The 2023 Running Roccus Striper Report

Another Hypothesis Down The Crapper & Unwelcome Visitor
After all my hits on Thursday were very close to dawn and then things died, I reasoned that the fish were feeding in the dark, so yesterday, I left the dock at 03:45. Then I proceeded to beat the water for 2 hours until I finally got a beautiful 30" fish to crash my plug in <3' of water, one of only 3 hits all morning. Well that lost 2 hours of sleep and my bright idea was shot to hell.

The frustrating thing was multiple pods of large fish cruising just under the surface making distinctive V wakes across the surface of the water, only to scatter and ignore your offerings when you'd cast to them.

So for today I decided on a normal 05:00 start time. Might as well stayed in bed, because the fish had lock jaw. The "Highlight" of the morning, that had me spitting bullets, was drifting through multiple pods of large fish scattering every time I casted at them, with only a couple of fish deciding to follow my plug, only to turn away at the boat. I threw the entire tackle box at them and nothing besides the normal popper drew any interest. Had at least 8 cast with "fishterest", but not a single one touched the lure. Hadn't seen bass do this since the late 60s on LI, just infuriating. It was like July when the bluefish are more intent on spawning that hitting your offerings. Not a happy face, but I decided to accept the skunking, albeit with very bad feelings...

So time for another hypothesis... Based on the observation that the 30" fish on Friday spit up 4 well-digested alewives boatside, maybe the fish are stuffing themselves early at night, and like to bask in the sun in the early morning light. Damned if I know and damned to figure out what to do tomorrow, but I will be out there casting and cursing...

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That will teach you not to reply to my silly posts at 0-dark thirty!:ROFLMAO:

As I have said before, catching Bass consistently is no easy chore which is what makes the taste of victory so much sweeter when it happens. We all have to swallow a big piece of humble pie now and then.

If you learned something to use to you advantage the next time out, then the stink of Pepe is not so bad!
 
Poseidon, what a capricious SOB...

After yesterday's skunking, I was seriously considering sleeping in, but when I woke up at 03:45 and realizing there was zero wind, I figured WTF, Poseidon be damned since I certainly can't catch anything lying in bed...

Hopped on the boat and headed to the site of yesterday's debacle. Found a flock of gulls sitting on the water and as they took off at my arrival, figured WTH, maybe the fish are hanging under the gull and tossed out an "unusual" popper, my normal Creek Chub 2500 Striper Strike, but instead of Blue Flas, it was a Menhaden color. Don't even think I popped it 2 times before there was a bass on it, a feisty 22" fish. After I landed it I was concerned, could that SOB Poseidon be f-ing with me and evoke the "First Cast Curse"??

Well turns out he wasn't ended the morning when the bite ended just as the flood ended. Thank goodness for the dead calm water, as this was a "cast to the V wake", sight fishing morning. Ended with a pair of 25" fish, along with two slot fish, 29 & 31". Didn't spend too much time measuring, as both fish were destined to be released, but I think if I did the "tail pinch" on the 31 it would have gone over the new slot limit of 31...
 
Roccus7 said:
Poseidon, what a capricious SOB...

After yesterday's skunking, I was seriously considering sleeping in, but when I woke up at 03:45 and realizing there was zero wind, I figured WTF, Poseidon be damned since I certainly can't catch anything lying in bed...

Hopped on the boat and headed to the site of yesterday's debacle. Found a flock of gulls sitting on the water and as they took off at my arrival, figured WTH, maybe the fish are hanging under the gull and tossed out an "unusual" popper, my normal Creek Chub 2500 Striper Strike, but instead of Blue Flas, it was a Menhaden color. Don't even think I popped it 2 times before there was a bass on it, a feisty 22" fish. After I landed it I was concerned, could that SOB Poseidon be f-ing with me and evoke the "First Cast Curse"??

Well turns out he wasn't ended the morning when the bite ended just as the flood ended. Thank goodness for the dead calm water, as this was a "cast to the V wake", sight fishing morning. Ended with a pair of 25" fish, along with two slot fish, 29 & 31". Didn't spend too much time measuring, as both fish were destined to be released, but I think if I did the "tail pinch" on the 31 it would have gone over the new slot limit of 31...
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Gotta love sight fishing
 
Roccus7 said:
Poseidon, what a capricious SOB...

After yesterday's skunking, I was seriously considering sleeping in, but when I woke up at 03:45 and realizing there was zero wind, I figured WTF, Poseidon be damned since I certainly can't catch anything lying in bed...

Hopped on the boat and headed to the site of yesterday's debacle. Found a flock of gulls sitting on the water and as they took off at my arrival, figured WTH, maybe the fish are hanging under the gull and tossed out an "unusual" popper, my normal Creek Chub 2500 Striper Strike, but instead of Blue Flas, it was a Menhaden color. Don't even think I popped it 2 times before there was a bass on it, a feisty 22" fish. After I landed it I was concerned, could that SOB Poseidon be f-ing with me and evoke the "First Cast Curse"??

Well turns out he wasn't ended the morning when the bite ended just as the flood ended. Thank goodness for the dead calm water, as this was a "cast to the V wake", sight fishing morning. Ended with a pair of 25" fish, along with two slot fish, 29 & 31". Didn't spend too much time measuring, as both fish were destined to be released, but I think if I did the "tail pinch" on the 31 it would have gone over the new slot limit of 31...
Click to expand...
That's the "persistent Rocus" we all know and respect. Nice comeback!!
 
OK, I'm not too proud to accept a Participation Trophy, and things are about to get much worse...

Finally had the right idea, figuring the bass were on the feed slurping alewives up by the head of tide at first light. Got there at 04:15 this morning and I could hear the occasional bass slurping up an alewife breakfast.

Tossed out a popper and immediately saw the large, distinctive V wake of a good striper, but she turned away as the plug got close to the boat. This pattern followed for about 5 more cast when I did get a tepid hit from a large fish with no hookup. After that I kept tossing casts, only to have virtually each one having a fish following, but not taking the lure. Changed from popper to Finn-S, then to a jointed Redfin, but neither of them even got the attention of a fish, so I changed up my popper color, and once again, nothing but wakes. This continued for almost every cast for an hour, and then the amount of fish cruising around dropped off, as well as the wakes.

Kept at it for a while longer with increasing frustration, so I decided to pack it in. Just as I was about to turn the key I looked up and saw a small pod of fish swimming on the surface 100 yds away, so I crawled over there. Again, more fruitless casts, but then the miracle occurred, a feeding fish broke the water chasing bait just out of casting range. I cranked in the lure as fast as possible and launched the best cast I could. Cast was about 10' short, but I made sure I made a noisy retrieve in hopes that it would get the attention of that feeding fish and BINGO, my plug was slammed by a nice fish that took off on a long run, signaling a good-sized fish. She didn't disappoint as she was a hair over the new slot of 31" and was rewarded with a quick release. Yup, got me a Participation Trophy and not at all ashamed...

Decided to drop down into the harbor, taking a long run with the throttle open for an "Italian Tuneup", as I've been doing nothing but low RPM sorties over the past 2 weeks. Was shocked in that the town mooring field, which has well over 60 moorings, was only populated with no more than 10 boats! Crap, the season here is short enough, WTH have a boat if you don't get her launched early??

As I entered the cut back toward the barn I nearly soiled myself as I saw some huge boils, figuring that some monster bass were on the feed. Just as I was about to launch a cast 3 seal heads popped out of the water. Turned on the sounder to try to figure out what was for breakfast. Well to my dismay, looks like pogies (bunker) are now on the menu in our harbor. With that extra item on the buffet table, getting bass to take interest in a lure has become more difficult, oh joy...

When the pogies come marching in...

pogies 2023.jpg
 
Beautiful Morning, from both scenic and piscatorial perspectives...

Casted off at 04:00 to make sure I beat the sunrise at "the spot". When old Sol decided to wake up, I was greeted by this beautiful sunrise:
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And yes, that is smoke on the water because of the 57F water hitting the air temp of 45F...

Shortly after that I was greeted by a new Maine PB of 37", ~20 lbs, a true pig of a fish for these parts who fought like a Banshee. She eclipsed my previous best of 35". Was concerned when I saw that she had inhaled the plug, but fortunately, the hooks were around the gill arches with no punctures so it was a quick and bloodless unhooking. She revived very quickly and swam away strong.
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Ended the AM session with "Big Bertha, a 28" slot fish, and 3 schoolies. Back at the barn at 06:00 for AM coffee...
 
Goldilocks Fishing, nothing "Just Right"...

Nice morning, with 7 fish. Thank goodness The Admiralty didn't have a dinner order in, because the high end of the fish had two 27' fish and a fat, feisty 32" fish bracketing the new 28-31" slot.
 
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Roccus7 said:
Beautiful Morning, from both scenic and piscatorial perspectives...

Casted off at 04:00 to make sure I beat the sunrise at "the spot". When old Sol decided to wake up, I was greeted by this beautiful sunrise:
View attachment 63539
And yes, that is smoke on the water because of the 57F water hitting the air temp of 45F...

Shortly after that I was greeted by a new Maine PB of 37", ~20 lbs, a true pig of a fish for these parts who fought like a Banshee. She eclipsed my previous best of 35". Was concerned when I saw that she had inhaled the plug, but fortunately, the hooks were around the gill arches with no punctures so it was a quick and bloodless unhooking. She revived very quickly and swam away strong.
View attachment 63541

Ended the AM session with "Big Bertha, a 28" slot fish, and 3 schoolies. Back at the barn at 06:00 for AM coffee...
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Outstanding Roccus!!
Hope I can safely find my way through the "pea soup" predicted here for tomorrow morning. I have to catch a slot fish for our family party coming up this Saturday. No pressure...Ha Ha!!!
 
Quick update, I've caught 21 over the past 2 days up to 27", including only my second fish below 20", a 19" fish. That is truly scary, only reinforcing the wisdom of narrowing the slot. On both days I've had very large fish grab my plug and crash about the surface, only to spit it out, back at me.

Oh well, waiting for some more water so I can head out and get abused again this AM, the glory of fishing in a protected estuary, "Noreaster? We can fish in a stinking Noreaster!!"
 
Roccus7 said:
Quick update, I've caught 21 over the past 2 days up to 27", including only my second fish below 20", a 19" fish. That is truly scary, only reinforcing the wisdom of narrowing the slot. On both days I've had very large fish grab my plug and crash about the surface, only to spit it out, back at me.

Oh well, waiting for some more water so I can head out and get abused again this AM, the glory of fishing in a protected estuary, "Noreaster? We can fish in a stinking Noreaster!!"
Click to expand...
Always loved a nor’easter on the rocks! :)
 
Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

It's day three of a Nor'easter here that may last until next Saturday, June 11!!! Blissfully, the Big Girls have been sitting in a pool at the base of the falls at the head of tide, the site of my 37" the other day. Can't get to the very well sheltered Honey Hole until the tide is a good 3' above MLW, and with the early morning moon tides, the chance of fishing there at first light is the impossible dream.

To add to the degree of difficulty, it's tough to get them to strike anything as they're still slurping alewives, but I'm usually good for one decent hit a session with 20 or so V wakes following my popper. Got skunked yesterday and tried fishing this AM in the "lovely weather", but bagged it because even for me, sideways rain and >15 kts winds with 20+ kt winds isn't fun even when protected.

This evening the wind dropped to about 10 kts from high teens and the rain was more of a schmutz than rain so it was Game On. I saddled up and started the boat up into the pool as soon as I dared to. On the way I saw some breaking fish and found myself bound to a 23" fish, yeah, when I hoisted him into the boat he ended up hooking my hand with the front hook, while he was hooked on the popper's back hook. That was an interesting and bloody event, but I manned up and yanked the hook out of my hand, unhooked and released him and proceeded to the intended target.

As soon as I dropped the hook, there were V wakes and surface disturbances a plenty, so I knew I was going to score big. After a dozen or so V waked popper retrieves it was time for Plan B. I started to toss a rubber imitation eel, a Big Occhi, at em. Big bass can't resist eels, right? After a dozen or so casts I decided to go to Plan C and try a different colored popper, but realized I had dug out one of my few remaining X-rap Surface spooks and put it on the spare popper rod. WTF, can't catch any less than I'm catching now so let's go with Plan D!! On my first cast, a 28" fish crashed it. Thought I was going annihilate them, but no such luck, after a while I pulled in a 25", but that was it, except for lots of V wakes following the spook..

Anyway, I guess I'll be working the X-Rap, a former favorite of my brother in RI, into the rotation when the fish are abusing me, but it will be with great trepidation in that they no longer make the surface version of this lures and my inventory is quite low...
 
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Want to find big bass feeding in 'day Hood? Look for Diving Eagles!! And why do I feel like a 1962 NY Met??

As I've often said, fishing should be considered a learning experience and boy was I edumacated today...

First, the Honey Hole must have been raided by Winnie the Pooh last night, as there was NOTHING there at 04:30 today. No problem so I thought, the fish will be on the flats just outside so onto Plan B. Well Plan B's "B" stood for BUST, nothing going on there. OK, time to use Plan C and go to the mid-Ebb hot spot, which turned out to be absolutely dead to, "C" standing for CRAP!!

Well Plan D was my last resort and had to work, so I motored on over there and dropped the hook. Things started off like all my other efforts this AM, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, but I was bound and determined to avoid the stench of a skunk. While I was waiting for some action I noticed something never seen before, Eagles diving for their own fish instead of stealing them from Ospreys. Everyone here as noticed that we have many more eagles around here this year. It's not unusual now to see 5 flying around at any given time, but I've never seen eagles diving down to fish on their own until this year. And then the epiphany, these eagles are only diving down when large bass are chasing alewives, and they're trying to get an alewife for a snack.

So there I was, anchored downtide from a big mudflat that had scattered action where 1-3 fish pods were going after alewives with eagles swooping down trying to grab the airborne alewives. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I started catching, because the fish had to pass by me because I had dropped the hook in the channel that drains those flats.

Low and behold soon I was onto a very nice fish, which I proceeded to lose after and extended fight of 6 or 7 minutes. No worries, there will be more, but for a good 20 minutes I was getting short hits, and when a fish connected, I'd turn around and lose it. I dropped at least 4 slot or bigger bas and I was spitting bullets, especially when an "over the slot" fish grabbed my plug boatside, violently shook his head and then sent the plug back at me. With all the fish I was dropping, I started to feel like the 1962 Mets infield.

Well persistence finally paid off and after I got a 24" fish, I had a massive strike and after a long tussle that sent me around the boat 2 times, there was a beautiful 30.5" fish in the boat. Suddenly the 03:15 alarm didn't feel so bad...
 
Roccus7 said:
Want to find big bass feeding in 'day Hood? Look for Diving Eagles!! And why do I feel like a 1962 NY Met??

As I've often said, fishing should be considered a learning experience and boy was I edumacated today...

First, the Honey Hole must have been raided by Winnie the Pooh last night, as there was NOTHING there at 04:30 today. No problem so I thought, the fish will be on the flats just outside so onto Plan B. Well Plan B's "B" stood for BUST, nothing going on there. OK, time to use Plan C and go to the mid-Ebb hot spot, which turned out to be absolutely dead to, "C" standing for CRAP!!

Well Plan D was my last resort and had to work, so I motored on over there and dropped the hook. Things started off like all my other efforts this AM, Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, but I was bound and determined to avoid the stench of a skunk. While I was waiting for some action I noticed something never seen before, Eagles diving for their own fish instead of stealing them from Ospreys. Everyone here as noticed that we have many more eagles around here this year. It's not unusual now to see 5 flying around at any given time, but I've never seen eagles diving down to fish on their own until this year. And then the epiphany, these eagles are only diving down when large bass are chasing alewives, and they're trying to get an alewife for a snack.

So there I was, anchored downtide from a big mudflat that had scattered action where 1-3 fish pods were going after alewives with eagles swooping down trying to grab the airborne alewives. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I started catching, because the fish had to pass by me because I had dropped the hook in the channel that drains those flats.

Low and behold soon I was onto a very nice fish, which I proceeded to lose after and extended fight of 6 or 7 minutes. No worries, there will be more, but for a good 20 minutes I was getting short hits, and when a fish connected, I'd turn around and lose it. I dropped at least 4 slot or bigger bas and I was spitting bullets, especially when an "over the slot" fish grabbed my plug boatside, violently shook his head and then sent the plug back at me. With all the fish I was dropping, I started to feel like the 1962 Mets infield.

Well persistence finally paid off and after I got a 24" fish, I had a massive strike and after a long tussle that sent me around the boat 2 times, there was a beautiful 30.5" fish in the boat. Suddenly the 03:15 alarm didn't feel so bad..
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Quite the adventure today!
 
Two, new, "Never seen that before" Events in 'da Hood...

Been catching a few here and there the past few days, but we're onto "Smith Barney" fish, you earn them the hard way. However there have been 2 unique events that deserve some mention.

The first is Nat Geo worthy, seals cooperatively feeding on alewives!!! I know we've all seen it with whales and dolphins on video, but I don't ever remember seeing this on TV, or in my backyard. A group of 4 or 5 seals would actually heard the alewives and then crash through, dining on them. This one really draws in the eagles for breakfast!

The second is more germane to dragging my butt out of bed early every morning in search of the noble striped bass; today there were feeding on tiny sand eels. This is the first time I've ever seen sand eels in our river and the bass were gorging on tiny ones. Of course this meant there were a real PITA to entice with anything. I eventually did OK with a Rapala X-Rap Surface spook, but even that was usually met with total indifference. At one point I was totally surrounded by feeding fish and could see nothing but feeding stripers right under the boat, with absolutely no response to my offerings. A bit frustrating to say the least, but I did manage 5 fish to 30".

Tomorrow I'll be tossing some soft, plastic sand eels that are impregnated with actual sand eel oil in hopes that will be the ticket, but I wouldn't be betting the 401(k) on it...
 
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