DEVELOPING FISHERY August 5, 2009 - Last season we reported on the fishery that seems to be developing within Pleasant Bay with the hopes that it would return to it's former glory. The Nauset break of a few years ago continues to magnify ushering cooler water from the north Atlantic, and in doing so, is creating a more conducive habitat for summer striped bass. Make no mistake, there still remains an extreme amount of shallow, warm water within the Bay but the break has created pockets of opportunity, particularly for small craft and kayak fly anglers. This week alone we have received a number of reports from sight-fishing anglers that have been locating fish east of Hog Island along the backside of Nauset, well into the Broad Creek area. Generally an aggressive grain line is unnecessary since much of the water falls within the 2-5 foot level. An intermediate line for most applications in conjunction with a weighted fly for deeper water should be considered standard fare. Since Pleasant Bay is notorious for supporting a generous population of crabs, patterns that mimic these tasty tidbits should be inventoried. When searching current tongues, drops adjacent to sand bars, depressions and channels we prefer sparsely tied sand eel patterns, both weighted with barbell eyes and without weight. Stay away from brighter colors, as darker olives, browns or olive-brown in conjunction with a lighter belly seem to be more effective. This is an ecstatically beautiful area that will go neglected by larger vessels and rip anglers. While many anglers have reported stellar fishing during dropping tides and into the low tide ebb, incomers are providing cooler water that is very beneficial for supporting a summer striped bass population. If you are so inclined to explore the area there are many locations to slip in a yak or car topper. Portanimicut Rd., Strong Island Rd., Cotchipinicut R.d, Minister's Lane, Cow Yard Lane and Claflin Landing all offer public parking with access to Pleasant Bay. Good fishing and safe
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