And the saltwater season continues....

[DZ]

This extended season continues to amaze me. Warm weather has all sorts of mackeral remaining in Narragansett Bay. Just yesterday morning I walked the dog at a local state park and watched as guys filled buckets with macks. Would be a good opportunity to get some prime cod fish baits for winter trips.
No doubt a good winter to try surf cod.

With this unprecedented mild weather pattern I'm starting to wonder how it could affect the over all migration pattern for this upcoming spring.

DZ

[stripermaineiac]

Funny we used to see macks in the summer. Not no more now they,re mostly a winter thing. word is the Vineyard is loaded with maks ,squid an herring. Wonder if there are any stripers under them. Ron

[DZ]

Well if 2010 was the year of the mullet run then 2011 has been the year of the mackeral.

Here in Newport we generally have a spring run (late April/May) for larger mackeral, then some small (tinkers YOY(young of year) sometime in July which would hang around and grow until October, then another push of larger macks in late November to just about mid December.

Nice white water yesterday - sure looked bassy. I'm sure there are a few guys takin some in the historic winter over areas.

DZ

[piemma]

Dennis, since the bass are photo-tropic I don't think the migration will be affected to any great extent. Granted the presence of bait and warmer temps may skew things a little bit but I believe the light factor, being the primary driver for migration, will dictate the pattern.

[cow tamer]

Lots of trawlers with lots of birds working off of Gansett.

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by cow tamer

Lots of trawlers with lots of birds working off of Gansett.

Herring, more bass feed lost
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[WoodyCT]

Originally Posted by piemma

. . . Granted the presence of bait and warmer temps may skew things a little bit but I believe the light factor, being the primary driver for migration, will dictate the pattern.

I agree.

My observation is that bait and bass start moving in mid-September, which is just about the time of the autumnal equinox. After this there are more hours of darkness than of light.

No water temp correlation there. We still have warm late summer water out the wazzoo. So...

And how many of our lousy fall season's had only an early push of fish that snuck by us because there was no nor'easter or sudden drop in water temps to trigger our urge to fish?

I can think of a few seasons when I waited for the water to cool or a storm to get things going, only to miss the boat.

I think some fish hang out a bit later when there is ample bait, but I agree with Piemma and think their brains are hardwired to respond to the photoperiod factor first and foremost.

PS I agree with Clammer- Things are FUBAR and will get more and more FU until the striper becomes a COASTAL GAMEFISH.

[tysdad115]

Thank you sir
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Redsoxticket]

Here is another take;

The bass have at least two major traits which are correlated which are, eating and reproducing. Female bass produce 100,000 to 1 million eggs before spawning. The females must know "prior" to their first egg being produced that they need to get to the spawning rivers. Eggs just don't show up in large quantities like at the grocery store. It takes x amount of time to produce and carry those many eggs.. Since males like to chase tail, those males follow the females. This could de the reason why the smaller males are the last to migrate.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Redsoxticket

Here is another take;

The bass have at least two major traits which are correlated which are, eating and reproducing. Female bass produce 100,000 to 1 million eggs before spawning. The females must know "prior" to their first egg being produced that they need to get to the spawning rivers. Eggs just don't show up in large quantities like at the grocery store. It takes x amount of time to produce and carry those many eggs.. Since males like to chase tail, those males follow the females. This could de the reason why the smaller males are the last to migrate.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Interesting theory on why the smaller fish are last to leave. Never thought of it that way.