Wow! The online forums are dead, the horizon is absent of boats except those anchored up for tog, and the beaches and rocks are void of anglers! What happened? No doubt we are all sensing that the heart of the fall striped bass migration has came and went. We had some fish, then a lot of fish here, then more fish there, in spurts over the last month or so but in general it was a slow and frustrating fall. That said, its still fishing, and there is still plenty of it to go around before winter comes and shuts it down for the year.
THERE ARE FISH AROUND! Yes, scattered, hard to find, a little on the smaller side, but there is life. There are birds, there is bait, and there are bass.
I write this pep talk as much for myself as anyone else. This morning I made it out mid ebb tide and started on the beach and then went to the tips of two groins. There were a few birds floating and then picking but I didn't see any bait or anything under them. However, it was a beautiful morning with air temps in the mid 40's and good water conditions, although I would like to see it a bit warmer then the low to mid 40's.
Even though I went fishless it was good all the way around. I fished the always challenging tip where proper line management is key, swam a few different flies, and had several beaches and rocks all to myself. No doubt I would have liked to have gone tight, but it's fishing, not always catching.
I find the worse thing I can do is have no faith or confidence that I may catch a fish. That's between the ears. In reality its not over, there's no closed season, no one makes an announcement, its only over when we say its over.
So until then, I am still offering walk and wade trips and will run the boat upon request and if things do heat up in more ways then one. If you have the time, and still have the desire, get out and wet a line, no matter what the internet or your friends are saying, you might just catch a fish and have a nice time while doing it.