It's great when you're on the bass, no matter what size. Found a town where the stripers are vacationing this August. I made a quick stop at 130 am and fished without a bump in one town before taking a drive and settling in for the rest of the night in another. Fished there from 230- 530 am catching the last three hours of the ebb tide.
Over those three hours I must have walked a few miles, made a thousand casts, landed a hand full of bass, and flossed and missed another half a dozen. Two of the best blow-ups, one a double blow-up, from bigger fish just wouldn't bite down hard on the Bob's Banger. The smaller fish attack with reckless abandon while the bigger bass are either nosing or tail slapping the popper and not committing.
With every stop I made I either had a fish show itself or go tight, which makes for walking a beach and fishing your way up and down really fun. After the first stop I left my second rod in the rack and decided I would pop my way along the beach. I spent the night up to my waist in water fishing the wash behind me and just over the sand bar in front of me. Most of the night I was exploring the great structure with my feet, taking small steps as I navigated the troughs and cuts and edges of the sand bars. It is really a great way to learn a beach, that coupled with fishing in the darkness and hanging around to see the beach at dead low tide. It answers the question on why a fish was caught here, say, and not over there.
As the light arrived I switched over to a small Deceiver and made several casts before catching a swirl out of the corner of my eye. There's nothing like having a target to shoot for. One 40 foot cast and the fish swirled hard on it but didn't get tight. It was a great way to end the night.
It's amazing how fish either get on bait and or just hold on some beaches over another. While some towns have been slow to spurty this summer this town and some of the neighboring towns have seen a more steady pick. I believe anglers sometimes become too comfortable with "home" and fish in one spot over and over without moving. Not just moving to a new town, even just walking the beach or picking a new groin or jetty to explore. Sometimes the bait and predator fish just aren't there and a break from the routine can and will surprise you. Plus it's just plain fun fishing new water and finding a new "home" and maybe even a few fish.
