Like they say, "You don't know if you don't go". It's hard to chase reports during the fall run as the migration of the fish is definitely dependent on the conditions out on the water and on the beach. I don't think there is more of a time when things like the moon, wind, and tides are more relevant than during the fall run. After days last week of the west winds things went south and so did the fishing. Then it went northeast, which can be good, and then a northwest, which can also be good.
For weeks we've seen both adult and juvenile bunker off the beaches and even tight to them. We've had good fishing if you get lucky and put the time in to find the birds, bait, and bass. Prior to that the boats were on a steady sand eel bite which was out and over the three mile line, now it seems it's sand eels near, but not on the beach.
I knew I didn't have to get up too early for fishing as the full moon and high tides around first light would have the surf big with lots of water rushing up the beach scarp and back down. While more water is usually good, it's not always good for the fly rodder. With a swell and waves crashing at your feet, coupled with a sloping and ruined beach from beach replenishment, a bass is hesitant to get pounded on the head trying to find a meal,
especially when just over the bar it's a buffet of sand eels and any remaining bunker or smaller white bait. On a non-moon tide and without a swell bait and bass will come inside the bar, rather comfortably, to continue south or come in for a snack.
A quick look had me concerned that things wouldn't be fishable until the tide dropped out. In this stretch the water was stained from the winds and tides which dragged the donated sand from beach nourishment down into the water. Stained isn't always a bad thing as it makes the bass have to make a quick decision on whether to mouth a fly or not. I don't find that in these conditions.
When there's a swell sometimes the best shot is from a groin but the way most of the beaches have been deconstructed these days it's impossible to get out there and even if you do the pockets along the rocks have been filled in with sand. I met Leif walking in as I was walking out after just looking and not making a cast. With no birds up and picking I knew it was a sand eel bite if anything.
We took a short drive to fish a pipe that we had been to last week. It holds water and is a tad higher than the rest of the beach around it. If there was any shot that was going to be it. Any fish that were there would be out around that first bar and wouldn't be looking to get hit on the head by the waves in search for food in 1 foot of water where you would normally stand on lower water.
Leif gave the pipe the first shot and it was the place to get the most distance as he could. The waves didn't land on the beach at the same spot so if you fished the beach it was guessing and hoping with each cast. You'd be good on the this wave and nearly knocked down on the next.
We had two spin fishermen to our north and watched them land about six fish between them. Both were throwing Ava's, or diamond jigs, way out and finding fish. Not only does metal get you out further it also cuts through the waves and sinks to the bottom where the sand eels and bass are. An intermediate or sinking line only does so much and with the size and force of the swell it really was more of fly fishing practice than effective fly fishing.
The pipe was cool, until it wasn't. Those waves were unpredictable and all that was needed was a rough wave that hits you in the ankle to knock you off your feet. It just wasn't worth it. And with that the short early outing was over. Leif had a plan to work and hit it later while I had the morning to try and find fishable water that looked promising.
I took the ride north and followed the single line of traffic through a few flooded sections of Ocean Avenue before puling into one of the lots at The Hook. There was tons of room to park and few fishermen on the beach. Down at the waters edge it was fishable but no signs of life. No birds, no bait, and I'll say no fish. A look to the north and I could see the line at Fishermen's which was probably a constant cast and retrieve of metal jigs way out. One thing of note was the water quality where the beaches hadn't been replenished. The water was clean and green.
I lost confidence in the day but wanted to fish so I headed back south down to Jetty Country. As quick as the water came in on the flood it got pulled out on the ebb. There was water but less than fishable water, or at least water that would hold fish in tight. But I was there so I decided to fish as hard as I could, even if I doubted I would find a fish.
All of the boats were out, way out, and no doubt on a sand eel bite. I then started to ask myself, "Is it over?". We had that push of big fish, then good sized fish last week, and now slot and Bonus Tag sized fish which are getting harvested at will by both the boat and beach anglers. Those head boats that go out are filled with the meat eaters, which is legal and fine, well not if you look at the big picture. One for the table means hundreds of fish out of the biomass each day, and it is not sustainable.
'There's still big bodies of fish up north", is what I heard from a guy who recently went up to the North Shore of Long Island, and that's what keeps anglers interested until around Thanksgiving when participation drops off except for the hard core fishermen and those that can stand first line bites out in 30 degree weather. Soon it will be 24-30 inch bass bringing up the rear of the fall migration south.
After doing nothing on the rocks I moved to the open beach. After getting pulled sideways into the surf I realized I was just casting onto the sand and not in any type of fish holding zone. I had came and fished and that was it. I was good. Mother Nature set the table this morning.
The winds will go to a hard northwest this morning and any type of west is better than a south. By Monday it'll go straight west and that may bring any bunker that's left back onto the beach. Some are saying, "There's tons of bait still in the bay", and that may be true, as the boats are staying inside if the winds and wind against tides don't make the bay too dicey to go. That hard northwest and west can make getting out of Sandy Hook Bay a white-knuckler before finding calmer waters out front along the beach. I've been there and it ain't fun.
I am sure with the cooler air temps the beach buggy brigade down in IBSP will be out in force this weekend. It's fun to drive the beach with the heat on and a warm-up of Joe in your hands. It'll be mobbed at first light at the top of the tide with anglers driving up and down with mostly Ava's at the ready. I can remember listening to spin friends talking about how the fish were on green tubes, or red, or yellow. Now it seems if you can just get it down to them then you're in business.
Not all diamond jigs are made the same. Some have an off set hook with a smaller than needed hook size which allows for the fish to swallow it down the gullet. If you can at least pinch the barb down and, while you may be a catch and release angler, if you hook on in the gill rakers and it's trailing blood you might as well take it for the table or give it to the angler next to you. These lures used to be a buck or two, now they're 3-5 dollars and guys hang onto them like gold. And if you buy cheap then you know how those hooks are, shit. Dragging an Ava along the bottom will quickly ruin the point so the only thing holding that fish will be that large barb.
At least I had the opportunity to hit Bagel Talk before heading down into Bradley, Avon and Belmar to see if anything was going on. Outside of the usually inlet crowd it was just more of the same as it was up north. While the reports, or a call from a bud who's on the bite, may increase you odds of finding fish it's just time put in this time of year that increases your chance of success. Some days you get lucky, other days disappointed. Thank God I had last Friday because I don't think I'll have a day like that for the rest of the fall. I'm already looking forward to the spring.