I know Im beginning to sound like a broken record, but this was another memorable day at Front Beach! Maybe some of you will enjoy hearing about it. I know I enjoy recounting it.
For the first time in 4 months, sea and weather conditions were good enough make the 120-mile drive to Front Beach, in Rockport, MA, for some diving. Met a couple of friends there around 7:30am, but we were all planning on hunting, so we did our own thing.
Turned out to be a perfect day for a couple of long dives with clear, sunny mild weather and calm seas. Low tide was at 9:40am, high at 3:56pm.
Total bottom time for my two dives was three and a half hours (120 minutes and 90 minutes). First dive began at 8:55am, second began at 2:15pm. (I love finishing a dive day at high tide!) Max depths were 30' and 38'.
There were lots of fish, including four lumpfish, the most Id ever seen in a single day. It was interesting to see their color variations. Two were on eggs, the other two not, as far as I could tell.
Also, there was a cod about 18 long, a large school of pollock, a few skates, some cunner fry, and a couple of windowpane flounder.
My hunting quarry was winter flounder and I saw at least 20 winter flounder on the first dive, most of them keeper sized! I quickly got most of my limit of 8 flounder in the first hour of that dive, being able to pass up the smaller keepers until reaching my limit near the end. Sizes speared ranged from 13 to 17, but most were 14 to 15.
In the surface interval, since I retired my '94 Camry and now have a 2003 Outback, I was able to set up my filleting station right in the back, rather than on the sidewalk. That worked out real well because it's a better working height and it's in the shade of the hatch door.
I filleted the flounder and gave some fillets to a friend who resides on Front Beach. I must admit it wasn't just altruism: giving some away brought me below the possession limit and I was hoping to get some bigger ones on the next dive!
Unfortunately, they were scarce on the second dive and I only got one 16-incher. Overall, I got about 4lbs of fillets, including about a pound given away.
The vis was good since there had been several days of light favorable winds. Vis was generally 20-30, but I measured 35 at one point in the second dive as the tide approached full and I got into deeper water. There were a few pockets of even better vis 300 yards from shore, perhaps as high as 45. Close to shore it dropped as low as 15-20.
Water temp varied from 52 to 42 depending on the tide, depth and distance from shore. My first dive was around low tide and the temp was 48F mostly. My second dive was in the latter stage of flood tide and I was surprised that the temp was 42F for much of that dive! I was comfortable enough in layers of Polartec, but near the end of the dive I began thinking my Weezle Extreme Plus wouldve been just right. It was surprising to see such a variation in water temp. :11:
As usual, the tourists were friendly and it was fun showing their kids some flounder and talking to them about diving.
I dubbed around rinsing my gear and finally left Rockport around 6:30pm after my traditional stop for ice cream.
Hopefully, it wont be so long before my next trip to Front Beach! I recommend it highly obviously.
Pics follow of the lumpfish variations and my "filleting station".
Dave C
Lumpfish (no eggs seen)
Lumpfish on eggs
Another lumpfish on eggs
Another lumpfish, 4th for the day. Was not on eggs.
Filleting station (Subaru Outback)
Nice working height with shade.
16" winter flounder on the board.
For the first time in 4 months, sea and weather conditions were good enough make the 120-mile drive to Front Beach, in Rockport, MA, for some diving. Met a couple of friends there around 7:30am, but we were all planning on hunting, so we did our own thing.
Turned out to be a perfect day for a couple of long dives with clear, sunny mild weather and calm seas. Low tide was at 9:40am, high at 3:56pm.
Total bottom time for my two dives was three and a half hours (120 minutes and 90 minutes). First dive began at 8:55am, second began at 2:15pm. (I love finishing a dive day at high tide!) Max depths were 30' and 38'.
There were lots of fish, including four lumpfish, the most Id ever seen in a single day. It was interesting to see their color variations. Two were on eggs, the other two not, as far as I could tell.
Also, there was a cod about 18 long, a large school of pollock, a few skates, some cunner fry, and a couple of windowpane flounder.
My hunting quarry was winter flounder and I saw at least 20 winter flounder on the first dive, most of them keeper sized! I quickly got most of my limit of 8 flounder in the first hour of that dive, being able to pass up the smaller keepers until reaching my limit near the end. Sizes speared ranged from 13 to 17, but most were 14 to 15.
In the surface interval, since I retired my '94 Camry and now have a 2003 Outback, I was able to set up my filleting station right in the back, rather than on the sidewalk. That worked out real well because it's a better working height and it's in the shade of the hatch door.
I filleted the flounder and gave some fillets to a friend who resides on Front Beach. I must admit it wasn't just altruism: giving some away brought me below the possession limit and I was hoping to get some bigger ones on the next dive!
Unfortunately, they were scarce on the second dive and I only got one 16-incher. Overall, I got about 4lbs of fillets, including about a pound given away.
The vis was good since there had been several days of light favorable winds. Vis was generally 20-30, but I measured 35 at one point in the second dive as the tide approached full and I got into deeper water. There were a few pockets of even better vis 300 yards from shore, perhaps as high as 45. Close to shore it dropped as low as 15-20.
Water temp varied from 52 to 42 depending on the tide, depth and distance from shore. My first dive was around low tide and the temp was 48F mostly. My second dive was in the latter stage of flood tide and I was surprised that the temp was 42F for much of that dive! I was comfortable enough in layers of Polartec, but near the end of the dive I began thinking my Weezle Extreme Plus wouldve been just right. It was surprising to see such a variation in water temp. :11:
As usual, the tourists were friendly and it was fun showing their kids some flounder and talking to them about diving.
I dubbed around rinsing my gear and finally left Rockport around 6:30pm after my traditional stop for ice cream.
Hopefully, it wont be so long before my next trip to Front Beach! I recommend it highly obviously.
Pics follow of the lumpfish variations and my "filleting station".
Dave C
Lumpfish (no eggs seen)
Lumpfish on eggs
Another lumpfish on eggs
Another lumpfish, 4th for the day. Was not on eggs.
Filleting station (Subaru Outback)
Nice working height with shade.
16" winter flounder on the board.
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