Been busy with work and doc appointments and I haven't been able to get out fishing. I had another trip to the doc in Red Bank at 1030 so I had a good reason to go. Still trying to figure out what's going on with the blood pressure, lots of meds holding it in check. Cardiologist added some Lexapro, an SSRI used in the treatment of depression and anxiety, to see if something from the neck up is causing things from the neck down to be out of whack. I have no problem with that thinking. So I'll just add another pill to the morning cocktail. I had disucssed with Theresa, don't know if that's the right word, that I was due for an all nighter. My plan was to fish all night, get to the doc appointment by 1030 and then run to the college in Newark by 12. She, still not getting the fishing thing in it's entirety, asked the doctor, "Colin thinks it's a good idea to go fishing all night, what do you think?". My man didn't miss a beat, "Absolutely". So by 2 am I was up and gone.
Got to my first spot with about 20 minutes left on the outgoing before slack and the incoming. Not much for bait and not much for fish busting. I made some casts, walked around, and then lost a nice popper and Snake Fly on a backcast. I walked around with the light for 20 minutes but its hard to find two black flies in the rocks and I didn't even know what angle my backcast was in.
I moved to the beach before the sun came up and when I could see things were looking good, real good, like perfect mullet conditions. Hard NWN to NNE wind to 16 with gusts that had to go over 20. There was a hard left to right sweep and an incoming tide. By 7 am things were perfect. The only problem was there wasn't much for bait, and what there was didn't have anything on them. The water was clean and the waves
were illuminated by the sunrise on the horizon. If you ever seen mullet in the waves along with bass on the prowl its one of the coolest things. (The above image was captured by local photographer Tom Lynch, who has a gallery in Pt. Pleasant called
Angry Fish). I picked a spot on the north side of the groin and just waited, and casted, a lot. I had one fish one for about 5 seconds, not a big fish, but that came off. Not sure if it was on the Gurgler or the trailing black Deceiver. So here is my take on the fall run as
we know it, or have come to know it. I only use my experience since 2009 when I really started with this striped bass mental disorder. Striped bass are anadromous. They winter down south and summer up north. In the spring after spawning they head north. Some bass stay, some bass go. Bait grows in the bays and rivers, and then comes out in the fall. Bass come back down in the fall. Then winter no fishing depression sets in and we wait until the spring.
Years ago we had a strong mullet and white bait run and the bass were on them. We, well the bass, have changed up their migratory plans by all of them heading south, some stay up north, or choose to stay and winter here. So even if the bait is here if there are no bass here "yet", then there's nothing to catch. Yes, there are fish in the bays and rivers, but they have been there, hunkered down all summer. Out front there will be some residents and a few transients, but not like it used to be. Those fish, are now part of the "We got 212 bass on flutter spoons" we see posted on social media starting the first to the lasts weeks of December.
Also, what I think, is the big girls do go south earlier than those late New York Bight fish. That's evidenced by the Virginia slaughter that occurs as we end things up around here. But I also believe, with a trend of milder winters, most of those fish stay, again, as evidenced by the crazy late December and early March bites we have come to see.
So the fish "come alive" in September, that means you catch a few as conditions are more tolerable to the fish, lower water temps, more bait, less bennies. October is slow, historically, maybe a pick here and there. And then the second week of November into Thanksgiving it "goes off", which usually lasts a week or so. And just when most of the anglers, mostly boat guys, hang it up, it really takes off the second and third week of December. The question this year is, are we going to have a strong peantut bunker run or will it be a sand eel bite. And by that I mean on the beach. We haven't had a strong sand eel bite in years, like the "epic" 2011 bite. I believe, based on nothing scientific, that you have one or the other, never both. Those 2014 and 2016 penaut runs weren't followd by a sand eel bite. Like I said, I think, it's one or the other.
So go fishing, have low expectations. I know guys who fish everyday, pound the same water, and catch the occasional flurry, maybe get a keeper, but that's for the love of the game. It is so sad to see the destruction of the beach, groins and underwater structure due to beach replenishment and the effect is has on fishing. I think, even with a possible change in migration and timing, there would be better fishing through the summer and early fall like we used to see.
And here's a little gem. Are you like me who uses the toe of the opposite wader boot to get off the non dominant foot wader boot? Well stop that, you do damage either inside or out. I got this boot bug for $3 from a yard sale. You put it down, and with no effort your foot slides out with hardly any manipulation or pressure on the wader, or the inner lining, which becomes torn after a hundred times of trying to wiggly your foot out of the boot. It will extend the life of your wader.
