STRIPER BLUES - Reports

NOTE: The reports on these pages are sporadic notes on conditions as I see or hear them. Also, there is a page where you can submit YOUR report for inclusion on this site.

2000

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August 9,2000
Now with the busy month of July out of the way, I had time to slip away from the office for an impromptu jaunt to the Vineyard for a Bonito run. Mark Jones called me on Tuesday, and we arranged to meet at 5:45 for the run across the Sound.

We made the run and found the Bonito busting sporadically all along the north beaches from the Oak Bluff ferry docks to well beyond Big Bridge. Mark positioned us well several times and hooked up on a good sized fish. We got photographs of it and spent the rest of the day fighting off the novice fishermen as they sped in and out of the flotilla, succeeding only in putting down the fish whenever they showed up.

As the afternoon approached, the wind picked up to over 20 kts, and we figured we better make a run for the mainland. When we found the entire sound busting with bluefish, even 20 kts wind couldn't keep us from stopping and landing a few toothy fish. We caught so many blues that my arm hurts now. We then found stripers off waquoit, but the number of boats fleeing into the harbor from the storm kept us from hunting these guys for too long.

August 6, 2000
I accompanied John Burke of On the Water Magazine to the National Seashore today. What a beautiful place. We drove south over sand until we reached the rope marking the end of the road. We fished there for a while and then walked to the Chatham Inlet across from Chatham Light. We found some great looking water, but no fish. One of the "resident" fishermen, there told us it was the night that was hot there. "Every night they come in. It doesn't matter about the tide, just throw your line out around 7:00 and you'll hook up" He was referring to bluefish mostly, but another buggy-man was proud to hoist a good 36 in striper he had landed during the night.

July 30,2000
So what happened to July? As far as I have heard, it was great fishing. Bluefish were all over the south side and stripers were being taken off Monomoy and the National Seashore. A great white shark was fishing for seals off Eastham and seals were fishing all over the place. I wasn't.

June 16, 2000
Fish are all over by now, and many large fish are being caught in all the favorite haunts. Barnstable harbor and the flats had the summer extreme tide last weekend, and once again, millions of sand eels were trapped up on the sand bars at low tide. The stripers moved in on the incoming tide, vacuuming up the weak and dying eels as they swam. The fishing was incredible, and the fly of choice was a clouser. Olive or Chartreuse.

Bluefish are abundant on the south side, but wind has been a problem this year. It has been rare to have a calm evening to offer poppers to the blues. Spin casting is good fun though with surface plugs.

May 16,17, 2000
Its here....the worm hatch and just as frustrating as ever. I found worms in the Swan River....billions of them swarming and wriggling in the slow moving current. The tide had just turned and the sun had just gone behind the trees. Little stripers were feeding endlessly on the surface, and I cast every worm pattern I had on the 16th with not even as much as a glance from one of those stripers. That night, I went home and tied up several more patterns. Still no luck on the 17th with identical conditions to the night before.

These worms were smaller than I had seen before, and now, tonight with winds blowing hard ahead of a line of thunderstorms, I stayed home at my fly-bench tying what I hope will attract the bass to my offering tomorrow. That is if the worms are still here.

May 15, 2000
On the incoming tide, took two small stripers at the mouth of bass river.

May 6, 2000
It was a very warm day today and I planned on trying for what I hoped would be my first fish of this year. After having the coldest April I can remember, and having some of the worst weekends weather-wise, I couldn't wait to test the water on this first real "Spring-y" day.

I launched my Canoe from Wilbur Park in Yarmouth, and paddled against the Tide up into the Bass River. It was 5:30 and I hoped to start getting action at dusk. I had a couple holes to try, where I the schoolies were going nuts this same time of year last Spring.

The sky was overcast, so I didn't have to wait long for dusk...and the fish started hitting immediately. I got 15 fish, and watched a couple other fishermen hook up regularly. The fish were very small though. 12 to 15 inches average, and I got one around 18 Inches.

March 24, 2000
I told myself I would hold off until April this year, but a blast of warm air on Friday, sent me scrambling to get my gear in order. I got to my favorite early season hole at just before sunset and fished until just after the sky lost its brilliant red and purple colors. It was high slack tide well up river, and the water was still as a pond. The air was cold and a breeze picked up as the sun dropped behind the trees, but lasted only a short time. When the temperatures settled, the breeze dissipated, and the mood in the marsh was silent, still, anticipation. I sensed that at any moment, a circular ripple would form out of the corner of my eye, and I would cast on it for my first fish of the season. Maya waited, and watched too. But nothing happened...nothing...I didn't catch my first fish today, and my hands got really cold. The dog didn't get too dirty and I figured I'd quit while I was ahead.

March 20, 2000 (Vernal Equinox)
Well, Spring is officially here. Word is that the herring have returned to Cape Cod, and with the herring come the bass. The water temperature on the south side is around 43 degrees. The air has been cold though, so getting up and out in the weather for an early arrival is a little difficult.

March 12, 2000
The weather is getting warmer here on Cape Cod, and the south-side rivers are looking better and better for those first of the season Stripers. I have held from getting in early this year for the fact that the weather has been cooler than the last two years. I will try my favorite early season haunt in about a week to see if there is any action. [more reports from this season]

Things to note when reading these reports...
1.	If there is no report, I am fishing, and you can bet the report would be good.
2.	Fishermen are writing these reports. As a basic rule, subtract 6 inches from all fish sizes reported and divide number of fish caught by 2.
3.	Ignore item #2 for MY Cape Cod reports.
4.	Do you have a fishing report? Just fill out the REPORTS FORM and look for your report in later postings.