North shore 10/4 Lackey's bay to WW 10/5

[ruge13]

With the Wind Sam Ray and I went to rockport. Ducked behind the rocks outside Rockport Harbor and worked the shore line. They got a few schoolies, I hooked and lost everything. Just before we left I hooked into a good fish. Towed me a hundred yards or so. Farthest I have ever been towed with a fly rod. Was dead drifting a small chart deciever in the white water. Got close to some decent waves and a couple random boulders, I got nervouse so I tried to put the breaks on her. Got close enough to grab the leader, when high sticking the rod the fly popped loose. Definately would have been my largest fish on the fly. The pic below is bad, but you can see why I lost the fish at least...

Didn't learn my lesson yesterday with the wind on the North Shore so I went south instead of north. started in the Vinyard sound and worked over to the elizabeths looking for Albies. Picked up a couple rat blues, I mean 1 lb or less trolling a small metal on the way over. Fought the wind past Lackey's and decided I wanted to be lazy and poke wound on shore after an hour or so paddling against the wind. Drifted back accross lackeys blind casting. Nothing. Not one bird, not one splash. Wind had blown the water flat so splashes would have been easy to spot. Worked the rock pile in the center for a few minutes, nothing there either. Decided to head to RI. An hour or more to get out, 15 minutes to paddle back with the wind at my back. Drove over to South County (probably should not have ignore the beavertail with the wind direction). Got to the WW around 1 or so. Nothing but high surf. Casted the inside fromt he first bend out to the end. Didn't see one fish. Plenty of bait. Water was dirty. With the wind I could dump the whole line. After 2 hours I gave up, was going to head to the breachways but with the wind speed and direction decided just to go home, didn't feel like fighting it with a paddle. No Albies for me.

[G-Man]

Bent hook alrighty. Must have been big.

Rockport one day...Vineyard sound the next...considering Rhode Island trip same day.

I'm amazed at how you guys travel for fishing. No...actually I'm just envious. You'll go into the winter with no regrets. Good show.

If I was not deep in the family life, I would try to tag along with yuz guyz. But...I can't have it all. Let me know if you want to try soccer practice Sat morning for a change of pace. :)
-G

[Ray]

I can get away with it since I don't have a family at home. Kids are the priority for most folks.

My plan is to get in or on the water 100 days this year. At this rate I will hit about 75 - 80. Too much business travel has cut into my fishing and social life. This working everyday thing has to stop.

I will probably hit the N Shore Friday morning and Naragansett Bay one day this weekend.

[ruge13]

Yeah but, 99% of the time the best fishing is right at your back door when you get to know it. Jack of all trades master of none comes to mind. I have a notebook loaded with maps and pages and directions for 3 states, but I can put info on all the fish I've caught at those places on half a page. Too much time in the car, someday I will learn...at least the view is different and the winter never gets cold because we'll fish right through it for cod and on the ice. The 2 weeks Sam and I took off we put in over 2000 miles on the rd. I didn;t catch too many fish, but I did get to see lots of traffic.

[Wes]

Must have been a real nice fish. Just out of curiosity, what kind of hook is that? Mustad 34007?

[SamRiley]

Shaun don't tie so I don't thinks he knows... but it looked like one to me Jim.

I stumbled upon Shaun right after he dropped the fish. Poor guy was shaking like a leaf and mumbling to himself.

[Wes]

I have a lot of flies tied on those hooks. Guess she must have been hooked by the point in that hard stuff down in the throat.

[Ray]

Maybe the striper had just ate a lobster and he actually hooked the lobster!!!!

Stranger things have happened.

[G-Man]

I have had this one happen.

You start with a good fish on. It goes around a boulder, hook come out of fish somehow and snags the rock.

Fish is long gone before I realize I'm battling a boulder.
"No really...I had a fishin on"
That ever happen to you?

[ruge13]

Funny, yes it has happened, No it didn;t happen Saturday.. Actually it did happen earlier, thought I had a rock, but it was a fish. Lost that one to, but I am sure it wasn't more than bait...

Sam is right, couldn;t tell ya what kind of hook it was. It was a size 2 but don;t know what kind. I wish I could say it was an owner short shaft big game....when I was pulling the leader close to grab her it was hooked in the middle upper jaw. I had the pleasure of watching the hook slip out...

[bucko]

What's the best way to bring the fish into the kayak. With a fish that large would a landing from shore be the best decision? Excuse the question but I have yet to catch anything fom my kayak.

[G-Man]

I think the lip gripper is the key to landing good fish on a kayak.

I have found that fish settle right down once you put the berkley lip gripper on them. Much safer. A lesson I have had to relearn a few times.

I have a clip to attached the gripper to the kayak. If I unhook the fish and put it back in the water with the lip gripper still on it, the fish stays calm next to the boat.

This does not really apply to Shuan's situation, since he lost the fish before he could reach it. In sight...musta hurt.

Also, you may notice there is a logistics issue of paddling to shore while fighting a good fish. ;)

[joev]

Land it with your thumb.No different than a 30 inch fish.Most of the fish I have caught 30-48 inches are pretty spent by the time you get them to the yak.Lifting a 30-40pd bass into the yak takes a little getting used to.Just have to compensate your weight to the other side.Trying to get to shore while fighting a fish would be tough and probaley result in you losing the fish .Usally the schoolies are a bigger problem thrashing around the side of the yak.I only use the lip gripper for blues or when fishing with plugs w/multiple hooks.I do use the gripper to keep a fish in the water after I take the hook out to get some pics.

JoeV

[ruge13]

I tail grab blues, and even large bass if I miss the lip grab and the tail is within grasp. Lip grab whenever possible. I think Joe is right, schoolies are worse. Spin rod I have no problems, fly rod is differen't because the change in pressure on the fish is significant as it gets closer, farther out and the middle sections of the rod should be doing the work, as it gets closer the tip starts to do more of the work and the pressure changes are more significant. Spin rod, the rod does the work and due to its length the pressure is more consistant and manageable. Every fish I have lost has been from high sticking the fly rod rod, or bringing them in too early and they take off at the boat, all rookie mistakes which is what happens when you don't have that much experience with big fish on the fly from the kayak. Adjusting drag is key, and makes perfect sense but easily forgotten when a fish is near. I go to almost no drag now (when I rememebr) when a fish is close. Most of the time you are working the line with your hands anyway so drag is negligable. But if you are early and the fish decides she is not done making you work, you need to be able to just drop the line and let her go make the last run without significant drag to pull hooks loose or snap light leaders. This all sounds good but how many times sdo you think I actually remmeber to do all this? Have you seen a picture of a big fish from me? Nope....I am landingly handycapped.

[SamRiley]

I'm a big fan of 3' 40lb fluorocarbon leaders... they make it a lot easier to handle fish. Once I am in a position to grab the leader I drop the rod and then hand line the fish in. Generally, you can steer the fish the way you want and get it in position to Boga, lip or tail it. With Blues (if I am keeping them) I don't fool around. Grab em right behind the eyes and pinch the gill plates in.

[Wes]

When you have fought and beaten a big striper you'll see her float up on her side. You extend the rod out in yr right hand and just lead the docile fish alongside the yak on the left where you nimbly lip her and slide her into your lap. What's all the fuss? :D

[G-Man]

:D
Quite knockin yourself Shaun.
You're a helluva fisherman. I'm sure you landed plenty more fish than most of us this year.

You'll certainly land more than us Dec - March. :D