My Favorite Time of Year!

Well folks, I've been sitting around waiting for something really exciting or for some great fishing before posting, but it just hasn't happened. Don't get me wrong, the fishing has been really good, both on the LIS and the freshwater with some nice bass and early pike thrown in. I've had friends that have had season high trips for everything from bass to albies, stripers and tog, in the last few weeks. Problem is, my schedule and luck have both left me wanting. Fishing is always great, but catching consistently does involve fishing in the same manner. Spending time on the water is critical to understanding bite patterns, which change constantly. You can't expect to go out once every week or so and always rack 'em up. The best of days on paper can still produce a tough bite, and that has been my story throughout September. I followed up my last albie post with another trip that week, this time with Jack and my brother Doug. It was a tough day, following a previous evening that had been lit up. We worked HARD for a few stripers, an albie and some blues. Several boats ended up getting shut out fishing from Plum Gut all the way east of Watch Hill. Just one of those mornings. I rebounded a bit the following week on one of the Blackhawk night trips (as I write this, they are heading out on one of the three October trips...), scoring numerous bass including 3 bill pool winner $$$. A weekend later, and I'm again working to pick of a few largemouths while hoping for pike. All things considered, I still got to fish in September, just in-between all the other stuff like job, family, etc. The great thing about fishing is that the next trip and possible fish of a lifetime looms just over the horizon : )

PS - If anyone found a fishgrip attached to a bowfin floating in the old outflow, that would be mine! (Pictured just before droping the fish and grip in the drink!)