Yesterday (Sunday), I went to Riverdale, a spot that has been quite good to me.I began the trip, as I usually do, by picking up bait at Jack's. Much to my horror, Big John told me they were out of bloodworms. I just bought a couple of fresh bunker. Before going fishing, I was determined to find some bloodworms. I stopped at Island Bait and Tackle, another shop on City Island. Fortunately, they had bloodworms. I also noticed that they sell "large" bloodworms. They didn't have any of those, so I just bought two dozen "regular" ones.
I got to Riverdale around 3:15, about 75 minutes before high tide. Someone left his open, unpaid Verizon DSL bill on the seat. (Today, I resealed the envelope with a note telling the man that he shouldn't leave important bills in public places and dropped it into a mailbox.)
I used two poles, the ones I respooled last time. I used a bloodworm on one and fresh bunker on the other.
When I got there, it was very overcast and windy. The water was raging. I didn't let that deter me since I remember catching a couple of big catfish in Dobbs Ferry when a strong wind stirred up the river. It also started to rain a little, but it eventually stopped and dried out. My problem was the cold. I left my jacket at home, which I regretted. It was in the 50s, but it felt more like the late 40s.
I didn't have any bites. I checked the bloodworm line and saw that I lost the bait a couple of times. Did a fish or crab slip it off or did the impact of hitting the water dislodge them? Who knows.
The first fish I caught was striper. It didn't weigh much and measured almost 11 inches. I threw it back.
I eventually switched my second line to a bloodworm. I had a number of bites, but the fish never managed to hook themselves. I often replaced the bait that was gnawed away or completely removed.
Later in the day, I was determined to keep a piece of fresh bunker on a line for an extended period. But I had no hits with it. After losing the bunker when I recast the line, I permanently switched to bloodworms. Since I usually get two dozen, they don't go fast.
As usual, I listened to my iPod. I also began reading Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979, 1985 paperback edition), which I've had on my shelf since the mid-1980s.
I caught only one more fish. This one was a perch, heavier than the striper I caught earlier, but about 11 inches.
Although I was grateful, as always, at catching something, I still felt disappointed. Why didn't I catch more fish or something bigger? Maybe I should use different hooks and experiment with different baits.
I left around 8 PM.
