Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post - squeteague

Flaptail · 06-29-2005, 08:32 AM

The Squeteague is one of the most beautiful fish that swim in New England waters. Back in the 70's, when I lived in Worcester MA. we would await the bloom of the Lilacs in my mother's backyard. When they would bloom we would start driving down Rt. 146 to Warwick and Greenwich to fish for them. We fished at Sandy Point at the entrance to Greenwich Bay. We would take 20 fish a night on good tides. It was an hour each way to and from Sandy Point. My Uncle owned a house on Prudence Island at Homestead just up the street form the Prudence Island Ferry dock. The house had a widows walk and I would launch my skiff at Bristol and go 'round Hog Island and across the ship channel and stay with him for a week in August every year. We could see the giant schools of Menhaden in the ship channel especially by the Hog Island and Mount Hope bridge. We would drift through the schools snagging pogies and letting them dive down through the tremendous schools. You could actually hear the pogies bumping the bottom of the skiff they were packed so tight. Most schools were an acre or so across and fish would be busting on the edges constantly. Big Bluefish and bass but especially big Squeteague, I mean big. twelve,thirteen and a couple 14 pounders we would catch. You knew when you missed one by the two parralel cuts down the side of the pogies body from those two big teeth they have up top. Anyway the pogie boats would show up. A puke color green and in three days they would be low in the water and the pogies were gone. See you next year. On Cape here when I moved there was still some good fishing over in Quissett and off of the Falmouth south shore at Menahaunt and Maravista and West Falmouth harbor. We even cuaght some drifting pogies in Pleasant Bay.Last one I caught was in 89' drifting eels one night on the west tide at the mud flats at the canal. Eel grass beds are essential for Squeteague habitat as is bait. They love peanut bunker and adult pogies. They are cyclical but that doesn't explain the radical drop you have now. Something must be done and anyone who has ever fished for them or loves fishing in 'Ganett Bay should be up in arms. Run-off from septic systems kills the eelgrass and the chain goes on from there. Too bad, it's a great fish that needs a chance to comeback. And your right they suck to eat so making them a gamefish would be a good thing for there future.

06-29-2005, 08:32 AM	#6
Flaptail Registered User iTrader: (0) Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Uh, in a spot.... Posts: 5,451	The Squeteague is one of the most beautiful fish that swim in New England waters. Back in the 70's, when I lived in Worcester MA. we would await the bloom of the Lilacs in my mother's backyard. When they would bloom we would start driving down Rt. 146 to Warwick and Greenwich to fish for them. We fished at Sandy Point at the entrance to Greenwich Bay. We would take 20 fish a night on good tides. It was an hour each way to and from Sandy Point. My Uncle owned a house on Prudence Island at Homestead just up the street form the Prudence Island Ferry dock. The house had a widows walk and I would launch my skiff at Bristol and go 'round Hog Island and across the ship channel and stay with him for a week in August every year. We could see the giant schools of Menhaden in the ship channel especially by the Hog Island and Mount Hope bridge. We would drift through the schools snagging pogies and letting them dive down through the tremendous schools. You could actually hear the pogies bumping the bottom of the skiff they were packed so tight. Most schools were an acre or so across and fish would be busting on the edges constantly. Big Bluefish and bass but especially big Squeteague, I mean big. twelve,thirteen and a couple 14 pounders we would catch. You knew when you missed one by the two parralel cuts down the side of the pogies body from those two big teeth they have up top. Anyway the pogie boats would show up. A puke color green and in three days they would be low in the water and the pogies were gone. See you next year. On Cape here when I moved there was still some good fishing over in Quissett and off of the Falmouth south shore at Menahaunt and Maravista and West Falmouth harbor. We even cuaght some drifting pogies in Pleasant Bay.Last one I caught was in 89' drifting eels one night on the west tide at the mud flats at the canal. Eel grass beds are essential for Squeteague habitat as is bait. They love peanut bunker and adult pogies. They are cyclical but that doesn't explain the radical drop you have now. Something must be done and anyone who has ever fished for them or loves fishing in 'Ganett Bay should be up in arms. Run-off from septic systems kills the eelgrass and the chain goes on from there. Too bad, it's a great fish that needs a chance to comeback. And your right they suck to eat so making them a gamefish would be a good thing for there future.
	Why even try.........