I Knew the Moment Had Arrived

Today, I followed through on a pledge I recently made to try the Hudson River in Riverdale before shutting down for the winter. I picked up some bait at Jack's. Unlike the last few times, I made a choice that greatly affected the outcome of today's trip. In addition to clams, I also got a box of bloodworms.

I got to Riverdale around noon. I fished here only once before back in May with no luck. There were a lot of cars in the Metro-North parking lot, but I managed to find a spot. It cost me $3.25 to park for the day. (On weekends, parking is free.)

There were no people on the promenade. With the exception of a few commuters taking the train, the area was practically deserted. I used three poles (more on this later). I believe I started out using clams on two lines, and a blood worm on the third.

The weather was around 60 degrees. It was very overcast and foggy. It previously rained, and the area was still wet. The tide was going out.

Not too long ago, I prayed a novena to St. Peter, the patron saint of fisherman, asking to catch at least one fish before I closed down for the winter. Today and three fishing trips later, my prayer was answered.

Deciding to buy some bloodworms turned out to be the smartest thing I've done in a long time. I caught three fish--each a different species--and all with bloodworms. I did have a couple of bites with clams, but I seemed to have nonstop action with bloodworms.

The first fish I caught was a striped bass. It measured nine inches. I was so elated that I finally caught something this season and after so much personal disappointment. I thanked St. Peter for his intervention, and I threw it back.

The second fish came a short time time later. Judging by its barbels, the "whisker" near the mouth, I thought it was a catfish. But it wasn't. Instead, the fish belonged to the carp family. Although it was a foot long, it didn't weigh much. I threw it back.

My third fish was a perch. It was only seven inches. I also returned him to the river.

I came close to catching two other fish. One was either a carp or a catfish. But my line got tangled with another one of my lines, and it managed to get unhooked. The strength of the current created a problem, causing my lines to overlap. The next time I try this spot, I'll just bring two poles. I lost the second fish when my line snapped.

I ran out of bloodworms and had to rely on clams. The fish then seemed to lose interest. In the last few weeks, I no doubt overestimated the appeal of clams and underestimated the appeal of bloodworms. In recent years, I have shied away from bloodworms since they seemed to attract only perch and crabs, which successfully stripped them from the hook.

My success with bloodworms has tempted me to try them at least once at Five Islands Park in New Rochelle before closing down for the winter. Maybe the fish there would find the bloodworms more appetizing than clams.

Today, I also learned an important lesson: Never fish with only one type of bait.

Today's success (and the joy that came with it) was exactly what I needed. I haven't felt this good in a long time. I hope and pray that I can build on it and mark the beginning of a major turnaround in my professional, personal, and fishing life.

You Know You're Nobody's Fool

   My last fishing experience was ten days ago, Tuesday, June 11. I've been a little distracted and run down recently, which I hope explains the frequent delays in posting. My three regular readers should not worry. I have no plans--and no need--to return to the disabled list. Anticipating that I might update my blog days later, I wisely decided to taje detailed notes during the trip.

   I returned to Alpine, New Jersey once again. This time, in addition to bloodworms, I also bought a pint of clams at Jack's to use as bait. A search of my blog's archives shows that I used clams twice before, but I didn't catch anything with them.

   Anticipating the traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway, I left home around 10 AM. After picking up the bait, I got to Alpine around 11:15 or so, and had three lines in the water by 11:30 AM. The solunar calendar reported that the best time to fish began at 12:49 PM. The area, as I prefer, was deserted. When I started, the sun was out, and it was hot and humid. So I removed my jacket.

   A short time after I began fishing, I started getting hits with the clams. Since this happened long before the "best time," I hoped I would have a great day fishing. Unfortunately, I couldn't catch anything with the clams. Whatever was going after them was just playing with the bait--just nibbling and picking at it--while avoiding the hook. At one point, from a distance, I saw something large stick its head out of the water maybe to catch a fly. I don't know if it was a fish or some other animal. Most fish tend to jump out of the water rather than sticking their heads out.

   At 12:30 PM, I reeled in a perch. It was small, measuring between nine and ten inches. I threw it back.

   I continued to have hits with the clams and even the bloodworms for the next hour, but I couldn't catch anything. As usual, I began to get frustrated.

   At 1:49 PM, I had my second and third catches of the day. I caught two small crabs that were stuck together. The smaller one was somehow attached below the larger one. Was the smaller the offspring of the larger? I managed to throw the larger one back. The smaller one, however, crawled away, and every time I went near it, the little crab began moving and snapping its claws. So I left it alone.

   When fishing, I've caught crabs before. However, the experience reminded me that a number of the many hits I've been getting were likely crabs snapping at the bait and smaller perch. Still, a fisherman shouldn't get picky.

   At one point, I had a hit that caused my rod to tip over. It seemed like a big fish, but it let go.

   I also had to deal with the rapidly changing weather. By 2:19, the rain started. A brief fog once again obscured the George Washington Bridge. (The Elizabeth Dane, fortunately, was nowhere in sight.) By 3:30, the sun was out again.

   The tide was going out. The "best time" had passed. I thanked God for what I caught. I gave up at 4:30.

 

 

And Everything Under the Sun

Today, I made my second trip to Five Islands Park in New Rochelle. Jack's didn't have any fresh bunker. Instead, I bought two cups of unfrozen clams.

I got to the dock around 10:45 AM, about 90 minutes or so before hide tide. It was a bright, sunny day with a slight breeze. The temperature was perfect. I used three poles.

Like last time, I didn't catch anything. But unlike last time, I did have a few bites.

I tried my usual tricks: reeling in the lines to draw attention to the bait, checking the bait and recasting the lines, and replacing the bait. I guess the fish weren't really hungry or already in hibernation.

I stayed until 5:15 or so. I passed the time listening to my pocket radio and smoking a cigar.

Still, it was a nice day, and the experience was quite pleasant.

I'm glad I went.