Rhode Island Hat Trick

False Albacore

It is hard to believe that this is my first post in the month of September since it is my second favorite month. It is getting harder to go saltwater fishing after work. By the time I leave work, if I want to go, I have to fight rush hour traffic. It is getting dark too early to go after the evening rush.

Last week, my days off coincided with the outer bands of Hurricane Dorian. Even though New England was spared the brunt of the storm, the ten foot waves will put a damper on any fishing plans.

To that, today was my first real day off this month that didn't involve hurricane waves. So I did what I always do the second week of September. I went to the ocean and fished for albies. It didn't take me long to see them. Before I got to a flat rock to fish I saw some breaking far out. I casted and watched for 45 minutes until they came closer. All of the sudden a huge school of albies blew up right in front of me. I hooked up immediately. While I was fighting the fish I was watching albies swim by, bust bait, and jump out of the water. This went on for almost five minutes.

By the time I got the fish landed and unhooked the blitz was about over. I casted into the fish again but only got a hit. The fish teased me and stayed up for another hour but out of casting range. I ended up getting three bluefish and a striper while fishing. I got a Rhode Island Hat Trick before 9 am.

Later in the day I tried another spot with the wind more at my back. I caught two more albies.

 I caught all the albies and the striper on a float and fly (Pickering Albie Deciever). I caught one bluefish on a Kastmaster XL and two on the float and fly.

I got rained on most of the morning and the wind started blowing in the afternoon, but there is nothing like casting into a school of albies and having one almost rip the rod out of your arms.

Bluefish

Striper