Headed south out of Niantic this morning toward the Eastern end of Plum Island. After 45 minuites of casting practice,and dogging several charter boats pulling wire, I decided to venture a little further south to Gardiners Island. Off Eastern Plain Point, found birds signaling surface feeding fish. For about the next 1/2 hour, I hooked and released stripers to 33 inches as I drifted with the tide around the Point and into Taboccolot Bay. The bay is a giant sand and gravel flat featuring clear water ranging from depths of 12 feet to areas of less than two feet. The sun was approaching the right angle to spot fish, so I climbed up on my helm seat to see what I could see. In about six feet of water, I began to spot stripers cruising the sand and gravel bars. Casting an olive flat wing deceiver, I tried to place the streamer in the area where I expected fish to move. As the boat drifted into shallower water, I began to spot more and more stripers, but they seemed not interested in my offering. After changing up several times, a slim mono sand eel pattern was hammered by a fat 24 inch fish. Over the next hour or so, I released seven or eight stripers ranging from 22 inches to 34 inches on the skinny size 1 sand eel pattern.
With the exception of a kayaker and a bottom fishermen, we had the water to ourselves. At one point, I watched the bait angler land a weakfish that I estimated at about 5 or six pounds. I hooked and lost a good fluke before I could grab the leader. Although it is a long ride out to the waters that suuround the privatley owned Gardiners, I plan to make the run again this summer and maybe in the fall for a shot at Albies. The Cherry Harbor area on the west side of the Island is also an extensive flat.
On the way back, I stopped to take some casts at the Ruin and among the boulder field in Plum Gut, but came up empty.
With the exception of a kayaker and a bottom fishermen, we had the water to ourselves. At one point, I watched the bait angler land a weakfish that I estimated at about 5 or six pounds. I hooked and lost a good fluke before I could grab the leader. Although it is a long ride out to the waters that suuround the privatley owned Gardiners, I plan to make the run again this summer and maybe in the fall for a shot at Albies. The Cherry Harbor area on the west side of the Island is also an extensive flat.
On the way back, I stopped to take some casts at the Ruin and among the boulder field in Plum Gut, but came up empty.
