BOSTON HARBOR & SOUTH SHORE- Stripers 8/4/05

[Captain Mike Bartlett]

BOSTON HARBOR & SOUTH SHORE- Striper August 6,2005

On Tuesday, August 2, we hosted, Alex Langer and his friend Steve Conely from outside Chicago. Alex is the owner and founder of National Sports Radio and hosts the show “Outdoors this Week”. This program is broadcast locally between 8 and 10 am on Saturday and Sunday on WBIX-am and Nationally on the Outdoor Sports Radio Network at: www.osrn.com.

As luck would have it, the stars were aligned properly and the big bass were exceptionally cooperative. After a short the run up the coast from Cohasset into Boston’s inner-harbor, these experienced freshwater bass anglers were immediately into some small, surface feeding bass and bluefish on the bottom of the flooding tide. Texas-rigged soft plastic fished on 5/0 offset worm hooks brought a number of fish to strike on the surface and ultimately to boat-side. A move to Boston’s outer-harbor on the morning flooding tide led to one of the best mornings of the season for big bass taking surface presentations.

Juvenile herring are dropping out of the rivers and staging in both the inner and outer harbor bays and pockets along the coast. These juveniles will move out on the next moon (spring) tide. The big bass were moving into the shallows intercepting the shoals of young herring, and we were lucky enough to be there. “Walking the Dog” with soft-plastics was more than the cruising line-siders in 5 to 10ft could take. The first bass brought to net was a 38 inch, 21 pound beauty. Two casts later, the anglers were into a 40”, 25 pound striper that exploded on the surface and dumped half the spool before I could turn the boat and give chase. Three more keepers, two at 36 inches and one more at 38 inches were raised, hooked and released after photo-ops. The pictures are in the report and photo section of my website @ www.bfastcharters.com.

Steve Conley is an avid lure designer and innovator. Although, Alex quipped that Steve fishes like a girl, his new prototype, weed-less spinner has merit. Steve attached the spinner in front of the Texas-rigged soft-plastic bait to give it more action and appeal.
I was skeptical, but the 40”, 26 pound bass that followed then inhaled the innovation was not. After a quick release, Steve was back casting to see if his brain-child was a fluke or not. Evidently not, another 40”+ bass slammed the contraption, dumped half the spool and we were again off to the races. Unfortunately, the swivel split-ring failed and the prototype gave way.

The right place, the right time and the right presentations made for a truly great day. . Alex featured me this on his national radio show this week. From a guide’s perspective, this is as good as it gets. I’d rather be lucky than good!

Capt. Mike Bartlett
B-Fast Charters
www.bfastcharters.com