Late November Rhode Island blitz

From our guest bloger, SJ reader Greg Tucceri, who also won STRIPERTHON 2010 and Penn Torque last year

enjoy

Its Saturday Nov. 19  and just got done watching the Bruins stomp the Islanders. Phone rings and me and Steve start the plan for what we hope is going to be a productive outing in the surf. Winds have been those favorable south west for two days and the temps are still right. We both have high hopes because we both know the end is near. The weekend prior didn’t turn out like we had expected under the same conditions. Do one more check on the NOAA to check weather and wind dicrection, and all looks good. It’s now 11 pm and time to go to bed for a 3 hour nap. For what I hope is going to happen.

Its 2 am and the wind is howling like crazy up in north central Mass. Put on the fleece wading pants, under armor top grab a Gatorade for the rode and program GPS. Next stop south county R.I. I hate the ride this time of night this time of year for a few reasons. The past Saturday did the same trip and went a different route, one that goes through CT. The deer population in this stretch of roads is frightening, the last thing I want to do at that hour is hit one of those things and really ruin my day. So my GPS took me the other way. Well saw the state police in Mass and R.I. catch a few people speeding or who knows what else. It’s now 3 am and the phone rings to the sound of Steve saying you up. With my response already on the road. He then proceeds to tell me he hasn’t even left yet. To me shocking seeing he always seems to beat to any where we meet up to fish, with most of the time he already  has caught a few fish. We had earlier decided where to start and were going meet there. I’m am 5 minutes away phone rings 3:45. Change in plans lets go there later and start over there. Ok see you in 10 he says.
….
Pull down that dirt road and my eyes are wide open like I have been up all night drinking 5 hour energy by the cup loads. I don’t what its but when I get within minutes away I start to get this second wind and the energy level rises. Put the car in park and its game time. Do that power stretch after being in the car for 2.5 hours take a leak and listen. The ocean is roaring like a freight train out of control. I am now thinking what the hell am I doing here this is going to be freaking impossible to fish, should have stayed home and fished for the land locked salmon that are up the river spawning. Suit up waders ,surf top, belt pliers,boga,head lamp check. Make a few plug adjustments and good to go. Steve pulls in a minute later and says what are you waiting for go fish. Open up my bag and snap on a SS 2. 3/8  heavy needle and started casting. Minutes later he comes walking down that path and says lets go . Get to the spot and start casting a metal lip into the out flow. Couldn’t feel a freaking thing plug going one way, line blowing the other. We have all been there at one point or another. Steve is throwing SS darter, hangs it on the rocks and makes a donation, reties and starts again. It’s about 5 am and I am already losing all hope for the day. We look up see a couple of guys coming and decide to give away the jetty spot for the beach.

It’s now first light, time to go top water as we all love to do. Make endless casts into the wind that are going about 50 yards and driving me crazy. Do not know the time but start seeing birds coming to life. Steve has always told me how good this place can be in the fall with birds and fish. I look off to north and see a flock of gannets just dive bombing like crazy. Yell to Steve and pointed them out, at that time he was about 200 yds south of me  perched up on a rock. We stop and talk for a minute and he finds another rock and stars fishing. That’s when I decided to go for a walk and meet them half way. It was pretty clear after watching them for a while they were indeed getting closer. Took that pencil popper off and subbed it out for the SS 2.5 heavy stubby needle in white. Haven’t used it all season but had a feeling on this day with the wind it would help me get some distance, and boy was I right. The birds are now right to my left and coming strong, rear back and let her fly, and boy did it couple cranks of the Penn Torque 5 bailless  and fish on, blue fish.  Perched  high up on this ledge hoist the fish up remove the hook and wave Steve over. This went on for about a half hour with the two of us hooking up doubles regularly. While un hooking one them he spit up a whole alive herring. This was a good sign of better things to come we both thought. The moved south, and so did we.

Got in the car around 8:30 and drove south about 5 miles or so in hopes of chasing them down. Well we did , got out of the car without the gear and went to the top of the path that leads to the beach. Took a look and could see the birds coming, go back to the car and start  all over again. This time there flock of gannets had almost doubled and were bombing like nothing I have ever seen before. Make my way through a boulder field covered in bubble weed find a rock and start all over again. Multiple hook ups again, and then the birds would disperse. Steve decides to go for a walk to the south down the beach. Find a nice rock and on the edge of a cove and is plugging away. I decided to leave my rock and was going to head north up the beach when Steve holds up a 33′ bass. So I make way over, and he says as soon as I put on a pencil with some blue on the bass responded. Oh great I only have a white and yellow over white, figures. Guess what I’m going to buy this week end.

Its now about 10 the fishing has been off the charts. Decide I will try the AH  jr  blip pencil yellow and white because this guy’s got no herring plugs or anything even close. Thrown that thing out there and start dancing it and wham thought I was going to get my bass. Had made my mind up that day I was going to keep one, seeing this might be my last shot, and besides I release way more than I keep, had to be in my slot though 28′ to 34′ on this day. Well it wasn’t meant to be felt like  bass but ended up being a 10 lb blue. Could get bass to follow it and even had a few slap at it but no takes. We fished in this spot until the tide chased us out around 11 am. Watching bass and blues ride waves , just simply the coolest thing to see live and without sun glasses. It will be the single most thing I will remember about this outing.

Make our way back up the beach and here come the birds again. There’s a few more guys now on the beach but far less than I expected. So here we go again another half hour blitz of monster blues and a few schooly bass. By now my arms are junk my white pencil is a chewed up mess,  siwash hook which was fairly new is stripped of all bucktail. But hey all in a good days work. It’s about 1:30 go back to the car, just ate my last rice crispy treat a chugged down a Gatorade but needed more food. Steve needed ice for his fish so he said what are you going to do. Was going to go north but we both decided leaving fish here would be foolish. So he went to the store grabbed a few sandwiches and came back. Went back down to beach for another half hour or so blitz of fish until he came back with lunch. While he was gone I actually watched a blue crush my plug through a wave. Just another great memory I will always have from this day.

Back up at the car eat down a ham and cheese sandwich and decide to go north where we were going to start the day. Arrive around 2:30 and see people catching micro bass on fresh water set ups, but notice a guy coming up the beach with a 40′ class bass. So back to car grab the stuff drive up the beach fish some more, still catching blues, bird activity has pretty much died down . Do a time check its 3:50 I’m done, back acting up eyes are burning and I’m plain beat.     

 I know dusk is 45 minutes away and the tide is going out but I just have nothing left in the tank. Besides I still have a 2.5 hour ride home. Steve gives me hard time and share some feeling on the day and bid farewell. He went to check out another spot . All in all a great day I will never forget and by far my most productive day in this year’s fishing season. It was one of those days you just didn’t want to end. Just wish I could of got that one bass.  
  
Forgive me I  am just a chef who types like you this is probably a complete mess, enjoy.

 Thanks, Greg Tucceri