Is this the begining of the end?

[Rockport24]

ya know it would be nice if there were fish everywhere (both on and off shore, up and down the coast) but was it ever really like that? Even in the so called "Glory Days" (I'm not being flip at all here, I'm a relative newbie just wondering)

[steve]

It was much more consistent then, then it is now, believe me. Case in point- Looking and comparing logs for 1998/2008 seasons - month of april- 212 bass. 2008- so far- 143 fish.. 1998- June- 14 trips- 62 bass-- 2008- 15 trips- 13 bass. Biggest bass in June 1998- 41 pounds. Biggest bass this jUNE,'08- 18 pounds. and so on.....

[Flaptail]

Flap is lucky and gratefull the fish came this far this year and last.

And also very very lucky and gratefull to have four very close friends who network, keep thier mouths shut and go where no man goes and take me along with them as I take them with me. They are the best fishermen I ever knew in trems of combination of skill, determination and never quitting. Optimism is a central bonding trait.

One thing noticed also is that people stop fishing in the season too early be it the call afield to hunt or the cold I don't know but they do finish way too early in my opinion. Maybe they are just plain beat from the whole trip and had enough. Thankfully I can never have enough.

[steve]

Thats what keeps me going. If there's one fish left, I'll try to catch 'em

[Clammer]

IMO
the bass have been on a numbers decline since the second they lifted the morot %$%$%$%$;sp'
I know 3 schoolie monsters that choose to target schoolies ;;

ME >>> have had the worse schoolie year since we we forceed to fish large /late 70,s or early 80.s

Denis >.from this site >>>>> had a great spring >>>>> but his schoolies were from 24" tp 40 " >>n ow he,s catching nothing :;

Got Stripers Is still doing his magic jigging >>>>>>>all his fish are 26" to 33"

I never thought I,d be saying or doing this ...but to schoolie fish In Narragansett bay /right now // with plugs, lures, jigs, ;
casting /not deep trolling >>>Is the worse I,ve seen in 2 least 20 years ;;
If someone told me that at this day & time of my life /I,d be flukin & scuppin ;; I would have told them they were f #$%^&*( nuts ;;
But I havn,t seen or caught a 10 - 22 " bass since around the end of May ::

But add this to the riddle >>>>>>> the winter fishing just gets better & better .with more descent fish & numbers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> they leave in April ... I,d bet that many of those are on the end of Steve,s rod & the guys to the north & east of RI ><><><>

[steve]

Right on Clammer. If someone told me that I would be freshwater fishing daily and struggling to catch stripers in june and july when I have gone surf fishing, I would have said they were nuts. Then again, everything changes.

[Pt.JudeJoe]

There were plenty of small ones in Newport tonight. I sent them on their way ...they promised to come back in 15 years.