I've been hyperfocused on the water temps in the bays and rivers around New Jersey. Had that one day in stupid conditions where I caught fish but since it's been a drought, actually that's what I'm concerned about. Went out on Saturday before high tide and let's just say you couldn't tell it was hioght tide. Nowe to be fair, the wind was honking down the river which I'm sure created a blow-out tide at dead low. But still.
It looks like we're starting out this year way below 10 year average levels. Below breaks it down. I'm not sure how that actually affects the fish migration but it has to. It looks like this year we're about 4,000
cfs less than last year. 4,000 cfs is about 20% less, that's a lot of water. So obviously the fish have to travel, chew and spawn in locations where there is enough water. For me, a fly fisherman, lower waters aren't always good. The fish are out in deeper waters, the tides don't pull and push water in the smae when the water is lower, and the amount of structure that becomes fly and fly line eaters is astounding.
Last year, and I am sure this year, we will get some stupid amount of rain during the first two weeks of April that will blow-out the river. Yes the river will bump up but then it drops like a stone and cleans up. Hopefully the snow they got in the Poconos and Catskills will be enough to prevent drought like conditions. Because you know how it goes. It's 40 today and it'll be 106 in three weeks. The rivers at 43 degrees and in three weeks it'll be 58. Things these days are to Bipolar, extremes one way or the other which makes being a fish, and a fly fisherman difficult.