Loved this picture. This scene was a little different than the flash mob Richie had join him in the pocket a few groins up. But this crew was just loving the sunrise. Anyway, here we go.
Another night of a O-dark-thirty start. Thank you Theresa- love you! So it was a nice enough day to be out there, no matter where you were. I started looking out back in several spots and not a fish fart to be had. I moved and hit it pretty hard in the dark from the beach and then up on the rocks where
finding the current was okay but the dropping tide made keeping my flies over and away from the exposed rocks a chore. Okay, now that I've had the Orvis PRO bootfoot waders on for a hot minute I'll tell you some things I think. One, if you use them lightly you can probably will them to your next of kin. Two, watch the tram car please, I mean watch those Michelin soles. Now you may be able to be dragged by a train in them but let me warn you these aren't my favorite, which would be felt bottom boots. Even with the Orvis studs you can and will slip and break your ass. You see when you fish the groins, which are a little differently constructed than jetties, you don't always have flat rock to rock to walk out on. I have had the heart-stopping feeling
when I have felt (no pun intended) my heel or toe going and sliding out from under me. I'm not young, and if I fall it will not be pretty. It's like those Heely's from about a decade ago, the sneakers with the built in wheels. Be careful when you transfer your weight from leg to leg, and NEVER, jump, or go all in with your weight before you know you have good traction. And three, I can't stand the pooling water
in the cuffs of the waders where the boots meet. I'm 5'11, 200, well 205 pounds. I ordered a large. My legs aren't that short. C'mon man! Ok PSA over. So I jumped down along the rocks and had a bass
blow up on it but my line wasn't tight and I missed the hook set. I don't know which fly he took, well, doesn't matter they were both black Snake Fly's. The beaches are so nice now. Carved up and able to
hold water even at dead low. I guess you can thank the swell a little for that also. I had a nice bass all kind of blow up on the fly on the open beach but that one must have missed his appointment with the ophthalmologist. I fished for 2-1/2 hours and that was it for the action. I started to sweat and feel the humidity so it was time to dump the jacket and head elsewhere.
Where to go? "Go north lad". And so I did. I made "the walk" and I have to admit it wasn't so bad. No chest pain. No shortness of breath. All good. But what I wasn't ready for was the fact that the False Hook, the
tip of Sandy Hook was closed off. So I had to settle fishing from the fencing and around to the Bug Light. One thing I will say is these storms have really cut the Jersey Shore up, GOOD, now let's leave
it all alone. What is interesting is there was surely a breach south of the False Hook where the ocean met the bay. Now not like a total inlet breach, but enough of water up and over which has changed the lay of the land there. You can see it below, tap on the picture to make it bigger. That False Hook will be
an island if we get a good nor'easter. The water was clear, moving, and pretty much void of life. I think the bait is still in the back, which means back of the bay or in the tributaries. The fish are here, and
they are hungry, I don't think that bait has congregated yet so they are not keyed in. And the bait is far from ready to leave. Fish? Yes, 30's, 40's, and 50's.....all but maybe a handful are boat fish.
I stopped and talked to a guy who was heading in and he told me about the sign right outside the parking lot.....yeah, I missed that. So now what. Home? Back south? West? Let's go west. So I stopped
in Belford and took a peak and you could basically sight fish it if you wanted to. Pretty much all day, no bait, birds or bass showing. You know, you don't have to do this, but I needed to. If I don't see it with my own eyes then I don't believe it. I could home and there are 30's biting people's ankles in knee deep
water. WTF is wrong with me? Anyway, so my plan was head west and hit the Turnpike south home. But then I was like, let me check the other side of the bay. So I did and found a fishy perch and threw
some long casts without a touch. I see who's been fishing here at night. Hope that's a circle hook in the Gami bait rig pack. Just some boys fishing after work having a few cervezas. The only problem with that is you have to clean up after yourself. I am sure that all fish caught that were not within
28-31" slot are salefy released to swim another day. And, if it's short, if they have to take one home, I am sure the Bonus Tag is properly affixed in the jaw and the call has been made to report it.
So, after all that I have to look like I've done something around the house today. Previously I had thatched and aerated the near acre of grass we have around the property. I wanted to aerate it again before I seeded it so the tractor, which is back working after a new engine, made short work of it. Then it was off to the races. 50 pounds of tall fescue laid down with a tiny broadcast spreader.
It was about then the chest pain started, well let's just say the tiredness set in. I had to push through because I got a call that the jet boat was ready. You see, here was my thinking. I want to put the jet boat away solid for next spring. Let me get that out of the way and then I'll tackle the Jones. What I thought might have been $400-450 turned out to be $647, ouch. I didn't like making the call to Mommy to see if it was okay to pick up. That's means I'll be a little behind getting the Jones ready for the fall, which is now.
Bob is the owner of Mercer Marine. I trust him. I trust him like I did with the guys at Gateway Marine, although the family stuff there made it a little awkward. But Bob dialed the jet boat in. There was a fuel filter, VRO?, that wasn't good, so he put a different set up, and then it was over my head. But
Don't you know after all that I did today, being away from home, and having to drop six-fiddy on the jet I still had the cojonas to ask my wife if I could fish tonight. I have to leave the house at 530 am for work the next day. I was exhausted. But I belived deep down there might be a solid night bite going on, and I don't want to miss it!!
What did Captain Kirk used to say? "Captains report, star date 10/6/23- Went, fished the incoming, no fish caught, not a drive of shame, but one where I could have drifted off to sleep. Time to go to work".
Went big with the double meat in the dark on the incoming. Some days you fish, others you fish hard. Tonight was that. If there were fish in front of me they must have been vegans. Had the comb with me to brush out the hair extension material when it got bogged down with sand. It shed water no problem.
I needed a day and night like that. Now in the past few days I've put a set of my own eyes on places that are, could, or will be fishy and I know how they all looked and fished with my own eyes. Hopefully soon I'll be in the right place at the right time.
