“Time and tide wait for no man, and lo – the bird is on the wing!”

This was on my aunts wall when I was growing up and I never understood it as a kid. Lucky me. But let me tell you – I understand it in detail today! You know you are in the thick of guide season when you long to go to bed at 6:30 (but won’t get there until close to midnight) and your fishing days start to blur together and you began to fall behind in your reports, and in life in general. But I love The Baymen Life and wouldn’t have it any other way.

TUESDAY I had repeat client and freind, Richard Comstock from NYC, on board for fly fishing only striped bass. Richard is one of the fly fishing machines I often mention and he can out-fly me seven days a week. Tuesday was no exception. Nine hard-earned fish to 27.5 inches on a minus – 1.3 tide. The fish were caught on my signature fly, The Baymen Universal and on a white/olive clouser. Winds were SW at 20 knots (as usual) and Richard didn’t let up. It was a great morning once the torrential rains stopped.

WEDNESDAY I had repeat client, Billy Tedeschi on board for light tackle striped bass. Heddon Super Spooks and Yo-Zuri poppers in skinny water. One of my favorite ways to fish. We also fished rubber crank baits near the bottom of the outgoing tide. I normally drift-fish and rarely anchor. But Drifts were so quick, we had to anchor the boat (at Billy’s suggestion) in one of our prime spots to stay on the fish. Winds were non-stop SW at 20 knots (as usual). But we worked it hard and ended a great day with 21 fish caught and released. The biggest was another 27.5″

THURSDAY I had repeat client, Richard Bowman on board for light tackle and live/chunk striped bass. The winds we had earlier this week were gone, along with the minus tides. The bay was flat calm all morning and the drifts were easy and gentle. We started the morning with a variety of light tackle in skinny water. The top lures were once again the Heddon Super Spooks and the rubber crank baits. We boated a bunch of fish on LT. It was flat-calm so we ran off-shore to look for macks. We had to search for them, but eventually found them all along the floating weed beds between 80-90 fow. They hit good, and we put fifteen in the live-well. We zipped back inside the bay and put the livies over first. Dick landed himself two keepers to 30″ inches. We drifted chunks until the tide bottomed out and the bite was done. We ended a perfect weather morning (other than the rain showers) with 27 striped bass, including two keepers. And 1 sea robin, just to round things out.

Final Word: I have been guiding for 21 years on the bay. So many of my clients also become my friends and they bring me gifts! Thanks to Richard for the Lobster Roll and clam chowdah lunch. Thanks to Billy for the basketball cards for my son. And thanks to Dick for bringing me two of my favorite lures, (Gagg’s Grabbers) and some extra mackeral jigs!

And that brings The Baymen Reports up to date. Tight Lines, stay posted and good luck on the water!

Sincerely,

Capt. Dave
BAYMEN
www.baymenlife.com