Bass are just beginning to trickle into BAYMEN Land! This morning I fished and watched a very small schoolie chasing bait in the shallows over a flat, adjacent to a narrow cut. Nothing to write home about, but boy did it get the heart pumping! So exciting to see. I did not get a hit, but now it is only a matter of time…

Fresh fish are showing in the Wareham River right now. These are migratory schoolies with sea lice. Also, there are fresh fish in RI but word is the state has shut down the beaches and boat ramps (?). Closer to home here in Duxbury, the town has shut down the beaches as well. I have not checked on the boat ramp as I have not dropped my boat in the bay yet this season.

Boston continues to produce holdover striped bass, including keepers, as well as places on Cape Cod. Scorton Creek in Sandwich has held a handful of holdover schoolies. I have been fly fishing that piece of water for 27 years and have landed a fish or two on most visits. I do not know if it is currently open right now due to Corona dangers.

BAYMEN CHARTERS UPDATE – “The Baymen” my shallow water skiff, is almost completely repainted and it looks awesome. Some minor cleanup up work and the boat will be ready to roll. The repower, however, is behind schedule due to Corona. The boat yard and my mechanic, as well as the distributors and dealers are all shut down or barely up and running. So, I am at the mercy of others and hope to have a new Yamaha hung on the stern within the next couple of weeks. As of right now, I am planning on starting the striped bass season on time, but that could change depending on when the President and his task force give Americans the thumbs up to get back to work, and that includes the guiding and chartering business.

I urge all anglers to take the Corona very, very seriously. I know people that have had it and recovered and I know of people that have died, including fellow fly tiers and anglers. I was in a meeting with a gentleman that got it. We shook hands, sat beside each other for quite a while, exchanged papers, etc. A few days later he got sick, it got worse, and he ended up in the hospital. I began to mark off the days on my calendar hoping I was not going to be the next victim. Thank God, the two weeks passed and I never got sick, and the gentleman I was in the meeting with had a full recovery and is now back home. As you know, tens of thousands of Americans have not been so lucky. Please – follow the guidelines exactly.

Sincerely,

Capt. David Bitters, F/V BAYMEN, www.baymenlife.com