I'll See You on the Dark Side of the Moon

On Monday, July 2, I decided to finally experiment with a little night fishing. I got three fresh bunker and three frozen herring from Jack’s, and I went back to Hudson Park.

I started fishing at 7 PM when the sun was still out. I didn’t check the tide charts, and I got there at low tide. Sections of the marina were practically dry, and you could see the mud.

I had a few bites but no luck at first. I was thinking that the crabs were toying with me again.

It eventually got dark. I wasn’t really worried about safety. The New Rochelle Police Department’s Harbor Unit is stationed right near the parking lot, and the police often make their rounds. There were also other fishermen and the usual park visitors.

Last time I fished here, I noticed a lot of fish jumping out of the water like they were in a frenzy as the sun was going down. I didn’t see that this time. Maybe it was the tide.

I looked for the moon in the night sky, but it wasn’t there. The moon, a full one, finally creeped over the horizon.

I often reeled in my lines to check the bait. Often, the hooks were clean. Other times, the bait was partially eaten. Since I had plenty of bait, I often replaced it on the hooks. (The ice in the bucket preserved the bunker and the herring for hours.)

As the night dragged on, I got frustrated. I asked God to let me catch just one fish.

God answered my prayer. At one point, I decided to check one line. As I was reeling it in, I realized I had hooked something. I didn’t feel like a fish. Maybe it was a crab, an eel, or garbage. When I pulled it out, I saw that I did a catch a fish. It was probably the ugliest one I ever caught. It had these black eyes and large fins that seemed like wings. It took me a few days to learn that I caught a sea robin. I threw him back.

I had more bites but no more luck. One fisherman got lucky and caught a 22-inch striped bass, which he returned to the water.

Around 11:30 PM, I decided to call it a night.

I’ll definitely try night fishing in Hudson Park again soon, but at high tide.

Fisherman's Note: I wrote this perhaps a few days later when my recollections were still fresh. I saved it on my laptop, but I never posted it until now.