03.08.26 And here comes the melt....

     Rain and snow are good for the earth. It falls and then it fills the lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers. More water is generally better good than bad. It's also good for those acquifers that are underground storage places for water, like wells and springs. The goal is to have them full which would then lead to a leeching into larger water systems. 

     What's not good are those torrential downpours that blow out water soaked grounds that lead to flooding. Either there's just too much water to begin with or the ground can't keep up with the pace of the water's deluge. These days it seems weather is and all or none kind of event, and that's not good, and leads to either flood or drought, depending on which side of the spectrum you're on.

       The Delaware River is 330 miles long. It is un-dammed, the longest body of water this side of the Mississippi. Generally the further north you go up into the valleys and mountains you'll see snowpack and large sections of the river(s) that are iced up. As the air and water temperatures rise and the snow and ice melts it starts to increase the water volume and flow, which we are seeing now. 

     On the northern sections of the Delaware large sheets of ice are moving with the current. At times they can cause ice jams which can almost be called ice dams. They impede the water flow and can be dangerous causing flooding and damage to bridges, docks, and any structures along the river. At times they have to be mechanically freed to allow the waters to continue their flow down river. 

     I find it to be a good thing, kind of. The higher flows mixed with the mechanical friction type action clears the river and banks of debris, like silt build up and branches, logs, and even full sized trees. The problem with that can be if they get stuck in rocky or shallow parts of the river or in and around bridge piers and abutments. 

     In just a few days we've seen the Delaware River at Trenton go from around 6,000 cfs to 31,500 cfs. It's not alarming, and is good for the river. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a continued rise in the cfs this week as air temps are reportedly going to hit 70 degrees. And with the rise in air temps we'll see a rise in water temps. And that's good for the fish, and fishing.

     While some species, like walleye and muskelunge like the cooler water, striped bass start to get active when the water hits around 50 degrees, and somewhere around 60 is where they start to think about spawning. 

     Before this sudden rise in flows the Delaware River near me hit just under 40 degrees, but the cooling effect of the big melt will keep the waters cool even if we'll be in shorts sometime this week. The more water means the suns warming takes a little time to have an effect on surface temperatures, especially if large sections of ice are in the increased flow mix. 

     And as the river crests it's full of things that have been scraped off the banks of the river, which includes silt, sand, and dirt. That will increased turbidity, which leads to lower visibility. I have found there's a sweet spot when fly fishing the rivers, a turbidity that's too low gives the fish more time to size up an offering I'm swinging in front of them, too high will mean they can't see it, but just a tad off color, with an increased flow, has the fish staged just out of the current, and leaving them to have to make a quick decision to grab a meal or not. 

May 9, 2023- Northern NJ river striped bass

     During the early spring I find there's two types of striped bass. Holdovers and migratory. When I worked up in Newark I would fish the rivers near there targeting winter holdover striped bass. It's similar to what anglers are now finding in places like the Toms River, or back of the Barnegat Bay. I would usually catch my first within the first two weeks of March, and then it would be sometime during the last two weeks where I'd find striped bass closer to home. The ones near me are the early migratory fish, although there's places along the Delaware that hold young striped bass that choose to stay in their natal rivers for the first few years before making their way out into the ocean, joining the migratory mass. 

     Besides the urge to spawn coupled with the environmental conditions, bait comes into play as well. American shad and river herring, both alewives and bluebacks, will make their spawning runs as well. I find the herring to be a perfect bait to match when tying flies as the shad are just too big. That's why anglers chunk the shad when bait fishing. Some say the striped bass come into the natal rivers following the bait, and some might, especially if they are choosing not to spawn that year. Striped bass can be of spawning age, and make the runs, but just don't get it done every single year. So they may come to just fake the spawn and eat their way up and down the river. 

     Each day now as spring gets closer more and more anglers will be catching, and posting, their catches on social media. They'll most likely be catching those holdover striped bass although some post, "The bass are HERE!", well they are, but they never left. Below is the first fish posted up on the One Stop Bait & Tackle down in Atlantic City in 2026.

     

      But right now the striped bass are active down in the Chesapeake Bay as they stage before their spawning run. One environmental disaster in one of their natal rivers occurred in January. Nearly 300 million gallons of raw sewage entered the Potomac River after a 72-inch shit pipe broke. While e-coli is just bad all round, and might be for the striped bass and other fishes that spawn in the Potomac, it's the shellfish that continuously filter the nastiness, and viruses can linger in these to-be-caught human foods for awhile. It's part of the larger problem with our infrastructure that leads to environmental disasters. But back to the bass. In a week or so they'll do the same outside of the Delaware and Raritan Bays. It'll be then where we'll see the first catches of large female striped bass making their way up their natal rivers. 

     While they have sex on their minds I find the closer to the start of their trek they eat, mostly picking up bait along the way, and then the further they travel it's all about the spawn, although they'll swipe at big plugs or flies interrupting their pause in a lie as they rest. While the females are far outnumbered by the males you might find a horny male who has both chasing bait and sex on his mind. But it's usually after the spawn where the exhausted fish, females and males, look to recharge by eating before heading downriver and out into the ocean. And that's where the fly fishing gets fun. 

2026 is off and running right on schedule. This morning we're enjoying putting those clocks ahead by an hour. Maybe that will help break the Cabin Fever, the seasonal depression, and get us more motivated and productive. It's been a long winter and we're already for a seasonal change. 

03.07.26 A day in the life...

 

     All of us have been to an emergency department at some time in our life. We're there for ourselves, our kids, our parents, or a family member. While the emergency department is designated for "emergencies" most ED visits, these days, are for things that could be handled in your local primary or urgent care settings. The sheer number of patients seeking care taxes the staff and resources especially at busy inner city hospitals. And these hospitals are truly the gatekeeper between life and death. Every. Single. Day.

    I currently work at the Capital Health School of Nursing in Trenton, New Jersey. It's there where we teach prospective nursing students in both the classroom and hospital settings. I've had the privilege of being on the clinical side of their studies. My role takes me from working with freshman at a long term care facility to working with the seniors on medical/surgical units in the hospital. This semester I'm heading up a clinical rotation in Capital Health's Regional Medical Center's Emergency Department. Each week I take a small group of students there from before the sun rises to after it sets. It's a long day, but it's teaching and learning from start to finish. 

     Luckily, for us, we're a hospital based nursing school, which allows me, and us, access to just about everything that happens in a hospital. From the ED, to the med/surg floors, to the OR, and the specialized units, we can and do see it all. In the ED the "kids", as I call them, rotate through triage, fast track, mental health crisis, and the main ED, seeing everything from tooth aches, to cardiac, respiratory, and neurological emergencies, to the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, to trauma patients. Being a Level 2 trauma center in an inner city means patients come in on foot, by ambulance, or by helicopter. It's a great thing to watch as a student sits outside the tarmac waiting for the air ambulance to arrive. 

     And while I do my best scanning the sea of patients to introduce learning opportunities for my students, it's the staff that makes my job possible. On any given day upwards of 15 registered nurses man, or woman, the various posts in the emergency department. And they are always on point. As I have gone on to know and work with them I am amazed that most are mere tots themselves, having just a few years out of nursing school under their scrubs. The more experienced nurses hold the titles of charge or manager, and bring their knowledge and expertise to the unit. 

     It doesn't take long for young nurses to develop the skill of critical thinking, and more importantly critical action, when patients arrive in the ED. It's a sixth sense that only a nurse can have, as we see patients in a different light then the other healthcare providers who are beside with them in the trenches. It's a well oiled machine and a pleasure to sit back and watch. In the ED patient's can present or change in an instant and seeing those early cues in a patient's changing presentation is something I push for my students to see. 

      As an instructor it's fun to see wide-eyed students begin their rotations and grow with experience. Seeing them jump in during a cardiac arrest, hanging IV's, giving meds, dropping a Foley catheter, inserting a NGT, or just assisting patients at the bedside is very gratifying. But it's at the end of the day, during post conference, is where the gifts of teaching deliver its best. Hearing about their day, about their patients, what they did or should have done, and most importantly about the connections they made between the classroom and clinical, makes the 30,000 steps and having my head-on-a-swivel, that leaves me tired by days end, all worth it. 

     Some students are just there and putting in their time. This may not be their jam. They may be looking into nursing roles in obstetrics, mental health, or the OR. But then there are those who are hungry and can be seen moving, and thinking, non-stop, for the 12-hour shift. Many times I can sit back and see that light bulb moment go off in their heads, while they are busy putting what they learned into practice. Some will go on to graduate in a few months and begin their careers in settings like this. And while I'm old school, and believe that every new nurse should begin on a med/surg floor, I have seen the amazing things nurses, with ink on their licenses that isn't fully dry, do while saving lives.

     It's been 30 years since I graduated from Essex County College and started my nursing career. Most of my students, and the nurses I encounter, aren't even that old. When I sit amongst them, during a break in the action, I realize how old I am, and how much nursing, like firefighting is a young person's game. What stumps a lot of us old farts in the mix of old school nursing and the computer based charting systems that are a huge part of healthcare today. I came from a time before computers when charts were thick and everything was hand written. Navigating though these computers, while trying to maintain a bedside presence, is challenging to say the least. I say we've moved from patient focused to computer focused care.

     After my shift last night I stopped by the liquor store to pick up some beer. When I got home I said hello to the dog and sat down and had a few pints of Guinness. I was just an old man tired from the day sitting there having a beer. It's a Friday night and I could only think of the young nurses clocking and then heading out for the night. It's what you do when you're young. As I write this some of them are preparing for another day at work unsure of what is coming though the door at any given moment. I wish I was there, and had some students in tow. But I'll to wait till next week for more fun. 

     So I raised a glass last night to the nurses of Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton. Any of whom I would feel safe, confident, and comfortable with if I were laying on a gurney in front of them. While some of these nurses may look like your kid or grandkid know their experience may be far older then the years they've been on this earth. 

03.06.26 Just some housekeeping stuff...

 

     Well as I go through things, well stuff, well shit, I've come across things that I should have taken care of sooner. One of those things was sending back my Helios 2 9ft 11 wt. I had become one of my favorite rods over the years especially when fly fishing for big fish or fish in big currents. I've had work done on this before either getting sent back to Orvis or having Leif replace the tips after I snapped them in the doors of my Jeep or truck, which I've done more than once. So really my 9 footer is probably an 8'6". 

     While registering the rod on the Orvis website I saw they have launched their new Ratio Reel. I knew something was coming because they were blowing out the Mirage reels and spare spools starting last fall. That usually means one of two things, something's being discontinued or a new line is coming out, here we have both. 

     I first saw the Ratio at this years Fly Fishing Show and it was introduced with little fanfare. Online it's listed as "..your go-to when big fish enter the ring, and the winner takes all". Okay, whatever that means. 

     I read the specs and saw the most interesting thing on the last line.....Imported. It's made in Asia and shipped over here for market. Gone are the days of Made in the USA when it comes to high end reels from Orvis. It retails at $598 for a size V, or 9-11 weight lines. I've seen online it being pimped out on every big fly shop and magazine website in articles that introduce new gear. Basically it's just regurgitating what Orvis is saying online. But they are missing something big, there's no mention of spare spools. That could be a deal killer for a lot of anglers out there. I'm a reel and spare spool(s) kind of guy. If you're one, and fish in waters with a big tidal range or in waters of varying depths you should be as well. It also comes into play if you have to go from throwing topwater flies to dredging in short order.  We'll see if they move to offer the spares, but the whole Made in Asia thing may not permit that. Permit it in like a tool and die production thing. 

     I also got a kick out of their latest hat offering. "Support Your Local Fly Shop", which I did, in Orvis Princeton, but they closed it. So much for supporting your local fly shop. I hope Andrew, Bruce, and the other Orvis peeps have landed on their feet. 

     In other striped bass news Dave Showell was finally able to give away the bounty on the first two legal sized striped bass that came through the door at the Absecon Bay Sportsmen's Center. 

     These two lads got 1st and 2nd to ring in the new season. I would bet they were caught on some bloodworms soaked in the mid-30 degree waters in South Jersey. 

     And as far as my plug and lure lot I threw up on Facebook Marketplace..... well it sold in less than 15 minutes. While reluctant to ship I wound up selling them to a guy I've been in and around on social media with who hails from Maine. 

He threw in an extra $20 bucks for the box and the ride up so that's another thing out of my way. Hopefully he enjoys them and there's a good one or two in the lot. If I was a spin guy I would think this was a pretty good get. 

03.05.26 The purge continues....

     Well after years of walking the beaches, bays, and rivers picking up lost plugs and lures it was time to throw it up on FBM and see what happened. Obviously I've never fished any one these and don't know much about them. What I do know is there's some bottles, Spooks, needles, SP's, and Creek Chubs which should make the buy happy. There's 40 of them, give or take a few, and I have them up for $150. I don't know if this is a spin fishermen's mother lode find or just a bunch of old stuff. 

     Time will tell and after the FBM review board approves the listing my Messenger will either blow-up or be silent. If I put my hand on anything else I'll be throwing it in. Hopefully whoever buys it will only replacer one set of hooks and hang a flag off the back. 

03.04.26 South Carolina moves to help the redfish....

     I've never ran a fish and take charter business. You know the ones, especially in areas where it's a big tourist destination. I'm not talking about head boats or a fly fishing charter. I'm talking about, but not picking on, those destination operations that cater to the thousands of summer, mostly, visitors that may want to jump on a half or full day charter. Dad, or Mom, or maybe the Grandparents, will make the arrangements and bring the family or just the kids out to catch some fish. For most guides, in most places, it's easy to get someone on the boat a bite, especially if you're soaking bait, mores if it still has a pulse. 

     And of course the Captain will hoot and holler when a sport on board hooks up with a, well anything, to make the experience complete and justify the cost by the paying customers. Jack or Jill, say they're the kids on board, just reeled in their gut hooked redfish and after a picture, or these days a video, the question is what to do with it? Of course a fish with an arterial bleed should be kept if it's legal but the question is what about all those other fish on so many charter trips? I'm not going to go MRIP on you but it's a question worth raising. And remember most tourists don't have a full kitchen and the required things to make a good meal out of a catch. 

     People love to eat fish. People love to catch fish. Some people love to catch and then eat the fish they catch. In a perfect world that would be great. It would even be great for an angler to take that long walk up Dunnfield Creek in Worthington State Forest and harvest a wild brook 

trout or two. Wait what? Taking a wild trout to eat? Yes, it can happen, and yes it can be good, it kind of thins the heard if you will. And that is especially true if the big fat slob of the tiny pool is harvested, it gives the others a chance to eat and grow. But the problem is in today's world, with so many anglers and so much intel, things would be cleaned out in no time if we didn't have strict regulations, with some smarts and ethics on the anglers side thrown in. 

     So back to guides and fishing and tourists, well let's say there's a mix of locals and tourists that go fishing. So yes, as stated, people like to fish and catch and eat fish, but do they all really? How much waste have we seen in the for-hire, well all, fishing industry both on the recreational and for-hire sectors? Remember those burlap bags filled of rigor-mortised gator bluefish you'd see coming off the head boats? Or how about the dumpsters at the marinas of giant striped bass racks still full of meat and cheeks that goes wasted with a lot of it spending their last days before the landfill welded to the bottom of the freezer?

     I touched on South Carolina and redfish in a post last week. Recently Senate Bill S.961 was released and will soon make it's way in front of the South Carolina Legislature for a vote to make changes in redfish regulations following the SCDNR and ASMFC stock assessments

which found that redfish were overfished and overfishing was occurring. That bill addresses three things, the slot limit, the bag limits, and the gear that would be required when bait fishing for redfish. It sounds like what we went through here up north with the striped bass. 

     Currently the regulations are two fish per day at 15- 23 inches, that would change to one fish per day, or two per boat, with a revised slot at 18-25 inches. Revising a slot is smart as it protects certain year classes of fish as they move into and out of the slot. We thought the ASMFC would do that with striped bass but they punted, after tons of push back from mostly the for-hire sector. In addition the new law would make using offset circle hooks a requirement when using bait, which is a go to for many anglers during fishing outings, either just going fishing or paying someone to take you out. Live shrimp and swimming baits are fish killers, no matter where you are fishing or what you are fishing for. 

     Taking these steps will reduce harvesting and protect spawning sized fish. Even though there's a slot, like with striped bass, the mortality, or F, that occurs when big fish are caught would hopefully be reduced with the implementation of the circle hook use requirement. While most redfish are small, there's the run of bull reds that occurs, that are targeted for catch and release fishing in and around South Carolina. But, like with striped bass, if you take all the babies, and have increased F with catch and release fishing, the SSB will reflect a species that is overfished with overfishing occurring. 

     These changes proposed in SC Bill S.961 seem to make perfect sense. It takes the weight off of the Captain by only allowing that "one for the table" and having to use gear, in 4/0 off-set circle hooks, to allow for catch and release fishing. This is all a far cry from the 1996 regulations regarding red drum in South Carolina waters, back then it was, 

     As you can see the slot was 14- 27 inches with a catch limit of five fish per angler per day. That means a charter with four people, plus the Captain and mate, could come back to the dock with 30- 25 inch redfish. I'm not sure how the regulations would affect gigging for redfish, which is basically spearing them, which is currently legal in South Carolina with seasonal closures. 

     I searched "redfish gigging" and found an article on the Flylords website written by Dan Zazworsky, HERE. It told about a Florida guide who landed the above fish with a gig stuck in its head. While gigging is legal in Florida for flounder, it isn't for redfish. They gig for species at night using bright lights, and I guess it's more a form of hunting than fishing. 

     In the end they were able to catch and release the redfish after doing some skiff-side surgery. To the red drum it must have felt like taking off a weighted vest before swimming off freely. 

     I can't speak to much on anything that has to do with fishing and South Carolina but I am encouraged that the state is taking measures to protect the fish, and the fishing businesses that rely on that gamefish. While I have to come to love fly fishing for striped bass in waters that move from say left to right sight fishing for them will remain my favorite. But I can tell you after seeing tailing redfish amongst the grass I might be ready to move onto a fish that is better respected and managed than we see with the striped bass. Fly fishing for striped bass these days, for me, has lost it's magic, primarily due to the overall poor numbers and all the pictures of fish that surely won't make it when tossed back into the water. Time will tell if redfish replace striped bass as my favorite fish. 

03.02.26 The trains are leaving the station, or the basement...

     Well that was three days I'd like to have back. After decades of collecting, well mostly just storing, old Lionel trains it has come time to let them go. I started collecting in the early 90's just around when Craigslist came to be and before eBay and Facebook Marketplace. It was a time when the find, or the get, was the best. You either had a great find locally at an estate or garage sale, found it at train shop, or attended one of the big train shows. One big difference between train and the fly fishing shows, at least way back when, it that it was a hobby that young kids, both boys and girls, were into. 

     While I could make this a long sappy post about fatherhood and my boys and the life I used to have, I'll spare you. Most of the pictures from when I was a tot and the kids were tots too are already packed away in one of the yellow and black Home Depot bins. But I did find one just to go with this post. 

     That's Christmas 1999 when Sean was one and Ryan was three. The year each of them were born I bought them one of the starter sets that Lionel put out each year. Inside the box cover I wrote them a little note about how they should hold onto it and pass it on to their kids. Let me tell you, kids today don't have the same attraction to things of their youth nor the youth of their father, grandfather, or great grandfather. Looking at old pictures for me is a double edged sword. There's always something that bums me out. In the above picture I'm sporting a "Northern State General Contractors" shirt, that was a company, a legit LLC, that I started with a once friend from the firehouse. We did home repairs, built decks, and did masonary work. It was a chapter in my life I had thankfully forgot about. 

     So like anything else I hold onto it was sad going through everything. Most of these trains have been through a journey since I started collecting in the 1990's. They've went from West Orange, to Red Bank, to Ocean Township, back to Red Bank, to Middletown, and have settled in their final resting place in Titusville. They've been in storage units, garages, attics, and flooded basements. Collecting trains went from finding a bin in an attic at an estate sale to finding "Mint in the original box" online. Needless to say some have lost they've lost their sparkle and shine when I cared for them like they were my kids. 

     So I went through the basement and every bin and did my best to clean them up to display them for any potential buyer. If you've sold on Facebook Marketplace then you know what a pain in the ass it can be. I have the entire lot listed for $7,000 which will go towards paying for Cape May this year. Truthfully, from a mental health perspective, it would have been healthier with time better well spent if I just ordered a dumpster and tossed everything, the actual trains and the pain that touching them again, has brought. 

     Like my Pyrex collection that is now sitting down in Maryland I had to pick a few pieces to hold onto. One of Ryan's favorites was a set of Sante Fe 2383 diesel Post-War engines. I can remember working a little extra in order to afford them and the shipping after finding them on some train selling forum way back when. So now they sit all alone waiting to be packed up with another resting place to be determined. 

     Some of these trains, well a lot of them, come from a period called Pre War, or before World War II. And most are what they called Standard Gauge, the biggest and heaviest you could find. One train, a coveted 440e, is 32 inches long and weighs 15 pounds. Hence, why I'm selling it

in person and not shipping it. That piece alone is worth at least $1,000 so whoever has 70 - $100 bills should be happy. But, these days, who's really into trains and who has 70 - $100 bills that can be used for a hobby. 

     Now that I've set them all up for viewing and have listed them I just want them to all go away. What was once will never be again and it's time to end the madness and the holding on to the past. "It's over Johnny", and it's time to realize that was then and isn't a part of my life today. I'll just have to hold onto the pictures and the few pieces I kept for myself. Of course I did my own pick before I took pictures otherwise the potential buyer may ask, "Hey, where's those engines?". 

If you're interested or want to see the listing, it's HERE. 

03.01.26 And we're off....

     It's March 1st, 2026. Today the "season" for striped bass opens up in the back bays and rivers of New Jersey. Right now, at 732 am, someone, somewhere, is driving around a frozen striped bass looking to have their catch registered at one of the many tackle shops that may certify it as the first striped bass caught in New Jersey. It'll most likely come from the waters of 

the Hackensack, Toms, Manasquan, Maurice or Mullica Rivers. While the ocean has remained opened year round I doubt anyone is fishing out front looking for that first bass of the year. I did a quick internet tour to see if there were any recorded catches but none as of yet. 

     If you're not out there soaking bait then maybe you'll be attending The Asbury Park Fishing Club's fishing flea market. It's one of the big plug shows that's like what The Fly Fishing Shows is to fly fishing but for surfcasters. There's Surf Day, todays show, and the Berkeley show to name a few. I remember when I first got a wind of the plug and plug making scene when I joined the APFC in 2010. The biggest difference is while people arrive early for TFFS these guys pitch a tent and wait overnight for the first shot at the latest plugs offered by some of the best plug makers in the business. 

     Makers would set up a table and watch as the beeline of buyers would make their way in and to the table where some would sell out in less then an hour, if that long. Being a fly fishermen and member of the club I really did know the hype or the drama and politics that came with the plug scene, and boy was and is there drama. And drama, while fun to watch sometimes, can ruin a good thing. You know how I feel about the internet, and eBay, and how it affects the find, or get, and throw in a little greed and there you go. 

     It used to be you would get there early, wait in line at the entrance, and then at the hottest table, to pick through what was left. Then the flipping thing hit the scene. Guys would buy several plugs only to put them up on the internet at a huge mark-up. While you could say it's Capitalism, it really put a bad spin on what was in a way a form of artwork. Yes, some guys fish these expensive plugs, other collect them and have huge displays. To combat that they went to a plug buy maximum and even went to a ticket system at the gate, because, we always find a way to f-things up. 

     Being the photographer in the club my duties after help setting up Friday and Saturday was to document the show. I did that for four years running before fizzing out of the club. Below is the video I made from the 2012 show, which was 14 years ago. Man, life goes by fast. If the kids today only knew how quickly life goes by. 

     I've seen the APFC show held in the Paramount Theatre, in the Grand Arcade, and in the Convention Center. What's interesting is the timing of each of these shows. Anglers only have such a certain budget for plugs, and fishing in general, with their spouse knowing it or not, so if you go all-in at an early show you might miss out a buying opportunity at a later show. So there's a strategy and tactics in getting what you want. 

     I hope this a sign that spring is in the air although here's plenty of winter left and a threat of snow coming in the next few days. While I'm a few months away from throwing flies with the possibility of actually catching a fish I hope to be able to find my gear in one of the many bins that are packed and stacked ready for a potential move. Time will tell with that, but we're moving in that direction, although some days the measure of progress is disheartening. So it's back to the Lionel trains today and getting ready for the big Facebook Marketplace listing, where hopefully they'll be train buyers like there are going to be at the Asbury Park Fishing Club's fishing flea market today. 

     Below is the show, in motion, from 2014....

02.27.26 Not more snow....

     Just when you might have thought we were done, well, forget it. It looks like March will start off with a bang as another winter storm is brewing potentially bringing more snow to our area. This weekend we'll see a warm up, which will melt away what's on the ground, only to set the table to be covered around the start of the new month, and the opener for striped bass season. 

     Yep, it's that time again. March 1st means anglers will be out on the bays and rivers in New Jersey looking for those hunkered down, and near frozen, striped bass that have wintered over. These are migratory bass but those that chose to ride out the deep freeze rather then have headed south earlier this winter. And when they wake up, or defrost, they'll be hungry. 

     The ads are already hitting the internet waves for bloodworms which are an early season must-have. You can forget your plugs or flies for some time as the fish are too cold to chase anything. What you'll find are anglers standing or sitting waterside soaking baits looking for the early season bite. It'll be during those days when tides and water temps come into play. Skinny water mud flats warm up on a lower tide bringing in bass rooting around for an early spring snack. 

     And while I'm out on tournament fishing for striped bass, well at least I used to be, the bounties are still around for the first fish of the 2026 season. But, unlike in the past when the biggest fish took home the prizes, anglers are stuck in that 28 -31" slot. So basically, those were going home for the table anyway. Is it good? Probably not, as the hammering down on just slot fish going on three years surely will deplete those year classes of fish that fall into the narrow range. But hey, I'm moving, and moving onto other fishes to obsess over, fingers crossed. 

     March 1st arrives this Saturday at 0000 hours. They'll be die-hards out on the sod banks during the graveyard shift looking to catch and run to their local tackle shop. Historically, the Absecon Bay Sportsmen's Center always has a stack of money and gift certificates for the first weigh ins. Guys are already buying up popcorn to sit and watch the drama of who catches what and when, and then how many posts are made from various tackle shops with the same fish. Like, a guy catches a fish up in the Hackensack, and drives it down to Absecon to weigh it in, with a stop at a few shops along the way. Yes, it happens, and will happen again. Below are this years prizes as offered by Dave Showell down in Absecon, 

     While my early season fly fishing has changed from the salt to fresh waters in the spring I'll still be two months away from bringing one to hand. Last year, in 2025, my first bass was caught on April 24th. That was about a month later then usual. Hopefully all of this snow, and I'm sure the monsoons are coming, will fare well for this years spawn. The fish are starting to get horny and the ones that are ready, or choose, to make the spawning runs are starting to stage, probably somewhere where the waters a tad warmer. 

     Let's say my fish come 120 miles upriver to spawn. If they travel 10 miles a day that means it'll take 12 days after they cross the Delaware Bay line at Cape May. Before they get to me and when they'll eat flies they'll have to make it past those irresistible blood warms soaked in the waters in and around Wilmington and Philadelphia. The striped bass's spawning journey each year is remarkable. I can't imagine how the stock would be if we all just laid off the fish, in the three big natal waters, until after the run is over. It's not just harvesting that changes a fishes behavior, but angling pressure as well. 

     Soon the internet and social media will be a buzz with fish pictures and all the drama that comes with them. But first we'll have at least another round of snow so keep those shovels handy and some gas in the can for that snow blower. 

02.26.26 A pending N.J. State Record...maybe...

     Ice fishermen were in their glory after the above fish made it's way through social media yesterday. It's a 52.25 inch, 45.03 pound, 27 inch girthed muskellunge taken through the ice on Greenwood Lake.  But, like other tournament and record setting fish, this comes with speculation from the naysayers and conspiracy theorists.

     Why? Well Greenwood Lake is a border water body of water that is split by the state lines of New York and New Jersey. When it comes to state records, of course, it matters where the fish was caught, and that could be where the controversy comes into play. Let's say you left the Atlantic Highlands Marina and headed out to the Ambrose Channel, on the New York side. You throw out a BEAST Fleye because the bass are up on bunker and you land a 100 pound obvious World Record striped bass. Now, truth be told, you couldn't harvest that fish because it's out side of the 28-31 inch slot, but you get the idea. And you return back to the New Jersey marina with your catch. Is it a New York or New Jersey fish? 

     It should be an easy question and answer, "Hey bud, where did you catch that?", easy, "Over there". Does it really matter? Well, if you're looking for a state record then it does. New Jersey's record muskellunge comes in at  43 pounds 13 ounces caught back in 1997. New York's record fish came in at 69 pounds 15 ounces caught in 1957. So, it's a new state record on one side of the line and just a nice fish on the other. 

     According to the NJ DEP stocking reports in 2025 they released 3,000 muskies totaling 600 pounds with an average length of 10 inches weighing just under five pounds into Greenwood Lake. According to the stocking list for New York the NY DEC doesn't list Greenwood Lake as a body that receives stocked fish. So?, is it a Jersey fish then? Of the waters NY stocks it's mostly tiger muskies, which is a hybrid between a true muskellunge and northern pike. 

     

     And of course the angler, Victor Gelman, is getting skewered for keeping the record fish. In later reports Gelman states he wanted to release the fish but it was gut hooked after eating a 10 inch chub that was used for bait. While I don't doubt the guy was fishing legally I did look over the New Jersey regulations since I wasn't familiar with mucky rules. Of course the interpretation of the laws always calls for a double take, but it looks like one fish on Greenwood Lake over 44 inches. Most diehard muskie anglers play catch and release when fishing for these toothy and bony predators. 

     Amazingly, New York has similar regulations for muskies on the border water that is Greenwood Lake with one fish daily over 44 inches. That season is open all year long. I'm not 

sure if freshwater fishing licenses are reciprocal on border waters like they are on the Delaware River. If not, the angler would have to be dually licensed, or weigh and record that fish in the state where he holds his current license. 

     I'm not familiar with muskie fishing or the fish themselves but I did find out there are two different New Jersey records, one for true muskellunge and one for tiger muskellunge. I'm not sure but the back end of the above fish looks a little tiger-like. You can see those records below,

     So time will tell before it's recorded as a state record, well that's if it's a Jersey fish. Otherwise the guy may get a "Great Catch" hat from the NY DEC. One thing is for sure that must have been a big hole in the ice to pull that beast out of. I wonder if he was using one of those light 

tip-up rods you commonly see anglers using while out on the frozen lakes. Forget the fish story I'd love to see that video. 

02.25.26 I can't....

     Well at least it's not rain because surely the basement would be flooded and the roofs would be leaking. I wasn't in the mood to post during our 2026 Snowpocalypse but I'm pretty confident in saying we came in at 18 inches. This morning I woke up to more snow coming down with a threat of another storm hitting next week. I know it's good for the earth, and the fish, but enough already.

     The grass isn't always greener but I did take a look to see how the weather was playing out down in Bluffton, South Carolina, where fingers crossed, we'll be calling home way more sooner than later. Here's what the week is looking like. And I like what I see.

     Hey, I'm not complaining that we got some snow. It's Mother Nature. It's happens. But what I'm kinda done with is the feeling that winter's bring. I love the spring and fall, but can do without the summers and winters, especially when they're extreme. But it's during the winter, when everything I love mostly shuts down, that brings out the worst in not only me but a lot of us. What keeps us alive, like a blood transfusion, is the countdown to when the clocks move ahead and the change of season into spring occurs. 

    As of today we're five days away from the opening of striped bass in New Jersey's bays and rivers, and 39 days until Easter Sunday, and 89 days till Memorial Day weekend. And in 108 days I'll be joining my buds up on Martha's Vineyard. And hope fully around May 20th, in 84 days, we'll be putting the house on the market. 

     For some people winter brings on a case of Cabin Fever, for others, a more serious case of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. It's a diagnosis found in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-V. It's s form of depression that occurs due to a reduced exposure to sunlight. Symptoms include persistent sadness, or depression, oversleeping, weight gain, and low energy, and not enjoying things you once did, or anhedonia. The changes in the circadian rhythms, which coincides with the clock changes, messes around with our serotonin and melatonin levels. So if you're a mess during these six months the sun may have something to do with it. That's why you might be doubling up on your Prozac or driving your therapist crazy. 

     Some folks go to Amazon to help their seasonal woes. Blue light therapy works when the user exposes themselves to the "blue light" usually in the morning for 15-30 minutes. It helps reset the bodies neurotransmitters and boosts serotonin (mood) and suppresses melatonin (sleep). The kicker is if you're a person with Bipolar Disorder it can activate your mood swings, so watch out. It would be like prescribing an antidepressant to some with Bipolar type 1, here we go again! 

     If you're a skier, snowboarder, or just a winterland lover then good for you, but the rest of us are suffering in silence while we put the winter 20 pounds on. When we're not trying to be productive we're camped in front of the TV binge watching something on one of the streaming services. We tried The Pitt, which you can't really binge watch, The Lincoln Lawyer, which we couldn't get into, before setting into Nurse Jackie. All the while eating anything and everything we can get out hands onto, and huddled up next to the wood stove, which has a voracious appetite for our dwindling firewood supply. 

     Going to work gives us a change of venue but the space heater placed next to the shower only does so much and those dreaded showers can occur with less regularity then when we're sweating in this big old house. And remember when you're out near Lambertville, or New Hope, or down in Cape May jealous of life in a big old 100 year old house, we freeze to death in the winter and sweat to death in the summers. Temperature control is very Bipolar like, instead of mood swings we have those temperature swings. But during those spring and fall windows our houses are just about as perfect as can be. 

     And if SAD doesn't hit you, it surely affects those you come into contact with. Coupled with the divisions we see in every aspect of life, peoples moods are just off during the winter months. Frustration, anger, less tolerance, nit-picky, is what we become. And tolerance is a big one especially as we get older. We don't want to deal, don't want to interact, we just want to be left alone. 

     The visions and dreams of a new start are palpable out here in Titusville. Yes, the grass isn't always greener and there's no perfect place, but as we tighten our lap belts for our descent into the last leg of this journey of life, something has to change. The routines of daily living aren't enough anymore, or they are too much. There's no more small kids as they're all adults and doing their own thing and finding their own paths. The idea that Titusville would be the family's anchor point isn't a reality anymore. And our families have addresses all over the United States- from Long Island, to Upstate New York, to Jersey, Texas, and Florida. Why should we be responsible to hold down the fort here in New Jersey? 

     Living here in Titusville, or any other address you may call home, thinking that your'e holding down the families fort, to me, seems delusional. Now, if you have that perfect Beaver Cleaver life, and one that I'm jealous of, then good for you. But if you're like the rest of us who have chosen, or been dealt the "Blended Family" life, then you know what I'm talking about. Long gone, at least for me, are the visions or reality that I'd maintain a home base with the kids within a short drive of the house. That would make for easy drop-bys, those delusional Sunday family dinners, watching the future grandkids, be within a short drive with a truck full of tools to holler out its projects, or the holiday get togethers. These days, straight forward or blended, family get togethers usually bring an attendance rate of 60-80%. Kids move out and on, so why can't we, the parents? 

     I'm dreaming of a new start, a new life. And I'll throw in that a new truck. But then I ask myself do I need a pick-up truck anymore? And how would my new neighbors like to see and hear my Sanford & Son half-homemade 2002 pick-up? My new life won't call for me having way too many tools, most I'll never use, and no need to take trips to the dump nor pickup mulch or topsoil for the beds or lawns. I'll just pay my monthly HOA fees and leave it to the experts. But my new ride will have to be able to tow around what will be my newly refurbished Jones Brothers 19'10" with four wheel drive to handle those low tides in and around the ramps of the Lowcountry. And it will be able to be cleaned out and up for Theresa and I to take a road trip and plant ourselves at one of our families or kids houses for an extended stay, if they like it our not. 

     I guess I'm tired of being a slave to the grind, to the taxes, and to the routine of daily life. These days, and I'd say it's the same for most 60-plusers, life is just moving too fast, and we're not getting any younger. I'm tired of tripping over our past lives every time I go down into the basement, up into the attic, or even into the closet. We just recently purged all of the clothes that don't fit, are out of whatever style we thought we had, and more shoes than Imelda Marcos had. And yes, I even had shoes that I couldn't find a second to. And holding on to every picture, project, and memory...later. While I have been eyeing up a 20 yard dumpster I'm planning on 

going big and getting a 30-yarder dropped in the driveway. Outside of drop-offs at the local church thrift store and Facebook Marketplace listings I've come to the realization is nobody wants our shit, and moving it from room to room for a big Estate Sale is delusional. It doesn't pay to trip over stuff that brings us five dollars, that's even if someone buys it. I find it just keeps a crabs grip onto our old identities and from things in our past. And I have to remember when I croak, none of this will fit into the burner that will reduce my bloated body, well it won't be down in South Carolina because we have three gyms I will go to, to ashes. 

     In a big move I went though my beloved Pyrex collection. I packed away pieces I couldn't part with and made up sets for each of my family that wanted some. The rest was listed as a big lot on FBM which garnered over 2,500 clicks. 

     It was a young woman from Maryland who drove 3-1/2 hours last Friday night to claim her prize. She arrived at 11pm and felt like she had just scored the mother lode. While it was a little sad it felt good to release my Pyrex collection to someone who would appreciate all of the yard, garage, and estate sales I had hit over the years only buying pieces that were free of chips, scratches, and signs of use. Next up, my Lionel trains. These aren't your fathers Lionel trains, but your great grandfathers trains, as most of them are from the Pre-War ( WWII) years, like over 100 years old. 

     I either start or end each day on Zillow looking at the action down in Sun City Hilton Head. There's a few things I've learned. Being 735 miles away and dreaming of buying a place is just a dream, or a delusion, and we're further away from even that. 

     We watch as homes come to market only to be swallowed up by people who are more ready to make a move. They're ready in a financial way to buy before selling in their natal locations. For some it's a place they will one day move into, or, for others, they're down there with boots on the ground and a checking account full of money with a check that once written won't bounce. And then there's the flippers, yes, they have them down there as well. 

     Very often we'll see a place we like, even those that are a bit outdated, only to click on it later in the day or a few days after it's listed, to see a "pending" label in the corner of the picture. So, while torturous, spending time on Zillow keeps us motivated and hopeful. If things go right, some poor person's left ventricle is starting to act up and by the time we're ready...... well you know where I'm going. 

     So enjoy the coating of snow today, with more coming next week, and the dreams of picking up sticks in the yard in a month or two, and the deluge of traffic that comes with living in and around New Jersey. Soon you'll be driving around looking to feed the meter at your favorite Jersey Shore town and eatery, while all the while just trying to take a break from the old life you hang onto, while the candles and Christmas decorations melt up in your attic. 

     We tell our kids to "Get out of here" and live life. So why don't we take our own advice?