It was cold for the 2023 "Opening Day" for New Jersey back bays and rivers. Snow on the ground, frost on the rocks, skim ice on the water. There's been a lot of anticipation due to the mild we winter we were having. I'm not sure we're totally out of the woods as of yet. It was 31 degrees when I got down to the water and I knew I had about an hour in my hands to see if I could start off the season with a fish. I had a selection of flies, mostly smaller ones to choose
from, that I thought might do the trick. I didn't get a touch but I think guys fishing north of me did well. Carl Hartman from American Angler started it off with a really nice fish followed by a fellow club
member Karl Chen. What I think is most interesting about all of this is learning more about striped bass and their winter-over habits. We know these fish are anadromous, they're migratory, love to winter down south, or more south, and summer in parts more north, but it's the holdovers that peak my interest. I was always amazed to hear about the winter striped bass fishing in the Connecticut rivers, which included stories of guys running plugs and lures over skim ice and connecting when it found a hole which allowed the baits to get down and to the fish.
In New Jersey we have a closed bay and river season from January 1st to March 1st. Some question why? What fish are around and who's fishing anyway? From what I've heard it's the idea that these cold water fish gather in places while wintering over and it would be like fishing in a barrel. Which would be no different in what we are about to witness on the Raritan Bay in a few weeks.
But I was always under the impression, wrongfully, that these fish, like all of them, migrated, so all of these Raritan Bay fish came from parts south. And what confused me was how come I'm never catching a lot of fish on the beach if they are coming past me?
By looking at some of the early action there's no doubt these fish stayed put through the winter. We saw bigger fish caught in late December before the shut down and still "out back" from north to south Jersey. I'm just surprised. Was it always that way? I know the power plant fish, Kearny, Trenton, Oyster Creek, Salem, enjoyed the warm water discharges but what about regular old bays and rivers?
So after the circulation returned to my fingertips and I got to work I decorated my office. While most of my colleagues hang nice and cute inspirational saying on their walls, like below, I went for a
outdoorsy approach, so my students can sit and relax and connect with nature. What could be more supportive and inspirational that sitting their talking with your Professor and looking at this beauty. You see, if you remember, I scored this at the Allaire Flea
Market back in June 2015. She has been aging, not so well, in the closets, attics, and basements of my places of residence in Deal, Red Bank, and now Titusville since. We just delivered a 30-yard dumpster to the house, and I thought it could either wind up there, or my office wall. I spent most of the
afternoon testing students off on tracheostomy care. Before I left work I checked the tides of a couple of places and decided to give home a shot later in the evening. It was good to get out as the air temps had gone up to 45 degrees with the wind swing that happened earlier in the day. I didn't get a touch at either stop but it was good to get out on the opener. As predicted the Absecon Bay Sportsmen Center gave out all four checks for the first fish weighed in for 2023.
