Current Waters: August Blues On The Horizon
Capt. Carl Bois, Topspin Fishing •
As I sit here, I’m kind of struggling to put together my Current Waters fishing report for this week. The goal for Current Waters is to give a piece of information and some excitement looking forward to the week ahead and may be a little bit about the week past. The struggle is that I try to keep this article honest, upbeat, and happy, but there are days that the fishing is a lot more effort than we might like it to be. We have been seeing some of those days this week. The “dog days of summer” as we sometimes call it.
I try to figure it out and think about it, using my knowledge, history, and the information at hand. I left the dock this morning, heading out, hoping that the bass fishing has improved. I’m hoping that the wind has done its job, the cooler water and bait flushing through, fewer boats around the fishing grounds… And, what do you know, we had a fantastic morning bass fishing. Better than it’s been lately for July. It just reminded me that you just have to leave the dock and go through the process. Trust the process and go fishing and enjoy figuring it out on the water. When you do that, you never know what’s going to happen. Yes, you might have to work for a few fish, and those few fish are very rewarding because you know you earned them, but then you might also stumble into that “a-ha” moment. This is amazing and you can’t do that without leaving the dock.
The more you go, the more tough days you are going to have, and the more amazing days you’ll also have. It’s the journey that we’re supposed to enjoy. It’s the process, not just the great moments. The fishing report leaves us with ups and downs; a roller coaster of emotions. It boils down to efforts and techniques, but we’re still having great days out there. One species may not play fair, but we often find another one that does. And while we’re all about the fish, it’s the laughs and the people that we do this with that really make the trip.
We are hoping that with this weather that we’ve had and a new flush of bait that hopefully our long overdue bluefish will arrive just in time for the August Blues Tournament. It’s been a tough time for bluefish, especially for this time of year.
We’re having solid tuna action among the charter fleet. I think that we’ve got a lot to look forward to. Bonita and albies are also soon to arrive. The fishery is just getting exciting. We are lucky for the fish that we have here: even the tough days are great days. I have to remind myself of that as well as everybody else.
End of July to August is also an exciting time for tournaments on the island. Back for another round is the Skillie Shootout tournament. Hosted by the Nantucket Anglers Club, the Skillie Shootout is a 2nd year catch and release tournament for white marlin. The competition runs July 25th to August 9th so keep an eye out (@skillie.shootout) for leaderboards and some great photos.
In other tournament news, it’s that time of year to once again sign up for the August Blues tournament. This month-long fishing tournament is in its 4th year and is already a must-enter tournament. All proceeds raised will support Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy in the ongoing fight against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The motive behind the tournament is to bring the community together while raising money for a worthwhile cause that hits close to home for Nantucket’s oral surgeon and avid fisherman Greg Chotkowski. His son, August, lives with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy courageously every day with a smile on his face. The tournament proudly bears his name.
There are lots of prizes, multiple divisions, and some good competitive fun. You can register online and check out the tournament rules. Or stop by Cisco Brewers to register in person July 24th, 25th and 26th from 4pm - 6pm. On August 1, Cisco Brewery is also hosting the annual castoff party for tournament participants. This year’s party coincides with a celebration for tournament namesake, Augie's, 30th Birthday. Castoff party is August 1st from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. Come on, like you need an excuse to go to the brewery!
Until next tide…