A Different World and New Respect

[DuffyB]

Normally I fish from my boat. Due to weather, decided to try the ditch on Saturday. Got some nice help from the board and headed south.

Didn't really know what I was doing, checked a couple areas and ended up at the east end. Yeah, I caught a lot of fish, mostly schoolies....but I learned a lot:

This type of fishing is a real work out. Fishing from big rock jetties is tough work, especially wearing a bunch of foul weather gear.

Experienced canal rats can really cast, wow!

A 6' rod doesn't cut it at the ditch, now I know what it feels like to try and "compensate" for a small stick --125-3 .

I was particularly impressed with the shoulder to shoulder jig fisherman. How they don't get their lines all messed up I will never know :confused: .

You can't really run and gun from shore without risking a heart attack.

Some people like to catch and eat small shark.

You can catch big fish, guy next to me caught a 48" cow on rubber --127-3- .

There are all types down there. From the "icy stare, seasoned, put in your time" types to people just having fun and willing to share to the white bucket keep anything that swims crew.

It must take some time to really understand the tides in the canal.

Schoolies that "jump" off your hook and fall into the wrong crack are casualties of war --124-3 .

I learned a lot about the structure by staying until the tide was low.

I learned a lot more too, just not sure it should be shared in public.

DuffyB

[stickman]

As the wind on my home beach at Plum Island has been 20+mph directly onshore for 8 days, and having read numerous posts over the year about the canal, and due to spend two nights this weekend in scenic Wrentham, I finally decided to try looking at the canal this weekend too. Its always seemed a little too intimidating to me, with the long casting needs, screaming tidal flows and dedicated locals sometimes known for their scorn of interlopers. So I looked on my excursion as less of a fishing trip and more of a scouting mission.

I read the recent posts about the big blitz last week and knew not to expect the world, but I did extract enough information to bring a sufficient rod setup, lure choice, and the all important two-wheeled fisherman transportation device. I even dragged my bike to Home Depot and fashioned a rodholder. Got a nice call from Jeff with a little more direction on where to wet my line, and that helped a lot. Also stopped into four of the local shops, bought a lure or two, and gained some valuable advice.

I spent all day, from about 7am to 7pm rolling up and down the mainland side, watching what people were throwing, where they hung out, and the methods. It was really interesting, kind of a bike-bound classroom.

Not too much was happening fish-wise. Easy to tell when 15 guys who look like they've been there before were hanging out at the base of the east end jetty telling jokes and drinking coffee. I got a couple stares from the regulars, as I seemed to have the local setup, (bike, boots, jeans, needlefish, bucktail), but no one recognized me. JAFT (Just Another *** Tourist.) Eventually it got to noontime and the gang split to watch football. I went off to Scortons for an hour or two, but was skunked.

Back at the Canal I did manage to get a few hits at dusk when the wind came down, and a pretty fat Bluefish for dinner, grabbed under the Sagamore Bridge. It was a great first trip. Kind of like running a jeep up and down the beach at Plum Island. Hope I get another chance in the next few weeks to roll it again.

[stickman]

Thanks for the advice. Given I had no favorite spots, it was great to spend a whole tide cycle along the canal. Got to see a few rock outcroppings at low tide so I can try them next time. Felt a little like stream fishing when I was a kid. Trying to figure out where the fish were holding. Anything I found I spent some time casting to it and changing up offerings. It was very relaxed, as I had no expectations at all. The Blue was a bonus, especially the three taildances.