Yeah, I'm good. Putting the Delaware River striped bass season in the books. Just over three months ago I started when the season opened March 1st. It has been a very different year compared to the last five. The weather was, lets say, all over the place. Early boiling temps in both the air and water threw an early wrench in things. Then we had blowout rains, which weren't all that bad. And now we have drought-like conditions, similar to what I found on the Upper Delaware last week.
The other difference for me was laying off the Jersey side in April and May. That definitely cut down the catching opportunities, but, the regs are the regs. I have to admit I jumped in the river about a week early then the June 1st reopener, not that it mattered as I caught no fish, plus I was fishing for walleye. While there was no river monsters this year I did manage to leader-touch a 25 pound bass that took a herring fly. I lost a bunch of both fish and flies and will enjoy getting back to the vice this winter to re-stock. What I did do was manage my best day on the Delaware this spring catching about 20 on a picture perfect day. That was one that I will remember.
With the Strawberry Moon high around 430 this am I figured I'd give it one more shot. I wanted to put one in the tank to go with this post, kind of like a 2023 send-off. I had two on for a bit and in the end tapped my hat to the fish and the river and went home. The river just doesn't look inviting to fish.
It has that too-warm algae growth floating stuff oil slick looking appearance. Definitely not water that looks fishy and alive. Now, I know the fish from up north have to come past if they're looking to send the summer along the beach. The herring has to come past also, but they can do that without my fly in the water. Below are the current USGS conditions, with nighttime temps at 70 degrees. And a flow
of 3,730 cfs, down from a mean of 10,200. Dead low is like dead low. Like dead. And hot. So I aways quit like 10 times but this may be it. Maybe if we get like 5 inches of rain I'll give it a shot but I'm feeling it's beach time. It's time for those early morning outings mostly stripping crab flies for bass or fluke.
I'm not sure I'll be getting down there anytime soon. When we were up on the Delaware Leif thought he heard something coming from my truck. A few days later I heard it and limped home with something making some kind of noise from underneath. I asked my ace mechanic and her boyfriend to take a look at it last night and the diagnosis was made....transfer case. Don't know what are where it is, well I know have an idea, but it sounds like one of those things that you say, "Okay, I'm done", and take it to the local car dealership and pick up a new pick up. Well that ain't happening. Not with Erin heading off to St. Joseph's in August. So then plan is to find a refurbished one and see what happens.
Below made for a cute pic. Erin and Brandon took time away from working on her truck to help and old man out. While there they diagnosed my lack of a/c problem, an easy, allegedly, $17 part that will get the temps inside down and comfortable. Then, at least, I won't sweat to death making the drive of shame home from the beach.
