I have returned.
Yes, it's no doubt much earlier than the three of you and myself expected.
I went fishing on Friday, February 18. It seemed like a perfect day to go fishing. The forecast called for warm temperatures, in the mid-60s or so. An online solunar table I consulted reported that a full moon would be out on February, with the moon underfoot for a two-hour period starting at 12:28 PM. If you recall, many fishermen rely on solunar tables on when to fish. Apparently, the fishing is best when there is a full moon overhead or underfoot. During these times, fish go on a feeding frenzy.
Along with the weather and the phase of the moon, high tide in New Rochelle was around 11 AM. The day seemed to be too perfect to let pass me by. I even planned ahead.
The day before, I called Jack's Bait and Tackle, and they were out of both bloodworms and fresh bunker. I then checked with City Island Bait and Tackle. They had bloodworms and frozen bunker. I took a drive on City Island and bought my bait in advance. I stored it in a basement refrigerator. The bunker would be thawed out the next day. I made a checklist of stuff I should take. I don't I believe I ever tried fishing in mid-February.
I decided to pick Hudson Park in New Rochelle. I didn't want to go too far or walk a distance from my car, especially when I just wanted to shake off the rust from the winter and last season's disappointments. Despite the warmer than usual weather, there was still some snow on the ground. In Hudson Park, there was a gigantic mountain of shoveled snow in the parking lot. Since late December, the New York City has gotten clobbered with a number of heavy snowstorms and blizzards. (Thank God I was smart enough to buy a snowblower several years ago to spare my joints and high blood pressure.)
I got there around 11:30 or so. On this day, I brought a couple of slices of bread (the kind you slip into a toaster) to try as bait. I read that many fish will go for the bread especially when they're hungry.
Before noon, I had three lines in the water, one with bloodworms, one with a piece of thawed-out bunker, and one with a bread pellet I made.
Unfortunately, I didn't catch anything. In fact, I didn't have one single bite. There were other fisherman who came and went, and they didn't seem to have any luck either. So it's not just me.
I passed the time catching up with my reading of articles I ripped out of the Wall Street Journal. I listened to my iPod touch. I smoked a Butera Capo Grande cigar.
The bread bait didn't work as well. It just crumbled when it hit the water. I realize I should let it dry hours in advance so it won't fall apart. I threw the remaining bread in the garbage, which then attracted several Omen-like black crows.
By 3 PM, the tide was going down. The wind picked up considerably. The full moon's underfoot phase had passed. So I packed up and went home.
Maybe it was too early for this area despite the favorable conditions. Maybe I should have tried another part of the park or even somewhere else. Who knows?
If the weather is relatively warm in March, I will fish.
The 2011 season has begun.
