West Wall crawlin' with schoolies

[Bob Senior]

Bass from the beach to the elbow, one after another, from about 2:00 till 5:00 today. I quit and went home because I was sick of catching them!

[Fisherwoman]

Good to hear Bob Sr., send them on up here!!!!!

[JohnR]

YUP!!! I got down about 5:30 for a quick shot and had 22 from 9-23 inches with several double headers in an hour and a half. Everyone was scoring but the "Reeboks", those that kept falling on their arses as that sweet crankin' Sou'west wind was putting the white water on the rocks. Several of the "Rebokers", sadly unprepared, kept slipping on the rocks in the shoulder to shoulder mess that is the Wall in the spring. Fortunately, nobody appeared hurt.

But the conditions were incredible. 20+ mph wind in the face, a nice building wash and waves - Lovin' it!!!

[Bob Senior]

At least one of the Reebokers has tried getting out of the Atlantic (and the Moose River for that matter) wearing waders and will never wear them on the rocks again.

The smart guys were wearing wading boots with no waders!

[JohnR]

When the tide was coming up again, with those winds and the water there, it was pretty wet standing in the lower sections. OK for the most part if your up on the top section. I like wearing splash pants over the hip boots as that's most comfortable and dry. Good flaces for felt soles too but I just use boots. Needed the dry top last night though. I took a couple waves over the top ;D

[Bob Senior]

Yuh, it gets wet out there sometimes, and it certainly was wet about every 7th or 8th swell yesterday. But I believe it's really dangerous to be hanging off the rocks wearing waders. Further, many of the guys don't bother tightening the belt or waistband, so if they go in the drink, they'll be crab food unless they get help. I can testify that waders fill almost instantly even with the belt tightened; there're fewer bigger surprises in life than the first wet realization of how very heavy a set of waders becomes when filled with water, and you're trying to climb up those slimy rocks.

Also, after walking from the parking area to the rocks in felt-soled waders, boots, or other felt devices, the felt fills with sand and its effectiveness gets downgraded considerably as a grabber on slime. Then, thinking they're immune from slipping, they end up in the water anyway.

But there's no question that waders will keep you drier in the spray. But hell, getting a little damp while pulling in fish is all part of the fun, isn't it?--unless you have to drive to Worcester or someplace afterwards!!

[Jenn]

I always try and keep a spare set of clothes in the car (and not just when I am fishing either) so many times I have ended up in an unexpeted situation and wished I had a change of clothes....never hurts! Not to mention it could be a good use for that pair of pants that just sits in the drawer because it is stained or something....(and who doesnt have that pair??) Comes in real handy when you are cold and wet (or spilled 3/4 of your coffee on yourself after the guy in front of you just slammed on the brakes for NO GOOD REASON!! HA!HA! )

[Bob Senior]

Will all you guys who are located north of Rhode island please put up a sail or something so the wind down here shifts to the South instead of from the Northeast??!!

It was sure easy casting at the WW this afternoon, but there were no fish out there!!!

[Fishpart]

Bob,
I'd love to, that NE wind comes across about a half mile of open space before it blasts me off the front yard. The upside is no blackflies

[JohnR]

I dunno. I think its a fair trade for you to have black flies so I can have fish. That's fair, idinit?

[FLYFISHER]

Where is the West Wall?

[JohnR]

It's just south of Pt Judith, RI. The West Wall is the westernmost breakwater protecting the port of Galilee. You can get there by Rte 1 and taking the signs for Jerusalem/Snug Harbor and staying on Suctosah Rd all the way to just after the little rotary. The Wall is just over the hill but you need to park where the parking signs are and walk back over...

[Fishpart]

No way, the blackflies can GO, I'm sure The Chunker of Death can give us some REAL blackfly stories. While the ones here in RI are thick they are mere amatures compared to what you find Up Maine.

[Bob Senior]

Oh God, those black flies in ME are horrendous. The old saw about "a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work," has to be modified with, "unless the black flies are around!"

Years ago we were flyfishing on the West Branch of the Penobscot, below Seboomik Dam, and saw them carry a moose right off the bank! And Woodsman's Fly Dope will kill a maggot but the black flies thrive on it. ;-)