What a year it was!

[eelman]

"White Ghost Newsletter"

Congrats Bill Nolan 60 pounds 4 oz.

Well, here it is the end of another season and what a season it was. 2007 will go down as the year of the big fish. The numbers and sizes of striped bass in the spring were simply amazing. This is how the spring fishery wound up.

Striped Bass Sizes;

60-pounds 4 oz. (1)

50-pounds plus (4)

40-pounds plus (18)

30-pounds plus (46)

20-pounds plus (232)

13 to 19 pounds (356)

Total number of striped bass boated for 2007 (1,482)

That’s an astonishing 44-percent of the fish taken were from 13 to 60 lbs. The vast majority of them were taken by live-lining live menhaden. With the return of menhaden to our bay in incredible numbers the stripers were totally focused on that bait supply and were very difficult to catch without them as many of you found out. Menhaden is like cocaine and heroin all rolled into one as far as stripers are concerned.

There were days that we plugged an area with plastics, wood, jigs and flies and didn’t see a fish. Go back there 30-minutes later with live pogies and the fish appeared out of nowhere in amazing numbers. It didn’t take long to figure out what we needed to do to be successful and consistent while fishing. In short, you play the game the way the fish want to play or don’t bother playing at all. This year proved that point with exclamation points.

The early part of the season saw lots of school size fish busting on the surface on almost a daily basis. Once the menhaden arrived, it ended like someone had thrown a switch. Why? Who knows? If I had the answer to that I’d be on a hammock in Tahiti dictating my daily activities to a gorgeous blonde. What it shows is, is that you need to adapt to those types of conditions and feeding patterns immediately once they are set in place. And the fish call the shots on what and when these dynamics are set in place. We can not control them. God hasn’t yet given me that power. Even though I’ve asked him, many times for such authority over the fish’s world.

As it looks at this time for next spring, we expect more of the same behavior and feeding patterns that took place in 2007. This had actually been on the increase for three years running. For whatever reason, the adult menhaden population is on the rise and for three years in a row Narragansett Bay has been a prime, spring, migration area.

This past spring we saw well over 20-million pounds, (that’s 20-mill) of adult bunker migrate into our bay system. By far, the most in almost 35 years. They began entering about the second week of May and continued well into July. This has made the spring the best time to fish here by far.

The Department of Environmental Management recently announced that they are totally committed to keeping 50-percent of the menhaden that enter the bay as forage for game fish as well as for water quality. More stringent regulations will be placed on the bait boats in 2008, limiting their daily numbers of menhaden removed from the fishery. This will not doubt keep the level of sport fishing at the highest possible level during the spring run or migration.

What we plan to do for the 2008 fishing season is to run two trips daily, one in the morning and one in the evening to take full advantage of this incredible fishing. That is the only way we can accommodate more anglers who want to fish during this time frame and the competition for dates during those two months (May and June) is becoming fierce.

We’ll also have some new Quantum equipment for you to try out this coming season. Right now it looks like we’ll have a new Bait-Runner Series of spinning reels for those clients who prefer spinning gear of the conventional gear. We will also have the new Fin-Nor Star Drag Series in IGFA Class #12 and #16 category for those who like conventional set-ups.

The next Newsletter will focus on the rest of the 2007 season covering bluefish, blackfish, fluke, scup, tuna, shark, and bonito. Until then, make your plans now for the 2008 spring season. We will begin taking reservations on January 2, 2008. Don’t be left out. The chance for a trophy striped bass has never been nor probably will never be any greater than in the next few seasons.

Tight lines and have a great holiday season.

Capt Jim and Justin White

[RIJIMMY]

love the write up, I used to be on the dsitribution list too.

[JohnR]

Captain Jim - great season - no become a S-B site sponsor

[thortum]

Wow! I was happy with my dozen or so keepers and many many schoolies, but now???!!!

[Bedford Blues]

Thanks for posting that newsletter.
Congrats on your 60 Bill

[Slipknot]

well that is about 1400 more striped bass than I caught this year
I'd say you had a good year and I did not but I did have fun trying.

[The Dad Fisherman]

This would be my line for the year...

60-pounds 4 oz. (0)

50-pounds plus (0)

40-pounds plus (0)

30-pounds plus (0)

20-pounds plus (3)

13 to 19 pounds (8)

[eelman]

Mine would be

60lbs ( 1 )

51lbs ( 1 )

40+lbs ( 6 )

30+lbs ( 23 )

20+lbs ( 78 )

10-20lbs ( uncounted but many)

[The Dad Fisherman]

Can't beat those #'s

Next year.......

[Rockport24]

wow those are some great numbers there, great way to advertise, it'd be funny if there were a law or something that required all charter captains to put up their numbers for a season (not advocating this, just commenting) it would be interesting as hell.

congrats to Jim and #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& (and you too TDF) on a great season

[tattoobob]

Good for you, Bill you sure worked for them. congrats