We kinda did this in the spring. Normal temps with some early warming trends and then an all out equator-like assault creating bathtub conditions in the waters we fish and uncomfortable air and drought like conditions the state. It was then "normal" followed by Mother Nature turning on the spicket, more like a fire hydrant, causing deadly flash flooding in New Jersey and other states on the East Coast and into New England. Summer was good, as far as the waters go, with water temps holding below normals, which helped keep the fish up and active at certain parts of the day.
Then an "early" fall arrived and with it came the storm season. Hurricane's Idalia and Franklin came and went but not without destruction and loos of life. In New Jersey this Labor Day weekend four peopled drown and numerous others had to be rescued due to rough surf and rip currents.
Near home the Delaware River went from just a tad above 70 degrees on September 2nd to peaking at 80 degrees a week later. I have started to see dimples on the water that are formed by either shad or herring fry as they make their way to the ocean. It is also during the late summer and fall that mature American eels, which go from "Yellow" to "Silver" start their migration down the Delaware to the ocean heading to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. They've been in the Delaware for 10-30 years and after spawning, just once, they will die, kind of like Pacific and most Atlantic salmon.
According to NOAA Sandy Hook's ocean temps are just about 80 degrees. You can forget the waders because you'll die of dehydration. It's muggy with the humidity at 93%. I would bet most will be wet wading looking for fluke or pelagic chasing small baits in the bathtub in front of them.
And on deck for the storm season is Hurricane Lee. It's still a ways away from the United States and if it becomes something we wouldn't see it, or him, until next week. I'm not a Weather Channel or storm chaser junkie but fall, weather, and fishing all go to together, plus mi Madre is down there. If you look at the below map you can see what the potential path of Lee is which, at least now, is blowing at
100 mph and could hit a Cat 4 or 5. What is also cool is, if you didn't know, like me, where the Sargasso Sea really is, well there you go. Our eels are heading right into the face of the storm. All to have sex and die.
