Baymen Guide Services

Archive for May, 2011

On board this morning, I had repeat client and excellent fly rodder, Roger Grenier. We delayed our trip by 3.5 hours based on tides and what I have been seeing on the bay. At 9:00am, we departed into thick, dense fog covering the bay. Top visibility was 50 yards max and we did not see land for three hours. I wanted to try and navigate this morning soley by tide direction, wind direction, weed line, and the sounds of gulls and shore birds vs. land birds such as warblers. It was pretty cool as we picked our way through the fog for three miles until we found our first school of fish. After that, with rising tides, we just stayed with the birds, bait and fish all morning. At around noon, the fog broke, and we fished another hour and came back in full sight of land the entire way in. Then, the fog poured in once again and the bay socked in.

Total catch today? I’d guess at 15-20 fish and 3-5 keepers to 35” inches. Almost everything but two, were taken on the fly rod. Roger is an excellent fly caster, as my previous charters, and the bass hit poppers and Baymen Universals on intermediate and floating lines. Roger’s biggest on the fly, was a 35 incher. The others ranged 29.5 to 31.5 inches. It was crazy in the dense fog. I’ve only seen it thicker a few times in my entire life fishing the bay. But it was another amazing day fishing the Spring Blitz on the Massachusetts coast!! – Capt. Dave, The Baymen www.baymencharters.com (781) 9334-2838 FB David Bitters

On board this morning I had Tom Knapp of Cohasset and his Dad, who drove up from New York to fish with Baymen this morning. The day started out like a ghost town. Dense, dense fog and we did not see land for most of the day. Bay void of fish and after two and half hours we caught two shorts. The tide was very low today, a –1.6. I knew if any fish were going to show, it was going to be when the flats got covered on the incoming tide. We decided to head for port and take an hour and a half break. Then, we met back up and went back out and like clockwork – the bay was loaded with birds, bait, and stripers…!

We caught schooled bass and keepers on both fly gear and light tackle gear. The fish were finicky and we switched out flies eight times and caught fish on every fly – except the popper! That was the hot fly yesterday, but today, they would not touch it. For LT, we used crippled herring, and rubber shads  and did well. Today only: forget the Baymen Bounce – the stripers would only take it on a very, very slow crawl…. Tap-tap-tap… WHAM! BFO!

We ended the day with 35 stripers and 6 keepers. Not a bad morning fishing the spring striper blitz with The Baymen.

Back at it tomorrow… Stay posted.

Capt. David Bitters, The Baymen  www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838 FB David Bitters

Capt. David Bitters, www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838 FB David Bitters

Fish with The Baymen this season – Fresh and Saltwater Guided Fishing on the Massachusetts Coast!

Insane Spring Blitz Striper Fishing

On board again this morning, I had fly rod pro, Rich Comstock of New York, for his second day on the water with me. Dense fog at first light and a -1.6 low. As the tide turned, it was striper mayhem on the bay…! About 20 fish this morning, four keepers to 34.5 inches, all on the fly rod. Most of them on top-water poppers thrown in the chop and pouring rain, and snotty winds. But it was striper paradise for two seasoned bass addicts…

If you want to go, give Capt. Dave of The Baymen a call (781) 934-2838. If you e-mail us, please include your phone number.

Tight Lines – back at it again tomorrow!

Capt. David Bitters, The Baymen

captdaveb@baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838 FB David Bitters

Capt. David Bitters, The Baymen www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838 FB DAVID BITTERS

Fresh and Saltwater Guided Fishing On The Massachusetts Coast

Bay on fire this morning in 2-4 foot chop and 22 knots steady with vey high gusts. On board, I had pro fly rodder, Richard Comstock, of New York. We got soaked, pounded, and happy as can be, back into the Spring Striper Blitz! Come fish with Capt. Dave & The Baymen this season with fly, light tackle or bait. We will put you on the fish. – Capt. David Bitters www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838 FB David Bitters

www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838

Finally….! The striped bass have arrived in Duxbury and Plymouth bay on the Massachusetts coast! 29 fish, 10 of them keepers. Light tackle and fly. If you want to fish with BAYMEN this season, call Capt. Dave for open dates. We fish Fly, Light Tackle, or Bait for striped bass, blues. Also Flounder trips and mackerel fishing on Massachusetts South Shore….

Capt. David Bitters, Baymen Guide Service, Inc. (781) 934-2838 www.baymencharters.com FB David Bitters

* Call or e-mail for available dates. Include your phone number in all e-mails.

BAYMEN REPORT – THURSDAY MAY 12 2011

“Another brutal morning…” Not the way I wanted to start this day nor this season. But if you are one of 2,000 followers of Capt. Dave’s BAYMEN REPORTS, you know we tell it like it is. No candy coating. The N/NE winds continue to blow on the sea and the bay is a whirl of rollers and whitecaps.

Last night, I made the call with my client to reschedule this morning’s charter, with tortured conscience. The forecast was 20 knots+ with gusts to 34 knots. Seas 3-5. Not pretty. But I got a message from one of my scouts that acres of birds were working south of us. I reasoned they would continue moving north and could cover ten miles or so over night and be in our bay by morning.

The trip was rescheduled, but I got up and went out this morning anyway, on my own, to see if my hunch was right. It was windy at the house, and it was cranking as I ran across the bay at 5:30. I finally stopped and looked around, and then looked behind me. I had to turn back. It was brutal out there and I had made the right call with my client.

But getting back was no easy task. I could not head north into the wind. The waves were just too rough and I was taking a pounding. So, I had to run diagonal across the bay to Standish Shore, and use Powder Point as a wind break. This cut the wave height and chop by about a third. It was high tide and I rode very tight to shore without any worries.

There were four footers breaking over Captain’s flat and Browns Bank – it must have been eight footers or more. It was a very cool sight – from a long distance away!

Now I am watching the weather for tomorrow’s charter, hoping the winds and sea lay down, and some spring fish finally come into our bay.

Stay Posted:

Capt. David Bitters, www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838

FB David Bitters

The problem of management has always been with each state managing the same school of fish in their own way, when those fish pass through the individual states waters. You could never manage a large corporation that way and be successful, so why do we do it with striped bass stocks? If all states got together and agreed on a management plan that is the exact same, i.e., one fish per angler, 36" inches or greater, for five years, from Maine to Virginia, fish stocks would soar. But we are dealing with a multi-faceted commercial and recreational resource and industry, with many diverse interests. It comes down to fish stocks vs. human interests, and the management plan has to implemented, for the most good, for the most people, for the long run. – Capt. Dave, The BAYMEN

Here it comes…. Baymen has seen a steady decline in small striped bass "twinkies" for the many years. However, last year, we had our best year in ten, for stripers over twenty pounds on fly and LT. This is a very interesting article addressing serious concerns about renewable striped bass stocks. – Capt. Dave, The BAYMEN

See the full story here: http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?29887

Looking forward to mornings like these as soon as this NE storm pattern runs its course and winds turn light out of the South and West. Then, our bay here on the Massachusetts coast will light up with the spring striped bass blitz…!

Stay posted,

Capt. David Bitters, The Baymen

www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838

NOAA has posted a gale warning for today and I just came from the bay. The winds are absolutely cranking out of the North. We are watching the weather closely for tomorrow and will post a full report when we get in – IF we can even get out… Stay Posted: Capt. Dave, The BAYMEN www.baymencharters.com (781) 934-2838 STRIPER CHARTERS – BLUES – MACKS – FLOUNDER – FW TROUT – LARGEMOUTH – SMALLMOUTH