08.31.17 First look at the bay....

     Had a break in the day and knowing the ocean was big and brown I headed over to the bay. Peanuts galore with an occasional bluefish blowing up on them. Didn't hook up but had plenty of snappers nipping at my white Snake Fly. After I headed over to Jersey Joe's for a single dog. If you haven't had one of these, do it, and if you're a big guy do for the double. Its in Port Monmouth opposite the Spy House.

     Last week I put an order in with Orvis gearing up for the snotty fall weather. I purchased the Orvis Waterproof Sling Pack.  Funny the tag inside that says in big letters "MADE IN CHINA" also says "Not to be removed until delivered to the consumer". I wonder if that is some international law. 

     The last waterproof bags served me well, for awhile, but then the coating outside started to fade and then weaken. I have been caught with the regular Sling Pack out in bad weather and have wound up with gear and cameras and cell phones floating in the water that collects inside. I really hope this is as good as "they" say it is. Lot's of good reviews out there on it, I hope that some of the reviewers are salt water guys. There is a big difference between fly-fishing the salt and freshwaters, not only weather-wise but the salt is the X-factor to so many products. It goes for $219.00. I wonder what it would cost to make in America.

08.29.17 Been a busy week....

Rob Yaskovic photo

     You know this blogs never 100% about fishing. Had a great and busy week. Last Friday Theresa and I and the girls headed into NYC for my youngest sisters wedding. It was a weekend away and we returned Sunday night. She looked stunning, as did he, and all of the venues and family and extended family were great. Love the pic of me and the kids up top. Crazy just two left under 18.

     The above pic of me and the kids was taken by my friend and wedding photographer Rob Yaskovic. He is one of the best wedding photographer out there. Hands down. If you need one, he's the guy to call. You can visit his website HERE

      While walking the city on Saturday I stopped at Orvis on 5th Ave. Rob was off but I ddi get good help trying some Orvis Hydros Sl reels on the Clearwater and H2 rods. I'n torn between the VI and the V. I picked up a few extra large Surface Seducer heads and when I got home Sunday I tied one up and headed down to the beach. 

     I got down at dark and stayed for about an hour. Big incoming with a humming east wind had me switch the popper and an intermediate line with a Depath Charge 300 with a black Snake Fly. I tried the rocks and the beach but came up blank. 

                 
    Over the past few days I've gone a few times and as I look at churned up water I am always thinking and praying for the people in Texas. Like 5 years ago with Sandy they are getting hit hard, and it keeps coming and appears to be getting worse. A call went out for Psych Nurses to be deployed down for a 9-day stint so I am on the list and ready, well kind of, to head down when they call. Thinking it won't happen for a few weeks as mental health needs will be ongoing.

      The storm and the mild weather has things feeling and looking like fall. I went at big tide, outgoing tide, and low tide and didn't raise a fish. Not that easy with the 20 plus mph winds or the wick sweep but I got it into the zone a bunch of times without a tap. To boot I didn't see any bait either. Hopefully after the blow things will start up....like MULLET!!!!

     And lastly my week before back to work ended today getting ready for the shed/garage that they are coming to build on Monday. We saw it at Costco. I realized I am delusional that I would stick build my own. We pulled the trigger. Done. So in the process of getting ready for the Man Cave #2, I pressure washed Man Cave #1's roof. One thing I know. When I come back in another life I want a career that involves pressure washing really dirty stuff!

08.24.17 Went back for more.....

     Tried and get the skunk smell off me so I went back this evening. Flat, flat, flat. What waves did hit the beach gave off heat when they hit. Last weeks south winds upwelling cooled things off. The gentle NW we have now makes casting, if you're righty, easy but it doesn't do much for the wave action. Worked long and hard into the night but only had one blow-up and the fish missed the popper. First light tide sucks, in my opinion, the next few days, but it's just as well as I'll be in NYC for my kids sister's wedding. Back at it Monday I think.

08.24.17 Three guys went fishing....two caught

     It's that time of year again for beautiful comfortable first light sunrises. If you see a lead photo of a sunrise, then you know I didn't catch a fish. I shared the beach today with Lief and Joe. I walked sand I hadn't been on in some time and pleasantly found some spots that offer good potential, just not for me today.

Joe Phiefer photo

Lief Peterson photo

     When I came back to them after my fish finding mission, and reporting that I didn't do anything, they both told me they each connected with one. Not much for bait, snappers again didn't hit the trailer, either they're too small or the bait not what they want, and the incoming tide with a popper sucks. Excuses excuses.

08.23.17 Note to self.......The big button takes the picture and.....

the little one turns it off. Worked hard for about an hour starting at 5am on the incoming without a tap. Didn't walk too far as the waters in front of me looked good. I did squeak out one bass that took the popper right near the beach side of the trough. It might have went 22" and I made a cool release photo of it, I think, but I mistakingly hit the wrong button and turned the camera off rather than capturing an image. Oh well. Lots of micro bait around and some birds looking and picking. 

     I went with the popper/dropper set-up and was surprised that I didn't get one snapper on the trailer. I did have a fluke follow it right up to the rocks but it didn't commit. It's getting to that low-tide at first light tide again so you have to find fishy water or you're just casting onto the replenished-but-washing-back sand. Nice morning. Albies soon. 

08.21.17 'Where are you?".......Not good

Lief Peterson photo

     That was the text I got shortly before 7am. "Where are you?" I swore I was off today.....but I was wrong. So I walked into the hospital smelly, sweating, with clothes that were too tight, and commando to boot. Luckily we found some scrubs and some disposable underwear. I showered in the sink, and then got pulled to the adult floor.

     Got down at 5 and covered a few beaches really good but I can't shake the skunk. Joe and Lief were at another town and Joe found one that took a popper.  It seems like a one fish per beach late August. There was all the rain bait and snappers you could want but the bass were elusive or not around.

Lief Peterson photo

Joe Phiefer photo

      After work I decided to run down for 45 minutes just as high tide arrived. The south wind was honking making for good white water but I didn't do anything, and was giving my "didn't get anything report" and Lief said the same thing......."nothing'. But he then went back and got one....and may still be out there as I write this. Have to wait for that report later.

LP Photo

08.20.17 Came, fished, left....skunk, for me....

Lief Petersen photo

     It wasn't easy getting up this morning and I did hit the snooze button but woke up before it went off and headed out the door, slightly hungover. Had some of the gang from work over with some friends for a BBQ and it was good friends, good food and good drink. Most split early to catch concerts either at PNC or in Asbury. John Mayer was the host ticket for the evening.

     Did get down around 5am and had to catch Leif walking to the beach before he wEnt and caught something. We worked the beach and I started with a black Snake Fly before switching over to a large white Howitzer that didn't move a fish. I thought Lief and I were walking of together but when he

he was staying I knew he would find one, and he did. It took a chartreuse Howitzer. Besides the bass he caught there were snappers and rain fish and after reading SOL I read about the first alibi-off-the-beach sighting. It's starting to feel like fall out there, maybe it'll be sooner than later.

Lief Peterson photo

08.18.17 Had to work hard to get one but at least the storm didn't show......

     First off just want to send a shout-out Happy Birthday to my first born son Ryan who turns 21 today. Always proud to be his Dad, along with the rest of the kids. Wish he was around for a beer.

     When I woke I expected to see the lightning flashes and hear the rain hitting the windows.....nope. Quiet and dry. Got down at 5 am and started with the black Snake, nothing. Popper, nothing. Really, nothing. Walked and walked and walked some more before finding good water that went with the right to left sweep, right to left swell, and south wind. Casting righty sucks in any of those, especially all three. 

     When I did find that spot I new it was fishy and someone would be home. After about 100 over the left shoulder casts this bass hit it just as it was in the top of the last wave that hit the beach. It was a good fight in the bigger water and even bette because one, there was a trough, and two, he tried to hide back in it. Just as I was about to get a quick pic before getting him back in the water that right

 to left sweep suck up behind me and washed the fish away and filled the reel with sand. I can't complain it's my first August bass of the this year, at least I'm on the board.

08.16.17 Plenty of peanuts in the back......

     While Erin and I were looking for crabs at almost dead low tide i guy kind of hurriedly and all-business started to walk the wall. I asked him if he was throwing for snappers and I was surprised when he said, "Peanuts". He was eagle eyed and I watched him like a heron just standing still and staring in the water. I looked over into the brown-end-of-the-tide muck and didn't see anything and then he threw. Really?
    Don't you know he then started to struggle with the throw net. I was like....really. And then it cleared the water and I was like, "Holy shit". One throw, a bucket full of peanut bunker, all the snacks the bluefin would like to find sinking down from the boat.

08.13.17 Hard to find the water during this quick outing......

     School and work, and sometimes family (kidding!) can really screw up ones fishing. I didn't say mine, I said ones. So can a dead low at 533am. Got down to the water at 5 am before work and gave it one hour. Couldn't really find the water and the fishy spots I did find didn't produce with the popper. I'm thinking Thursday when dead low is in the 9ish range. It's starting to feel like fall. It's cool in the morning. There's bait around. It smells fishy. Just need the fish to move on in. Been watching Montauk and it seems like they may be early there this late summer and fall. Fingers crossed.
     One good thing that I always said about dead-low is the ability to scout. Well after a summer where we had some weather the late summer ho-hum tides and weather has just flattened things out along the beach. Very few fishy spots are showing. Not many troughs, like good deep ones, on the dead low. There's changes in gradient, but not the deep holes, at least around my "home waters". It might be time to spread out a bit and give some other old favorites a look before the fall comes. It's less than a month away before the mullet show, and probably a month and a half before Mother Nature rings in the fall with a mullet-run-killing Nor'Easter.

08.12.17 Goodies from Fish-Skull arrive.....

     There's definitely some interest out there with Fish-Skull's newer line of poppers. It's taking of in fresh and salt waters. I put an order in and received it today while in the depths of the dreaded final exam. I had no time to play but enough time to go through and see what I ordered. In the end it's    

just more tying stuff that I hopefully will get to sit down and tie into some hopefully usable flies. I'm wondering what the faux bucktail will tie like but I am thinking it'll be great on some Clouser's since they don't flare when you pull them. I haven't used the Fish-Mask yet either and hopefully they'll help with my usual gnarly looking fly heads.