Winter

It is forecast to reach 70 degrees today. Anyone that fished aboard the Pioneer III this season heard the grumpy old captain's prediction of a mild winter due to El Nino, a warm current similar to our Gulf Stream, reaching far north into Alaskan waters. I don't want to say "I told you so...", so I'll just say MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Football

It appears the Jets and Giants have traded places. The Jets are quietly playing good football and are in position for a post season run. The Giants on the other hand are making headlines over nonsense.

Still Warm

We got the boat hauled, winterized, power washed and blocked for the winter. Fishing reports from the ocean are telling stories of lots of big bluefish. You could not find a blue all summer but you can catch them now, a week before Christmas.

Warm Weather

Temperatures are reaching record levels and today is forecast to be 65 degrees. I wish there were still some fish in the bay to catch. The fishing in the ocean remains good on the offshore wrecks, and the blackfish bite is slowing down due to the daily pounding. Fleets of over one hundred boats have been reported. Last week Capt. George had a tough time finding a parking spot as the first seven drops were covered by small boats! Some bass and blues have been biting and fluke up to seven pounds have been caught from the beach out to the offshore grounds. Congratulations to Mike L. for putting in the time on the hunting grounds to catch a 160lb. two year old male black bear. It is his first ever and came on the last day of the season. Way to go, Mike.

That Time of Year

We spent the week getting things together for the winter haulout and should be finished by the end of the week. The weekend was beautiful so we took a day off and went to the German Christmas market at Lake Mohawk. Evelyn and I found the special candies and holiday treats we wanted and headed out as it became very crowded. A call to my favorite trout guide, Mike L., found him on the other side of town, checking his bear baits for this weeks hunt. We met up and headed north into the woods, down a road that I would never have ventured on my own. Less then a 1/4 mile in was one of the most beautiful trout holes I 've ever seen. You would not believe you were in NJ. A few casts resulted in some missed bites and Mike had a big rainbow throw the hook as he brought him to the shore. It was a fun day in the country.