Another reason I started this S&A continuing education series is that there are respected anglers out there, voices of the communities they are in, who really don't understand migration, striped bass, bluefish, and all other species, to the extent that they are not sure why fish are in a certain area at a certain time of year....

As a result some of of them give out information that is inaccurate. IMO that really doesn't help the guys who are looking to learn. I know many folks just want to catch a fish, and learning for some of them is secondary....but what I have been fortunate to learn is that the conditions about WHY the fish are there, are key to being able to consistently catch fish.....If you truly want to learn, and log your failures as well as your successes, you will be almost be able to predict how the fish will behave, in terms of movement, throughout a season of fishing.

To me, being able to track those fish, and the whys and the subtle nuances of what happens during the migrations, is as exciting as the fishing itself....and it's something a few close friends and I have obsessive conversations about.....





As mentioned, I know that most folks just want to catch a fish....
but what if you could increase your odds over time, by focusing on time, tides, bait patterns, migration and weather patterns, to the extent that you could decrease your time not catching by focusing on times and places where the fish were likely to be?


That's what I'm trying to get folks to think about here, when they read threads like this...
And also, as part of the big picture, to try to understand more about fish and bait migration and how it relates to our perceptions of the fish biomass and it's relative health or lack thereof...



** Also, when I or Finchaser posts up a thread, I sometimes think that folks may feel intimidated in responding...remember that there are no "wrong" answers here....we all have opinions, and if you think you have something to contribute, even if you don't agree.... please do....