i know the season is not over for some of us, but lets think back at this past season. i had a couple of memorable times this year. there was the time in june driving to the canal from ct. in the worst rain storm i've ever seen at 2 in the morning. i mean it was a monsoon. we made it there and fished and actually had a good day too. (it stopped raining hard as we got there) good thing. next would be the cutty trip with csa and the boat ride home when i almost fell out. ten foot waves blowing our boat all over the place. :tooth: i almost did fall out too. but my favorite night of this past year was at the ms tourney in rhode island. the stars were unbelievable that weekend. we didn't catch much fish, but looking up at the meteor shower that was on display that weekend while on a rock fishing point judith was a night i will not soon forget.

have a safe and happy holidays guys...

The Canal with MAC, Slipknot, and MikeP. I learned a LOT about the Ditch and patience that night.

fishing Wasque in June during the new moon from midnight till 6:00am. We were the last ferry onto Chappy and fished the hell out of the beach and was rewarded for out efforts....lost count after 40 fish, 90% were keepers.

There were a couple of nights this past Sept and Oct down in the canal. Fishing pretty much by myself and getting some pretty hefty fish, and there wasn't another soul around. I would laugh out loud, stop, and then laugh again since there wasn't anyone there to hear the ruckus.
Or the night I caught what had to be my biggest "official" fish from shore, moments after seeing a bass break the water 15-20 feet in front of me that I thought was a seal. It's the kind of thing that you never really get used to. (Nor do I want to get used to!)
(Note - "official" means I measured and weighed it. 41 inches and 21.5 lbs)
My biggest unofficial fish was in Sept. I was still in the canal about 1/2 way between low and high, and the water was waist deep. I couldn't measure the fish without dragging it to the shore, and while holding the digital scale over my head, I couldn't get the entire fish out of the water. The scale topped at 23.8 lbs

I only kept one fish this season, and released all others, but the memories will last a LONG TIME......

Let's hope that the bait situation (herring, menhaden and eel) improves so that the fishing will continue to improve.

Now.... I'm waiting for the ice to form so that I can do a little hardwater fishing. I am itching to try the Lower Mystic Lake in the Medford/Somerville/Arlington area. I had heard that someone had actually gotten some holdover stripers through the ice. Now that would be the best of both worlds.

On a side note, I had also read that a Fish & Game Dept. survey done on the Mystic River found striper fry, meaning that the fish are spawning in that waterway. I found that quite interesting.

October 4th...

September 29 in the Bay. 6 fish over 25#, 2 over 32#. All alone drifting eels. God I miss it already.:bc: :bc: :bc:

Bass blitzin squid onto the shore one morning in late June.

Are you talkin' fish wise or just the general experience cuase mine would have to be the evening I was driving out on the back beach at P-Town and the shapely blond girl with no bathing suit on was walking up to her truck out of the weater as I passed within ten feet and she waved and said Hi!

Fish wise, there were several that come to miond but the best was the evening with the blonde chick.:rotfl: :rotf2: :btu: :ss:

Are you talkin' fish wise or just the general experience cuase mine would have to be the evening I was driving out on the back beach at P-Town and the shapely blond girl with no bathing suit on was walking up to her truck out of the weater as I passed within ten feet and she waved and said Hi!

Fish wise, there were several that come to miond but the best was the evening with the blonde chick.:rotfl: :rotf2: :btu: :ss:

Hey, I gotta agree with Flaptail ... while I was not there ... that's the kind of fishing night I'd never forget.:beat:

. . . as I had so many memorable nights of fishing this season, more-so than any other season I can remember. Mainly because I got a new motor for the boat this season and had the confidence to go anywhere at anytime and the motor did not let me down once.

Every night was nice because so long as I knew the seas were calm or on the way down, it would be a nice ride out to the zones I'd be fishing in. Overcast or cloudy or clear, the dimming of the daylight is always a treat for me, especially on those nights where we get both a great clear sunset and a beautiful sky during twilight.

The most memorable nights were when I'd catch, of course. June is a great month but early to mid July is the best nightfishing for me. On the drifts I take, we are onto large bass every cast, all night. As I demand silence and ricepaper underfoot while drifting at night, it seems that many times I'm casting and hitting the bass on the head with my lures or bait as the take is that quick. The thing is is that there is never any commotion on top, no slapping of tails, no fish breaching the surface, no gurgling or slurping sounds, all is just quiet until the cast and the lure/bait hitting the water then there is the instant-take. I can just imagine that the bass are just swarming underneath the boat and all along the shorlines and are just out there at night eating away and feeling safe where we are.

After 2, 3 or 4am and it is time to head home, I'm sure I'm beat and the ride back is more often than not nice and smooth and calm and we run effortlessly back to the dock. Some of the nights start out very warm but no matter what, out on the water, by 1am, I start feel cool and it gets much cooler and by 3-4am it is downright chilly, foggy or really humid but that is part of the fun and something which most don't experience or realize that is the changes in temp and humidity that happen so quick out there.

All in all, every night is memorable out there since I have to be a weekend warrior due to work and all and the fact that my girl had a surgery this past July that shut me down for 2-3 weeks, the 2-3 weeks I had off during the peak of my season but I know I'll be taking home way less bass this upcoming season because I finally realized that I can't really stand the taste of the stuff no matter how it is cooked but I like to hook and feel them pull against me and feel the drag play out so I'll just be taking more pics and letting them swim off for someone else to catch and eat or sell, oh well. Thanks for asking.

The Canal with MAC, Slipknot, and MikeP. I learned a LOT about the Ditch and patience that night.

I learned a lot too--don't trust a Nautil drag on a decent fish :humpty:

My year was simply pathetic...

But one night this fall under a full moon was spectacular. Didn't catch anything mind you, but the scenery that night on the Little Compton shore was beyond words.

If I could, I would have canned some and sent it back to my Mom in Iowa so she could understand what I was talking about.

-spence

August, Boston Harbor. 3rd night of the new moon. T-Storms moved in
around 2am. I had the yak on the beach and waited in the truck for about an hour for Mother Nature to do her thing. I said, "How crazy am I?". :wave: I wasn't crazy. I am a believer in the new moon period for bass in groups up close in skinny water. The rain stopped and I was paddling away. Trolled my favorite boulder field with eel out and wham.....the reel was singing. Another banner night in the yak with the largest being in the 40lb class.

Man that seems to be a long time ago now. :rotf3:

The results of a couple fun nights:

a few more:

:)

Wasque

Nice fish Krispy. I don't think I ran into you this season unfortunatly. I had a good year. But the best night for me was the first night me and Redlite checked out this spot we had been talking about for a couple seasons. Our first night there the surf was pretty big and we stumbled around till about 3 am until mike hooked into a decent fish high 20's low thirtys than another about 20lbs. I only ended up with one fish around the same size but the fact that we went to this spot with no clue and found fish was rewarding. That spot put out some big fish for the rest of the season too.....

Krispy that looks more like Gay Head?

well in RI we have storms that come up the coast and i was out there in a spot that is down right dangerous! the waves are so big! But all you guys know what goes on in big surf. So on the back side of this spot was safer than the front. So me and a few guys are throwing poppers and bang all i saw was a monster tail and 1/2 of his side barrel role on to my plug. Now the drag is going and going and i cant stop him and all my braid is gone and down to the backing and pop. he spooled me! this fish was over 50lbs and all my friends looked on and laughed there butts off. (they all watched and said, that was a big fish mike) I will never forget that afternoon in RI as long as i live!
Some striper just can,t be caught!
RHM

Wasque


Man, you can't even see Leyland's house anymore. Water's right up to the dune line behind you.

Krispy that looks more like Gay Head?


That does look like Gay Head - even the tip of Pouge doesn't look like that and that is the closest looking piece of terrain. Either way both are favorite places - First time there Krispy?

Second night on cutty in the spring fishing with luds48. Conditions were tough and I managed two fish, a 20 and a 25, out of a little rip while getting knocked all over the place wading out in the white water. Not the biggest fish but it was definately satisfying to find a few that night.

Sept 27th, my brother and I on BI vacation - 10 fish 25 to 30 lbs

That does look like Gay Head - even the tip of Pouge doesn't look like that and that is the closest looking piece of terrain. Either way both are favorite places - First time there Krispy?

Somewhere between Wasque and Cape Pogue :huh:
Yeah, it was my first time there. Its a pretty island, and we had fun. But its not my style, and didnt really inspire my fishing blood the way some other places can.

Krisp, MV got my blood going, my first time fishing there and I loved it, in fact its my most memorable night from 2006.
It was pooring rain the first week of Sept. I went to Menemsha to fish the beach and rocks. As the tide turned out, I made my way to the jetty. I had the place to myself. It was raining so hard I could hardly see, but I could see the gay head light in the distance and hear the clanging of the bell on the buoy. I hooked and lost two good fish. I remember saying to myself, man this is heaven.

Krispy loves Gay Head

Krispy loves Gay Head

TO and Krispy :love:

Krispy nice pics of the fish!

Krispy loves Gay Head
I heard you like "working the knob" :err:

august 23

decksweeper and I on the rocks

19 fish
20-35 lb class

the school sat there all night!!!!!!!

October 8 with redlite and slingah.Fishing was memorable, but the wheelie bike flop was priceless.:rotfl:

Fishing a spot with one unknown angler and JoeP..
Nailed 12+ fish mostly mid teens with a few 20's as well... watched my good fishing buddy nail his PR and then release her. unfortunately he stole it from me by casting into my hole while I was unhooking a fish :D so it doesn't count :-P
although scaring boss-man JohnR into thinking I was dead when I had to swim across a reef to get a fish out from behind a ledge was pretty memorable for a laugh after he saw me emerge with a decent fish :D

Krispy you stud :claps:

my most memorable night fishing was with redlite on a full moon back in september. i just had ACL surgery and was a little leary of deep wading an area i wasn't familiar with but Mike convinced me that it would be ok. we get to the spot and mike's like, "that's where we're going." i'm thinking you gotta be kidding me, we're basically wading to an offshore island, at least 50 yards from shore, with waves breaking over it. about half way out Mike says, "this is gonna be a little hairy, i've never been out here when its been this deep before." WTF? well we made it out there safely, but it was an adventure. we didn't catch anything so we made a little drive to a different spot. another nice little walk, but only knee deep on the way out. canalman was out there and had already released a decent fish. we cast for a while until mike finally landed a nice fish about 33 lbs. he and canalman took off and i decided to stick it out to get a feel for the area. managed one low 20lb fish then called it a night. the next night mike went out there on the same tide and almost drowned :uhoh:
it was fun fishing a new area....

Krispy you stud :claps:

my most memorable night fishing was with redlite on a full moon back in september. i just had ACL surgery and was a little leary of deep wading an area i wasn't familiar with but Mike convinced me that it would be ok. we get to the spot and mike's like, "that's where we're going." i'm thinking you gotta be kidding me, we're basically wading to an offshore island, at least 50 yards from shore, with waves breaking over it. about half way out Mike says, "this is gonna be a little hairy, i've never been out here when its been this deep before." WTF? well we made it out there safely, but it was an adventure. we didn't catch anything so we made a little drive to a different spot. another nice little walk, but only knee deep on the way out. canalman was out there and had already released a decent fish. we cast for a while until mike finally landed a nice fish about 33 lbs. he and canalman took off and i decided to stick it out to get a feel for the area. managed one low 20lb fish then called it a night. the next night mike went out there on the same tide and almost drowned :uhoh:
it was fun fishing a new area....

Hairy is right :uhoh:

My most memorable nigh this year... well there are 2...

1st was in August when F18 and I hooked the same shark 5 times... it nearly spooled me twice, the second time, I was prepared to let her take all my line (last eel) if she wanted it but she sulked in the current for a while... my rod bent into the foregrip, everytime I gained she took it right back and then the line finally gave up. about 4ft of the leader was completely sanded... pretty cool.

Then there was the 2 night stretch when I expected to catch good fish and I did, there were big fish at cutty and 2 days of the right wind brough them to my shore. 1st night 3 fish from 30-36 pounds lost 2 other good fish... second night 1 fish but it was my personal best. Had quite a few memorable nights this fall after what I would call an awful summer. I think next year we'll see some huge fish caught... quite a few fish caught this year on the cusp of the 50# mark... BackBeach had a 47# Goose had a 47#, The guys at Cutty had several 40's the second to last week of sep with the largest going 48#... 2007's looking good.... now if I can just be right :smash: :walk: :rotf2:

Sept. 28th, landed a 32# in the canal in the A.M., hooked up with a friend who was commercial fishing in a 16' tin can, motored over to Newport trolling eels, caight 4 fish from 25 to 38 #s. 150+ lbs in one day. I don't really count the boat fish since it seems like the captain should get all that credit... Chuck

TO and Krispy :love:

Krispy nice pics of the fish!
Thanks, those were all over the 30 mark

October 8 with redlite and slingah.Fishing was memorable, but the wheelie bike flop was priceless.:rotfl:

same here.....fishing with Mike is always memorable

you guys are animals:laugha: :laugha: :laugha: :laugha:

George's Island ,,,,,,Numby,,Flap and Slingah .

George's Island ,,,,,,Numby,,Flap and Slingah .

I guess I have alot of memorable ones...I just never can remember.:laughs:
George's Island is the tops.....not to be beat'n by VERY memorable nites at DAN:btu:

I had a few. One in October at a new spot on the north shore with Clogston29. We got into some good fish for what may have been as long as 3 hours.

The other night was w/ C29 and Canalman. Most likely this night might be one they would like to forget but for me it was great. We fished through the whole night for nothing until I grabbed a couple 40" fish maybe an hour before dawn. I usually would not get as excited about a couple fish that size when I put in something like 6 hours but I thought that the spot we were at was one of the cooler ones that I have ever fished. I also felt like those bass were earned. I also managed to lock my keys in my truck on private property that night. Luckily Canalman seems well versed in breaking into vehicles. :rotf2:

As much as I enjoying catching big bass the company and laughs are often just as good as the fishing.

another night would have been the night stars were falling out of the sky every minute

no big fish that night, although a steady bite was on, but the scenery was something I will never forget

Second night on cutty in the spring fishing with luds48. Conditions were tough and I managed two fish, a 20 and a 25, out of a little rip while getting knocked all over the place wading out in the white water. Not the biggest fish but it was definately satisfying to find a few that night.

That was one of my more frustrating times fishing with you. I landed one fish at that rip. If I remember correctly you had more than two fish there. I would love to have another shot at those conditions. Learned a little more about drifting eels since that night.

Felt a little better when I landed a couple decent fish just before first light on a white hab's needle.

no %$%$%$%$tt! dam cant wait till they come back! jim you are one hell of a fisherman! all on swimmers 2?
RHM

spring time.. 1 st time this year fishing with Slingah ,, Took a major swan dive off a rock .. heard him giggle

spring time ,, ran across a stranger who said he was just fishing in Africa., He fishes all over the world .. Gave me a plug from a builder in France.. Had Logan Airport stickers on his plug case .

Getting skunked while Slingah hooked up repeatedly on my needle . I didn't have one .

Ran into Joe G .. watched him catch a few... asked how many he had gotten . "about 40 fish he replied" He left ... fished 4 hrs .. got a few..:(

Fishing with Big Fish Larry .. good time ... didn't feel uncomfortable .

Regrets ... Not enough fishing with Mac ,,, missed out ,,couldn't get it together with Canalman .. Wanted to do more RI

Throwing a big white danny at a 10 foot shark, under a full moon, alone, heart pounding, miles from anyone else, in a place very hard to reach, where I shouldn't have been, and plan to go back. Didn't get him (or much else) but it didn't seem to matter.

another night would have been the night stars were falling out of the sky every minute

no big fish that night, although a steady bite was on, but the scenery was something I will never forget

Great night indeed. Fished for 20 hrs straight that night into the next day. Fishing a tourny with different club's members all fishing together.
Most miserable moment was missing Leo by less than an hour. :bc:

Throwing a big white danny at a 10 foot shark, under a full moon, alone, heart pounding, miles from anyone else, in a place very hard to reach, where I shouldn't have been, and plan to go back. Didn't get him (or much else) but it didn't seem to matter.

No unexploded ordinance is there ? :eek5:

Four nights over two trips to Cuttyhunk were highlights for me. Didn't matter if I was fishing, hiking, missing a path, playing taxi, or trying to figure out how close Clammer would get to the beach... just being there with S-B groups of 12 and 18 guys, all enjoying just being able to fish there, was great!
Daytime highlight was four solid 30# fish out of big surf, just before heading onto the OTW Striper Cup banquet.

[QUOTE=luds48;439309]Luckily Canalman seems well versed in breaking into vehicles. :rotf2: [QUOTE]

I've had a good teacher Thanks Dave :hihi:

That was one of my more frustrating times fishing with you. I landed one fish at that rip. If I remember correctly you had more than two fish there. I would love to have another shot at those conditions. Learned a little more about drifting eels since that night.

Felt a little better when I landed a couple decent fish just before first light on a white hab's needle.

I wish we had stayed longer. It got slow but we should have stuck it out. We would have done better staying there than where we moved to. Live and learn.

same here.....fishing with Mike is always memorable

That's the night Slingah! About five seconds after this pic was taken, everything you see in the pic was scattered on the pavement.....four large fish, two nice rods,one bike, the eels, and Mike. We were laughing too hard to take a pic.