Year Of The Small Fish!

[BigFish]

Is this how you will remember the 2006 season? I caught alot of fish, fished my tail off and hit the fall run harder than I ever have and had nothing of size to speak of! My usual haunts failed to pay off as they have consistently in years past and I really can't explain it! Any thoughts from you folks on the quality of the fishing this season???

Still holding out hope for a late surge of large this week but....I don't know?

[PoPin Plug]

I GOT SCHOOLIES ALL YEAR.... HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR THEY'LL BE BIGGER

[jim sylvester]

larry,
years not over yet....

maybe you'll get a LARGE belated birthday present

for me...a mix of good fish and small fish

just think what the fishery will be like in 15 years...all large

[Skitterpop]

I think the large followed large concentrations of large bait which was most likely largely offshore

[Pt.JudeJoe]

Originally Posted by Skitterpop

I think the large followed large concentrations of large bait which was most likely largely offshore

BINGO

[Flaptail]

This year was the best Striper fishing I have had in 20 years. Hands down Flat out. August was the best month with June and September in a tie for second place. Biggest was mid 30 pounds range but I did have my chance a couple times with bigger and lost. I hate when 6/0 siwashes and 4/0 4x VMC trebles get bent out straight. I will go to my grave with the vision of a Truro sky under the new moon.

Most memorable night was with Numbskull, one of the most fun days was with KarlF in my 36 year old skiff on the east bar in three feet of water. Me and Stiffy had a bunch of good days and I will be sustained through the winter with memories of 7 different nights in September on a lonely outer Cape beach, X-raps, Gag's white needles, Bigfish Poppers, Stubby wakers on a rocky shore and smelly jelly.

Hey Karl! Only 30 odd weeks till June. Get that boat boy!

[ChiefLinesider]

I've read some articles that say on account of the heavy rainfall experienced early in the season, lots of large bait died off due to runoff & low salinity levels in the river systems.

[UserRemoved1]

There are still big fish in Maine Larry. Blew up yesterday on the low.

[Flaptail]

Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&

There are still big fish in Maine Larry. Blew up yesterday on the low.

We gotta do the the trip next season Scott, Salty's Guide Service covering all of south Coastal Maine!

[Back Beach]

I would say its been the year of the medium fish. Lots of 18-25# fish for me and the(surf) guys in my circle this year. Fished a lot more than usual this year too, about 60 nights, and I know that helped. Real big ones 40 plus# were rare, if non existent from the surf. Pretty good numbers of high 20's up to mid 30's this fall though have been taken by a few guys. 99% of them at night on eels, of course. Every late fall is a twinkie fall if you decide to stand there all day and pound the poor little ones to death. Was at the canal this week catching a few of them on top, and after I hooked several smalls through the eyes, gills, and other vital areas, I said f-this, no sense messing these little guys up just for kicks. Even small single hooks do too much damage to them IMO. Let them be.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

without a doubt the cape fishing, wellfleet to rp was a big disapointment for me this year.stared off memorial day with some decent fish.one good morning right after the 4th of july. fished everyday and night in august for a few keeper up to 15lbs.now on the other hand i did a couple of trips down to LI to my old stomping ground and did very well with fish up to 35lbs.i think the lack of large bait , such as fllounder herring bunker and the like the fish are heading north are going right past the cape to NH and maine. a good portion of the fish stayed in NJ till mid june on the mass of bunker that were there than they stayed off the south shore of LI. the back bays were loaded with peanuts and adult bunker this year.i think RI also had a good yearform what i have seen on here.

[Striperhound]

Larry, this fall has been the twinkie fall for sure. Does it bode well for the future, maybe? But we all want large!

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Was at the canal this week catching a few of them on top, and after I hooked several smalls through the eyes, gills, and other vital areas, I said f-this, no sense messing these little guys up just for kicks. Even small single hooks do too much damage to them IMO. Let them be.

Mike... I dont alter my tactics in the fall for the lil'guys nor am I out in april...

This year was odd for me personally,
May was the best May I've had in a while for both size and numbers...
June sucked the big one and I didnt escape into the bay much for skiff fishing b/c of engine issues..
July and August I fished sporadically for a slow surf bite...
After Labor day it got better until mid Oct with a decent number of good fish
and it aint over by a longshot, 3 weeks left...

[OSSCA]

In my 35+ years of fishing the surf i have to say it's been a challenging year so far but also a good one.

[shadow]

yes may was a good month and june sucked the worst june ever.July and august were the best ever with all the upper teen to high 20's you could want with a few good fish break offs,sept was spotty yet when they showed it was good,the end of sept was my best fish of the year a 30#er,oct. has been awfull a few nice fish that I had to work way too hard for.the next few weeks will make or break the fall run.

[justplugit]

Smaller and fewer fish yes, but larger and greater memories.

Nauset at last light with Karl, oil on the water front side, sun going down over the inlet.

Southside, alone on a bar at first light, pogies breaking and schoolies rolling at your feet.