Saw 10,000 stripers in the water yesterday - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Fish_Eye · 10-25-2008, 07:17 AM

I teamed up Captain Ryan Sansoucy again yesterday and we blasted farther west along the Charlestown shoreline until we met up with the hordes of migrating bass and blues. They started showing themselves off the Fresh Pond Rock area and gradually got thicker near Weekapaug.

I jumped in the water and was amazed to find a pocket of gin-clear water in the lee of the SW wind. I immediately saw a swarm of schoolies that seemed endless. I'm attaching a couple of shots from that experience. I encountered larger fish as I rode the current past a surf line where the sand was being kicked up by the wave action. These 24" to 30" fish were hunting in the areas with diminished visibility. This is a very common practice for hungry linesiders and even more fish were skulking around in the weed chocked section of the beach. Bass LOVE dirty water and today’s tournament anglers should find plenty of it this afternoon and tomorrow.

Off the beach was off the hook with patches of bass and blues so thick they created black mats on the surface with hundreds of gulls above.

While I was in the water Ryan and Carl spotted a large bluefish getting trashed by a large brown shark that was tearing it to pieces by shaking it back and forth. I always miss the best Kodak moments.

The water is definitely getting colder and I froze my butt off getting in and out of the water and then running and gunning to find fish. I’m debating whether or not to jump in today.

Note the little porker schoolie at the top of the pile, if it grows to 50 inches it will probably weigh 60 pounds, it's built more like a tuna than a striper.

pbadad · 10-25-2008, 08:42 AM

Nice shots and report Mike.

Mr. Sandman · 10-25-2008, 08:51 AM

Really nice shots...

Your not kidding about the drop in water temp! Last week it was still holding at 60+, and I found pockets of water up to 62. Yesterday I moved the boat to a different harbor for a few more weeks of fishing and when I pulled out of OB harbor it said 54.7!! As I ran down the sound the warmest it got was 57. Something happened suddenly in the last few days.

Mr. Sandman · 10-25-2008, 08:55 AM

Mike are those photos available for purchase? They are so clear and sharp with such good lighting, I would love to frame ("STACKEDBASS.JPG) up and hang in my home.

Pt.JudeJoe · 10-25-2008, 09:27 AM

Mike,thanks for giving us air breathing creatures a view of the underworld of stripers! It is very interesting and cool to have a mental image of what is on the other side of the wave barrier.

Fish_Eye · 10-25-2008, 10:13 AM

Sandman,

In an upcoming post I'll be announcing a new East Bay Anglers Fishing Expo and Fisherman's Flea Market that will be held Sunday 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM -- January, 4 . Crazy Alberto and I will both be selling artwork at the Flea Market and each of us will be delivering hour long seminars. This is the first time EBA does a Sunday afternoon event and it's also the first time they offer a special Flea Market where local retailers are planning on bringing top quality tackle and lures at super-saver pricing. The profits will benefit Save The Bay and their eelgrass restoration and fish passage construction programs.

So yes, I'll be selling some of the best images I've captured over the last couple of years and a landscape version of the above mentioned shot will be one of them.

Mike

Raven · 10-25-2008, 10:29 AM

great shots and thanks for braving the cold water

doc · 10-25-2008, 10:36 AM

great shots...just great to get that perspective...

Mr. Sandman · 10-25-2008, 05:01 PM

Mike,

I look foreward to seeing those presentations. Those images are something most fishermen only dream about.

spence · 10-25-2008, 05:58 PM

I was thinking the 10,000 number sounded a bit fishy, but then figured there was a 50:50 chance it would be odd or even

Great stuff, I'm not sure you can post enough fish pics for this crowd.

-spence

fishgolf · 10-25-2008, 08:12 PM

Went by Weekapaug and Watch Hill today...bye bye...
Quite a gauntlet they endured.
I'm pooped...
Met Tynan's wife on the beach... very nice.
Recognized them (him and her, not the fish) from the pics posted earlier this week.
Chao,
df

jimmy z · 10-25-2008, 11:42 PM

Very nice pics.

nklinesider · 10-26-2008, 11:17 AM

pretty sure i was diving on the same school of fish you have here on thursday at beavertail. more birds than ive ever seen before and the schools of bass were so thick i couldnt pick out the ones i wanted to take. lots of fish in the 36-40 inch range, a few that were bigger cruising around the outside of the schoolies. i wish i had an underwater camera to take pictures... maybe one for next season. the waters definetly dropped off in the last week. dove last friday and it was still beautiful, thursday on the other hand was a bit frigid and with the tide cranking out of the bay i couldnt stay in the water long enough to hunt out a big one

Mr. Sandman · 11-04-2008, 01:45 PM

Mike,

I just received the prints from the service today, jaw dropping gorgeous!!! I will be framing them up...really nice and very unique.

Should any of you guys catch Fish Eye at one of the shows you need to see/get these photos, he has some amazing photos. Personally I think are the most beautiful underwater shots in our region...yeah I know Hawaii and the caribbean have spectacular underwater views but for these NE waters, where we fish, these are really sweet.

Jim