The Catch of the Day: An August Fish

My only catch and perhaps my very first "August fish" turned out to be an impressive, 17-inch striped bass.

Where the Speechless Unite in a Silent Accord

I hope the three of you who regularly visit my fishing blog will forgive three months of silence.

My last fishing trip was on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 on the Hudson River in Riverdale. Fortunately, I was smart enough to take detailed notes.

I decided to go fishing that particular day on the advice of In-Fisherman's solunar calendar, which forecast excellent fishing for August 6.

In a previous post, I wrote about my frustrations with fishing in August. I am pleased to report that I finally caught an "August fish."

According to my notes, I started fishing at 10:45 AM. I picked the first area on the promenade instead of my usual one. It was sunny, warm, but with no wind.

I began with two lines in the water. At 11:10 AM, I reeled in a 17-inch striped bass. I was overjoyed, not only because I finally caught an "August fish" but because it was also a large one. As is my custom, I thanked God for delivering it and soon released it.

At 11:25, I had a third line in the water. Using three rods in such a small space can result in the lines getting tangled. So I have to make sure I cast them far apart. If there is a moderate wind, I then use only two lines in Riverdale.

The fish were certainly active. In a 20-minute span (11:45 to 12:05), I experienced a number of hits, including a big one, but I failed to hook anything.

As the day went on, the weather began to change. The clouds moved in and eventually blocked out the sun. It also cooled quite noticeably. The tide was also receding.

I changed the bait frequently and recast my lines. Unfortunately, I couldn't catch anything else. Happy that I caught something and something large, I went home around 1:45 PM.

This Is Not How I Am

My last fishing trip was on Monday, August 31. For whatever reason, I never got around to updating the blog. The details of the trip have faded slightly, but are still recalled.

I struck out for the fourth time in a row. Once again, I picked Riverdale, which was a very safe (i.e. reliable and successful) area for me in the spring, despite not catching anything there last time. Since it was the last day of the month, I was determined to catch an August fish. I never had much luck with fishing in August. I know I haven't caught one in August since starting this blog in May 2006. I can't remember the last August fish I caught, though I am certain that I did catch one. So I figured Riverdale would facilitate me catching an August fish. I guess I will have to wait until next year. It's also frustrating that I haven't caught anything since May.

The trip began with a bad omen. As I was driving on the Mosholu Parkway, I suddenly remembered that my tackle box was back home in the basement. This didn't present a problem since I've started keeping my hooks, snap swivels, sinkers, and fish finders in a small pipe tobacco can. Then I realized that I forgot to buy bait. So I turned around and bought a dozen blood worms at Jack's. I probably got to Riverdale at 3 PM or so.

I picked the last viewing area on the promenande. This turned out to be a mistake since part of the fence was overgrown with foliage, which attracted several bees and flies.

Like last time, I tried treble hooks and worm hooks. I don't remember if I ever got a bite. But I would like to keep experimenting with them (especially next spring).

The only eventful thing that happened was that a man came to see me. The man (who was in his mid-50s) said he currently lives in Alaska, but used to live in the Bronx and fish in Riverdale and City Island. We must have talked for maybe 10 minutes.

I remember it being warm, but in the evening it cooled down. I enjoyed a Butera Capo Grande cigar that I had managed to recharge in my home humidor. I also passed the time listening to my iPod and reading the newspaper. Since I had no luck (despite my usual tricks), I went home maybe 6 PM or 6:30.

When I got home, I watched the Yankee game and saw Andy Pettitte lose a perfect game in the 7th inning in Baltimore. He did get the win, and that lifted my spirits.

As to why I haven't fished in September, I can't really explain it. Once again, I let time pass me by.

Although it's now October, I am not quite ready to give up for the season.