The Midcoast Maine Running Stripah Report
- Thread starter Roccus7
- Start date
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Finally Ended The Drought!!
After 7 consecutive skunkings, I must have appeased Poseidon in that I nailed a pair of 26" bass this morning. Damn good thing since I had my wakizashi with me and was ready to fall on it as soon as I crafted a suicide haiku...
Since fishing in my river as of late has been as productive as fishing in the Sahara Desert I decided to mix things up this morning and head up the bay to a couple of spots that have been productive in the past.
My first couple of areas were SOS, not even a sniff. As I drifted along the back side of one point I had already fished, a large bass went after my plug, but didn't make contact. I went absolute nuts and started composing that haiku. After multiple fruitless drifts in that spot I decided to try an area that a colleague had some luck in recently, a spot that I've never fished.
Found a nice ledge with multiple rocks covered with rockweed, a favorite striped bass haunt up here and started drifting. Just as I was starting to get tired, a fish swirled multiple times at the lure, following it all the way to the boat, but no hit. The thought of "OK, here we go again, they are definitely trying to humiliate me!" went through my brain, especially after another fish did the same thing. Then the miracle occurred with a hookup and landed fish. Thank you Baby Poseidon!!!
Went to the a neighboring rock pile and after another fish following my lure, I got another bass to hit the plug and landed it. A definite win for the home team and I headed back to the barn with a smile on my face!!
After 7 consecutive skunkings, I must have appeased Poseidon in that I nailed a pair of 26" bass this morning. Damn good thing since I had my wakizashi with me and was ready to fall on it as soon as I crafted a suicide haiku...
Since fishing in my river as of late has been as productive as fishing in the Sahara Desert I decided to mix things up this morning and head up the bay to a couple of spots that have been productive in the past.
My first couple of areas were SOS, not even a sniff. As I drifted along the back side of one point I had already fished, a large bass went after my plug, but didn't make contact. I went absolute nuts and started composing that haiku. After multiple fruitless drifts in that spot I decided to try an area that a colleague had some luck in recently, a spot that I've never fished.
Found a nice ledge with multiple rocks covered with rockweed, a favorite striped bass haunt up here and started drifting. Just as I was starting to get tired, a fish swirled multiple times at the lure, following it all the way to the boat, but no hit. The thought of "OK, here we go again, they are definitely trying to humiliate me!" went through my brain, especially after another fish did the same thing. Then the miracle occurred with a hookup and landed fish. Thank you Baby Poseidon!!!
Went to the a neighboring rock pile and after another fish following my lure, I got another bass to hit the plug and landed it. A definite win for the home team and I headed back to the barn with a smile on my face!!
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What a difference a day makes!
Started catching some fish in my river back on Wednesday during the early flood. Things were good until yesterday when optimal tidal conditions were 09:30, which meant tons of full sunlight. Didn't have anything to do so I headed out. Staying home would have been the appropriate choice.
Yup the fish were there, but they were only intent on slapping at my plug, swirling around it, and just following it to the boat. Out of more than a dozen casts that sparked piscatorial interest, only 3 actually hit the plug and only 1 of those resulted in a momentary hookup. Needless to say I started contemplating taking up golf...
Since I'm busy all day today, the idea of fishing the early flood was out. However I figured I could fish an hour just as it was starting to get light out, but that meant the ebb tide. Lately fishing the ebb in the river was as productive as fishing on my front lawn, but I reasoned that it would be better than sitting here and getting the 1st Good Morning post out.
Got down to yesterday's spot as there was just enough light to fish a popper and started a drift. On my 4th cast my plug got absolutely crashed, but no hookup. "Here we go again!", was my immediate thought.
Decided to drop the hook and my first cast was also crashed by a very feisty 26" fish, redeeming my faith in fishing. Fished for another 45 minutes, landing 25 & 27" fish. Fish activity continued, but as the sky got lighter, the dreaded slapping, swirling, and following the plug started.
As the ability to get back to my dock was quickly waning as the tide kept dropping, I decided to head home, lest the agita continue. Home team is calling today a win, as opposed to yesterday's ignominious defeat...
Started catching some fish in my river back on Wednesday during the early flood. Things were good until yesterday when optimal tidal conditions were 09:30, which meant tons of full sunlight. Didn't have anything to do so I headed out. Staying home would have been the appropriate choice.
Yup the fish were there, but they were only intent on slapping at my plug, swirling around it, and just following it to the boat. Out of more than a dozen casts that sparked piscatorial interest, only 3 actually hit the plug and only 1 of those resulted in a momentary hookup. Needless to say I started contemplating taking up golf...
Since I'm busy all day today, the idea of fishing the early flood was out. However I figured I could fish an hour just as it was starting to get light out, but that meant the ebb tide. Lately fishing the ebb in the river was as productive as fishing on my front lawn, but I reasoned that it would be better than sitting here and getting the 1st Good Morning post out.
Got down to yesterday's spot as there was just enough light to fish a popper and started a drift. On my 4th cast my plug got absolutely crashed, but no hookup. "Here we go again!", was my immediate thought.
Decided to drop the hook and my first cast was also crashed by a very feisty 26" fish, redeeming my faith in fishing. Fished for another 45 minutes, landing 25 & 27" fish. Fish activity continued, but as the sky got lighter, the dreaded slapping, swirling, and following the plug started.
As the ability to get back to my dock was quickly waning as the tide kept dropping, I decided to head home, lest the agita continue. Home team is calling today a win, as opposed to yesterday's ignominious defeat...
Nothing hurts worse than being late for the party and thinking I should have skipped that second cup of coffee!!
After 3 fish on Friday and 4 fish on Saturday, I was feeling giddy with my striper fishing prowess, well you can guess how that turned out...
Pepe LePew struck with a vengeance Sunday and Monday. On Sunday I couldn't buy a hit, which wasn't distressing since this year's dawn high tide fishing has been piss poor, but the Bass-turds added a fiendish flourish to the morning. There were brief, a mean 5 second flurries, scattered all around me with no discernable pattern but one. They would come up within easy casting distance were I was 10 minutes prior, you could set a GD clock by it. As you can surmise, I had some choice comments, including a very loud and exasperated, "You GOT to be F-ING ME!!"
Yesterday was not as frustrating, but still tragic. As I walked down to the boat in the moonlight I saw lightning and dark clouds to the North, but it always rain to the North while we stay dry so I casted off for my favorite September morning high tide spot just as it was getting light. After casting for 10 minutes I had a nice hit. Had me thinking that things were looking up, but no, that was the only action for the entire morning. Didn't see a single fish jump the whole trip and with the glass-like water surface this AM, you could see them rip off a fart if they were near.
I went to bed figuring today would either be a good day to sleep in or commute to another river. I woke up to very thick fog @ 04:00 and just started wasting time, thinking I wouldn't fish at all or wait for the tide to start ebbing a bit and fish local. Finally at 06:30 I had dawdled enough and saddled up to hit yesterday's spot. I figured it's a day closer to September and it has to get good soon.
Well that was a correct assumption, but as I started to enter this secluded cove I realized that while I was sitting on my butt, having a second cup of coffee doing crossword puzzles, the bass were having a party here and that was just ending. The dead calm win conditions left the water surface undisturbed and I could see the entire surface of the cove filled with bubbles from bass surface feeding, with only a few fish still at it!!! In the picture below you can see the many bass bubble patterns that ripped my guts out.
I managed to catch a 26" fish and drop another in the 15 minutes of good fishing that I was presented with. Of course, I'm still spitting bullets about the lost opportunity. I've always said Sleep and Stripers are 2 words that start with S that are mutually exclusive, while this morning I was awake and unmotivated, shame on me!!
Well it's supposed to rain like hell tomorrow morning, but I will pay my penance in the predawn light and be there just in case they're partying again...
The crime scene:
After 3 fish on Friday and 4 fish on Saturday, I was feeling giddy with my striper fishing prowess, well you can guess how that turned out...
Pepe LePew struck with a vengeance Sunday and Monday. On Sunday I couldn't buy a hit, which wasn't distressing since this year's dawn high tide fishing has been piss poor, but the Bass-turds added a fiendish flourish to the morning. There were brief, a mean 5 second flurries, scattered all around me with no discernable pattern but one. They would come up within easy casting distance were I was 10 minutes prior, you could set a GD clock by it. As you can surmise, I had some choice comments, including a very loud and exasperated, "You GOT to be F-ING ME!!"
Yesterday was not as frustrating, but still tragic. As I walked down to the boat in the moonlight I saw lightning and dark clouds to the North, but it always rain to the North while we stay dry so I casted off for my favorite September morning high tide spot just as it was getting light. After casting for 10 minutes I had a nice hit. Had me thinking that things were looking up, but no, that was the only action for the entire morning. Didn't see a single fish jump the whole trip and with the glass-like water surface this AM, you could see them rip off a fart if they were near.
I went to bed figuring today would either be a good day to sleep in or commute to another river. I woke up to very thick fog @ 04:00 and just started wasting time, thinking I wouldn't fish at all or wait for the tide to start ebbing a bit and fish local. Finally at 06:30 I had dawdled enough and saddled up to hit yesterday's spot. I figured it's a day closer to September and it has to get good soon.
Well that was a correct assumption, but as I started to enter this secluded cove I realized that while I was sitting on my butt, having a second cup of coffee doing crossword puzzles, the bass were having a party here and that was just ending. The dead calm win conditions left the water surface undisturbed and I could see the entire surface of the cove filled with bubbles from bass surface feeding, with only a few fish still at it!!! In the picture below you can see the many bass bubble patterns that ripped my guts out.
I managed to catch a 26" fish and drop another in the 15 minutes of good fishing that I was presented with. Of course, I'm still spitting bullets about the lost opportunity. I've always said Sleep and Stripers are 2 words that start with S that are mutually exclusive, while this morning I was awake and unmotivated, shame on me!!
Well it's supposed to rain like hell tomorrow morning, but I will pay my penance in the predawn light and be there just in case they're partying again...
The crime scene:
Agita Fishing!!
Used to think striper fishing helps rest the mind, well that sure isn't the case this year. The fishing has been at Jedi Master level. Since August 24, I've gone out 11 times, got skunked 3 times and have caught 15 fish, 23-28".
Nothing has been easy, attention to detail necessary including looking for fish at old haunts at the proper tide. Casting to feeding fish is pointless, they only come up for a brief second. The secret is to position yourself so you're casting in an ambush area near to where you saw the fish break and cast for a good 25 minutes before you move. It's the 2024 New Normal; avoiding a skunk is a major victory. In the good old days I'd go from late May to mid-September before Pepe LePew came to visit.
Used to think striper fishing helps rest the mind, well that sure isn't the case this year. The fishing has been at Jedi Master level. Since August 24, I've gone out 11 times, got skunked 3 times and have caught 15 fish, 23-28".
Nothing has been easy, attention to detail necessary including looking for fish at old haunts at the proper tide. Casting to feeding fish is pointless, they only come up for a brief second. The secret is to position yourself so you're casting in an ambush area near to where you saw the fish break and cast for a good 25 minutes before you move. It's the 2024 New Normal; avoiding a skunk is a major victory. In the good old days I'd go from late May to mid-September before Pepe LePew came to visit.
captmike28
Well-Known Angler
Despite what some people may say, I think that Striper fishing can be just as challenging as any other species, and, at times, even more so!
You certainly have some tough obstacles in the area you fish, Roccus. But that also helps you to sharpen your skills well beyond that of the average Bass fisherman. Keep at it as the "Fat Lady" has not started to warm up her pipes yet!!
OVERBORED
Well-Known Angler
Bass can be so enigmatic at times!
This sping, we would catch 20-30 fish on a tide. Come back the next morning....same tide, bait..marked the fish thick and not a touch.
Just when you think you figured something out you get the curveball!!!! Lol
Yes, agida inducing for sure! Lol
This sping, we would catch 20-30 fish on a tide. Come back the next morning....same tide, bait..marked the fish thick and not a touch.
Just when you think you figured something out you get the curveball!!!! Lol
Yes, agida inducing for sure! Lol
Hoping for 150 this year, the poorest total since 2015!!
Quick update, including Sep 2, I've been out 9 times, skunked twice, and 12 fish, 23 - 30". Caught that 30" this AM, a beautiful fish! It was a "stealth, tiny splash" hit on the popper, typical of larger fish, but the first 10 seconds of the fight consisted of quick, tiny head shakes, convincing me it was a small fish. After that, she took off on a long run and turned my 22' boat around twice, making me realize that this was not a small fish. The other interesting point that even though this battle royal took place in less than 4' of water, the fish stayed below the surface the entire time. I couldn't see the the true size of her until she was along side.
She was the 140th Maine fish for the season, so there's hope for a season total of 150 or more...
Quick update, including Sep 2, I've been out 9 times, skunked twice, and 12 fish, 23 - 30". Caught that 30" this AM, a beautiful fish! It was a "stealth, tiny splash" hit on the popper, typical of larger fish, but the first 10 seconds of the fight consisted of quick, tiny head shakes, convincing me it was a small fish. After that, she took off on a long run and turned my 22' boat around twice, making me realize that this was not a small fish. The other interesting point that even though this battle royal took place in less than 4' of water, the fish stayed below the surface the entire time. I couldn't see the the true size of her until she was along side.
She was the 140th Maine fish for the season, so there's hope for a season total of 150 or more...
I usually hit that number by the 3rd week of June doing my 1 a day routine. It's been approved and endorsed by "The Admiralty", who loves to wake up to a silent house...
Needless to say, this year has been extremely unremarkable in terms of numbers, but the number of fish caught ≥28" is at 36, only 4 behind the 2023 season, where my bass total was 317.
captmike28
Well-Known Angler
It seems that most species when caught in water shallower than their typical habitat put up the best fight. I have observed this pattern with Stripers, Fluke, Sea Bass and Blackfish.
My opinion is that since the fish is limited in its ability to dive deep in an effort to escape its best option is to take off on long horizontal runs. Anyone care to offer another theory on why this is the case?
@Roccus7 is a true throwback to the pioneers of anglers who have devoted themselves to doing their part is protecting and restoring our striped bass population. Like me, he witnessed the lean years, and he has most likely been keeping those numbers for many years. Sadly anglers like R7 are hard to find nowadays. Today it's all about instant gratification with little understanding of the process.
R7 may be shocked by my next statement, but the fact is his numbers are persuasive and hard to argue. I have kept an open mind on this and I'm beginning to agree that there is a lack of small fish that needs to be addressed.
Now how we get there is another story!
Hope it's an anomaly, but I'm not holding my breath. The data set is very well controlled. Over the past 13 seasons I've caught 99% of my fish using the same lure in the same size, and fished the same waters 100% of the time. We should soon see if 2024 was another piss poor one, or hopefully, that big class we all need.
My average sized fish had been hovering around 19 - 21" from 2013 - 2018. In 2019 it started to increase by an inch a year. Last year it was 25" and YTD it's been 26" and I've caught 2 fish @ 22", but NOTHING below that, and these observations regrettably overlap the very poor Young of Year data out of MD. There hasn't been a decent spawn since 2018, since then, 5 straight years of YOY counts well below the average.
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