I tend to notice a lack of discussion of great/productive trips out and no new personal bests posted by very many at all thus far this season???? Action sure seems slow this season??? I am guessing that over all the season is way off what it has been in years past....and it seems to be a disturbing trend?? Each year seems to be off more than the one before! Its an old topic but I am curious on your thoughts and experiences so far this season?? Things seem off to you???? I think so!

im having my best season all around!
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I think all around people are tired of crowds and report chasers thus the lack of reports and spot burning

I'm less sure.

Certainly numbers are down noticeably, but I still see lots of 12-18# fish by night. By day I can't catch squat with plugs, but there is no shortage of fish for those using fly rods. What I can't find are those 30lb fish that should still be around. 2 years ago I could catch 20-25 lb fish at will. No more. I don't know if they have been cleaned out or if their behavior changes as they get bigger. I hope it is the latter.

The other thing I suspect is going on is a canal-centric view point. The canal has been so good with so many predictable blitzes the last 3-4 years that many guys have become dependent on it. I suspect there are often times when there are more guys fishing at the canal, than there are fishing from shore along the entire remaining MA coast. Fishing effort used to be much more balanced. Now when the canal blitzes don't materialize, many guys feel lost (although I bet the long time regulars slugging it out with jigs/eels in the dark are still doing OK).

It is nice out there at 2 in the am, and there are still enough fish to make it worth going. These 32-38" fish promise several good years of fishing yet. There is discouragingly little behind them, though. That worries me.

I agree with NS on the canal point. It was my first thought when I read the op. Similar has happened with the cape a few years ago and narragansett bay also.

I'm not getting out as much as usual, but seam to be seeing typical numbers and size and size of fish on north shore.
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Pretty typical year for me though I usually have a few bigger fish than I have at this point. Everybody seems to think we need a good blow to get some bigger fish. We'll see. I'd rather not have to wait for that.

Mike - I think the good blow is a hope for those south of us, I think we should be pulling for stable weather. The fish are here and we'll start seeing them move close to shore soon as the bait this out imo.
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pretty normal season compared to the last few...and what George said regarding the Canal..

don't take this the wrong way BF... but my 12 year old seems to be outfishing you this season :):)

Scott....if you own a house cat....odds are it is outfishing me! LOL!!!:rotf2:

I agree with a lot of what has been said. The site isn't what it use to be either. I'm sure there are plenty of guys slaying big fish somewhere.

pretty normal season compared to the last few...and what George said regarding the Canal..

don't take this the wrong way BF... but my 12 year old seems to be outfishing you this season :):)

Whenever it becomes time to have a new front page pic this one is a sure candidate! Nice picture ScottW.

That kid is photogenic. What a smile. For some reason whenever someone takes a pic of me at night in the surf it looks like I'm having a tough time on the toilet.:smash:

The site isn't what it use to be either.

What do you mean Slingah? It's short on reports and shared succes stories?

Season has been normal for me. It's just the last week that kinda sucked. Hitting it old school tonight. Eels and jigs at night haven't been worth the gas money lately.
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[QUOTE=luds;873599]Whenever it becomes time to have a new front page pic this one is a sure candidate! Nice picture ScottW.

I agree. Awesome pic!!
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What do you mean Slingah? It's short on reports and shared succes stories?

:rotf2: sort of maybe :rotf2:...just seems like lots have left...like a lot of the old diehards now have lives or something....other priorities, you know?
I still like the site don't get me wrong. I could just care less about striper fishing nowadays.....maybe this fall....

The last couple of weeks my time on the water has been limited. This heat wave has zapped the desire to hit the surf, chilling on the dock is more in order. If this July is anything like last year i will wait a couple more weeks. I summed up my 2010 season in my tide book with a "July 2010 SUCKED" there was a bit more detail as to the time, date and tide of the suckness but that summed it up.

Work, kids, dogs, moving...no time to fish hard this year so far, but there's fish to be had if you have the time. I'll be back at it once the dust settles in a few weeks...I just made my first eel purchase of the year today, so things are looking up.

Not seeing or hearing of many large surf fish at all. Frank D's annual 50 count is down too. Guys in the boats are doing well in many locales, but I haven't been privvy to many good surf reports.

Season so far above average for me, but I don't consider only stripers as a success.

...I just made my first eel purchase of the year today, so things are looking up.
.

Sunfish eat eels?

Way Way down for me but I've switched from the boat to the beach. Still working on narrowing down the "new" spots. I"m batting about .300 from the beach with nothing over 36"

Canal has been "normal" though.

There slurp-ping in the dark and there are bass around. This isn't your first rodeo is it.... ya its summer time and the bigger bass are out deep.
Even the eel guys are getting skunked. I do agree that its been down hill for the last 10 years. They have been over fished for years just like cod in RI. Theres plenty of scup around to catch ....so when the striped bass becomes extinct.... We can tell our kids about the fall runs that we use to have ..... But the Draggers and pin hookers and poachers who fatten there wallet have completely destroyed the stocks and no one gave #^&#^&#^&#^& and let it happen.

can be this crowded for the canalcentric fisherman. I wouldn't crowd someone I don't like this bad. Sorry the first one is blurred. There is about twenty fishermen in that pic though.

Nothing wrong with this season.
Reports/ the internet are overrated & do nothing but cause crowds.
Unfortunately when you charter you have to do some self promoting.

No complaints here.... But they are boat fish, so who cares? Makes me happy, and was able to put another member on a PB last weekend livelining macks.

May through late June was great for bass, blues and sea bass. I fished Buzz Bay most of May from the boat along with a few canal trips which were all productive. Switched over to CCbay in June and had same success there with mostly bass and some blues.

Late June through now has been tough, more so due to my limited time out due to work, etc. But I expect that will change in the coming weeks.

My plan is to hit it hard from mid Aug through Nov for bass & tuna.

Stellar spring but the doldrums started in mid june for me :wall:

I think all around people are tired of crowds and report chasers thus the lack of reports and spot burning

EXACTLY!!!!
I am tired of posting something and 2 days later 30 boats are in or close to my spots. I stopped that stuff 2 years ago.
I am having my best year ever in the boat. I could not wish for a better year. All I will say is Narr Bay and everything has been from North of the bridges.

Gotta go to the Vineyard Larry. It's blowing up over there! :devil2:

My very limited fishing this year has not been good. My 4 year old son is outfishing me so far. :uhuh:

I haven't been out that much at all, but I am able to scare up some fish when I go out, even during the day (from the kayak but in close to shore) so I think things are looking ok, except that I see very few smaller fish and I used to be very good at catching them :D

i only fish about 4x/ month; but it's been a pretty average season on the north shore. just like what everone else said.... the dinks don't seem to around this year. lot's of 33-36 inch fish with intermittent 15-20#'ers. hoping for bigger fish in the 30's and 40's august- september. i believe last year we did have a lot of nor'easters that may have screwed up fishing some good tides. i don't really remember though.

I surf fish at night the same area and for the past 5 years the fishing has gotten worse. Especially this year is pretty bad. I go a lot too. And I only fish plugs.
I feel it is much easier and there are more fish to catch if u go by boat and/or use bait.
Eventually everybody at some point will see there are less bass out there. Just a matter of time and what/where u fish.
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I'm less sure.

Certainly numbers are down noticeably, but I still see lots of 12-18# fish by night. By day I can't catch squat with plugs, but there is no shortage of fish for those using fly rods. What I can't find are those 30lb fish that should still be around. 2 years ago I could catch 20-25 lb fish at will. No more. I don't know if they have been cleaned out or if their behavior changes as they get bigger. I hope it is the latter.

The other thing I suspect is going on is a canal-centric view point. The canal has been so good with so many predictable blitzes the last 3-4 years that many guys have become dependent on it. I suspect there are often times when there are more guys fishing at the canal, than there are fishing from shore along the entire remaining MA coast. Fishing effort used to be much more balanced. Now when the canal blitzes don't materialize, many guys feel lost (although I bet the long time regulars slugging it out with jigs/eels in the dark are still doing OK).

It is nice out there at 2 in the am, and there are still enough fish to make it worth going. These 32-38" fish promise several good years of fishing yet. There is discouragingly little behind them, though. That worries me.

EXACTLY ,TO MANY PEOPLE RELYING ON THE CANAL. ANYONE CAN CATCH A FISH IN A BLITZ.BUT IT HAS BEEN A PRETTY GOOD YEAR FOR ME.BEEN SKUNKED JUST ONCE.KIND A GLAD NO ONE FISHES THE BEACHES ANYMORE AND THERE JUST WAITING FOR THE CANAL BLITZES.

can be this crowded for the canalcentric fisherman. I wouldn't crowd someone I don't like this bad. Sorry the first one is blurred. There is about twenty fishermen in that pic though.

THATS NOT BAD FOR THE CANAL.IT GETS WAY WORSE THAN THAT. ID TAKE THOSE NUMBERS ANYDAY