Two For Two

It is mid September and fall is in the air. Water temps are cooling down and local fishing is heating up. Spots that treated us well back in the spring run are showing signs of life again. There is a cornucopia of baitfish in the area and striped bass are taking advantage. My buddy Derrick and I fished hard Friday night and were rewarded for our efforts and lack of sleep. Gator bluefish put a dent in our eel supply, but persistence paid off and two quality striped bass were eventually caught and released. 

Derrick's catch almost didn't happen, as spot number one seemed lifeless when we first arrived. There was plenty of tiny bait around, but no signs of anything bigger feeding on it. For over two hours we hopped from rock to rock casting live without a touch. On the walk back to the Jeep, we made a last ditch effort and found two more rock perches to fish from. Not a minute goes by before D yells, "I'm on!" After a nice fight, she thrashed on the surface in front of us and I waded neck-deep to lip the 39 inch bass. The feisty striper kicked off strong after a quick measurement and photo.

Derrick hoisting a well-deserved striped bass

A half hour more went by without another sniff, so we left to recharge the batteries before the tide would be right for spot number two. After a quick catnap only a few hours of darkness remained. We exchanged our wetsuits for waders and set out again with renewed confidence. Between the two of us, we carried a silly amount of plugs, but live eels would once again be the ticket. A 41-inch bass slammed an eel right at my feet and a wild fight ensued in strong current. The fish got a little roughed up in the rocks, but she too swam away strong after posing for the camera. The final tally was two local spots and two respectable fish--I'll take those results any night of the week.



Is this the start of a memorable Fall Run? (Photo credit: Derrick Kirkpatrick)

Summer Stripes

A friend and I paid a visit to some local surf haunts last night after a long break. Expectations were not too high for early August, but we were confident that we could drum up a fish or two using live eels. The approaching new moon made it nice and dark for us, though air temperature floated above 80 degrees and the Sound felt like bathwater. There were legitimate rollers at the first destination, which made it sorta feel like we were fishing the Rhode Island surf. We waded out on a cobblestone point and tossed artificial plugs into the mid-outgoing tide that was sweeping right to left. After two hours of casting we had just two small bumps. So while the steady south wind died down and the water flattened out, it was time for a spot change and a switch from plugs to live eels. 

Following a short drive, we waded out on a rocky point covered in slick bubble weed. An hour flew by of casting and retrieving eels in a low dropping tide. This rhythm was broken up by a tap tap on my bait followed by the welcomed sound of a fish thrashing on the surface. Throughout the fight I was convinced I had hooked a bluefish because of violent head shakes, yet was pleasantly surprised to soon see stripes at my feet. It was by no means a trophy bass, though it was certainly a respectable surf-caught fish for the western Sound in early August. This striper seemed to be a loner, as no more bumps were felt for the remainder of the tide. My fishing partner had an eel chopped in half by a bluefish right before slack, so we thought that was a good time as any to pack it in. All in all, it was a good night on the water. 

Fishing live eels during late tides can help your chances in the August surf.  (Photo credit: Mike Gill)