Normal need not apply.
NorwichBulletin.com
By BOB SAMPSON
sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 29, 2009 @ 10:32 PM
.This spring, constant rains and cool nights have resulted in lower-than-normal temperatures (a word that barely applies any more), so ocean water was cold (in the high 40s until June. The end results have been delays and minor changes in migration patterns of striped bass, bluefish and fluke.
Case and point: beginning some time in early June, it’s “normally” possible to troll a tube and worm along the rocks on the south side of Fishers Island or just about any place else and consistently hook into striped bass, with a smattering of 30-inch to 40-inch or longer fish in the mix.
Captain Jack Balint noted he didn’t start “tubing” with clients until June 15, when “you can count on the bass being there.” But not this year.
In three trips, I couldn’t tube a striper along the island for friends who don’t cast well, even during late June into early July, same thing with Jack and Eric Covino of Playing Hookie Charters.
Maybe we fished at the wrong times, or maybe they just weren’t there, so I’ll go with the latter excuse for failure.
However, striped bass in the 20-pound and heavier range entered the Race around May 20, which is “normal” in this region. Despite their presence in the deep waters of the Race, bait sources were scattered, so fishing has been inconsistent or non-existent in many of our “normally” productive early summer fishing spots — until recently.
A guy ritual
On Saturday, my group of lifelong fishing buddies (since high school) held our semi-annual fishing, swearing and card-playing session for the 46th year in a row.
The routine is to fish during the day or early evening, then cook or buy dinner, then play poker ’til we run out of gas, which is pretty early these days.
Saturday, we made our summer fishing trip to the island, during the middle of the day, essentially to keep up the tradition and hoping we might be able to create a new fish story for future “swearing and card-playing sessions.”
In an hour, maybe less, of actual soak time with the lures, we caught five stripers and a scup. Four of those bass were 35 inches to 40 inches and the scup was a foot long. It turned out to be a storymaker of a trip, the best hour of fishing this group has ever experienced together!
Being that Mike Lajoie, whose boat we were fishing on, had an early evening obligation, after the fourth quality striper was caught, we broke “Rennie’s Rule No. 1, “Never leave the fish” and left the fish to do some cooking and play poker.
Panfil’s stand in Salem supplied the excellent Connecticut River valley sweet corn and we supplied the super fresh striped bass that was simmered in Myron’s Eurasian Fusion for a meal you can’t buy, in even a gourmet restaurant.
The poker game was secondary to the food and comraderie. But the game is an integral part of these events that this year came together to create a picture perfect summer’s day spent with big fish and laughter from lifelong friends, Cob Glenney, Bruce Guyot, Bruce Harvey, Don Oat, Jack Reed and Mike Lajoie.
Life just doesn’t get any better.
Don’t be surprised
The point to this story is, the type of striper fishing we “normally” experience during late June and early July appears to be shaping up right now. Because the weather has been so variable this spring and summer, expect the unexpected.
On July 2, I caught a male blackfish in spawning condition, on a Yozuri Hydro Squid plug that was being cast for striped bass! That fish should have been done with its amorous ambitions by early June at the latest in these parts.
A week earlier, I went striper fishing off the Connecticut River mouth with Pat Abate of River’s End Tackle. We drifted in 5 feet to 10 feet of water, casting weighted Slug-Go’s.
We caught seven fluke, two of which were 20-inch to 22-inch keepers, but only one small schoolie striper. The unexpected fact was this was all on artificials. There was no fluke bait on the boat that evening.
I returned the next evening to repeat this scenario with my son, Jared, and we caught six 18-inch fluke in an hour, with tons of short hits from smaller fish in the 14-inch range. Exactly like the previous evening, the fluke bite died out as the sun set and there were no bass or blues in the catch. We never saw a single boil or swirl on the surface, just diving birds.
Odd, but interesting fishing that could probably be duplicated around the shoals that extend off the mouths of many, if not all the rivers and estuaries throughout the region. I’ve done the exact same thing many times off Sandy Point in Stonington.
The fishing is finally beginning to take on the appearance of “normal” summertime conditions. Get out and enjoy the fishing between thunderstorms, but expect the unexpected both from the fish and the weather.
NorwichBulletin.com
By BOB SAMPSON
sports@norwichbulletin.com
Posted Jul 29, 2009 @ 10:32 PM
.This spring, constant rains and cool nights have resulted in lower-than-normal temperatures (a word that barely applies any more), so ocean water was cold (in the high 40s until June. The end results have been delays and minor changes in migration patterns of striped bass, bluefish and fluke.
Case and point: beginning some time in early June, it’s “normally” possible to troll a tube and worm along the rocks on the south side of Fishers Island or just about any place else and consistently hook into striped bass, with a smattering of 30-inch to 40-inch or longer fish in the mix.
Captain Jack Balint noted he didn’t start “tubing” with clients until June 15, when “you can count on the bass being there.” But not this year.
In three trips, I couldn’t tube a striper along the island for friends who don’t cast well, even during late June into early July, same thing with Jack and Eric Covino of Playing Hookie Charters.
Maybe we fished at the wrong times, or maybe they just weren’t there, so I’ll go with the latter excuse for failure.
However, striped bass in the 20-pound and heavier range entered the Race around May 20, which is “normal” in this region. Despite their presence in the deep waters of the Race, bait sources were scattered, so fishing has been inconsistent or non-existent in many of our “normally” productive early summer fishing spots — until recently.
A guy ritual
On Saturday, my group of lifelong fishing buddies (since high school) held our semi-annual fishing, swearing and card-playing session for the 46th year in a row.
The routine is to fish during the day or early evening, then cook or buy dinner, then play poker ’til we run out of gas, which is pretty early these days.
Saturday, we made our summer fishing trip to the island, during the middle of the day, essentially to keep up the tradition and hoping we might be able to create a new fish story for future “swearing and card-playing sessions.”
In an hour, maybe less, of actual soak time with the lures, we caught five stripers and a scup. Four of those bass were 35 inches to 40 inches and the scup was a foot long. It turned out to be a storymaker of a trip, the best hour of fishing this group has ever experienced together!
Being that Mike Lajoie, whose boat we were fishing on, had an early evening obligation, after the fourth quality striper was caught, we broke “Rennie’s Rule No. 1, “Never leave the fish” and left the fish to do some cooking and play poker.
Panfil’s stand in Salem supplied the excellent Connecticut River valley sweet corn and we supplied the super fresh striped bass that was simmered in Myron’s Eurasian Fusion for a meal you can’t buy, in even a gourmet restaurant.
The poker game was secondary to the food and comraderie. But the game is an integral part of these events that this year came together to create a picture perfect summer’s day spent with big fish and laughter from lifelong friends, Cob Glenney, Bruce Guyot, Bruce Harvey, Don Oat, Jack Reed and Mike Lajoie.
Life just doesn’t get any better.
Don’t be surprised
The point to this story is, the type of striper fishing we “normally” experience during late June and early July appears to be shaping up right now. Because the weather has been so variable this spring and summer, expect the unexpected.
On July 2, I caught a male blackfish in spawning condition, on a Yozuri Hydro Squid plug that was being cast for striped bass! That fish should have been done with its amorous ambitions by early June at the latest in these parts.
A week earlier, I went striper fishing off the Connecticut River mouth with Pat Abate of River’s End Tackle. We drifted in 5 feet to 10 feet of water, casting weighted Slug-Go’s.
We caught seven fluke, two of which were 20-inch to 22-inch keepers, but only one small schoolie striper. The unexpected fact was this was all on artificials. There was no fluke bait on the boat that evening.
I returned the next evening to repeat this scenario with my son, Jared, and we caught six 18-inch fluke in an hour, with tons of short hits from smaller fish in the 14-inch range. Exactly like the previous evening, the fluke bite died out as the sun set and there were no bass or blues in the catch. We never saw a single boil or swirl on the surface, just diving birds.
Odd, but interesting fishing that could probably be duplicated around the shoals that extend off the mouths of many, if not all the rivers and estuaries throughout the region. I’ve done the exact same thing many times off Sandy Point in Stonington.
The fishing is finally beginning to take on the appearance of “normal” summertime conditions. Get out and enjoy the fishing between thunderstorms, but expect the unexpected both from the fish and the weather.