THE WAIT CONTINUES
April
25, 2001 - While
we continue to wait for our initial "confirmed"
report of fresh fish entering Massachusetts coastal
waters, we thought we would bring our readers up to date
regarding the 2001 size restrictions on striped bass for
the northeast states:
New Jersey- Slot
24-28"- 1 fish, 28" and above-1 fish.
New York- 1 fish, 28" and above.
Connecticut- Slot 24-32"- 1 fish, 41" and
above-1 fish
Rhode Island- 2 fish, 28" and above
Massachusetts- 1 fish, 28" and above.
New Hampshire- l fish, 32" and above.
Maine- 1 fish, 20-26" or 1 fish 40" and above.
This should clear
up any confusion you may have concerning this subject.
RHODE
ISLAND/CONNECTICUT
With the exception of a few scattered, mediocre reports,
saltwater angler’s are experiencing very limited
success to our south, but this should change by the
weekend. Warmer than normal air temperatures and this
moderating weather pattern will aid in accelerating the
migratory process, which is already a few weeks in
arrears. Favorite early season haunts to our south
remain: The Coles River and Lees River in Swansea, MA,
Mill Gut in Colt State Park and the Kickamuit River in
Bristol, RI, and the Narrows River in Narragansett. All
areas are within a short drive of central Massachusetts
and offer suitable wading opportunities and should be
producing modest results in a few days. Evening fishing
(from dusk till dark) will generally yield the best
outcome for shore restricted long rodders.
HERRING ARE
IN
Atlantic herring populations continue to
increase in all of the Cape’s predominant runs. This
is encouraging news since this event is usually
accompanied by the first surge of migrating schoolies
shortly thereafter. Generally speaking this spawning
ritual should reach peak around Memorial Day and
subsequently taper during the initial week of June, which
also coincides with the Shad migration calendar on the
Connecticut River watershed.
PREDICTION
The week of April 28th through May 6th
should mark the arrival of considerable numbers of school
fish, particularly on the south side of Cape Cod. We
realize that it’s been a incorrigible early spring
due to late season snowfall and colder than normal
air/water temperatures but these climatic episodes tend
to modify over time. I assure you our next report will
offer a more promising perspective to what should be an
epic season.
NEW ENGLAND
RITES OF SPRING CHRONICLE
April 6th - Donned Hawaiian shirt at
dinner
April 10th - UPS delivery man models shorts
for the first time
April 15th - Bugs splattered on windshield
during commute
April 16th - Ice-out on Long Pond in Rutland
April 17th - First ants detected in kitchen
April/May ??? - First fresh fish landed in the Bass River
Don’t forget
the 1st Annual CCA Banquet on May 2nd.
Information on the day’s festivities can be located
on our home page.
Good fishing and
safe wading,
JB
|