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This hardy angler has landed a hefty
December schoolie in a holdover location. |
I am now doing my winter fishing thing in holdover locations in the upper Bay. For those who have never fished for stripers in the winter, the best way I could describe the fishery would be INCONSISTENT. This year got off to a fast start. Back in mid to late November I was getting 15-30 fish a night, and that was just fishing a few hours after dark. These were all schoolies, typical of winter fish. Well, the fishing has hit the skids in the last week, and it has become inconsistent as I knew it would. In past years I might blank 4, 5 or 6 times in a row and then, BINGO, the fish are around, and I'd land big numbers. The fishing might remain good for a few days, and then it would go back to the blanks.
I suspect winter fish move around a lot, especially in warm weather, and that explains some of the inconsistencies. Sometimes, too, they develop lockjaw and will not hit. You know this is happening when you start banging into them on the bottom and foul hooking them with your jig.
Regardless of whether you fish for holdovers in such well known spots as the rivers of CT, the south shore ponds of RI, the upper Bay or Boston Harbor, realize that in all these places the fishing is inconsistent and no sure bet. But, hey, it beats sitting at home and watching TV.
