That's me. Dressed. No bathing suit. Hat. Glasses. Under the umbrella. Probably socks and shoes. Enjoying the beach. Spent a great week with my family down in Wildwood Crest. It was a family reunion, its just that now all the family showed up. But for those that did it was a great time.
It's been a month an a half of juggling, juggling work, fishing, and responsibilities. First it was a few days on the East Branch in the Catskills, then a week in Martha's Vineyard, a drive down to Florida to settle my mom in, and then the last week in Wildwood. Time to get back to reality.
Summer fishing has started. Water temps in the low to mid 70's. People all over the beach from dawn to dusk. Resident bass and fluke hitting early morning poppers and then crab flies and Clousers. It also means an early drive from Mercer County. Left the house at 230 Am and was on the beach before 4. Poppers didn't garner a strike and when light arrived I went to a black and purple crab fly with a trailing Clouser. Caught one bass, about 22 inches, and threw him back without a photo. Went back to the same spot and hooked another, better fish, and as he tumbled in the surf he came unbuttoned. It was a half-ass bad knot. I have to get into the practice of actually using my eyeglasses and not wing it when fastening flies to the leader.
Leif got a keeper fluke for the table and I had a swing and miss on one as I lifted the tandem fly set up from the water, no big deal as it wasn't keeper sized. As the summer progresses I may try and focus on the freshwater near me, snakeheads, bowfin and carp could be fun to hunt, and the ride is only minutes away. Bring on the fall!
