit paydirt with a 27" fish. After that spot cooled, back to Spot A for another 23" fish. I alternated A to B for 5 drifts, and a total of 5 fish, one at each spot.
At this point the tide had dropped, rendering the spots worthless, but I had one more spot to test on the way out, which was up against the farm. My initial drift had some interested fish, but no hookups. The second drift produced another 23" fish and then all hell broke loose when a very large, and upset, bass grabbed the plug and took off on a good 50 yd run. Shortly after that ended, and I was starting to feel in control, I felt the heartbreak of the hook pulling out on what was most definitely an "over". That took some of the sting in knowing this fish swam away strongly. One more 23" fish was added to the day's count, before I had to head back to the barn.
No golf clubs for me, yet...
