 |
| The first of ten schoolies landed today. |
Sad to say but the fishing along the oceanfront is coming to an end. I went to the ocean today, and it just looked dead. There were few fishermen around which is always a bad sign. Except for a gannet here and there diving way out, I saw no evidence of any bait and the water was unusually rough and sandy in spots. I fished that area from Matunuck to Charlestown, a real good stretch of shoreline at this time of year. After four hours of fishing, it looked like I was going to blank and finally I got my first schoolie (see pic) at 3:30 in the afternoon. Quickly, I landed 9 more in one particular spot on Cocahoes and teasers right before dark. These were all very small fish running 12-15 inches. These small ones are yet another sign that things are coming to an end.
So, I suspect there will be no grand finale this season. I don't think the herring runs will develop and I think we have seen the last of the keeper bass and bluefish. This schoolie fishing could extend another few days, maybe a week or so. You might even stumble upon a real good schoolie day in the next week if you put in a lot of time and effort.
I've decided my strategy is to start hitting the winter spots that have holdover fish. I suspect those places will start producing soon if they haven't already.
