Taking a Break

No fishing today.

The weather forecast calls for heavy downpours with the possibility of thunder storms. High tide in Dobbs Ferry was in the morning.

I also have a slight sore throat, and my back acted up in the past few days.

Anyway, I have major freelance writing opportunity, which I have to submit to an interested Texas newspaper tomorrow morning.

On Friday and Saturday, I went to two different Sports Authority stores, one in Yonkers and one in White Plains, and stocked up on fishing supplies. (The one in Yonkers didn't seem to have much.)

I bought a big, new Plano gray tackle box. My old tackle box, also a Plano, needed to be retired. It also couldn't hold everything I use these days. I also bought different types of hooks (snelled and unsnelled), some new test line, three packs of two-ounce sinkers, a pair of pliers, and a few lures and jigs.

The Sports Authority didn't carry the fish finders and snap swivels I usually use, so I have to pick those up at Jack's.

I need to experiment with different techniques if I want to catch more (and different types) of fish.

I have the first week in July off, so I hope to get in lots of fishing in a few different places.

Reflection

Although I haven't had my car washed in a long time, the front bumper provides a very clear reflection.

The figure in the middle is me taking the picture.

(Another clue: I drive a black car.)

The Only Thing I Managed to Catch

This catfish is about 15 inches. I caught it with a piece of thawed-out herring rather than fresh bunker.

I threw it back.

I believe that the rickety picnic table was left by local teens who saw me fish several weeks ago.

Something I Never Thought I'd See While Fishing

In the early evening, I saw a deer. My first effort to photograph it failed, but I later spotted it on a nearby beach.

I hope it avoided the Metro North tracks.

There's a Hunger Still Unsatisfied

With my back healed, I took myself off the disabled list to fish this weekend. (I already gave dad his present for Father’s Day, and he prefers to relax rather than go out or have a big celebration.)

Yesterday, at Jack’s, I stocked up on supplies such as two-ounce sinkers, fish finders, snap swivels, and bait-holding hooks. I also picked up three fresh bunker and six frozen herring. Once again, I ventured up to Dobbs Ferry.

The dock was deserted.

I had three lines in the water by 1:50 PM, about two-and-a-half hours before high tide. It was hot, sunny, and windy. But conditions weren’t unbearable as they were almost a month ago.
The day was often frustrating. I caught only one catfish, which measured about 15 inches.

I had a few other bites, but the fish managed to avoid getting hooked. Once again, the bait kept slipping off the hooks. What was I doing wrong? I was using the bait-holding hooks. Maybe I should use slightly larger ones next time. My line got caught frequently, and I lost a lot of supplies.

The only eventful part of the day was seeing a deer. There are deer in the area. I spotted him near the garage in the unpaved parking lot. I followed him, bringing my digital camera. But he got away. Later, I managed to spot him on a nearby beach, and I took his picture from a distance.

Around 7:30, with the tide going out, I gradually packed it in. But I managed to hook something, probably another catfish. As I was reeling it in, the line broke.

Catfish are typically bottom-feeders. I’ve been keeping all three lines on the bottom with two-ounce sinkers. Since I’m using three lines, I should experiment with keeping at least one line near the surface, maybe with a bobber, and see what happens. Maybe I could try a lure next time as well. There are other types of fish in the Hudson besides catfish, perch, and striped bass.

Of course, a major disadvantage is that I don’t have a boat and can’t troll for fish or cast into deeper areas of the river.

Still, I learned a couple of things this weekend. I’ll do some research during the week and see what else I can learn about fishing the Hudson River from shore.

There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them.

Disabled List

No fishing this weekend.

A couple of days ago or so, I pulled a muscle in my back. If I move the wrong way, it sends a sharp pain through my left side.

So I think it's wise to get some rest and allow my back to heal before attempting to spend a few hours casting, reaching in my tackle box, reaching down to cut bait, and depending on the area, making my way through some rough terrain and carrying my gear.

Anyway, high tide on the Hudson River on Sunday is around 10:18 AM, when I would probably still be asleep.

But I hope to be healed in time for next weekend.

A Soul in Tension That's Learning to Fly

I got to Dobbs Ferry around 3:20 PM.

Conditions were ideal to perfect. The skies were cloudy. There was little or wind. The water was calm. I got there about two hours before high tide.

I expected a productive day. Unfortunately, I came up short.

At Jack's Bait and Tackle, I got three fresh bunker, five live eels, and six frozen herring.

I had difficulty hooking an eel to my line. They're so slippery that they're difficult to hold on to even with gloves. I finally got him hooked. I didn't get a single bite with the eel line. About two hours later, it was still alive. I figured I wouldn't get anything with eels. Maybe it was too late for striped bass. So I released the eel and the other four waiting in the bucket.

I got a bite or two with the herring (after it thawed out).

I had the best results with the fresh bunker. I managed to get two catfish, which were both 16 inches. I did hook a third, but the line snapped as I was about to pull it out of the water. I watched it swim away. It looked no bigger than the other two.

I actually had a lot of bites today. Either the fish let go of the bait or managed to remove it from the hook. At this time, I don't know if I was using "baitholding" hooks with an extra jag to keep the bait in place.

I also noticed that I was low on supplies. Next time, I have to stock up on two-ounce sinkers and some bait-holding hooks.

As I was fishing, this kid in a red Honda pulled up in front of the river. He didn't get out of his car. I saw his head sink on the steering wheel. He looked really distressed. What could have been troubling him? Work? School? Parents? Girlfiend? It crossed my mind that he might drive his car into the river. I thought about approaching him, knocking on the glass, and asking if he was all right. Maybe he needed someone to talk to. But I never did. That might be too intrusive. Sometimes to clear your head, you need to be alone. Had he got out and come over, I might have asked. I said a brief prayer for him, asking God to help him.

Lord knows I've done things I'm ashamed of and regret. I've gone through my share of pain and disappointments. But I survived, learned a thing or two, and managed to move on.

I later saw him talking on his cell phone. He eventually left. I hope he's all right.

As for me, I left at 8:30. I also took a garbage bag full of litter I picked up in the area. Too many visitors often use the area as a dumping ground. I cleaned what I could.

Fishing-wise, this weekend has been a bit of a letdown.

But there's always next time.

The Catch of the Day

This is one of two 16-inch catfish I caught today. (They were both sent on their way.)

You Will Cut Down the Mightiest Tree in the Forest With . . .

a Herring!

The Lucky Bait

I got five live eels at Jack's Bait and Tackle. They were all released into the river very much alive.

And if the Cloud Bursts

Hoping to build on last week's success, I decided to try my luck again at Kensico.

In six hours of fishing, I didn't get a single bite.

I thought about canceling because of the heavy rain, but the weather forecast said it would stop raining by afternoon.

I bought a dozen sawbellies and a spool of four-pound test line from Wade's. I drove to where I fished last week. I got there around 2 PM. There were no cars parked along side of the road. So I figured my spot would be vacant.

But it was raining hard. Even though I've fished in heavy rain before, I decided to wait a while to see if it got better. Given my accident-prone history, I was worried about slipping on a wet rock or wet leaves and breaking something. The last thing I need is another injury. Around 2:20, the rain became a bearable drizzle. I made my way to the rock through some uneven terrain. Carrying two fishing poles, my tackle box, an empty bucket, and the water-filled bucket with the sawbellies, I had to be extra careful that the weight didn't cause me to fall when walking up and down inclines.

The fishing trip was nearly cut short before it began. When I got to the rock, I set the bucket with the sawbellies down. But it tipped over, and the water and sawbellies spilled out. I grabbed the bucket and steadied it on the rock. Fortunately, only one or two of the sawbellies fell into the water. I managed to retrieve the rest and refill the bucket.

I hooked up sawbellies to both my lines and them in the water. Since I was a little tired after my walk and frantic effort to pick up the sawbellies, I thought I would sit down and catch my breath.

Within an hour or two, it stopped raining. I didn't get a single bite.

I later tried a Krocodile with one line, but I had no luck.

I also tried attaching a bobber to one line, but I didn't get any hits.

A couple of times when I reeled in my line, the sawbellies were gone. Did they slip off, or did fish get them?

In the early evening, I saw a couple of fishermen out in their rowboats. No idea if they caught anything.

At least I got the chance to respool both lines.

What went wrong? It had just rained, and thick, gray clouds covered the sky. There was little wind. I was using sawbellies and a Krocodile. Not even one bite. Like last week, was it the time of day? Would I have had better luck if I showed up earlier, perhaps in the morning? That might be something to consider.

I gave up at 8:25.

My Back Pages, Part I

As I wrote in my first post, I started fishing on the Potomac River by Fletcher's Boathouse in Washington, D.C. 10 years ago.

One day, in May 1996, I was fishing from shore. It was relatively peaceful and quiet. Suddenly, this crew team rowed into view and stopped right in the middle of the river. I don't know what college they were from.

From shore, they looked like men. But when I heard their high-pitched and giggling voices, I realized they were women. They stayed there for a few minutes, talking and laughing.

I was tempted to yell, "SHUT UP, YOU HARPIES! YOU'RE SCARING ALL THE FISH!" But I decided against it because I didn't want a bunch of Amazons with battle axes storming the shore after me.

Finally, they heard the call of the wild and went back downriver.

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun

After last week's washout, I made my return to Dobbs Ferry today. Unfortunately, I woke up late, and I didn't make it up there for high tide, which was around 11:18 AM.

I got three bunker and six frozen herring from Jack's. Unfortunately, they were out of live eels.

By 1:30 PM, I had my lines in the water. The water was calm, and there was no wind. The sun was bright in the sky, and it was hot. Since the tide was going out, I didn't expect much action today.

I got lucky pretty early. I caught a 16-inch catfish and showed it off to a few young people who showed up for a barbeque. One of them was really impressed with the fish's size. I advised him to use fresh bunker rather than worms for bait. Worms usually attract perch.

A rather large barbeque party formed behind me. They were all young people, probably college-age or beyond. They were very pleasant. They asked if I wanted a beer or a hamburger, but I politely declined since I wasn't hungry.

I didn't have any luck with the herring. As they melted in the plastic shopping bag, the herring deterioriated.

I didn't catch anything else for hours. I finally had action on my middle rod. It wasn't behaving like a fish. I caught a rather long eel. I pulled in on shore. I held it up and asked the kids if they wanted to grill it up. They all jumped out of their seats and rushed it to see it. One kid took a picture with his camera phone. I put on my gloves to pick it up off the ground. I gave one of the kids my tape measure. He estimated that it was 27 inches. But it wasn't possible to get an exact measurement since it wouldn't stay still. I threw it back.

When I fish, I usually like my privacy. But today, it was fun to succeed in front of an audience.

I stayed until 7:30. I wanted to stay later, but my regular glasses broke. The screw came out of the temple, and the right lense popped out. It didn't present an immediate problem since I had my prescription sunglasses. However, I had to get to a store and buy one of those eyeglass repair kits or at least drive back home while it was still daylight.

It was another decent day of fishing for which I thank God.

I'm off tomorrow for Memorial Day. I don't think I'll go fishing. I have a few things to do before I go back to work on Tuesday.

The Catch of the Day

This is definitely the longest thing I ever caught. This eel, which is lying on its back in this shot, is well over two feet, maybe 27 inches. An exact measurement wasn't possible because it refused to stay still. After unhooking it, I threw the eel back.

Fleet Week Isn't Over Yet

There was a lot of boat traffic on the river today. There are at least five boats of varying sizes in this shot. (How they keep from crashing into each other is beyond me.)

"Drop Your Reel and Let the Fish Go!"

This police boat went upriver at high speed.

Since their siren wasn't on, I guess they were trying to make it to the doughnut shop before it closed.

A Bridge Too Far

This is the Tappan Zee Bridge, as seen from Dobbs Ferry. I've crossed the bridge a few times on my way to the Esopus Creek in upstate New York.

A Visitor

As I was fishing, I saw something swimming in the water on the surface. It looked more like a snake than an eel. (That white thing in the lower lefthand corner is my fishing line.)

Stretched to the Point of No Turning Back

Yesterday, I had Friday off, so I decided to spend the day at Kensico.

My first task was to find Wade's Bait & Tackle in North White Plains. It's on North Broadway in North White Plains, a little south of the reservoir on Route 22. I found it easily. I bought a dozen sawbellies, which are widely considered an effective live bait for trout. I also picked up two Krocodile lures. The young gentleman at Wade's was very helpful. He advised that I use a very small hook and hook the sawbelly through the lips.

I chose a spot I had visited 10 years ago, about a mile or so north of the dam. I caught my very first bass there. It's a bit of a climb from the side of the road and then maybe a five-minute walk. It's a big flat rock area and more open. In some spots, trees on or near the shore often interfere with proper casting.

I started fishing around 1:30. I had one line with a sawbelly. I also tried a Krocodile with the other. It was cloudy. The forecast called for a storm, but I was told by the gentleman at Wade's that it moved north. I did get a slight drizzle. By 5 PM, it cleared up, and the sun came out.

On Thursday, I went to church for the Feast of the Ascension. I asked God to help me to catch some fish up at Kensico. I also lit a votive candle to Christ and sought the intercession of St. Peter, one of the patron saint of fishermen. Yesterday, they answered my prayers.

In the first few hours, I had a few bites on the line with the live bait. I caught two perch (which I incorrectly thought were smallmouth bass), which were both 11 inches. I think they are the first fish I caught at Kensico since 1999. So thank you, God, Jesus, and St. Peter.

I didn't catch any trout. I had no luck with the Krocodile. But I'm grateful I caught something.

By the late afternoon, I stopped getting hits. Was because of the time of day or the fact that the sun came out? I had one hit in the late evening, but nothing else.

By late evening, I still had lots of sawbellies left. So I was replacing the bait more frequently. Sawbellies are quite fragile, and they seem to die faster than minnows, which are tougher.

In the water, which is clear, I could see very small fish swimming. I guess the trout and bass feed on them.

As I waited, I took a few pictures, glanced at a couple of newspapers, and smoked my pipe.

I learned one of life's joys is lying back on a big, flat rock, resting my head on my tackle box, and looking up at the sky. I listened to the sounds of the area such as a distant siren, a car, an airplane, birds, small fish jumping out of the water, and wind blowing through leaves.

I packed it in around 8:30 when daylight was nearly exhausted.

Now that I know where to shop for bait and have a favorite spot, I think I will visit Kensico more often in search of the elusive trout.

The Unlucky Bait

These are sawbellies, which I used for bait. They are quite fragile and need oxygen. An aerator attached to the bucket pumps air into the water.