Baseball Season

Fishing season will have another late start (it's 26 degrees right now), but baseball will start right on schedule. This year looks to be exciting as most teams are evenly matched, more then ever. The era of big market, money spending teams dominating is over. An 87 or 88 win season is enough to get into the playoffs and as the Giants and Royals showed last year, anyone can win. The years of 70 home run hitters and PED's are past and now it is about power pitching bull pens. It seems every team has relievers throwing 95 mph. If you would have to pick the top five teams, you would come up with about fifteen you could not choose from. It looks like lots of fun. And as for the Yankees, they don't look much different then last year, with decent starting pitching, a good bull pen and a weak hitting line up. One bright spot is Alex Rodriquez, he has showed this spring that he is the best hitter on the team.

Spring?

It is almost April and in years past we would be ready for flounder fishing. Now it is still cold as winter and I am hoping for better weather to complete the boat yard chores. Baseball season is almost upon us and I will have more to say about that in the next few days. Right now we are just watching the weather and waiting on the new regulations for the season. Fluke regs are going to be the same as last year, but others are changing. Stay tuned.

Still Cold, but Getting Better

The back slips in the marina still have ice. The boat ramp at the park also still has quite a bit of ice in the water, and today we watched a State Police boat have a difficult time breaking through to the boat ramp. The temperature down there, with the wind blowing off the water was only 38 degrees. Better days are coming, slow but sure.

A Quick Change

Last week it snowed three times and temperatures were in the single digits in some parts of the state. Now temperatures have reached normal for this time of year and it seems warm. Still a lot of snow and ice to melt, but it seems winters worst bite is behind us and we can look forward to spring.

Cold, Ice and Snow

Not much to report these days. The only good news is that February is over. The ice is the heaviest it's been in many years and it's the most I have ever seen this late into the winter.  Capt. Steve made it out with the J2 a few times this week and did not catch enough fish to feed a sick cat. It looks like another late start to the season. Well, at least we can look forward to watching the Yankees.

Cold

Yes, it's cold. But if you read or watch media accounts of the weather, you would think it has never happened before. They never disappoint with their sensationalism. I was checking on the ice in local waters a came upon a main stream media account of "glacier" ice in Chesapeake Bay. "Glacier"? We haven't had a "glacier" in 10,000 years! Well nothing like truth in reporting. Where is Brian Williams when you need him? Well anyway, the temperature this morning in Yellowstone National Park was warmer than St. Augustine, Florida and we have the most ice I have seen on the bay in about twelve years.

President's Day

Man, it's cold. Most of the state has single digit readings, with the Skylands region showing below zero temperatures. There is a moderate amount of ice in the harbor, less then you would think, but I would expect it to get heavy as snow and continued cold weather is forecast. Some cool birds have been around. There are Bald Eagles in the Meadowlands, and many hawks down the park and along the waterfront. We had a short eared owl flying low along the fields looking for a meal as well as a male Northen Harrier, a "grey ghost", very cool to see. The fishing has been good in the freezer and on television. Nothing like fluke salad and crackers while watching "Wicked Tuna" re-runs. Well, it won't be long now as I heard four of the most beautiful words ever spoken this week, "Pitchers and Catchers Report."