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Each year I try and hit all the islands more then once both from the shore and boat. Some years I fish some more then others. I worked over CH and eliz' islands and MV pretty good and managed a trip to BI and several boat trips to ACK but didn't fish ACK from the shore this season. (althought I was there a few times)
For me I have to say I have two highlights of my season...The first one came while I was exploring new nooks and crannys along the eliz's alone in the boat. Got into a large pod of fish in the 20-25# class. Once I landed a few I switched over to light spin gear on surface plugs and had a ball for about 3 hours, then left as the sun was getting high. I never saw another boat or person the entire morning....it was a near perfect morning.
The other highlight was when I was with my 2 boys and my 8 year old got his biggest bass to date..(30#) The thrill was very memorable as the sun was comming up and we captured it in the photo I posted some time ago. These are the reasons why I fish. The solitude and the memories.
Other memorable times were a very successful few surfnights on an impromptu trip to CH in July when my wife suggested we take the family and spend a few nights in the Bass Club...That alone would have been fun enough but there was some very surprising action with big fish all on Bernzy plugs that put my gear to the limits. Again, all alone didn't see a surf fisherman the entire visit.
Also, the spring run on MV which didn't last as long as last season (from the surf) but within the slow pick we had 3 really hot nights in a row (fish 20-42#)...if you were there it was very exciting, If you could get a big plug in the water you were on in short order...those big Polski plugs did the trick for me (the Fatso with/VMC and triple rings). Bass fishing just prior to the comm season opening was awesome from the boat in the spots where the comm guys park all comm season. Eels were the ticket with lots of nice fish around.
The summer was decent from the shore for bass but the boat fishing for fluke in the sound was awesome at times. With many fish over 8# and several 10'+s and even one just shy of 13....I am looking foreward to next year already and have begun tying fluke rigs with my son. After exhautive testing of probably over 100 different styles over the last 3 years we found the ticket. We plan to tie 250 high end fluke rigs. (hope to sell some to a couple of shops since people were asking me where they could get them off my boat last year. If it works out, I will have a few thousand tied next season)
Offshore was great later in the summer but I just wish I went more often. Seeing a bluefin (300-400) come clear of the water so close to the boat is etched in my memory forever.
The fall run from the surf on MV was a little dissapointing, again, I had few nice fish but nothing worth noting. The was frustrating because a lot of folks come to target them here during the derby. The bonito and albie run was I think the best I have ever seen with boat trips having wild days of non-stop action and a very predicable surf bite for an exteneded period. But the albies took over the show at around derby time and it was tough to get thru them to get to a bone from the shore.
Hitting the derby pretty hard and meeting several of the sb.com experts on the beach and doing a BI trip with 8 of the sb.comers was a lot of fun. I hope to do it all again next season and meet more of you guys.
All in all I did a lot of fishing and hope to squeek in even more next season. over all it was a good year, I give it a B+
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