Not knowing what to expect going forward I just had to see if I could find some fish. I dragged Delaware Joe out for a quick session before we made a stop for breakfast. I set the tank up in anticipation of at least one fish being around and there was more than one. Joe landed the above nice fish but had to get his sneakers wet in the process. Water temps are now flouting between 62-65 degrees and I can tell you you can feel the difference when the water was around 60.
It's not like they're trout or anything like that but you have to take in account the stress and lactic acid build-up the fish endure as they are caught. It doesn't mean you can't fish, but doing it efficiently and in a way to benefit the fish will help their survival rate. Super long casts and retrieving them up current, like mouths open and dragged upon the top of the water, definitely isn't good.
I can't say enough about using barbless hooks. That's on flies, shads, and plugs. And the trebles, forget it. But at least pinching down the barbs really makes for a better and quicker release. When those barbed hooks get caught in the fish hard top palate, or in the meatier part of their sidewalls of their mouth the consistent anglers action of pushing in and out isn't good. You know that. Will you miss a fish from time to time? Yes. But unless they're going home for the table why not just do better?
I went back for one more time. If my fishing spring were to end today I would be fine with that. The water and river looked pristine in some spots while high and off color in others.
It looks like some rain will be hitting us once again and it won't be enough to change the volume, I think, but it will change the shade of it a bit. But, for me, the herring are gone, as are most of the fish we had. Yes, it does happen like that sometimes, here today and gone tomorrow. Looking forward to this week I have an interview tomorrow, work and the nursing school pinning Thursday, and off to Cape May Friday, where, I just might fish the Delaware Bay for a bit to see if I can re-catch one of the fish I brought to hand this spring.