You couldn't convince me and the half dozen spin angler out at the tip of the False Hook that it was game on. But more on that later. Yes, the big fish chewed yesterday and the boat guys were on them. I saw the below pic on Facebook from Chuck Many's trip yesterday.
Looks like that's just about where I said they'd be in yesterday's post, where the Chapel Hill and Sandy Hook Channels meet. I saw that spot after taking the death walk out there yesterday afternoon. And now I see it's not just a low bite, big bass are blowing bunker out of the water now.
So, I went. Day before the storm. End of the outgoing start of the incoming. That was my plan and I stuck to it, although I almost veered off. I purposefully took the NJ Turnpike to get to Sandy Hook because the 195 route would give me too many opinions to flake out and switch it up. In the end it took and hour and 30 minutes from my kitchen to the sand.
As I made my way over the Highlands bridge I could feel the effect of the winds blowing off the ocean. While it was calling for it to go NE at that time it was more SE. I finally had a phone call with Leif after a long hiatus and he had just been down to Jetty Country to check things out. That almost made me do a Flake #1. I was on Route 440 and thought maybe I should hit Perth Amboy? But that is such a there there are not kind of spot. Again, the fish are in the deeper water of the Arthur Kill and throwing a 30' cast with a fly isn't going to get it done.
Then I thought about cutting the ride short and hitting Keansburg as I drove past on Route 36. I could hit the Dixie Lee Bakery and then either the waters off of Beachway Avenue. Then maybe just hit the ferry in Belford? I pressed and eventually hit the lot spot.
It was the lower part of the tide which was fine by me. It wasn't like there were 30's frolicking around in the surf at the top of the tide and I missed it. To be honest I had three goals today, well four. One, just go. Two, see some bait and birds. Three, catch a fish, any fish which I almost did. And four, visit my daughter at her work at Park Social in Neptune City.
And a big shot out to whoever is working the Gateway National Park during the government shutdown. Between yesterday's Aussie Bites, coffee from the WaWa an 36, and the excitement of it all the above image, an open, door, was more than welcoming.
With the lot spot looking skinny I decided it was all or nothing. I was here. It had to be done. But any visions I had of birds working over big bass at The Rip were delusional. I watched as, well nothing happened, but the cruise ships, you can see one below the Verrazano, made their way from ports in Bayonne and Manhattan to points unknown.
They must have had a solid plan because I can't imagine heading out with the nor-easter about to bear down, but maybe they are a day ahead of what's supposed to come today.
I started at the west side of the rip letting the spin guys throwing ducktails, needlefish, and metal lips into the wind and bigger water. I just concentrated on fishing the water in front
of me. I couldn't believe there were no boats out, not a one, but they were in the morning. No birds, no bait, nothing. However I did almost catch my first fish of the day there when a larger fluke came out from the trough and followed my fly once, twice, three times and back to back casts before blowing out.
My plan was to check this out and then catch the lot spot as the water filled in. When I got there, alone of course, I was disappointed. I either had my tide times wrong or the water just didn't fill in, which was surprising with the now more ESE wind.
I fished where I could thinking there had to be one 25 inch bass that got stuck inside the bar that runs from Lot D down to Lot B. That'll be a great place, sometime this fall, not just yesterday.
Any hopes of fishing the bowl were crushed as by 630 the water was just trickling in. I knew the day was just about over but I still had confidence I was going to find one.
I thought of the river but Rumson has the whole place, for blocks on end, posted and I just couldn't deal. The next river down was up and there were only a few spaces to fish and they were taken up my what I would assume are some local sharpies.
Before visiting Erin I stopped for an old treat. I remember being in high school in the 1980's and doing the Asbury Park to Sea Bright loop, often stopping at the Wind Mill in West End.
I do like these hot dogs, a little crispy, good bread, and a bargain these days for $5.85. I recently brought a dirty water dog off a road side cart and they were $4.50. Before hitting 195 west I was still confident I would find one and fished the docks for an hour on the incoming with a wind that had increased and was starting to switch dead east. Either way it all didn't matter about not catching. The most important thing was I went.