It's getting scary how few fish are out there.

[Got Stripers]

I've posted my concerns and it just get's worse each trip out. Yesterday should have been a good day. Foggy overcast all morning, incoming tide, a livewell full of eels, gps working dead nuts on so getting around wasn't a problem, but I struggled to catch 12 fish and not one fish bothered an eel all morning.

Water temp 66 so I don't believe it's too hot and they moved out, I think the fish that normally move in for the summer just aren't here. I hope they are somewhere and will move back in come fall, because if they have been removed from the fish stock by commercial/recreational harvest or delayed mortality or bycatch by other fishers, then some tough times are ahead.

I'm almost considering switching back to freshwater, if for nothing else but to see some fish on the end of my line. OK, that was short lived, but man I'm getting frustrated out there pounding away all day for a dozen schoolies.

[Jaiem]

I was out Friday night. Great conditions: Full moon with overcast sky, strong tide, strong SW wind, bait around, no other fishermen and all I got was a few small blues. Saturday night I at least had a strong hit but didn't get it in.

I think it's just the summer - I hope!

[Got Stripers]

I don't think it's the summer doldrums, because on any summer day like yesterday, I'd have caught 20, 30 or 40 bass with good conditions like that. The low light conditions should have meant any fish holding on or near the ledges I fish, should have been less weiry and more prone to feed.

Even on a bright summer day, prior to last year, I'd have given you the title to my boat if I couldn't catch 10 fish by first light. When the sun got up higher, I might have to work a little harder, but 20 fish days were a given. Even during the dog days of July & August, I would routinely break 30 or 40 fish days. This isn't about heat, water temperature or even forage based on what I marked on the fish finder yesterday, it's about a lack of stripers. I didn't break 30 fish during June, a month that historically was always giving up 30, with many 40, 50 and even 60+ fish days.

I swear if I didn't have 3 boys still at home and too many other obligations, I might be considering a move out to Lake Powell. Out there they actually want you to harvest as many fish as you possible can in a day's fishing; there is no size or bag limits. Stripers are breeding like bunnies and they have a lake full of them, plus the lake features my other favorite the smallmouth bass. Can you guess where I'm thinking of retiring .

[Slipknot]

I know what you mean Bob, but there could be other factors involved to drasticlly change things. I also see the canal as very slow right now. This A.M. 2 - 6 I got 1 schoolie on a skin jig and 1 - 10 lb. on a black jig. They are pretty thin now or they are up in Maine and off the outer Cape somewhere, who knows. There are schoolies around finding small bait but that bait doesn't seem to be keeping the larger fish around. I have a feeling that between Comm. and charters and some Recs. keeping just about everything , that the last couple years large concentrations of fish have been wiped out. There just can't be as many as everyone thinks there are, the fish were'nt given the chance to fully recover IMO.

Hey BTW I should have taken your offer. My friend picked me up yesterday at 10:00AM (I coulda gone with both ya)and we got out in the bay by 2:30 after fixing his gas line to the starboard carb. and then getting fuel.But it was relaxing.

[Canalratt1]

Got the skunk for the first time this year in the Ditch Sunday morning. Started at 3 between the bridges and decided to not get eels. No bait or breaks till daybreak and of course most were on the Cape side. Saw two keepers taken on eels and headed East where not much was going on except for except for the sandeel crew getting shorts. Even tried jigging Pips with no one there not a tap. Only fish hit a mac chunk and cut me off. Seems like the best game around is the cod fishing my buddy headed out past Stellwagon Saturday (of course I couldn't go!) and cleaned up on cod to 25 lbs. one big cusk and ten haddock to 10 lbs! I'll be there next Saturday!

[jettyjockey18]

i tried the live stuff off the plymouth jetty sat am under the overcast skies for 90 minutes...nothing...no looks, bumps or bothers...(this is august right??)
even the schoolies didn't light up the surface and under those conditions the water should've been boiling...

[Patrick]

Don't think it's just up there. There isn't any bait. I don't know what's going on here guys, the fish just aren't around. Some guys are pulling schoolies off Penfield Reef but nothing consistent. Very sad. Maybe it's just an off year.

[Blitzseeker]

My last three trips surf fishing the outercape(including yesterday) have been dead as well. Virtually no action, and incredible amounts of mung in the water. I didn't see one fish taken yesterday.

With this explosion of mung, I figure it's got to be water temp. Why else would we be having this huge bloom, and it stand to reason that it would keep the fish away.

[schoolie monster]

Friday night, I met John R on the south shore and we slung a few eels on a rising tide. I caught one around 24" and John got a small keeper around 30"... that was it. I didn't have another hit. John may have had another hit or two, I'm not sure.

I took the boat out Saturday after the T-storms passed. My wife and daughter came so we just went up into one of the rivers and caught a bunch of schoolies. We probably caught 20+, but we had swirls and chasers on our pearl white slug-o's just about every 2 or 3 casts. Early in the drop, their was some nice schoolies around 20-24", but as the water got skinnier, the fish got smaller. But we had a blast. The fish were just sitting in the rip line and they were still hittin' when we left. My daughter wanted to go to Friendly's for a monster mash sundae.

The fish were all over this flat, so maybe the schoolies are chasin' bait up into shallower water. Anyone else hittin' fish in the harbor?

[179]

I fished Sat Morn. in front of Green Hill Beach and picked up so many large Bluefish my arms are still sore. I picked up a few bass also but nothing to impressive. The fish are here but they are in 30-40' of water.

I tried around the mouth of the Charlestown breachway and only caught some very small bluefish!

[TheSpecialist]

I think Slipnot is right about the charter guys keeping alot of fish. I took my wife and brother in law out on a charter, along with my parents. My wife and brother in law love fish, just about any kind too. My father and I are picky fish eaters, cod , haddock, and trout mostly. My mother does'nt like fish. My wife and brother in law wanted to keep 5 keepers. My parents did'nt want any fish and neither did I. The only time I would keep one is if it tops my largest to date. I have no problem with this because my wife and I will eat it. Anyway I had to explain to them that although the fish would'nt goto waste, we should keep only one or two to do our part to conserve the resource. I suspect this happens alot on charters, not only for stripers but also other species. In Miami the Capt. did'nt ask us if we wanted to keep any. He just assumed we did, and gaffed a couple of kings. I think the charter capt. should take some responsibility to explain conservation on the way to the fishing area. That way maybe some people can make an informed descision , and may want to release all fish caught.

[Slipknot]

They're gonna put themselves out of business just like the Comm striped bass fishery in the 80's. Maybe 10 % of them realize it's not an endless supply. I don't know about you guys but I am not interested in going on a charter in the future for spiney dogfish and sea robins.

On another note, Saltheart now that I dumped my boat I was thinking of giving Capt. Chet some business, well worth it I take it?

[Saltheart]

Yes , Capt Chet Hathaway on the Nor-Easter put Smokey and I on the fish immediately and except for about a 45 minute lull , we were dragging in fish the whole time. He has a fast boat out of New Bedford/Fairhaven and gets you to the Cutty Hunk area quickly. He supplies everything you need to fish , from poles with the proper rigging to lures , jigs , skins , etc.

We had about 14 fish over 20 pounds and 2 over 30 lbs. Also many fish between 28" and 34" that we lost count on.

[Slipknot]

WOW, now I just gotta find someone to go with me and get a time maybe in Sept.if he isn't booked. I met him at the Mass Bass show this year, seems like a good guy.

[Got Stripers]

Bruce, I'm interested, give me a call with the details, prices etc. I'd love to see how the other half lives and maybe pick up a trick or two, or maybe some fresh spots.