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 Bugs and Bass 2014 
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
07-10-14
It didn't take much convincing in this great weather that fishing was more important than mowing what the wife calls a field that doubles as our lawn.

If there is anything that can relieve the stress of the work day it is a trip to the striper grounds.

Met Cory OTW in his boat.

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I caught and released another linebacker. Our fish have been strong and healthy this year.

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With the moon high in the eastern sky and a west setting sun we called it a night.

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Thank you Lord for your blessings. Life is good.

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Fri Jul 11, 2014 8:20 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
07-17-14
Spur of the moment decision this evening to drown some slime.

These three dead trees caught my eye on the way out of the river. Hmmmm?

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Is this picture telling us the water levels really are rising? These trees have to be old to be that size. With higher tides my guess is the salt water killed them.

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Barely made it under the trestle. Motoring up to WOT I came upon this barge.

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They are restoring the oyster beds on Great Bay

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Stick spat, stick.

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Fishing brook trout style for striped bass. Even the slightest rip flushes bait by hungry gill plates.

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An IPhone selfie. 37" bull who got the release of life. Note the circle hook. Reel, reel, reel.

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And another chapter of Bugs and Bass 2014 comes to a close.

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Next chapter begins 07-19-14.

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Fri Jul 18, 2014 8:22 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
07-19-14
Special day on the water with friends. Hannah Merrill my turkey hunting bud and her grandfather John Merrill, owner of the Stuart Farm in Stratham.

What goes around, comes around. I bought the USS Coalman from John in 1997. Right about the time Hannah was born.

What a privilege and honor it was to have both on the boat helping bait traps and band lobsters. When John took the helm between strings the memories of his adventures in the same boat so many years ago were a pleasure to my ear drums.

Like passing the torch Hannah also got to be the captain of her once granddad's boat. Today had to be the most fun I've had lobster trapping this season.

To top it off it was another pound or better lobster per trap day. My only request in return was special consideration to hunt an off limits goose field this fall with Belle. John's nod said it all.

What a great day to be OTW.

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Sun Jul 20, 2014 12:30 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Great Bay Center
I hope you catch her Vic and give her the release of life.

07-21-14
One bite, one fish. Not a linebacker. The Center. 44" Great Bay Striper. Bait..... slime.

She lives.

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Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:56 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
07-26-14
Had the pleasure of sharing the water this morning lobster trapping with Anton and Caden. The catch today included green and red crabs, small cunners, a pancake flounder that I saw Anton filleting with his eyes and another pound + day per trap of lobster.

Boat traffic was non existent. We saw two fisherman and schools of busting bass. An osprey fulfilled our gaze as it dove down with a huge splash then struggled skyward with it talons full of striper.

DWS was the cameraman.

Good to see you Andy and son! Eat well my friend.

Great morning to be OTW.

Anton said....

Coalman summed it up but left out Cadens excitement, the Bald Eagle that was fishing as well, the seals, the snakes-it was a heck of a day , thank you my friend. Caden was amazed at all the life out on the water today-we stepped out of the truck back home and the first words out of his mouth were... "when can we do that again papa?" LOL He had a heck of a time and Mom was quite impressed as well after verifying with me that he actually did see all of that in a single morning.

The neighbors are jealous this evening after watching the boil-amazing how good bugs taste when so fresh! Thank you again for being our guide this morning and taking us along.

Andy said...

It was great seeing you as well yesterday. My son Aaron had a blast as well. This was his early catch at 5am. Some mysterious black cloud moved in the background?? Weird how that happens? Nice to meet Anton and Caden! Great day on the Bay!

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Fri Aug 01, 2014 8:48 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
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Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
07-26-14 Pictorial
Pot hauler

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Horseshoe crab

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Pancake flounder

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Measuring

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Checking for eggs and notches on tail fins. If either she would live.

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Caden and Coalman

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Fri Aug 01, 2014 8:56 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
Never saw any lightning but watched this storm pass over from Newmarket to Dover last night.

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And the Great Bay Kettle was boiling steam last night and I'm not talking lobsters.

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Fri Aug 01, 2014 8:57 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
08-07-14
We made it out to the ocean front about 9PM High tide was 9:30. No bites on outgoing.

Joe got this one right at the top of the tide trolling an eel. I got one right after about 30” casting into the surf.

Man you better have your sea legs fishing a cast away from the crashing waves.

Up, Down, Up, Down, Up, Down, Up, Down,

The moon was fantastic.

The river was a dead zone on the way back on outgoing tide. Joe got a schoolie.

Back to my home waters this weekend. I like the Great Bay lake effect better.

Thank you my friend for allowing me the bow of the Warrior Princess

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Fri Aug 08, 2014 10:50 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
Super Moon
Of three super moons in a year this Sunday will be the biggest and brightest.

Are you a striper fisherman?

Do you want to catch your PB?

We lose 40 minutes of daylight from August 1 to August 31.

It is a long way to the Chesapeake Bay and Montauk.

This has to be the start of the feedbag.

High tide at prime time.

Prepare your boats.

Fish on!

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Your eye in the Northeast sky
Coalman's Online Blog http://coalmansblog.com


Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:29 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
No striped bass were hurt fishing with Joe.

They were all released so that our children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren may be able one day to experience the thrill of catching a monster striped bass.

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Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:53 am
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
08-09-14
My head touched the pillow at 2AM Sunday morning.

The ride down the river was highlighted by the sound of crushing shells as we enjoyed freshly caught Great Bay lobsters. The Super Moon guided us to pods of monster stripers. The Okuma reel is hoarse from all the singing. The Ugly Stick could not be beaten. My first cast to the curl put a linebacker on the deck. Double hookups were the theme.

Joe is a good Captain. He put us into Striperpalooza. An event we didn't have to share with any flotilla.

My back and my arms may not feel the same but THANK YOU my friend for once again allowing me the bow of the Warrior Princess.

And yes my prediction came true. This time my bass was bigger than yours.

Image

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Coalman's Online Blog http://coalmansblog.com


Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:32 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
08-16-14
As a striper fisherman I love the Super Moon. As a lobster trapper I hate them. The Super Moon tides are huge. They flood the marsh and carry Eel Grass, Sea Lettuce, Rock Weed, Algae and mud as they exit the Bays.

After checking the first twelve traps today there were nine keepers in the cooler. I caught the berried calico female again. Her suitors were all shorts. How long before she lays her eggs?

The last three traps were set in 40+ feet of water. I had to wait an hour before low tide before they popped up. There must have been fifty pounds of algae on the line and another fifty pounds of crap in each trap. Sadly the wait was not worth it because those three traps had no bugs.

I took three traps back to my hero or zero spot. The week after the full moons see much more lobster movement.

Today's catch was highlighted with more hard shell than new shell lobsters.

Nothing beats the taste of a fresh Great Bay hard shell lobster.

08-17-14
Did you read the line above??

Mmmmm is all I can say!!

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Keeper of the Mountain
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Your eye in the Northeast sky
Coalman's Online Blog http://coalmansblog.com


Sun Aug 17, 2014 9:33 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
08-20-14
Skipped out of work a little early to drown some slime. There were a couple boats in the honey hole so I went hunting. No love in those new rips.

When the boats cleared out at dusk I threw a lively eel to my brook trout rips. Four bites, two on, one in the net.

Six miles of WOT back to the dock and not a boat in sight.

Life is good.

08-23-14
Avoided a real bad smell on today's check of the lobster traps. The first six traps, no keepahs. It was looking like a skunk!

Thank goodness for the Point. The last nine traps and there were eight eaters in the cooler.

The three hero or zero traps scored thirty three percent. One lobster. We'll try again next year.

Highlight of the day was doing a radio podcast on the boat with Dave Kellam and the Fish Nerds.

http://www.fishnerds.com/fish-ne....de-fish

We spoke about my connection to Great Bay and what I saw as its strength and weaknesses. Touched upon the different fish that come and go during a summer season.
And about the striped bass that "do not" live in Great Bay. :cool:

Dave took a lot of pictures. The two below are my favorite.

Although not a keeper this lobster shed its old shell while in the trap. The new shell lobster on the right is as soft as you have heard me say before, a "grape".

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These are when lobsters are at their greatest threat of predation.

And the Great Bay Gundalow barge was on the water. This type of vessel supported the commerce around Great Bay estuary during the 18th and early 19th century. The ships unloaded onto these barges and with their shallow draft these vessels brought the ocean faring goods to the local town ports.

http://www.gundalow.org/

The Great Bay National Wildlife Reserve to the rear.

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08-24-14
Back around 2005 was the last time my dad, due to the escalating effects of Parkinson's disease, and I celebrated his birthday with a fishing trip to Great Bay. His last day on the boat the Bay was alive with boiling striped bass and bluefish schools. I would hook the fish and he would reel them in.

Since that day each August 24th I try to get out on the Bay and fish in his honor.

Back on August 24th 2009 my son Shawn and I hit the jackpot by playing the huge school of Atlantic Menhaden (pogies) that invaded the Bay for bait.

Shawn got his personal best striper that day.

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Which he chose to release.

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I wasn't far behind.

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No, today didn't produce any pogies for bait or for that matter a keepah stripah. I did put two bass in the boat and they swim free like my dad's spirit does today.

Happy Birthday Dad. I miss you. :(

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Mon Aug 25, 2014 5:22 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
Super Moon

http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/super-full-moon.html

The Super Moon as were were heading out of the river 08-09-14 on our way to Striperpalooza.

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08-30-14
On the water at 0630. Checked my fifteen traps and got sixteen keepah lobsters.

Therrrrrrre back!

Stopped by mom's to drop off a few. She was happy, happy happy.

Great start to the long weekend.

Coming up the Squamscott River. The Newfields-Stratham railroad trestle in the distance. My gateway to adventure.

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Your eye in the Northeast sky
Coalman's Online Blog http://coalmansblog.com


Sat Aug 30, 2014 12:39 pm
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King of Spring

Joined: Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:09 pm
Posts: 1305
Location: Seacoast NH
Post Re: Bugs and Bass 2014
08-31-14
Joe Daley and I were on the water at 0515 looking for a Great Bay keepah stripah.

Wet our first line as night turned to day. Five fish in the net. One keepah. It was the first fish that swallowed my circle hook this summer.

Joe will be eating grilled striped bass today.

We found a few schools of sub legal bass. They were boiling on the bait fish.

I could see your boat from here boblob.

Short video. Click in the picture.

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Sun Aug 31, 2014 9:28 am
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