2010 FISHING JOURNAL
November 16,   2010    -    South County, RI
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:15 a.m. -- High Wind: Light ENE
Start time:  6:45 a.m. Total time:  5 hours
leaving westerly sign. After a few days of big surf, the conditions were decent, but the water was still vaguely sand colored. I went back and forth between Quonnie and Watch Hill checking spots and looking for birds. I fished twice at Quonnie, once at Weekapaug Pt. and twice at Watch Hill and never had a hit. The only place where I saw birds was at Watch Hill where a small group was working well out of casting range pretty much all day. One boat was out there taking advantage. I always know when it's my time to quit - cold fingers, no action and a long list of end-of-fall chores to do around the house. Some year I may chase them down to Montauk and on to New Jersey, but this year I have a 7th grade travel basketball team to coach. See you in the spring.

As I often do, I made my last casts of the season at Watch Hill Light.
November 10,   2010    -    Weekapaug & Watch Hill
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:15 a.m. -- Low Wind: 20-25 mph NNE
Start time:  6:30 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
34 striper at weekapaug pt. It seems like there have been one or two days each week of decent or good fall fishing along the Rhode Island shore and I've been out of sync with them. However, this morning my luck improved. I tried Quonnie first and there were big feeds out of casting range, but not far. I moved to Weekapaug Pt. and there were lots of fisherman around. Three guys at the Fire District beach told me that Tuesday had been fantastic and they'd each caught more than 20 stripers in a big, long-lasting blitz. I wanted to spit because I'd originally planned to be there that day. Of course there was no action there this morning.

I moved on and checked some of the beaches and I caught up with a small feed near the Andrea Hotel. I got 3-4 stripers to 25". I went to Watch Hill Light and got 3-4 more to the far left of the parking lot. Now I went back to Weekapaug and there were at least 12 guys fishing the beach front on the Fire District beach and occasionally picking up a small striper. I walked past everyone to the rocky point on the right and I was all by myself. I got up on a rock and I could cast a mile with a 20 mph north wind right at my back. Third cast and I was on a pretty good fish that shook my plug after a nice run. A few more casts, a big splash, and I had another good fish on. I landed a fat 34" striper. Another half dozen casts and another striper about the same size missed my plug. That was it, but it was the best 20 minutes of fishing I've had since September.

A nice late-season striper taken on a long cast at Weekapaug Pt.
November 5,   2010    -    Rhode Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:00 a.m. -- High Wind: Light
Start time:  7:00 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
sachuest wildlife refuge In addition to the am high tide, there was a BIG surf this morning. Many of my spots were unfishable. For the 2nd consecutive morning I saw no birds anywhere. I covered a lot of ground because I didn't see any action and couldn't fish most places anyway - Quonnie, then Weekapaug, then Charlestown Breachway, then Green Hill, then Matunuck, then Black Pt. Black pt. was the first place where I could make some good casts and I didn't get a splash. I drove to Newport. I tried the Sachuest Refuge from the east-facing side (Island Rocks). It was fishable but no luck at all.

East-facing shore of the Sachuest Wildlife Refuge.
November 4,   2010    -    S. County & Sachuest
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:15 a.m. -- High Wind: 15 mph SE
Start time:  7:00 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
sachuest wildlife refuge I fished Watch Hill Light, Quonnie and the Sachuest Refuge, each for about an hour. I got a small striper at Watch Hill. The water at Sachuest was beautiful and the wind was at my back and I made many casts, but I never got a splash.


West-facing shore of the Sachuest Wildlife Refuge
October 31,   2010    -    Quonnie & Watch Hill
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:15 a.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph SSW
Start time:  6:45 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
chenson with striper at quonnie I fished with Chenson at the Quonnie rocks and at Watch Hill Light. He had done well at Quonnie the previous morning. No such luck on this day. The conditions seemed pretty good, although the southerly wind made it difficult to cast very far. At Quonnie, Chenson had a couple small splashes but we caught no fish. Nothing at Watch Hill. By the time we made it back to Quonnie, the wind had shifted and was at our backs and the water looked great. Many casts produced just one 20" striper for Chenson and we packed it in. It's getting close to the end.

Here's Chenson with the one small striper we got on Halloween morning.
October 28,   2010    -    Sachuest & S. County
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  5:00 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph SSW
Start time:  6:30 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
foggy morning at watch hill light There was heavy fog the entire morning. You could never see more than 25 yards of the water. I started at the Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge and I fished an hour and a half without a hit. I tried the rocks above 2nd Beach and I caught an 11" striper on a storm shad. I drove to Charlestown and fished near Quonnie - nothing. I finished at Watch Hill Light which had the best looking conditions. I got two more mini-bass on soft plastics. Didn't see any birds the whole morning.

Paul casting into great swirling water off 2nd beach in Middletown.
October 25,   2010    -    Quonnie & 2nd Beach
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:00 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph WSW
Start time:  6:15 a.m. Total time:  5 hours
west corner of 2nd beach Paul and I started near the Quonnie breachway about 45 minutes before first light. I got one small striper on a needle while it was dark. At first light, a small group of birds started working just out of casting range and fish were showing periodically where we could reach them. We had good action with small stripers for at least an hour and got more than a dozen but none over 24". We got them all with top-water plugs. We looked at a couple other south county spots before driving to Middletown to try Sachuest. Fishing from the rocks in the west corner, we both hooked up on our first two casts with more small stripers. That was it - not another fish after that. It was nice to get some consistent action, but I'd like to find a couple bigger fish.


Paul casting into great swirling water off 2nd beach in Middletown.
October 21,   2010    -    RI - South County
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:15 a.m. -- High Wind: 15-20 mph SSW
Start time:  6:30 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
surf near quonnie breachway I got a couple tiny stripers at Weekapaug at first light. There were feeds all along the coast, but they were well out of casting range. Fisherman are grumpy. One guy told me he had been fishing these spots since the 60's and this was the worst fall he can remember.


The rocky shore north of the Quonnie Breachway.
October 19,   2010    -    RI - South County
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:30 a.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph WNW
Start time:  6:45 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
birds working weekapaug point Took my first ride of the season down to the RI shore. Great morning with very overcast skies and westerly winds. Started at Watch Hill Light and I had the whole place to myself. Got one little schoolie. Headed north and you could see birds working out of range from the beaches. Fished Weekapaug Pt. for a while and watched seven boats working the feeds that continuously formed about 1/2 mile off shore. No luck at all. Tried Quonnie and nothing doing there either. Back to Weekapaug - same result. It felt nice to be hitting those spots in mid-October, but I need to find the fish next time.


The guys in the boats were having their way with the off-shore blitzes.
October 12,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:50 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph N
Start time:  7:00 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
silver family below se light I got out late on my last morning. It was rainy and I went down the steps to fish the rocky shore to the right. I probably missed some decent action between 6:00 and 7:00. I got one 26" bass and had a few other hits.


My family joined me on Block for the Columbus Day weekend. Here we are below the SE Lighthouse.
October 11,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  5:00 p.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph W
Start time:  5:00 p.m. Total time:  4 hours
striper at sw point On my last night on Block, I decided to fish SW Point at sunset. I had stayed away from this spot because there were so many fisherman on the island. I got there early, but could have gotten there even sooner. I caught stripers - about 26" - on each of my first three casts. They would hit my popper almost as soon as it hit the water and I had the place to myself. Then a big, black seal cruised by, pretty close to shore, and the fishing almost shut down. I got two more and then half a dozen guys showed up and it got dark and I headed to another spot. It was dead at my spot near Grove Pt. I got one very small bass.


For the first half hour at SW Pt., the bass were hitting anything on top - even this goofy rainbow pattern Gibbs.
October 10,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  11:15 p.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph W
Start time:  9:30 p.m. Total time:  2 hours
nico in waders at grove point Normally, lousy fishing in good conditions makes me disappointed or frustrated - this time i was pissed. I took my son, Nico, out for his first real night fishing. We went to my favorite spot on a dark night with a westerly wind at our backs. Nice incoming tide and good water. We fished for two hours with both needlefish and eels and never even had a hit. I don't think I ever fished that spot before without even a tap. Cruel.


Nico after two hours of futile nighttime fishing.
October 10,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  10:00 a.m. -- High Wind: 5-10 mph NW
Start time:  6:00 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
striper at se light I got out earlier today and went back down the steps below SE Light. The better fishing is to the left, but I took the easy route and went right. I got six stripers between 25 and 28". I got two with a Super Strike needle while it was still dark, two with a white popper at first light and two with a yellow/red gibbs after the sun was bright.


The two giant boulders in the water are the most recognizable feature of this stretch of rocky shore below SE Light.
October 9,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  9:00 a.m. -- High Wind: 5-10 mph NW
Start time:  6:30 a.m. Total time:  1 hours
se light striper The wind finally laid down this morning and I wish I'd gotten out half an hour earlier. I went down to a favorite top-water spot near SE Light and the fish were there from the first cast. They were 25-28" and hitting my white Gibbs pencil. I got four plus a small bluefish and then the bite died when the sun was up.


This small striper fell for my favorite "first-light" popper.
October 8,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:45 p.m. -- High Wind: 15-20 mph WNW
Start time:  6:00 p.m. Total time:  4 hours
block island map Fished sunset behind the churches and didn't get a hit. Thought it was going to be an epic night at my special spot with no moon, a strong westerly wind and pretty flat water. I was switching between needels and eels and fished both sides of high tide for almost four hours. I got three small stripers and a 30 incher - two on plugs and two on eels. I never had a hit after the tide turned.


I was so annoyed I forgot to take a picture.
October 7,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:00 p.m. -- High Wind: 15 mph NW
Start time:  6:30 p.m. Total time:  4 hours
30 pounder at my spot I made some casts at sunset at Grove Pt. and never had a hit. In the summer I always get a couple fish at that spot. This was the "new moon" night and I fished eels at my favorite spot. The NW wind is not great for this spot, but otherwise the conditions were good. I got 8 stripers - five small ones, two 32 inchers and a nice 43" fish that was 30 lbs on my hand scale and made some impressive runs with my line.


This 30 pounder was my first good fish on this trip.
October 7,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:30 a.m. -- High Wind: 15-20 mph WSW
Start time:  6:30 a.m. Total time:  1 1/2 hours
sunrise behind st. andrews Fished the AM behind the churches on the east side. Big wind at my back and nice water. One hit - one very small bluefish.


Sunrise behinds St. Andrews church.
October 6,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:00 p.m. -- High Wind: 15-20 mph WSW
Start time:  6:00 p.m. Total time:  4 hours
north light from grove point I got a small keeper top-water at Grove Pt. and then, when it was dark, fished my night spot switching between eels and needles. I got about eight fish - half were between 24 and 26" and half were small keepers.


North Light at sunset shot from Grove Pt.
October 6,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:45 a.m. -- High Wind: 10 mph SE
Start time:  5:30 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
morning at dories cove I wanted to fish the west side again so I tried morning at Dorie's Cove. I got one 29" striper on a white gibbs pencil. I made a few casts at the coast guard station and it was dead.


Rainy morning at Dorie's Cove on BI's west side.
October 5,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:15 p.m. -- High Wind: 10 mph SE
Start time:  6:00 p.m. Total time:  2 hours
sunset on charlseton beach I'm back on Block Island for a few days of serious fall fishing. The ride over was no fun, and I was still drowsy from taking a Dramamine, so I went to Charleston Beach at sunset to avoid the big surf on the east side. The water was clean and looked great, but no fish. I walked the beach with a popper and then fished needles for an hour after dark. Not even a tap.


The usual pretty sunset from Charleston Beach.
Sept. 29,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:40 a.m. -- High Wind: 10 mph SSE
Start time:  5:15 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
sunrise on gloucester back shore Gee - it was freaking dead. All the fisherman folded up before 7:00. There was absolutely no action at all. Where are the fall fish? At least the storm can't make things any worse.


I put my rod down to shoot the pretty sunrise as that was a much more productive use of my time on this fishless morning.
Sept. 28,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:50 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph SSE
Start time:  5:15 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
gloucester back shore I fished two spots on the back shore. At the first spot I got 7-8 small stripers - between 24 and 29". There was some action during the last half hour of darkness with a needlefish and then again at 7:00 for about an hour. When the water got low, I moved to another spot and fished for an hour without a hit.


Despite the great looking water, I couldn't find any big fish on this early fall morning.
Sept. 26,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:30 a.m. -- Low Wind: Light NW
Start time:  5:20 a.m. Total time:  3 hours
gloucester back shore Not even one stupid bluefish! It was completely dead. No sign of fish at all. I tried two spots on the back shore and never had so much as a splash.


More good water with no fish on Gloucester's back shore.
Sept. 24,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:20 a.m. -- Low Wind: 15 mph SSE
Start time:  5:20 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
back shore gloucester There's always one stupid bluefish. I fished hard at three spots along the back shore and I was disappointed considering the good conditions. I fished the first spot for an hour and nothing. 2nd spot about an hour and nothing. After a coffee break, I made 1,000 casts at the 3rd spot into really nice water with lots of cloud cover and I all I caught was the stupid little bluefish. And it was stupid - it hit my plug and was on for a few seconds and then it chased for 20 yards and hit again and missed and then, finally, hooked up for good. Won't find any striped bass that will do that. I did have half a dozen decent splashes or swirls or looks but none of them even hit the plug. They didn't seem convinced.

Despite the good looking water, the fishing was lousy.
Sept. 22,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  5:15 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph SW
Start time:  5:00 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
36 inch striper on back shore rocks Fished the back shore rocks. Jamie and his father-in-law, Bill, were there. It was very slow except for maybe a 20 minute window at sun-up when there was a little action. I got a 35" striper on a 2 oz white gibbs pencil and I dropped a smaller fish.

One decent fish on this beautiful morning in Cape Ann.
Sept. 21,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:30 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph NW
Start time:  5:30 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
beautiful gloucester back shore I fished the rocks on the back shore in Gloucester. There was still a pretty good surf related to Hurricane Igor. I got no action until the sun appeared and then I got a couple small stripers. I had one nice size fish come out of the water and miss my yellow/red pencil. After the sun was bright, I made a few casts at Pebble and called it a morning.

The Gloucester back shore two days before the first day of fall.
Sept. 20,   2010    -    Manchester-by-the-Sea
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:50 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph NW
Start time:  6:00 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
big surf at cape hedge beach Because of Hurricane Igor, the forecasts were for wild surf so I headed to Manchester-by-the-Sea to fish in protected waters. I started at Black Beach and then tried Lobster Cove. Bubkes at both spots and the water at Lobster Cove looked pretty good. I took a drive to Rockport and made some casts at Pebble Beach and a spot on the rocks near Pigeon Cove. Bubkes and more bubkes.

Hurricane Igor was responsible for the big surf on Cape Hedge Beach
Sept. 17,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:30 a.m. -- High Wind: SW changing to NW
Start time:  5:15 a.m. Total time:  3 hours
robbie with a nice striper I fished in Gloucester again. Thanks to a storm called Igor that was way off shore, the surf had changed from flat to pretty rough in just one day. This was Robbie's morning. He waited until there was some light to begin fishing and then hooked up on his first four casts with a rainbow pattern pencil. The best fish was the first one which was about 40". I fished all morning, and tried several different spots, but could manage only a couple small keepers.

That's Robbie with the best fish of the morning.
Sept. 16,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:30 a.m. -- High Wind: 10 mph WNW
Start time:  5:20 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
bluefish on gloucester back shore I started in Gloucester on the rocks and had a pretty good morning. I got a 30" striper on a black needle while it was still pretty dark. Then I got three more at first light on a white gibbs pencil - a 22". and 32" and a 41". The bite died and I went to breakfast. At about 8:30 I took another drive down the back shore and found birds working. By the time I could get back out there, the birds had moved on, but big bluefish were still there. I got three - all over 10 lbs. A nice morning of fishing.

I can't remember a year when I caught more very big bluefish.
Sept. 12,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:30 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph E
Start time:  5:20 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hours
gloucester back shore I fished two different spots on Gloucester's back shore. Just before first light, at the first spot, I caught a 39", 23 lb striper on a black Stetzko needle. At the 2nd spot I had a couple aggressive misses on my pencil popper and that was it. There was a brisk wind from the east that precluded any very long casts but there was nice cloud cover for most of the morning.
Sept. 10,   2010    -    Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:15 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph NW
Start time:  5:20 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hours
gloucester back shore I fished the rocky "back shore" in Gloucester. It was very slow. I got a small striper and a big bluefish. There was the lowest tide of the month. Still a lot of Septemeber left, but I've yet to even see birds working and I haven't had any great mornings of fishing.

That's me casting on the rocks in Gloucester.
Sept. 8,   2010    -    Marblehead & Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  5:15 a.m. -- Low Wind: 5-10 mph SSW
Start time:  5:20 a.m. Total time:  3 hours
sunrise at marblehead neck I fished on Marblehead Neck for about an hour and a half with no luck at all. The new moon tide was incredibly low. Just as I was quitting, Paul showed up and we drove to Gloucester to fish the back shore. After waiting out a thunderstorm, we fished pretty hard for almost two hours in what seemed like great conditions with an incoming tide and a rainy, overcast sky. Many, many casts produced just one good strike and a decent fish that I managed to "drop" on the rocks.

Morning sunrise on Marblehead Neck.
Sept. 6,   2010    -    Rockport & Gloucester
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:30 a.m. -- Low Wind: 5-10 mph WSW
Start time:  5:15 a.m. Total time:  3 hours
sunrise over seagull point I started in the darkness and fished sunrise at Pebble Beach. All I got was one good follow with four big splashes but no hook-up. I moved to the back shore and didn't have any luck there either. Skunked on a beautiful morning on Cape Ann.

The view from Pebble Beach of sunrise over Seagull Pt.
Sept. 2,   2010    -    Ipswich, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  midnight -- Low Wind: 10 mph SW
Start time:  8:00 p.m. Total time:  5 hours
crane beach before hurricane earl I met up with Grigoriy and Jamie at Crane on what should have been a productive night of fishing. I've always heard about the excellent fishing just before a big storm but I've yet to experience it. The conditions were great - SW wind at our backs, mostly dark, easy water to wade, some sand eels in the water. The water, however, was pretty warm. We fished near the end, mostly with needlefish for a long time and could only mange a 25" striper (me) and a small bluefish (Jamie). When I first walked on the beach, I really thought it was going to be an excellent night of fishing.

There was no sign of Hurricane Earl at Crane Beach on Thursday night.
August 24,   2010    -    Ipswich, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:20 a.m. -- Low Wind: 15-25 mph ENE
Start time:  5:00 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hours
big surf at crane beach I walked all the way down the Crane beach front to fish the end of the outgoing tide with a big northeast wind blowing. There was, of course, big surf. I have a heavy black needlefish that I can throw into any wind and I picked up a small keeper when there was just a little light. After, that I tried big pencils and bucktails but no luck. I needed a 3 oz kastmaster, but I'd forgotten to bring any heavy metal.

Crane Beach after two days of a summer Nor'easter.
August 18,   2010    -    Ipswich, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  1:00 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph NW
Start time:  11:30 p.m. Total time:  3 hours
crane beach map I tried a different spot on the Crane beach front and fished it hard, working my way back and forth on the beach, for three hours. I only fished needlefish, but I tried at least four different ones. All I could manage was two hits and no hook-ups.
August 14,   2010    -    Ipswich, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  10:00 p.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph SSE
Start time:  8:15 p.m. Total time:  2 hours
sunrise at good harbor beach I walked a long way down the Crane beach front and then waded over several sandbars. There was still a tiny bit of light, so I tried a white, stubby needlefish. On my fifth or sixth cast I hooked up on a long cast as soon as my plug touched the water. It was a pretty 37", 18 lb striper. I caught an almost identical fish about a half hour later on a black needle and I had several other hits and bumps. While I was still getting action, the titanium bail on my Van Staal broke when I flipped it back to cast. Go figure. That was the end of my fishing. On the way in, I had a nice talk with Grigoriy who was fishing down the beach from me.

My first nice Striper at Crane Beach this 2010 season.
August 13,   2010    -    Gloucester, Rockport, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:00 a.m. -- Low Wind: Calm
Start time:  4:15 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hours
sunrise at good harbor beach I started in the dark at a little cove that I like on the backside of Gloucester. Dead. I moved to another spot on Atlantic Rd. for false dawn. Dead. I went to Good Harbor Beach and waded the area on the far left. Dead. I took a look at Cape Hedge and there were no fish but there was a lady walking two Welsh Terriers that were almost as cute as my Welshie, Cody. Skunked again.

Sunrise at beautiful Good Harbor Beach.
August 11,   2010    -    Ipswich, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:30 a.m. -- Low Wind: Light SW
Start time:  4:45 a.m. Total time:  1 1/2 hours
sunrise at crane beach The tides weren't great, but I wanted to get out. I fished first light on the beach front at Crane. Made a few casts with needles and then poppers and got no action. Saw 5-6 other guys fishing.

Sunrise on the Crane beachfront.
August 7,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  5:30 a.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph NE
Start time:  3:00 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hours
last striper for this trip I had plenty of striper frozen in individual containers to bring home for winter chowder. However, I wanted to bring home some fresh fillets to grill for my family on Sunday night. I wanted to fish sunset at SE Light on Friday night, but I had hit a wall and I slept from 6:30 to 2:30 a.m. So my best bet, of course, was to fish my favorite nighttime spot. The wind had finally shifted from SW to NE and that's a lousy wind for this spot. I fished and fished and moved up and down the shore and I couldn't even get a tap. I was wading out as far as I could because the wind made it difficult to cast. Finally, at about 4:30. I got a take and hooked up. It was a nice 32" fish - perfect for a family of four and I was happy to have it. I had one more take and the fish got off and that was it. Pretty lucky considering the conditions. My 10th trip to Block Island was over, but it would be one I would always remember.

This 32 inch Striper was the last fish I caught on this trip to BI and it would yield 4 lbs of lovely fillets to take home for dinner with my family in Lexington.
August 6,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:30 a.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph SW
Start time:  2:00 a.m. Total time:  3 1/2 hours
no rip at sandy point I fished the incoming with eels at my spot near Grove Pt. and got six fish - mostly 30-33" plus a nice 38 incher. At first light, I hooked one more striper and then walked out to Sandy Pt. for the first time this trip. The rip wasn't formed this morning so there wouldn't be any big bluefish. I did manage three small stripers on a popper casting west into the choppy surf.

Sandy Point will usually disappoint when the "north rip" is flat like this.
August 5,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:40 p.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph SW
Start time:  7:00 p.m. Total time:  1 1/2 hours
sunset at charlestown beach I wanted to make one more effort to fish sunset at Charlestown Beach. Unfortunately, three days of SW wind had pushed too much grass and weed into the surf. I should have left immediately and gone to the east side of the island. Instead, I spent an hour and a half casting and cleaning my plug and never got a fish or even a splash.
August 5,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:20 a.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph SSW
Start time:  1:30 a.m. Total time:  3 hours
fifty-two lb striper Yes - I got another half dozen eels and headed to my favorite nighttime spot and it was quite a night. I was getting a hit or a fish every 10-15 casts - there wasn't a lot of action but they were good sized fish. The first was 37" and later a 43 incher that I weighed at 31 lbs. In between, I caught a few fish in the 31-35" range.

At about 2:15, I had a stretch of maybe a half hour where I had 3-4 hits but couldn't set the hook. Then, in exactly the same spot where my friend Dick caught his 42 pounder, I got another take on the eel and I set the hook just right. The fish first went down to the rocks and tried to shake the hook, so I couldn't tell how big it was. Then, it just took off almost parallel to shore running north - 50 yards, then 100, then 150. I turned on my light twice to look at the line on my spool - plenty of line. I slowly worked my way 20 feet back to shore over the slippery rocks and began walking the beach trying to catch up, but my reel was still singing - zzzzzzz.

It took several minutes, but I finally caught up and the fish was about 25 yards out in front of me - just slowly moving its tail but remaining in place. I leaned back on the rod and it felt like I had a seal. I carefully, slowly horsed the girl in, with no waves to help me, all the while praying something wouldn't go pop. Not this time. When it was 20 feet away, I could see the outline of a jumbo Striper, much bigger than anything I'd ever caught. I walked out to grab the leader. As I tried to pull it on the beach by the leader, the hook finally popped off, but half the exhausted fish was already on the rocks. I quickly pulled it up from under the gill.

I just stood over it and gazed at it for a couple minutes. It was the biggest freaking striper I'd ever seen. I measured it on the beach at 50" and it was really fat! No fillet station tonight. I pulled the fish in the water on a drag line back to the car. It took forever on those slippery rocks. After adding some ice to my cooler, I went out for breakfast and waited for Twin Maples Tackle Shop to open at 9:00. John Swienton put the big fish on the old iron balance scale and, voila, I am the newest member of the club of surfcasters who have caught a 50 pounder from shore - 52 lbs, 4 oz. Finally to the fillet station and lots of frozen fish for winter chowder.

Many big Stripers have been hung from this tree in front of Twin Maples for photos, including the current RI record striper.
August 4,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  9:40 p.m. -- Low Wind: 15 mph SSW
Start time:  7:00 Total time:  1 1/2 hours
block island There's a rocky area between Mansion Beach and the Town Beach that I walk by every afternoon when I take my walk on the beach. I always think it must be a decent spot to fish so I finally tried it at sunset. Must have been the wrong night. I got one schoolie and a couple splashes.

I think the locals call this stretch of shoreline Scotch Beach.
August 4,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  2:20 a.m. -- High Wind: 15-20 mph SSW
Start time:  Midnight Total time:  4 hours
block island It's a lot of fun to fish eels once in a while and, as I hadn't caught any big fish on this trip, I took six of the "snakes" to my favorite spot in the middle of the night. The conditions were much improved with dense clouds hiding the moon and a brisk SW wind at my back so I probably would have done well with my plugs too. As expected, the eels were irresistible and I caught 6-8 fish - almost all between 15 and 25 lbs. A fat 39 incher was the best. I may do it again tomorrow.

Another Lexington fisherman and striperjunkie reader, Chris Groves, was the inspiration for my choice of eels on this night.
August 3,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:10 a.m. -- Low Wind: 15 mph SSW
Start time:  4;30 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
block island I finally got my butt out of bed and fished the early morning. I was at Black Rock while it was still dark and I was casting into choppy water from a great rock at false dawn. Two hours of casting and not a splash. Black Rock is really confounding. It's very hit and miss - and I've never figured out the formula.

The cliffs on the southern coast of Block Island - the Mohegan Bluffs.
August 2,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:10 p.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph SSW
Start time:  7:30 p.m. Total time:  3 hours
block island Charlestown Beach is a special place because you can fish sunset on the long, sandy beach and usually get a mix of bass and blues on top-water plugs. Then you can walk to the far left of the beach which is a typical BI rocky shore and fish for stripers in the dark. For the second time this trip I got skunked fishing sunset on the beach front. When it wasn't quite fully dark, I started fishing in the rocky area and saw two small keepers fly out of the water and miss my popper. At dark, I started hooking up with a stubby white needlefish. At 10:00, I hooked a big fish on a black needlefish and was convinced I'd caught my first big Striper on this trip, but it turned out to be another really big Bluefish - about 14 lbs. I caught about four small keepers and went home early.

Another first for me - a very big bluefish in the darkness on a needle.
August 1,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  12:40 a.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph SSE
Start time:  7:15 p.m. Total time:  4 1/2 hours
block island I fished sunset behind the churches. I got a small keeper on a big pencil and that was it. At dark, I went to the rocky area just left of the "shitshoot". I got a schoolie on a needle. I went to my favorite spot near Grove Point. I fished two hours and got five stripers between 26 and 32", some on swimmers and some on needles.

This striper was one of the few to take the plug instead of the teaser.
July 31,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  11:55 p.m. -- High Wind: Calm - then S
Start time:  6:30 p.m. Total time:  5 1/2 hours
block island I started at SW Pt. and it was flat as a swimming pool. I had the place to myself and it was a beautiful night with an incredible sunset. I never got even a hit. I won't make that miserable walk out to SW Pt. again if the water is so flat. I went to the spot near Cow Cove and the fishing was pretty good. I caught six stripers between 29 and 32" plus a 34 and a 36. I got two on the white Bomber and the rest on dark needlefish. All but two fish, including the two bigger ones, took the dropper/teaser.

Picture is the pretty SW Point sunset.
July 30,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  11:20 p.m. -- High Wind: 5-10 mph -- SW
Start time:  6:30 p.m. Total time:  5 hours
block island I fished sunset at Black Rock. I got out on a great rock, and I could cast a mile, but all I got was one Bluefish. Then I went to my spot near Grove Pt. and it was slow there too. I got two small keepers on a whitish Bomber with a scale pattern.

Photo shows a couple guys from NJ fishing Black Rock at sunset.
July 29,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  10:40 p.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph -- NE
Start time:  6:30 p.m. Total time:  5 hours
block island Fished sunset around the corner from SE Light and there was pretty good action with pencil poppers. I caught five Stripers between 29 and 33" and I carried the biggest one up the 144 steps. Next, at my usual nighttime spot, it was the same as the previous night. I had just one chance and didn't take advantage. One big take by a very nice fish that took some line and then shook off my needlefish. Funny, at SE Light, I managed to guide five fish through big rocks and weeds and pull them up on my rock. But at my spot in a big cove, I get two good shots at big fish and can't land one. I'll try again tonight.

This is the fish I carried up the infamous steps at SE Light.
July 28,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  10:00 p.m. -- High Wind: 15-20 mph -- WSW
Start time:  7:00 p.m. Total time:  5 hours
block island Started again at SW Pt. at sunset. Great action but all Bluefish. Big hits in the frothy surf. We both got 4-5 Blues and I got one small Striper. When it got dark, we went to the spot north of Grove Pt. The conditions were better, as the moon wasn't so bright and there was a great SW wind at our backs, but the water was very flat. We got skunked again. I made a thousand casts, and I had one tremendous hit and thought I was hooked up, but no. If I'd caught that fish, I would have forgotten about all the lousy fishing.
July 28,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:30 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph -- SW
Start time:  4:30 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
block island We walked down the steps to SE Light. Although there's a good incoming tide, the water is unusually flat and the sun is bright at 6:00. I had a few nice splashes, a good fish on for a few seconds, and caught a 26 incher.

The water at SE Light was way too flat.
July 27,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  9:30 p.m. -- High Wind: 10-15 mph -- WSW
Start time:  6:30 p.m. Total time:  5 hours
block island Back to SW Pt. I got 4 nice Bluefish and a 32" Striper and Paul caught a big Bluefish. Next the spot near Cow Cove. Just four unimpressive hits and one small Striper.
July 27,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:00 a.m. -- Low Wind: 5-10 mph -- WSW
Start time:  4:45 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
block island To try something different, we went to an area near Clayhead that they call "Pots & Kettles". Bad idea. Skunked.
July 26,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:50 p.m. -- High Wind: 10 mph -- WSW
Start time:  7:00 p.m. Total time:  9 hours
block island We tried SW Pt. at sunset. I got a small keeper and 2 Blues plus 4-5 good hits. We took home the Striper and one blue so we could finally start eating fish.
July 26,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  2:20 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph -- SW
Start time:  4:30 p.m. Total time:  3 hours
block island We went to Black Rock. I fished off a couple great rocks, but only got a couple splashes. I caught one 8 lb Bluefish.

Paul casting from a rock where I've caught some pretty nice Stripers over the years.
July 25,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  8:15 p.m. -- High Wind: 10 mph -- SW
Start time:  7:00 p.m. Total time:  3 1/2 hours
block island Paul arrives for 4 days of fishing. We tried SE Light at sunset and the spot near Grove Pt. when it was dark. Paul got one good splash at SE Light and that was it! It's dead out there. Hopefully it's the bright, full moon and it will get better.

Here's Paul scrambling up the steep, rocky path out of SE Light Cove.
July 24,   2010    -    Block Island
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:35 p.m. -- High Wind: 10 mph -- WSW
Start time:  8:00 p.m. Total time:  3 hours
block island It was the first time I've forgotten my camera since I started including a photo with my posts, and you had to know something unusual would happen. It was like I was in a science fiction story and the ferry had brought me to an island that looked just like Block Island but really wasn't. The heat and humidity were stifling. I fished Charleston Beach and my secret spot near Grove Pt. and never got a hit or a tap which had never happened before. And, finally, when I was just about to quit at about 11:00, I caught a freaking 44" Sand Shark on a Stetzko needlefish. Weird. I've never seen anyone catch a Sand Shark on a plug. From here, it can only get better.

I leave on Saturday for two weeks on Block Island. I'll be posting reports while there.

July 22,   2010    -    Marblehead, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:00 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10 mph -- WSW
Start time:  3:30 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hours
fog and mist over the canal I fished a spot I like on Marblehead Neck and had a fun morning. While it was dark, I had a slow pick on Stripers on a black/purple needle. I got three that were 26-28" and one 33 incher and missed a couple others. The bite died as the sun came up and I was going to pack it in at about 5:45. One other guy was fishing on my right and we both hooked up on the same cast with very big fish. I should have guessed it was a Bluefish, but I'd never caught a Blue at that spot. Brian O. had mentioned in a report that someone at Crane had caught a real big Bluefish, but I was convinced that I had a 25 lb Striper until it came out of the water. It was about 12 lbs and took a while to land with my light gear. Ten minutes later, another one, right at the top of my cast. Man, what a fish - I don't know how many runs it made. It just wouldn't quit. A little over 33" - that's a very big Bluefish - at least 15 lbs! I walked off the beach smiling with my 33" bass.

I wish there were something next to this 33" Bluefish to give the size better perspective.

No posts for a couple weeks as I'm off to Italy. Probably won't fish in
Sardegna but will be heading to Block Island upon my return to the States.

June 29,   2010    -    Cape Cod Canal & Popponesset
Moon phase:moon phase Current:  6:00 a.m. -- Slack/Low Wind: 5-10 mph -- SW
Start time:  4:45 a.m. Total time:  6 hours
fog and mist over the canal I decided to try the Canal one more time before my trip to Italy. I fished for an hour on either side of the slack current and it was dead. First time I haven't seen any surface action at all, although you couldn't see much with the very heavy mist/fog. At about 7:30 I headed for Popponesset. I walked the beach and saw a couple nice fish break water and had a couple good hits but couldn't hook up. I should have gone there first - now the sun was getting bright. As I was walking off the beach to my car, I could see fish breaking off the jetty at the beginning of the spit. Of course I walked out to the end of the jetty and tried to reach the splashing fish. Once in a while I would get a very small hit but couldn't hook up. Finally, I put on the Jumpin Minnow for the smaller hooks and, sure enough, I hooked a Snapper Blue. A couple more snappers and I headed home.

Picture is of a fisherman casting into really heavy mist over the Canal.
June 27,   2010    -    Cape Cod Canal, Bourne, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Current:  4:40 a.m. -- Slack Wind: 5 mph -- SSW
Start time:  4:30 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
nico with unknown fisherman and his fish Nico and I were hoping for some big action at the Canal but it was pretty slow and we got skunked. The guy on our left was the only fisherman on our side of the canal that I saw catch fish and he caught two. He was such a nice guy that he asked Nico for "some help" and handed him the rod so Nico could land the 2nd fish. It wasn't easy as it was a decent fish and it was running with the current. Turned out to be about 17 lbs. Both fish were caught on a big greenish popper.

Here's Nico, his new friend, and the nice Striper which got released.
June 25,   2010    -    Cape Cod Canal, Bourne, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Current:  3:10 a.m. -- Slack Wind: 5-10 mph -- NNW
Start time:  2:45 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
misty morning cape cod canal I don't mind dropping a big fish once in a while - it happens to everyone - sometimes they just manage to spit it out. But I hate to break off a big fish because that's pretty much always the fault of the fishermen. I caught a small keeper at about 4:00 on a big white Hogy. At about 5:00, the fish were showing and, when I didn't get any action on top, I put on the 6" bunker-pattern Storm. 2nd cast and I hooked a very big fish. By now, the current was running pretty good east and there must be some specific skills for fighting and landing a big fish in the Canal when it's running with the current.

My drag was pretty tight and it just ran and ran and ran. I couldn't turn it around. It was the closest I've come to spooling a reel. The three guys fishing on my right couldn't cast and they were all watching me a for a long time - it made me a little uncomfortable. It finally slowed down but was still taking line in smaller bursts and I began trying to slowly horse it in. My mind was racing with all the things that could fail - mostly the clip because the force was huge and constant. Eventually there was the inevitable pop. I cursed but I wasn't especially surprised. My swivel and 2/3 of the leader were there, but not the clip. Maybe the leader failed or maybe the knot to the clip failed. I wish I had kept it to take a better look later but I was in too much of a hurry to re-rig. One more hit after that and that was it. I saw about six fish caught and they were all 27-29". A guy on my right also lost a much bigger fish.

Mist over the Cape Cod Canal.
June 17,   2010    -    Cape Cod Canal, Bourne, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  9:00 a.m. -- Low Wind: 10-15 mph -- SW
Start time:  6:30 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hours
foggy morning cape cod canal After what I'd witnessed on Tuesday morning, it was only natural to go back. Only this time the fish weren't there. The crowds of guys who fish the canal weren't there either so it must have turned off Wednesday morning. I tried everything in my bag and never got a hit.

Looks like most of the guys who fish the Canal knew the bite had died and didn't bother to show up Thursday morning.
June 15,   2010    -    Cape Cod Canal, Bourne, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:00 a.m. -- Low Wind:  Calm
Start time:  4:00 a.m. Total time:  3 1/2 hours
2 stripers from canal I had planned to go to Popponesset but when I read the Monday reports from the Canal, I changed the plan. A lot of folks read the same reports, because on a Tuesday morning I could see at least 25 fisherman just from my spot. It was dead from 4:00 to 6:00 am. But about a half hour after the current had stopped moving, good sized Stripers started flopping on the surface. Unfortunately, they were on the north side of the canal and I was on the south side. The fisherman on the other side were hooking up with big fish and we were watching. Finally, the splashing fish came our way for about 20 minutes.

Everyone was throwing surface plugs and no one was hooking up. I had one hit on the yellow/red Gibbs. Then an experienced looking guy on my right put on a 5" storm shad and, bang, he immediately hooked up twice. I put the same lure on and had a fish on my first cast. I ended up with two fat 30" stripers and I dropped a bigger one that I had on for a long time. The fish stayed on the other side for well over an hour. I think every fisherman over there walked away with a fish well over 40". I kept both my fish because we have good friends from California arriving at our home for a couple days.

My first keepers of 2010 - staying fresh in the Canal.
June 13,   2010    -    Crane Reservation, Ipswich
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:45 a.m. -- Low Wind:  Calm
Start time:  4:15 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
deer crossing CNR It was nice to see Chenson when I pulled into the parking lot at 4:00 - but everything went downhill from there. It was so dead that "dead" doesn't fully connote the total void of any action - save for the mosquitos and gnats. There was an occasional flop by a small fish on the surface - but that's just the CNR tease. We fished several spots, walking almost all the way to the beachfront. Four hours of persistent casting by me and Chenson produced nary a strike or splash or swirl. As I fished my way to the path that leads back to the car, I hooked the obligatory 15" striper. But, it was still freaking dead. Time to try something different.

If you look carefully (with a magnifying glass), you can see a lone deer forging across the mighty Castle Neck. Did she scare the fish away?
June 11,   2010    -    Crane Reservation, Ipswich
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:30 a.m. -- Low Wind:  Light -- NNE
Start time:  4:30 a.m. Total time:  3 hours
brian hill at CNR This was supposed to be a great morning of fishing. Perfect morning tide, new moon and overcast skies. A lock - a cinch. So I invited a local friend, Brian Hill, who is a fellow soccer dad. It was dead. Unbelievable. 2nd week of June, perfect conditions and it's dead back there. I had one take from a decent fish at about 5:00 and he was off after two cranks. And that was it.

This is Brian enjoying the charms of CNR but not catching any fish.
June 1,   2010    -    Crane Reservation, Ipswich
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  9:00 a.m. -- Low Wind:  10 mph -- SSW
Start time:  8:00 a.m. Total time:  3 hours
sun behind clouds at castle neck It was supposed to be cloudy/rainy all morning so, with a 9:00 low tide, I showed up behind Crane at 8:00 in the morning. Unfortunately, there was a fair amount of sun. There was a nice chop on the water and I expected to find some fish at my spots but it was pretty dead. Just a couple splashes. When I was ready to give up, I fished my way back to the main path, and I found some mini-stripers in front of the birdhouse. I caught six of them between 12 and 15".

Although a welcome sight to the beach goers, this sun was not appreciated by the fisherman.
May 29,   2010    -    Crane Reservation, Ipswich
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  7:00 p.m. -- Low Wind:  Light -- SW
Start time:  6:50 p.m. Total time:  2 hours
sunset behind crane beach I fished the back side of Crane and for a while it was terrific. When I turned the corner, fish were flopping all over the place. For half an hour I was getting aggressive stripers, between 24 and 27", on top with the bone Hydro Pencil (my new favorite small popper). I was convinced that I was going to pick up a keeper, and I got close, but no cigar. Then, even though the sun was setting, it turned off. I moved around to a few of my favorite spots and still only a couple more splashes. Still, it was really fun while it lasted and I caught five decent stripers.

I managed to get out seven times in May and I had one good morning with Bluefish and a nice evening with Stripers, and the Celtics are in the finals, so I'm not complaining.

Sunset behind Crane Beach.
May 26,   2010    -    Crane Reservation, Ipswich
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:30 a.m. -- Low Wind:  5-10 mph -- SE
Start time:  5:00 a.m. Total time:  2 hours
sunrise behind crane beach I could see the first light at 4:20 while I drove north on 128 - incredible how early it is this time of year. When I walked into Castle Neck, there was no wind at all and the mosquitos were terrible. Fortunately, a little wind picked up and the bugs went away. There were some Stripers there between 5:00 and 5:30 but a bright sun chased them away. I should have gotten there earlier and fished some of the dropping tide. I got three stripers between 16 and 25".

Sunrise behind Crane Beach.
May 24,   2010    -    Popponesset, Cape Cod
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  4:30 a.m. -- Low Wind:  Calm
Start time:  5:30 a.m. Total time:  4 hours
popponesset bluefish A really nice morning of fishing. I got to Popponesset right at the start of the incoming tide and I hooked a pretty nice Bluefish on my fifth cast with a bone Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil. I had the whole place to myself all morning. It was foggy and overcast so there was no sun until about 10:00 and the Blues were there the whole time. It was a slow pick - about every 10-15 casts I would get a nice splash or hook up. I caught 8-10 Bluefish - mostly between 26-28 inches - biggest was 31". At least three of them made those wonderful big jumps where they shake their heads in mid-air.

This is the first year where I've brought home Bluefish before Striped Bass.
May 19,   2010    -    Canal/Dennis/Onset, Cape Cod
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  Various Wind:  10-15 mph -- ENE
Start time:  6:15 a.m. Total time:  5 hours
beach in north dennis Paul and I had a pretty crappy outing. We didn't catch any fish, had no hits, and a brand new Lamiglas rod of Paul's had the tip brake when some thick branches brushed the top of my car on Route 6A near Dennis. We started at the Canal, where it had been red hot a few days earlier, and then fished another half dozen good spots from Dennis back to Onset and we never found any fish.
May 14/15,   2010    -    Cape Cod, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  Various Wind:  Light
Start time:  Total time:  3 hrs
cape cod overnight trip My daughter had a slumber party for her 10th birthday, so my wife gave me and Nico what a friend of mine calls a "hall pass" and we headed for the Cape on Saturday afternoon with our Welsh Terrier, Cody, who wanted to be with the boys. We fished the sunset into darkness at a couple different spots near Mashpee and finished at Popponesset with no luck at all. We spent the night in Sandwich and on Sunday morning we slept too late and then fished for about an hour in Onset. We caught one schoolie, my first fish of the season - about 15". It was a fun little trip despite the lousy fishing.

This is about the time I normally make my first trip to the shore, so I'll consider the past week just practice.
May 13,   2010    -    Ipswich, MA
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  6:00 a.m. -- Low Wind:  None
Start time:  6:00 a.m. Total time:  2 1/2 hrs
dock at castle neck river With a good morning tide and drizzly weather, I made my first trip of the year to the back side of Crane Beach. The conditions were great but there weren't many fish there. I had three hits at about 7:00 but couldn't hook up. Would have liked to catch my first striper of the season. Next time.
May 10,   2010    -    Bourne/Mashpee, Cape Cod
Moon phase:moon phase Tide:  3:00 a.m. -- Low Wind:  10-15 mph -- NE
Start time:  6:45 a.m. Total time:  All day
paul cape cod canal After getting several reports of good fishing on the upper Cape, I got out about a week earlier than I typically do. As luck would have it, the morning I chose was very cold and very sunny. Paul and I started in Onset, worked our way to Falmouth and Mashpee and then finished back at the Cape Cod Canal. We never found the fish. We both got a couple good splashes at the Popponesset Spit and that was it. No fish. We fished at least six spots, maybe eight. Local fisherman confirmed that the fishing has been pretty good. It was nice to get out.

That's Paul casting at the Canal near the radar station.