05.21.22 "A.C. is Bangin"....

......so I decided to DO AC. Theresa had a OB/GYN nursing conference at the Tropicana that started at 9 am so it was drop her off and go. I knew it was dead low, going to be high and bright sun after the fog burned off, and only 285 degrees, although the SE/E wind coming off the ocean did provide a cool breeze every now and then. 

    So when I get there I make my way to the crowd at the end. Most guys soaking bait, three pitching  live eels, and a few some plastics. "You shoulda been here at 430 fly rod man". That's what I was told. It's an eel bite. It happens at night. And the outgoing is best. Alrighty then. 

    I found my own jetty, I think it was an actual jetty, because what duo you call a manmade rock formation, that comes off a jetty, another jetty? Incoming, saw some cormorants. No bait. Blew my 

arm out after two hours. Getting hungry. Had to pee. Made my way to Brigantine because I know 

there is a WaWa over there. After a snack I doubled back and hit beneath the bridge with Harrah's in the background. Tide still incoming, sweet looking clean and green water. Had some dock debris in the water which I thought would be a great place to fish around as the tide ripped in, nada. One guy with a hard southern drawl was soaking clams and caught, and kept, a 28" fish. He was trying to hoist it, but I offered to jump down and get it for him, I get an assist for a dead striped bass. 

     With about 1-1/2 hours till she was done I hit the beach again, this time staying off the much populated "AC Bangin' jetty". Great water, saw a black drum leave the water, not sure where he was going or chasing, but that was it for me. Before I left I went to snoop on that jetty, saw one small 

blue, one short tog, one ray and a kingfish caught. As I walked down I looked down in a puddle and found a dead eel. At $2 a pop from One Stop Bait and Tackle I would think someone would keep it dead-fresh and use it again. 

     I am glad I got the opportunity to see and fish AC. Got way too much sun and I hope there is still some good fishing around back home. The ocean is nice, but not during the day, dodging the kids and blowing out my arm. But remember, "ACis BANGIN'".

05.19.22 School(ies) in session....

      Might as well get this out of the way. Here's something to remember. When you take your spool off your reel because you have a line crossover going on, make sure you lock it in when returning. Otherwise, when you're on a boat it will flip in the water, sink to the bottom, and then you'll have to go through all the line and backing to retrieve the spool, and hopefully you have a good know securing it. 

      Had a boat day today and worked to hard to get one follow. Another boater in the area was his spinning rod deep into the current and landed a dozen to 26 inches. I worked all the seams that currents that I could but didn't land a fish. Fun to be out on a boat for a change of pace. 

     After getting some work done it was back at it on the incoming tide, this time with a pair of Crocs walking on the grass. Landed two schoolies, one 24" the other smaller. They say this is the normal 

cycle when the schoolies move it, but there is always chance for a bigger fish, especially if you believe big fish go all the way above Easton. If their vacation spot is Block or Cape Cod then they have to make their way past these parts on their way out. 

     Last night it was fishing till midnight on the dropping tide. I was alone, then joined by two spin guys. As they made their way past me the bass where blowing up on herring in front of me along the concrete. I made a cast hooked up, but tried to play it down so not to attrack their attention, and the fish came unbuttoned. 

05.17.22 Switching it up a bit....

      Visited a different spot. Not a touch. Another fly bites the dust. Tie to hit the vice, and quick. 

05.16.22 Scenes from a skunkin'...

      A day past the Blood Moon and a storm on the way with a good tide, time to go fishing. Got home, switched cars and was off. The air was hot, humid and windy, the conditions that occur right before a blow, and it blew. Rain, hail, and big winds. It didn't take long for the runoff from the land

to dirty off and bump up the water. But I felt confident I was going to catch, more like delusional. Stayed four hours, 530-930 pm. Wife loved that. Made my way up and out but turned tail when I 

realized I was a tad bit early to get to my spot, in the end it didn't matter. Leif had told me herring were attracted to slashes in the water, and I thought the runoff coming from overhead would call them and the bass in. I did see some flashes and swirls tonight but couldn't connect or get a tap. 

     As quick as the worm came it left and the evening was nice, except where I could fish I think it was a tad off color. A guy near me landed three, the biggest 24 inches, casting way out. So the question is, is the fat lady starting to warm up her voice? I sound like when I quit in December, and then fish a dozen more times. You don't know if you don't go, but to be honest, something is telling me it's over, the big major migratory push has come and gone, the drop backs have dropped and turned tail, and what may be left are some stragglers, some smaller fish, and the little residents that stay put until they grow up, but I hope I am wrong.

05.15.22 Love when a plan goes together.....

     She's 40 inches, plus a few lines on the ruler, we measured her before her release, but there's better than that from today. Hit the tide to early and had to do some basket-was-vertical-on my-chest wading to get to a spot. Last night I put together a popper, a mix of old and new school. Well, after getting in position 

and on my third cast I had little blow up way out on a long cast and on the swing. Made me happy to have it go down like that. Fished hard on the drop and had guys to my left and right catching throughout the morning. I can tell you this, none of them caught a fish in fly rod range. 

     The fish, which I am going to assume are now post-spawn and are hear to eat herring have been active. They like the big water, they like guys who make long casts, or troll, and they like shads, SP Minnow's or Tsunami sand eels bounced along the bottom. The big fish at the top of this post, not mine, but I did make my over to the angler as he fought and landed it in case he needed help. Some photos for him, a quick tape measurement and she was on her way. I then stayed too longblew my arm out again trying to get in that zone, but they didn't happen. 

     After a quick nap it was back for the top of the tide. Pretty afternoon. 100 casts this time. Not a tap. Trying to get dialed in with the fly rod on the Delaware. Not an easy task. I'm starting to think spey rod, but how would you manage all that line in such quick current? 

 

05.14.22 Caught a guide ride...

     As I was making my way in water that was just a tad too high I got an offer I couldn't refuse, a lift to a spot that isn't accessible by foot. It was a drop-off, kind of like in Survivor, dropped off, fend for yourself, and then a pick up when you're done. It was nice to have my feet on solid ground and be able to air some casts into moving water. Had one tug but that was it, it didn't matter, it was a great learning experience. One thing I learned, the delusion "That if I could just get there.....", isn't always true. I'm fly fishing, it's different in the big river, and limited to how far you can walk and cast out. 

     After my trip I settled into my honey hole of the last few days and didn't get a bump. That's okay, because after 1,000 casts in the same spot it gets a little boring. Had guys to the right and left that caught on top water stuff, so, after I got home I went looking for my stash of Fish Skull Surfacer Seducer heads to tie up some poppers, but I couldn't find one, at least the bigger version. As I was looking I found an old, really old popper, I had used years ago on bass and blues. I threw on some extra material and that was it. It has rattles inside, like BB's, so that should help, we'll see. Don't judge. 

      And just to condition stamp, conditions today, May 14, temps up, water back to normal flows. 

05.14.22 Worked hard for this bunch....

     Hit the river at 515 am, few hours left in the outgoing. Had the place to myself except for the boat hatch. Broke out the wading stick, one that Bunky gave me before his move back to Maine. I remember using one when I started trout fishing, and will now use it all the time in the Delaware. The only problem with this one is it's missing the little compass at the top of the handle, I think I'll be okay without it. With the tide still up, but leaving, it came in handy making my way way out to perch up on a rock that I know is there. I landed one small fish before watching as the blueback 

herring were trapped along the abutment with bass on the chase. I hooked and had a nice fish, probably 30 inches, that came unglued as I reached down from the rock to lip it. It stayed motionless in the water fly-free, and I tried to grab it but it slipped from my hands. I believe the herring are 

bluebacks now, and these are great because they hang and spawn in the moving and fast water, and the bass lay in wait for them. While my above fly has just about reached the end of service, it opens up nicely in the water and I caught fish with it today. Below is the side by side comparison between the alewife and blueback herring. I stayed way to long, and what made me stay was watching a boat 

guy hook and land a very big fish, I'd say over 38 inches and probably 20 plus pounds, and that fish didn't make it back into the water. Now from New Jersey to half the river there is no kill in effect, on the Pennsy side to mid river anglers can harvest two fish between 21 and 24 inches, that fish was no where near that, more on that later. But I moved and fished hard walking out and in between the 

boulders without a hit. I tried a white fly since that is what the boat guys are throwing, shads, and something else if not small plugs. That fly worked for one but not another so I picked a winner out of my supply, which is near dwindled down to smaller flies. This one had some bulk and saddles 

out the back and moved nicely in the water. Two came to hand for that tie, one better than the other. I stayed, and then stayed as the river hit dead low. The problem is the fish are in the channel, and I just get the cast there, and if I do it quickly heads down river. So with my arm blown out yet again I 

called it a day. when I made my way to my car the game warden was sitting in his truck talking with Trenton P.D. I wasn't going to, but I had to say something. I had taken a picture of the boat and I explained to him what I saw. "I saw it too, and radios my partner and he's down at the ramp. We got him". It's good to see the law out and about, he said he's been working non-stop. One thing, and its fair, but you should know the regulations, is the different rules between P.A. and N.J. for the same body of water. I could see how someone could make an honest mistake, but you gotta know. 

 

05.13.22 Good start to Friday the 13th....

    Early shot before work all day and till 11pm, but had a wake up window to hit the river. Four fish to hand, three tiny guys and one nice fish. Really liking the overcast weather and even some rain in the forecast. Good tides through the day where, if you can, an early morning, midday, and evening outings can be good. 

     By the looks of the fly in the top fish mouth it looks like its time to retire it. Several fish, a few snags, and some bouncing off the walls and rocks has worn it out, but it still catches. Again, have to hit the vice, they like white, so that will be in order sometime soon. 

05.12.22 Nice way to end the day....

     High sun. Bluebird skies. Very warm air temps. That gave way to a nice cool evening on the outgoing near low tide. While fishing for big fish is fun, and addicting, there's nothing better than getting out and getting a trio each time you go. The fish went from small to nice, 1, 2, 3, in that order. The first one was hungry and caught a mouthful of material looking for a meal. Number 2 

ate deep and fought better than its size, and the below fish was a good one. End of the cast in the outer seam between the currents. This one took some line before I could turn it. I am enjoying

shooting the fish in the water post release and just snapping hoping to get something good captured. It's now pocket season time, where the fish hold on the dropping water or tide in those "Huh, there's a fish there?", spots. I'm still with the 11 wt and 30 pound leader, they may see it, but I have to get them in. I hope this weekend the rain keeps the water cool and maybe churn it up a bit, right 

now the water is gin clear, so they have time to study and decide on your offering unless you're in moving water. Below is the after work gang, didn't see much catching going on, but they are having a good old time. No fly rodders there.