It didn't go as planned...

I went on another 30 hour fishing adventure from Thursday afternoon until Friday night. I got to the ocean about 2:30 pm on Thursday. I went to the East Wall where my friend Dave and I watched helplessly as False albacore were busting bait a quarter mile out. They never came in close. A few blues came in and Dave caught a couple I hooked two but missed them. I did manage to get my leader stuck between some rocks, not once, but twice. I lost my rigs both times. Luckily I only lost a fly and a zoom fluke. Nothing to expensive.

Night Fishing

I went to an outflow for some night fishing. Jeff and Dave were already there. Dave hooked a small fish but it came off. A few minutes later I hooked a giant seal and it broke me off almost instantly. Because the seal was around there were no other fish as it scared them all off.

At least that is what I wish happened. The truth is much more embarrassing. While I was at the wall, I realized my braid was low and in a long cast I could see my backing. So I went to a tackle shop to buy some. The tackle shop did not have any  to buy but they could put some on for me. I brought my reel in and the guy behind the counter spooled it for me. I paid for it and put my spool back on my reel and restrung my pole with a new leader.  I went to the outflow and fished. Dave did hook the small blue. A few minutes later I hooked a BIG fish. It snapped me off within seconds. My drag was to tight. The guy put it back on the reel and tightened it to tight. I should have checked it. I can't believe I forget to check it. I missed easily the largest fish of my year so far because of a careless mistake!!!

I went to sleep in my car for the night around 10 pm. I was exhausted. I got up about 5:45 am. I bought some breakfast and started another day of fishing on Friday morning.

I checked  a bunch of spots. I fished everywhere I went. I didn't just look for birds. I found fish in a couple spots but they were on tiny bay anchovies. I fished near Narragansett Pier. There was a huge school of bait. Every five minutes or so fish would drive into it. I casted into these schools fifty times. They I landed a few blues then a few small stripers. They were so picky it was almost impossible to get them to hit.



Then I got a phone call that huge bass were crashing the shoreline a couple miles away. I drove down and sure enough I saw a blitz of 15-30 pound stripers tearing into bait six inches from the shoreline. Ben Pickering had one about 30 pounds. I took some pictures for him then started fishing. Apparently, the fish were not fussy at the beginning of the blitz of the blitz, but once they filled up on one inch fish, they were also picky. Ben landed 2 more while I landed one. Ben's were one schoolie and one just keeper. I caught a schoolie.

After things died down, I went other places. I caught a couple more blues before dark. 



Lots of pretty colors, it would be cool if it
didn't hurt so much

So considering how long I fished I did not have near the quality of fishing I did the last three weeks. It would have been great if I would have landed the big one Thursday night or even one of the twenty pounders at my feet on Friday. Considering how meticulous I am about my gear, I can't believe I didn't check my drag. I also fell, cut up my knee and severely bruised my big toe.  I ended with six blues and 6 schoolies. I casted into fish almost all day so this is quite a disappointing number. Oh well, there is always next week