I guess we went from hot and dry to cold and wet. We need the rain, that is for sure. I recently acquired a leaf vacuum that grinds and chops up sticks as well. I’m no longer raking leaves, I am making mulch. It is the mindset, or how you look at the situation. It isn’t annoying work if I get mulch out of the deal. Fishing right now is the same way. It’s better to just go fishing and see what happens. There are tuna offshore in decent numbers and striped bass still north of us along Jersey beaches. It’s hard to get a tuna to bite, but the bass are hitting hard. Slot red drum will be around the beaches this time of year, too.

We will see if any migratory fish swim along our beaches. This was the same week that Ben Smith set the state striped bass record, one that will probably remain due to the issues in that fishery.

Anglers that do manage to get a tuna bite are being rewarded with great fish. Anglers are chasing fish that are chasing fish that are following fish — the food chain in motion. Tuna chasing striped bass, chasing bunker. All are being chased by anglers for different reasons. It’s a tough time of year to be a bunker.

It’s a good time of year to be a striped bass if they ever decide on the new regulations. Or will it be a good year for bass? The striped bass proposed changes are rather drastic. In my opinion, until the fishery is closed again to replenish the stocks we will keep having these issues. No one likes hearing this but it is the cold hard truth. The managers, anglers in all sectors, etc., are just kicking the can down the road while pointing fingers at each other. It is everyone’s fault for not responsibly managing the striped bass fishery. It is not one group’s fault. That’s the complexity of managing a migratory species, coupled with living in a state that is barely counted in the grand totals of the fishery numbers. But if we don’t have good regulations, too, everyone will just come fish here.

The north pocket at the inlet is dead. No longer will anglers fish the north pocket and use it for an area to corral bait fish.
The north beach at the Indian River Inlet looks very different. Way back in the day, you could walk to the end of the north jetty, much like you can walk up to the end of the small jetty at Navy Crossing in Cape Henlopen State Park. The crews fixing that north beach area have added an immense amount of sand. The sand is about 50 feet from the end of the north jetty. It is three to four times the height of an average human at the water’s edge. Crews are still pumping sand and using an earth mover to deliver more sand, or what looks like gravel. I’m not sure what the surfing will look like after this all settles in either. But that fishing is changed for a very long time.

The new point inside the inlet on the north wall looks promising. I’m looking forward to seeing all these changes.
The Geminids peak the night of Dec. 14. With up to 120 meteors per hour, this is the best show to watch. It’s just cold. Saturday night will be in the low 40s and a little cloudy, but it’s still worth watching to see what you can see. I always hope for a meteor storm. I wish we had much less light pollution. I can’t imagine what the sky looked like when there was none.

A shout-out to whoever in Parks drilled the holes in the air hose station posts. If people won’t roll up the hose, maybe they will at least put the hose in the hole to keep it out of the sand.

Here’s a holiday gift idea for that angler in your life: Every angler drives by a small body of water and instantly thinks about how they would fish that water. Some of us even get triggered over large puddles. Penn has a little travel rod that comes in a case. This travel kit is perfect for that angler in your life that is on the go all of the time. It is one of those gifts we will absolutely use.