Everything is Going on!

"It was some of the best fall fishing I've seen in a long time."  "Oh it was beautiful, the bunker were that nice size, hand size, and the one day the bass were 20-30 pounds."  "Everybody that went did good, this one did good, that one did good."  "It was the best big bluefish bite in years.  Giant blues from 10-19 pounds, we weighed one."  "I had 10 big bluefish in a row without moving once.  They were just in, no birds, they were just there.  Three hours of big blues!"

It was the unemployed fisherman's dream this week.  Big bass, regular bass, and giant blues crashed beaches during the workday on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as was reported to me.  Oh it was great they said.  Steve called me in the middle of the day Friday with a report of bluefish bite that was epic.  He didn't even have to talk about the fishing- I could tell it was good just by the tone of his voice.  He rattled off the stats- fish after fish, hours long, poppers.  Ok this is great, I thought.  Work will be over in a few hours- and I'll find some fish.  As it turned out- I found no fish.  I got on the beach and it had that 'it's over' look.  Buggies clustered, but everyone chatting instead of fishing.  I threw blind anyway for two hours and had one hit.

Everyone got off work but the fish took a break.  Only one rod was down in a line of 20 guys on Saturday.

Not to be deterred, I enjoyed the stories.  The way I view it is that I've caught fish before, I will catch them again, and I like to be aware.  So to hear about a great bite that I could not make is fine with me, I'm just glad it happened.  I waited out the tide figuring it would turn on around the same time.  Several boats started to coalesce- a tell tale sign.  Here we go.  One rod was bent.  I heaved my popper into the increasing east winds, but that didn't work.  The guy next to me hooked up on metal.  I have no shame in copying what is working.  I switched to metal and moved to the next spot.  Bang!  Hooked up on one crank.  Ahhhh what a great feeling!  But there would be no more.  The fish scattered.  A few more were picked up here and there, but that was pretty much it.

I tell you it will not be the unemployed fisherman's dream next week . . .

Here comes Sandy!

Just when the fishing gets exciting, an exciting storm shows up.  Hurricane Sandy.  I don't think it will be a hurricane in the traditional sense, meaning a really intense storm that blows through in half a day, what this will be is more like a classic nor'easter.  Several days of hard onshore winds and high tides.  If the storm follows the center of the forecast track, New Jersey will have the longest period of strong onshore winds.  What this means for the fishing is that there will not be any Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, most likely part or all of Thursday, and maybe even into Friday.

 

For those who can bring to life the difference between a hurricane and a nor'easter, it might be more accurate to think of the pending storm as more like a nor'easter.  That doesn't mean it's no big deal.  There probably won't be any 2x4s slicing through telephone poles, but the beach is still going to get banged up.

 

Hurricane Sandy is or will likely be a hybrid storm- a storm who's gender lies in the gray area between tropical cyclone and extratropical cyclone.  Those kinds of things exist, you know, and they can sometimes take on the best (or worst) qualities of the traditional storms.  Instead of intense winds concentrated solely around a storm center (like a tropical cyclone) what there will be are more moderate winds diffused over a more widespread area (like an extratropical cyclone).  'Moderate winds' in this case is referring to gale force or storm force winds- and those kinds of winds over a widespread area can create a nasty sea.  The sea level is already higher since the wind has been out of the east for the past few days, and there is the full moon, so the water will be up.

 

The data I am aware of right now (which is only 'real world' since I have been fishing all day and not on the computer) combined with intuition generates this forecast:

 

Wind

 

It will be windy.  It will not be exceptionally windy.  The winds along the beaches will reach gale force.  Gusts my get to 60mph.  A 74mph wind may occur, but that will probably not be the norm.  Windy for sure, but mostly below the hurricane threshold.  The problem is the strong onshore winds are going to last for at least two days, piling up the water.

 

The winds will be high enough to take down trees.  Last year a lot of trees came down during Irene, but there was also record rain two weeks prior and during the storm which made that type of thing more likely.  The ground moisture is mostly normal, and rainfall will probably not be as high with this event.  Even so, the winds will be high enough to snap branches and possibly take a tree down.

 

Rain

 

Rainfall is forecast to be heavy relative to average storms, but not as heavy as Irene last year to use that example again.  It's also good that rainfall has been fairly close to average for the past few weeks.  The rain will have the biggest impact inland, and places that usually flood will flood, but it probably won't be as exceptional as last year.

 

The Beach

 

If your buggy conks out on the sand tomorrow, it's going to be a new reef.  The forecast is for NE winds 20-30mph on Sunday, increasing all the way through Monday night.  Monday evening will be the worst of it as the peak of the storm looks like it will coincide with the full moon high tide.  The beach might get pretty wrecked.  What will happen is all the sand piled up on the beach will get taken out, the beach will be flattened, and the bar will be way out there again.  The dunes will be hit for the first time since Irene last year, but may end up looking more like after the 2009 Nor Ida nor'easter.  The beach will probably look a lot different on Friday, and the new complaint may be about the uni-bar waaay out there.

 

Coastal Flooding

 

Bay flooding- especially in Raritan Bay and the Delaware Bay- may be a major issue.  I would picture that everywhere that normally floods on the island from the bay will flood, and then some.  With the forecast as it is, I have no doubt the water will be coming up the driveway and that Route 35 S will be impassible for several days.

 

If you could hear the extrasensory world of invisible communication, you'd probably be going nuts from everyone talking and sending text messages about Sandy.  It's enough out here in the sensory world, but it's fine for me because I love a good storm.  For the next three days, it will be just me and my rain jacket and old waders and mother nature.  I can't wait to trudge up to the beach for the high tides with the wind and rain in my face.  The waves crashing into the dunes and its so loud you hear nothing.  I've had people tell me that is a strange thing to do, to go up there in that.  And I always think if I have to explain it to you, you'll never understand.

 

So it's time to experience the weather.  The computer will be off.  The whole power system may even be off.  It may just be my family and I, the dog, a candle, and a dark night with a howling wind.  Fine with me.

 

 

 

 

 

New England Trip

Steve's pictures can do the speaking . . .

On Saturday morning I reached the new level.  It came with four hours of light fog, light winds, 4-6ft reeling peaks- and miraculously only two other guys out.  The rides and the paddle out were so long I almost never stopped moving.  I had every wave I wanted with no competition.  But after a couple hours, I just sat there for a moment.  The sky was gray with low clouds and fog, but the wind was light and the water was glassy.  The ocean was cool, though was refreshing. 

I let a set go by and watched from behind as the waves peeled over the reef with no one on them.  I looked back at our house across the road.  I scanned all the way west, out to sea, and over to the east.  I saw no one.  I was all alone in a sea of perfect waves.  And then I got it.  The chills came over me a little as I watched the next set gathering on the reef, just for me.  I didn't move as the waves felt the bottom and formed up into a perfect peak right in front of me.  I looked to my right and left and there was no one there.  I turned around and began the paddle into another perfect six foot wave.  What a trip.

Fall is Here

It's the fall fishing season.  The sun is lower in the sky and the lighting is noticeably softer, the air is cooler- it was even cold the past few mornings, and walkers in sweatshirts have replaced sunbathers.  I went up to the beach early the other morning anticipating a surf session, but the wind hadn't switched yet and was still blowing ESE.  It was barely light, but I could tell by the look of the ocean there were fish somewhere.  Later that day I heard there were fish somewhere- and that it was a pretty good bass bite in the rough waves.  I surfed that afternoon with the W wind and there were mullet darting all around.  And then I saw something slap the water that was greenish and golden.

Columbus Day- the day for big bluefish- was a little off, but at least the weather was actually cool.  I pulled onto the beach and immediately saw rain fish getting roughed up on the surface- a classic Columbus Day sight.  Here it is!  And I was all alone, too.  I cast out my metal and teaser as fast as I could and it didn't take long before I had a double header . . . of 6 inch bluefish.  What the heck?  I called Donald and reported the 'action' since it was dead where he was.  I put on a popper to test if there were some bigger fish outside.  There weren't.  Donald arrived, so did Steve, and we messed around with the little blues for a bit.  It was a blitz in miniature.  "Columbus Day is always the day for blues," Donald reiterated.  Steve was shaming us 3 to 1.  I had no shame asking him for his secret.

It's fall.  It's really a nice thing to be bundled up on a chilly morning casting for striped bass.

Inspired by the cold nights, clear air, and my surf session in a school of fish I decided to go for my first plug the entire first light session.  I put on a Gibbs stubby needle and filled my bag with a Daiwa SP, a Mega, and an Atom popper.  There was just a little bit of light on the horizon and the water was still dark.  To me that is being a little early, I like when the light just starts to show on the water, but since it was my first day I eagerly began casting.  I worked the stubby needle.  On about the twelfth throw, just as the light was starting on the water, I had an aggressive strike.  Yes!  And then I felt the nyah nyah nyah.  Ah bluefish.  But at least this one felt bigger.  It took some drag.  This is great!  I got it in, and discovered it was maybe 3lbs.  Oh.  Ah whatever.  It was fun, I kept casting but that was it.  It got all the way light and the scene was quiet.

Not deterred by the relatively unproductive morning, I was happy to be in my waders and wool sweater in the chilly air.  Having the proper weather is a big part of my overall enjoyment of the fall experience.  And the weather forecast for at least the next 10 days looks like a real gift.  Right now, I just have a real good feeling about this fall being classic.  Not last fall- with an amazing number of great fish but no fall weather and horrible crowds- no, I'm envisioning a fall like from maybe 6 or so years ago.  I want this to be a fall where the weather bites more, the fish are more challenging, and people are more selectively social and selfish with their finds.

A Cold Front is Coming . . .

The hiatus, or rather the transition of how I will be with the water, was a success.  I drove home from work without any haste or urgency that I will 'score'.  I took a very slow walk up to the beach and when I saw the water, there was a fun little 2-3ft swell that must have just 'come up'.  So this is how it works.  Ok.  I guess I'll go surf.  Instead of thinking about going surfing on the walk home, I just went surfing.  Instead of feeling rushed to get in the water, I was only aware of my breaths and of putting one foot ahead of the other on the walk to get my board.  When I got in the water, it was orgasmic.  The wind, the sky, the color of the water, and the short period swell.  Instead of surfing for three hours and beating my body to feel satisfied, I was surprised when I looked at my watch and only 50 minutes had gone by.  So that's tiiiiiiimmmmme distooooooortiiiiooooonnn.

The number of days before the fall season begins is finite.  It might start tomorrow, next week, or at the end of the month.  For a fortunate few who got into some fish it has already started.  Last year, it went from a sterile October to a red hot night bite in less than a day.  What would be great is for some big bluefish to crash the beach and wake everybody up.  Like full on birds, bait flying out of the water, frantic fisherman.  I love those kinds of days.  A classic blitz.  Yeah stealthily catching bass at night is great, but there is nothing like the abandonment that comes with fishing a blitz.  Until that happens, it's the classic "got the bait, not enough fish" scenario.

The weather forecast looks excellent for the second half of the weekend and next week . . .

A blocking high over the Pacific Northwest means a push of colder air into the eastern United States.  The temperatures at home look absolutely excellent for Columbus Day and next week.

Unfortunately for the Pacific Northwest, yet another stubborn high pressure system means more dry weather in an area that suffered from horrendous wildfires in September.  At home, that blocking high is having a good effect by encouraging cooler temperatures.  It's kind of a chincy way to be cool, but after the heat of the last few years I will accept it.  Almost anything is better than those miserable summers and the non-winter last year.  The thought of having another overly warm season is not something I want to experience.  If the actual temperatures are close to what is forecast, there is a good chance that next week may be the week.  If the temperature stays moderate and cool this fall, I have a feeling this will be a classic year.  Any by classic I mean like 5 or 7 or 9 years ago.

The first of at least 60 sunrises. 

This morning had a standard pre-season look with flat surf, clear skies, and a light west wind.  There were mullet and maybe rain fish lined up just behind the bar, but with an only occasional small fish going through them.  I also spotted some big bunker a ways out.  Will it be a sand eel year or a peanut bunker year?  There hasn't been peanut bunker since I don't remember when, but I have a feeling they may finally show up.  What I really want is for the big bluefish to come in.  Columbus Day is known as a 'day' for big bluefish.  As always, it all depends on the weather, and fortunately the weather is looking very good.