Today was the day for moving around and discovering new places. Was up at 530 and out the door. I hit the north side of the island exploring new water and new access to familiar water. I won't name names or spot burn as secrets up here are kept very tight to the vest. Even if you discover your own
new place, it already belongs to someone else. I snooped around Oak Bluffs, East Chop and Edgartown. The smaller fish are all around the island and it seems they prefer the moving inlet and channel water and the protection from bridge abutments and structure. I fished and drove around
for hours sometimes leaving the well traveled road and taking shot down long dirt roads. I got a little help from a guy I just happen to meet near the water who wasn't fishing and from the guy behind the desk at Larry's. On my way home I stopped in and talked with the herring guys at Aquinnah. They are
tracking the river herring as it moves from Menemsha into Squibnocket Pond. I watched the video showing the previous 24 passage of life including herring, needlefish, bass and a pair of mating horshoecrabs. In the full run it must be a great place to catch big bass that are keyed in on the herring.
We started the afternoon shift around 330 with Joe hitting Lobsterville, where he saw and flossed a few, me hitting my favorite spit, and Gerry and Steve hitting the deeper moving water. I decided to move around a bit after getting into the smaller fish yet again. The picture below shows what a 4 inch Steve Farrar bend baitfish looks like when a small bass sneaks up on it and takes a bite.
Gerry and Steve gave me a call for a shuttle but then called to add some time to their session after Stevie represented with a nice 31" bass on the two-handed rod. They put up big numbers of small fish and this one is the first, and hopefully not the last, keeper of the trip. The nasty weather is traveling from west to east overnight so tomorrow is looking snotty. Might just have to give it a go.
