03.17.25 Well that helped....

     Wishin' I was fishin'. After a quick deluge of rain, and of course wind, this weekend, things are starting to look better then they did. Rain up north quickly had an effect on the water levels in the river. Since this morning we've seen a 20% increase in the cfs and there will be more coming over the next day or so. While the water will drain rather quickly a good push of water does wonders for the start of the run of American shad, river herring, and striped bass. 

     In addition to the flows the water temps have hit that sought after 50 degree mark for the first time this spring. I'm not ruling out cold weather, or even snow, in the forecast but for right now I'll take what Mother Nature is giving. I'm probably a few weeks away from bringing the first fish to hand and I hope to start sneaking away from life, and work, from time to time coming soon.

03.14.25 Quick shakedown trip...

     Took the opportunity with the warmer weather to give it a go for the first time this year. Did't expect much and got just what I expected. One thing I did learn is how resistant my hands are to the cold as I get older. I just can't take it anymore. 

     Incoming tide wouldn't be my choice especially at 630 am this time of year but you go when you can. Amazingly the waders and the stripping basket still fit from last year adjustments which is a good sign. Obviously there was nothing to see and the northwest wind kept things chilly and my hands raw even just after 30 minutes of casting and retrieving. 

     At least we've had some sun and warmer weather which causes a slight bump in the water temps but not enough to get things going. It's still early, and way early if you think of things 10-15 years ago. It's just the mild winters we've had in the last few years that have got things going earlier than normal. The earliest fish I've caught at the place I visited this week was March 9th, but it was much warmer than this year. 

     And in other news how's that for a result of hard work on the professor's side and the student's side as well. It's the trill of victory and the agony of defeat. Above is the class average from Exam 3 which has has my guts all turned inside out. For some it's a continuation of good or bad performance, a wake up call, or a nail in their coffin. As a teacher you pull for just about all of them, the ones you don't are those with a bad attitude or continued bad habits. It's a 27/7 job, literally, for 15 weeks in the fall and the spring. Nursing school is hard and there's no participation trophies given for just showing up. 

03.09.25 BOOKED...!!!

Let the countdown begin.....

03.07.25 I hope these aren't new weather patterns...

 

     Yesterday I stopped by local watering hole, no not a bar. I am amazed that with all the snow and rain we've had this late winter the river isn't really reflecting that. Waiting for water from the north is like waiting for those Long Island bass to show up on the Jersey beaches in the fall. You can wait and wait and they may come or not.    

      I found this U.S. Drought Monitor website and looked at things here in the northeast and things New Jersey. To the south in Cape May County and in and around the Chesapeake Bay things aren't looking good. Besides the risk of wildfires, like we've seen around New Jersey the last week or so, drought means less water in the rivers and bays that we fish. while some say a cold winter, like we've had, we still need solid water levels for a good striped bass spawn. Good levels keep the salt line in the Delaware River where they're supposed to be and water levels good for the fish like shad, bass, and herring to make their push up. 

      We can see ranges from moderate (Trenton) to severe (Salem) to extreme (Cape May). Even points north of New Jersey are seeing Abnormally Dry conditions. The below 

     image taken from Port Jervis, New York shows the ice pack breaking up in the river and traveling south which may add some water into the system, but it's probably not enough to really make a difference. Down near me the Delaware River has bumped up to 17,000 cfs but that will 

only trend down in the next couple of days. It's not how much water crests on any day but the consistent water level over the weeks and months. As expected every spring the deluges of rain that push the river to 60,000 cfs only blows out the river and makes travel for fishes, and conditions for fishing less than optimal. 

     Over the next week we'll see air temps over 50 degrees, even into the 60's, with lows in the 20's and 30's at night. Warmer water is the impetus to get fish moving and the coveted 50 degree water temp for some means it's go-to time. The Raritan Bay at Keansburg is 48 degrees during the day so the bloodworm soakers should start to see fish rooting around for a spring meal. 

     But the springs of late have meant wind and lots of it. Living out west I see how bad the combination of days of rain followed by wind can be. It means lots of downed trees, like big ones, due to the saturated ground which makes tipping the lumber over easier. As far as fishing, and fly fishing, these winds just suck. And most of the winds seem to be coming from the northwest which for me double suck as they always seem to be on the wrong side of my body where I like to fish. 

      The weather over the next week looks good once Mother Nature turns off the fans, but that's not going to be until Monday. As far as fishing predictions, who knows, last year my first fish came on March 29th near home base, and in 2023 it was some fish on March 9th up north. My early prediction this year was that things would be delayed but I've changed that up a bit. I feel, even with this weather as of late, I'll be getting good fish earlier, if I can squeeze time in around my current work schedule, which is all consuming and basically 24/7 until the semester ends at the end of April. 

03.06.25 She made it....

     Well after a 1,800 mile journey the SS United States arrived in Mobile, Alabama. Surprisingly she made it without incident. She left the berth in Philadelphia on the Delaware River on February 19th and arrived on March 4th. It was cool to be able to track her on her last voyage. 

     They say it'll take 6 months to rid her of things that may be harmful to the environment and sea life before she'll be sank to create the largest man-made reef in the world. At 1,000 feet long that's a lot of nooks and crannies for fishes and crustaceans to call home. 

 

03.02.25 I wasn't ready if I wanted to...

     Good for those that went out yesterday and opened up the season. Yep, it was opening day with air temps in the 50's and wind blowing about 30 mph from the NW. I hope we don't have another spring like last year where it blew all spring, with monsoons in between. 

     The pics of the fish I saw were of all holdover fish that most likely will be caught and released into the grease or ran around trying to capture some of the bounty from one of the tackle shops. You know what, it's not me, not my fish, so I don't care. Have fun. 

     I spent most of yesterday, and the weekend, getting ready for school this week. I am so overwhelmed and exhausted with all that the job, and the students, bring to the table.

     While running around yesterday I ran into WalMart to see if I could grab a leaf rake cheaper then the $35 DeWalt (Don't they make power tools?) option Home Depot was selling. While there I was stopped by a nice kid from Newark. He works for AT&T and was assigned to the store in Hamilton this weekend. He got my ear, and then I got Theresa from the car and he got her ear. 21 years we were with Verizon and after an hour or so we were done. AT&T for cellular and internet at home. It looks like we save about $400 a month. Real nice kid, and you know how I feel about all things Newark. 

     Even if I wanted to go fishing I am behind this year. Truth is I don't even know where all my stuff is and I definitely slacked on tying up flies for the spring. Luckily it's cold, and today really cold, so hopefully a delayed start will serve me well. 

     

03.01.25 Ramadan Mubarek.....

     One of the best, if not the best, things about teaching at Essex County College is experiencing its diversity. I could probably go back to when I first came to Newark in the mid-1980's and found myself exposed to people different than what I experienced growing up down on the Jersey Shore. Newark had a wider range of socioeconomic, cultural, and religious diversity. While I like the melting pot of people, I also do like "neighborhoods" where the people and practices are consistent. Example, "Down Neck" or the Ironbound used to be almost all Portuguese, and North Newark predominately Italian. Today famous neighborhoods like Manhattan's "Little Italy" have had their boundaries, which were once well defined, now fluid between Chinatown and Little Italy which takes away from the neighborhood, and the visiting experience. In tougher neighborhoods gentrification has changed the landscape, while not always bad, and the flavor. My daughters done the Brooklyn tour, Williamsburg, Bed-Sty, and Crown Heights, and it's not uncommon to find a bougie coffee joint or a fancy restaurant where a bodega sat decades ago.  

     The students in my class this year come from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe. I should really get a list but besides the few born and bred in the USA, we have students from Africa, Jamaica, Haiti, China, Taiwan, Philippines, Mexico, Dominic Republic, and the list goes on. Some of my students are Muslim, which is a religion, not a race, and those students come from a variety of different countries. 

     Last evening was the start of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the start of Ramadan, the holy month that signifies when the Quran, their holy book, was delivered to or seen by the Prophet Muhammad. I can follow briefly all that is Ramadan, but in fact every year I have to brush up on things Lent and Easter as well. What I do know is that in the last week or so Muslims weren't sure when Ramadan would start as it is governed by the siting of the crescent moon in Saudi Arabia. It will last until the next crescent moon, which is March 29th. 

       For those practicing Muslims Ramadan is a month of fasting, praying, reflecting, and giving back to the community. It is kind similar to Lent, or the 40 days before Easter. Several of my students do the fasting and this year I am deciding to join them. The fasting goes from just before sunrise to just after sunset. It's pretty hardcore, no food or drink, even water, between those times. If you are on your feet all day, working, studying, it's easy to feel the effects physically especially if you don't wake up at zero-dark-thirty and eat before the sunrise. I have had students get woozy due to low blood sugar during this month. 

     While I won't be praying to points east, like to Mecca, I will get a feeling of what it's like to have to fast during the day hours, when I seem to do the most damage to the contents of the refrigerator and my body. I won't be giving up drinking water during the day though, it's too much with clinical and lecturing for three hours. We'll see how it goes. 

If you see a Muslin drop them a "Ramadan Mubarak", which would be similar to Happy Ramadan.