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