New York Seeks to Limit Invasive Species

DEC

Trump Administration to Roll Back on Tongass

Tongass National Forest 

River Slow for Smallmouths

Several weeks ago, John told me he would have today off. I didn't rule us out going for smallmouth bass, just in case plans changed, as they did. 

Yesterday, Trish and I went to Island Beach State Park, and at Murphy's Hook House, I learned the surf would be too rough to fish, but I bought a pint of killies for the smallmouths, also looking ahead to smallmouths at Lake Hopatcong a month from now. (I might be able to keep them alive with an aerator.)

We have chilly nights recently, early this morning no exception, but I expected the bass to be all over the killies. I started out throwing a Rapala, because they're often good this time of year. I gave up on the plug quickly and confidently put a killie out on a few of my favorite spots, nothing happening.

So it was going to be a slow evening.

I lay a killie against the far bank and felt the line tighten--a swing and a miss. John fished from shore. He would later tell me he would have gone in up to his waist if I got into bass, but that otherwise, he didn't want to soil his $30,000.00 Nissan Z. 

I baited up again and took the same cast, felt a tap, tightened the line, set the hook, and began fighting a good bass I thought might weigh two pounds. It came off deep down in the hole.

I didn't want to get skunked, but I already felt parted from this my favorite stretch. I don't know if it's been fished out, or if the shock of these chilly nights turned the bass off. The water was pretty cold. I wouldn't have been comfortable without my waders. I am thinking, though, of finding another river spot for short forays like this evening's.

I did manage to catch a smallmouth not much larger than 10 inches, but besides those other two hits, that's all we got tonight. 

Almost Four Pounds