fishing better these days than in the 1990's?

[zimmy]

Wondering what guys are experiencing. This is purely anecdotal, but I have experienced somewhat of a decline. While I have moved around alot over the last 13 or so years, the places I fish the most seemed to be better 10 years ago. The upper Chesapeake where I fished most through the mid 90's certainly held more and larger fish.

I only started fishing the canal in the late 1990's, but seemed to do better back then although I was really just beginning to learn it. I do fish it less now and it may be just that the last few years by chance weren't as good for me, particularly in the fall.

Now I fish the most in the Housatonic in Ct. I have only fished it the last two years so I can't compare other than what I am told is it hasn't been as good the last few years.

Generally, the fishing is still overall good, but wondering if you find its declining, better, the same, smaller but more fish, can't tell?

[Squibby17]

Were talking stripers here because I could catch all the "bloo fish" I wanted in the mid ninties but that wasnt necessarily a great thing.

I have found that the fishing in the spring has gotten better and better the past few years. Where the fall has declined in the past few years. Size for me has been consistant .....always under 20 lbs

[slapshot]

I would say that the decline in the herring counts in CT would result in declining fishing in the Housy. I have only fished it a few times, but if the herring aren't in their in huge numbers, the bass will be outside with the bunker and the squid.

[piemma]

Much better in RI now than in the 90's much worse on the Cape. We use to "tong em" on the Back in the early and mid 90. Best years from my logs were 91 thru 97. Then it went down hill.

Mission Bell, 2 tenths Hole, Laura's, Peaked Hill Bar, High Head, Second Rip, The Telephone Pole. My God the bass were unbelievable.
We had nights when we walked away from 25 to 30# fish because are arms were too tired to fish anymore. NO Lie!!

[Flaptail]

Depends on where and how you fished then and now. The back beach then was good. Now, it's been stinko for the last few years. Course what with the cooler alongshore currents keeping the bait offshore a half mile or so and the seals that might have been a problem. Like I said before, a half mile out of Chatham we caught bass all summer but not on the beach.

My most satisfying fishing was in the period of the 36 inch limit and would gladly go back to that length if it was asked. Course I was flyfishing only then and did so for the better part of 11 years. I could float the east bar and take five or six fish a morning in the 20 pound class no problem. Monomoy was the same, especially outside ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g big assed Decievers into the surf from the boat with 300 grain depthcharge lines. Man the fish we took.

This year will be different. I hope different for the better on the outer cape. In the bay it's been heaven, absolute heaven for years now. Plenty of bass of all sizes in deep and shallow water. Could not ask for better. 100 fish days on light tackle with fish from 18 inches to 40 plus inches. Sluggos and fly and the guys tube and worning or dragging Bunker spoons are getting some real monsters. Only thing we need to see is the re-appearence of pogies in places like Pleasant Bay, Stage and Cape Cod Bay. Maybe this year, but who knows.

The Elizabeths still charm the pants off me in May/June and October/November. Last November was the best in years. All on plugs.

Notr being one to settle in one place for long while looking for fish and having the whole of Cape Cod as my backyard I would say the fishing overall is better, maybe not as many big fish but there are more fish. We need pogies that weigh two pounds!

[King Neptune]

I think the feeding habits of stripers have changed over the past ten years. Ten years ago i caught loads of fish (Falmouth, Cape Cod) at the mouths of herring runs in the spring. The past two years the herring runs have been dismal, and the fish aren't in those spots in the same numbers. But the past two years when I go out in May and fish in areas where the bass are feeding on squid, I catch more fish than ever.
It's been the same in the Fall, when the peanut bunker are around. There haven't been as many PB around the past two years, so the bass aren't congregating in those areas like they used to.
I've done very well the past two years fishing in rocky areas. I believe the bass are keying in more on crabs, scup, sea bass, lobsters etc than they are herring and pogies.
Anglers need to try new spots every year, and experiment. Just because you caught a lot of fish in a spot 5 years ago, doesn't mean it's going to be good this year. Many of my old honey holes have dried up the past few years, but I've also found some new ones that have been great.
I think there are more stripers around than ever, they're just changed they're feeding habits and aren't neccesarily in the same spots they were 5 years ago.

[spence]

Originally Posted by King Neptune

I think there are more stripers around than ever, they're just changed they're feeding habits and aren't neccesarily in the same spots they were 5 years ago.

Granted I have very limited long-term experience (no stripers in Iowa), but regardless I'd agree that this is very likely a good part of the current situation.

-spence

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by piemma

Much better in RI now than in the 90's much worse on the Cape. We use to "tong em" on the Back in the early and mid 90. Best years from my logs were 91 thru 97. Then it went down hill.

Mission Bell, 2 tenths Hole, Laura's, Peaked Hill Bar, High Head, Second Rip, The Telephone Pole. My God the bass were unbelievable.
We had nights when we walked away from 25 to 30# fish because are arms were too tired to fish anymore. NO Lie!!

Very true. It was good from 91 through 99 for me. In 98 and 99, it was more from the boat than surf though. Aside from the fall runs in 2001 and 2003, the outer cape has been trending down. At some point it will reverse, I believe. There are actually plenty of fish out there, just not all in the surf. There doesn't seem to be any resident summer fish on the outer cape like what we had in rhody last year. It used to be the other way around, like Paul said. As far as fishing quality overall, there seems to be a lot more fish now, especially 15-30 pound fish. At some points from the late 80's through the 90's the fish were all 36" and less, or 35 pounds and up on the outer cape. The size distribution now seems more balanced from schoolies up to the 30# range.

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Very true. It was good from 91 through 99 for me. In 98 and 99, it was more from the boat than surf though. Aside from the fall runs in 2001 and 2003, the outer cape has been trending down. At some point it will reverse, I believe. There are actually plenty of fish out there, just not all in the surf. There doesn't seem to be any resident summer fish on the outer cape like what we had in rhody last year. It used to be the other way around, like Paul said. As far as fishing quality overall, there seems to be a lot more fish now, especially 15-30 pound fish. At some points from the late 80's through the 90's the fish were all 36" and less, or 35 pounds and up on the outer cape. The size distribution now seems more balanced from schoolies up to the 30# range.

Great points made. I also believe that it will turn around. The whole Striper thing is a cycle. here one year gone the next and they show up someplace else. Bryan and I had a spot 2 years ago in RI where we could get 100 fish from schoolies to 20# every night during the summer. Last year we had 1 so so night at the same spot, same tides same plugs. The fish just were not there and I mean the year before we had fish all night. We walked away from fish and they were still there for weeks. Last year it was dead in the same spot. the reason? Maybe the bait didn't school up. Maybe the structure changed, sand filled in the rocks. Who knows for sure. That's what makes this sport so interesting...the unknown.

[Saltheart]

I think we caught lots of fish in th 90's. The late 90's were especially good. Now , either me or the fishing is slowing down. OK I will accept some of the guilt but not all of it. I think fishing is worse now than in the late 90's.

[Joe]

It's better for big fish from shore now than it was from 93-2000 - I started fishing in the late 80's but I was more a danger to myself than to the fish until about 92.

Lots of fish around 28-34 inches in the late 90's - it was not uncommon to get six or more keepers a night. Bigger fish are being caught with a lot more regularity now than at anytime since I started.

Its a very subjective question because few people cover a lot of ground like they did in the commercial days.