2005
After suffering through one of the worst winters I can ever remember, April started well despite
the coldest water temperatures I have ever recorded on the first of April. The first fish of the
season was a largemouth bass - the first time that has ever happened - and bode well for a strong
largemouth bass total of some 31 specimens. This total was the highest in 10 years and was only 15
fish off the all-time record. As April turned into May, the weather turned ugly and we got into a
lousy pattern of 50 degree days with plenty of rain and wind. May
was a real dissapointment and kept the saltwater trips to a minimum. May ended with a rare Memorial
Day nor'easter that signaled the end of the lousy weather. June started with a bang and by the time
the spring came to a close, a respectable 202 fish had been logged. In the end, spring saw a record
amount of pickerel with 31 individuals and a fair amount of mixed species.
The summer stretch was simply incredible weather wise. As dissapointing as May was, July through
September made up for it with a stretch of simply beautiful weather. The fishing wasn't too shabby
either. White perch and the venerable bluegill sunfish made up the bulk of the summer catch,
accounting for over 40% of all species landed. In fact, this was a record year for white perch with a
grand total of 104 of these feisty panfish making it into the log book. On the saltwater scene,
striped bass remained strong all through the summer, setting another season-high record with
79 fish being accounted for. The highlight of the summer stripers was a 30.3" beauty caught on the
bank of the South River that nearly went 13 pounds.
Another half-month excursion to Disney World decimated my fall run, but in the end the season totals
were respectable with over 600 fish being logged and 60 trips being taken. Accounting for a total
of 128.5 hours, 2005 ended with an excellent fish-per-hour ratio of 4.76, the third highest ever
recorded. |
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