Someone on the train this AM was talking about the water temps on Cape Cod being as much as 10 degrees warmer than this time last year. Will this speed up the migration or am I once again engaged in wishful thinking? Also, I'm figuring that Maine will start seeing fish about three or four weeks after the Cape.

Check out these two sites. Rutgers has a feature that you can look back at past water temps and you should be able to see what the temp was this time last year.I like the other site better though

http://www.weatherimages.org/index.html#water

http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/newevery.html

<i><font color="0000cc">
Hey, MartyK - as far as fishing is concerned that could be very good news! We'll see how the fish progress north and keep you informed. Histoically I always started getting the schoolies in late May early June in the Saco river/Camp Ellis area. When do you typically see your early bass up there???

</i>

I started a log for the first time last year. I know I had fish around or before Memorial Day the previous year. I caught my first fish the second weekend in June in 1999 (a terrible year), but one of the other guys had one as early as May 15. I plan my first outing May 13 (after I stain the deck and do all the other household chores which will free me up the rest of the summer). I'm off to Florida tomorrow, but not fishing.

Good luck in FLA, bring back some of that warm weather... Talk to you when you get back...