On the launch pad?

[DZ]

Great advice Paul.

What I've found is that in September the local fish (those that "live in your general area") start to move. When they are gone you have to rely on other fish as they migrate through your particular area and that is always a crap shoot.

There is usually a slow buildup to our September bite and it has been very slow for me lately but I've managed to drop one nice fish each night for the last three I've fished. Indications are good - just hope I'm free when the consistant bite begins.

DZ

[NIB]

I've always been of the opinion Early Sept will see your large stragglers.Resident fish that take there time and seperate from the smaller pods of large fish for whatever reason.Then once the migration starts big pods of smaller fish will put the larger ones off.As they don't want to deal with the competition for food.Of course there is the rare occasion where U get 15 6-10 lbers then a 30..
Up there in the RI Mass area.I think it is possible to encounter your larger fish as they join together for their migration.As far as timing goes I could not say personally.In my experience first week of Oct.+/- has produced some nice fish for me..

Here in NJ in the fall larger fish have been hard to come by.We used to enjoy a late run in Nov-Dec if the sandeels where present.It was possible to score a large then.That bite has not really materialized in more than a few years..It is belief of many that the larger fish take a off shore track.Kind of a Montauk to Cape May path.. On the tails of larger baits and large
schools of sandeels that don't seem to migrate inshore as they used to..I have encountered small pods of bunker with better fish on em.It is a rarity though and a fish that breaks the 30 lb mark is a good fall score.Of course this is just this surfmans perspective..