Fishing and the Fourth....
 

Always a dilemma...every yahoo out on the water, looking for the big one, or just adding to the mayhem surrounding viewing fireworks from a boat. Worst weekend of the year to be on the water IMHO. I already have FOUR messages requesting fish for the weekend get togethers that I am not even invited to....(not happening)

The only time on my boat will be 0400-0900. Then get the hell out of Dodge.... I wont be fishing my regular spots in daylight, as I don't want any more pressure on them. Evening and night fishing is out as I do not think the fireworks, parties, drunks, their noise and sewerage will be condusive to the bite. People can't believe that I don't watch the fireworks from the boat....:smash: But I am spoiled and don't want to be out there amongst the drunks and have to wait for hours to get in from the mooring. Almost got mowed down one year rowing in.

So be careful out there, and protect your honey holes by not being seen there for all to see.....

Wishing all a good Fourth!

Wise advice, Happy 4th!
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Wow....that's takes balls......I'd tell them to pound sand.

gonna take the yak out Friday night I think...then shore bound the rest of the weekend

i've found even fishing the surf around the 4th sucks, with the exception of early am, maybe. too much traffic and people everywhere. just not worth the aggrevation. wife's working all weekend so i definately won't be out and about.

still trying to figure out where to view some fireworks..... :doh:

Go to the RockMore and fish, it's the best place, the fish are huge.

rockmore...closed!

That's been gone for four years now. He got busted and fined 300k for dumping raw sewerage from the restaurant and his ferry. The fish that used to be there for the french fries were picked clean by two comms years ago... Just a floating junkyard now.

Its really funny the amount of people you see not fishing just watching. Sitting, standing smoking their cancer sticks telling stories that even second graders wouldn't believe. Even the "experts" follow people around these days. Instant gratification report chasing fisherman...

Your post is spot on. I had actually made the decision not to fish past sat morning.
This will actually be the first fourth of july Ill be home since 2005.
All the extra people on the beach and the random shooting off of fireworks I can certainly do with out. I just hope the beaches dont get too trashed.

greg, that's why I didn't invite you to come up this weekend....:grins:

I look at it as a time to rest and ready the tackle for the second period...

I will be yakking early am and off by 11:00am latest! Freshwater one morning...salt the other two! Just hanging at home the rest of the time.....grillin', swillin' and chillin'!:uhuh:

I've had some amazing times fishing on the 4th. For bass, I,m only on the water 8pm - 1am or 3am to 9am regardless of the weekend. A few years back I was pounding bass on eels @ 9:30pm and everywhere I looked - 360 degrees, there were fireworks going off. It was amazing. i was back in by 11pm, beer by midnight and fast asleep by 12:30. It doenst get much better than that!

early am is the way to go for sure, most people are at home passed out. But it's true, come 9am the yahoos come out and try to fish.
My fishing time has been cut short this year with school and baby and work so you can bet I'll be out there.

Some cool stuff can happen too though, one year I was out in the kayak when two fighter jets did a low altitude fly by, I heard them coming of course, but when they went overhead it almost rattled me into the drink, good way to get the aldrenline going!

the opposite for me....
 

later i'll be chillin...
then swillin.....
then Grillin.... :soon:

We are getting florida's RAIN :uhuh:

Can I derail a bit?

Can I ask when you guys normally fish? In the surf I was always fishing at night and 80% of my boat fishing is in the dark. Doenst everybodt do this? Am I the only one that walks around like a zombie all week beacuse of sleep deprivation?
Clogston - dont know you, but you seemed like a night surfcaster, whay does it matter if its a holiday weekend? I can guarntee I wont see 5 people fishing all weekend when Im out. Arent you guys night fishing?
As a side note, my Dad's largest bass 51 or 53 lbs, cant remember came on July 4 1992 on a bar in RI @ 3:30am. He never saw a soul and no one saw him carry her off the beach

Depending on what day is the biggest party day, the next morning would be a good time to hit the drink.
Keep in mind that not everyone is an angler, and if the boat owner decides to party the night before, he/she won't be in any mood or hurry to get going the next morning. I would hit the water in my yak at first light and have the place to myself, be it Duxbury Bay or Moultonborough Bay (Lake Winnipesaukee). By the time the sun started to heat things up, I was ready to call it a morning and head back home for brunch!

95% of my fishing is done at night and I never really see anyone except in the fall and around the tourneys. I am talking about when I stay for a first light bite, chill and watch the sunrise or am waiting to go grab breakfest with the wife.


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Last year I went out twice on the 4th weekend, very good fishing but, close to a fist fight each time launching and retrieving in Westport. Man I hate weekends at the ramp.

Sunset to sun rise for me....mostly during the week between 9 PM and 1AM... or 12AM to day break...I avoid day light from june 15 -labor day.

Ross what no clam bake and Sam Adams on tap at your house this weekend ?

Funny you would say this because every year when on the Vineyard for the 4th we would watch the fireworks in Falmouth while fishing on the Vineyard

VB

for me, its mostly about parking and traffic. as i said, early am can be ok. most of the areas i fish have 4th of july festivities in the area, and its just not worth dealing with tons of extra traffic and extra parking hassles (and attention from police). i've gone out several times around the 4th and regretted it every time. also have to keep in mind that i'm well north of you, and the night bite for bigger fish from shore hasn't really heated up yet, too many macs keeping the bass offshore.

makes sense

No clambake or keg. Been 15 years.... But as Clogston noted, parking can be a problem and being that I live in a summer destination, the place gets packed with tourists. Both harbors swell to capacity for fireworks, and then there's the Marblehead Festival of Arts going on all weekend. Some great music concerts at Crocker Park. So there is an open door policy for guests and family. Please let me know if you are in town. We'll do the food. You figure out how to entertain yourselves. There's plenty going on this weekend, so that is why I have friends to visit the town on the 4th. We can usually hear some bands from the house if wind is SW, but I can do without the crowds. There are boats all over the place on the move right up to 0100, so night fishing is out this weekend. In general, I've become a big fan of getting on the water before dawn and fishing into early morning.

I will be doing alittle yard work and just hanging out by my pool all weekend
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Bummer. I never made it there. Good he got busted, bad the comms got them

The fish sense the ruckus too, and thin out for these warrior types.

I checked my log for the last 3 years. It turns out that the fishing has been pretty good for me. All late night stuff. Its not too bad to fish at night then take a nap on the beach in the morning then head home around 9-10 AM.

Previewed the weekend last night - while I was surfcasting from a rocky point, kids were setting off sky rockets over the water about 100 yards to my left.