Another work day came to an end and another Striper evening began. Mike calls me, “Hey, I saw some bait and busting fish down at xyz location.” So, I put my laptop down and I was on the beach, in my waders and casting to fish in no time. There was tons of bait around and several pods of busting fish. Most of the fish we got were on the smaller side. We just never hit any schools of bigger fish. Maybe tomorrow night. I used my black clouser. No frills, just jet black, and the Stripers chewed it up. The sunset was beautiful and the fall air was cold. The fish were around, but I knew there would not be many more nights like this. The water was cold and bound to get colder. The tourists were long gone and the ocean kinda had a foreboding look and feel to it. So, Mike and I casted and hooked fish until the darkness made it impossible. Pretty soon, the Stripers will be gone and the Striper days of 2004 will be too. The sandbars will be barren and all the Southern Maine Striper guys will look back on another good year and wait eagerly for the next season while tying Striper flies throughout the long cold winter.
