“What the F was that?”
The Spring has gotten off to a great start in the Long Island Sound, although, with weather conditions and fish moving quickly, there has been a sporadic element to it. I was out with a new friend Dane, we fished together once very early in the season before anything really was happening yet. It was clear Dane was a good caster from our first outing, but you never know what elements the angler on your bow brings to the table. It would be his observation skills that saved the day.
One of the things I like about running a smaller boat is that you don’t miss much. (Granted, if someone gave me a faster, bigger boat I’d take it). Running at 20-25 knots you are more connected to your surroundings in transit, my skiff has no t-top, windscreen, or anything that obstructs your view. “What was that?” or with more emphasis “What the F was that?” is a common phrase I hear on board, one I love to hear. A splash, a boil, a wake, a lone bird diving, all will have the throttle shut off and eyes open. Dane and I had checked a number of spots that had held fish in previous days, however today they held nothing. As we began to cruise to another spot I had in mind, Dane said to me “did you see that?” I hadn’t. Off our port side, a good ways away, fish were just starting to feed on the surface. As we motored over, one splash turned to many, and we were treated to a large school of migratory striped bass feeding on sand eels and silversides. For the next hour or so we landed fish above 35” casting flies and soft plastics through hungry schools of stripers.
The moral here is: it doesn’t take much to miss an opportunity. We easily could have run by that splash, and perhaps went home without any success. But Dane saw it. His eyes were the attribute he brought onto the boat that day. When you are on the water, you should be “fishing” even when you aren’t casting, paying attention should be second nature. Whether you are a guide, an angler, or just a weekend fisherman out for a cruise, everyone is capable of clearing your mind and focusing on what’s around you. It often pays off.
