Spring is Here

Meteorological spring officially began on March 1st.  Getting to March usually means we are almost clear of winter, just like September usually feels like summer is over.  March 15th is usually a turning point where there is no going back- the days are longer, the sun is brighter, and there are enough mild spells to convince you that cold weather is exiting.  This cold season, with such a warm fall and a 3rd warmest winter on record in the state, it has felt like spring has been trying to break since December.  Here is a glance at some very interesting weather statistics regarding the abnormal warmth:

A very mild February finished a 3rd warmest winter on record here in New Jersey.  February was record warm in Massachusetts.  Now here is what was really amazing.  Since most of us felt the warmth here locally this winter, we could really appreciate it, and it was obvious there was something amiss.  But for how warm it was in the Great Lakes and Northeast this February, it was even warmer in Canada.  Look at the orange and red colors in northwest Canada that indicated temperature departures of +5C to +6C above normal.  The big red blob in Canada made the near record warmth in the Northeast look paltry by comparison.

The new batch of Shoestring Teasers!

Bringing it back to home, some people were actively fishing the beach for stripers in February, which was unusual, but what was even more unusual was that they were catching fish sometimes.  I almost participated in the frivolousness, but I steadfastly held to my belief that winter is not a time to fish the beach.  It is supposed to be a time for regrouping, cleaning gear, and spending nights in the house with the nice low lighting of a fire and Christmas lights.

Donald and I spent two sessions doing the winter activity of making more Shoestring Teasers and reliving fish stories from the fall.  Donald recounted a great afternoon when he walked onto the beach without a vehicle and started nailing fish on a Yozuri crystal minnow behind a line of guys trying to hit the Azores with their metals.  I'm very happy with the product line this year.

I loaded all of my fishing gear into the vehicle today, because the past few years the fish have hit the beach hard all at once and I want to be prepared.  I have a feeling something will happen in April which has been the trend with the warmth over the past years.  If it stays warm like it is forecast to, it may start sooner because how many fish really went through the whole migration thing if they were still biting in the surf in February.  As it is with the spring, I'm not really in a rush to get fishing, I usually just slide into it as it begins.