Taking a night off from fishing/ Bad luck with this weather birding

One of the highlights of my week was this decent
keeper

In the first twenty one days of May, I have been out every night except a rainy Sunday that Laurie was over. For the most part it has been stripers, stripers, stripers. I've gone carp fishing twice and trout fishing once. The striper fishing has been very good. I have gotten a couple of keepers. I learned a new spot where I caught a very decent fish thanks to a new friend. If you haven't been out striper fishing yet, what are you waiting for? The fishing is very good.

I did take tonight off from fishing because I had a lot of stuff I needed to get done. I have a surf column article that I wanted to finish for The Fisherman Magazine, I bought some plants for the garden,  and paid a couple of bills. I'm still delivering donuts two nights a week for what looks to be the next month. I hope to use the extra money to pay for all of my New Hampshire weekends this year. Since the only real expense is gas (and pizza when I go with Laurie) that could actually happen.

I'll be back out tomorrow night. I accomplished everything on  my to do list today except plant my garden, which I consider fun anyway.

Bad Luck on My Days Off

I clearly love striper fishing and as you just read I do it almost every night. However, there is so much to do in May that I really try to do as much as I can on my days off from work (do you see a whine coming?). Last week I went to Newburyport birding for a day. This week I had planned on going up there from Wednesday after work until Friday evening. The weather looks like it is not going to cooperate. Thursday might be a total wash.

Although I can't control the weather and doesn't do any good to complain, these rainy days during this month just destroy my chances of seeing a lot of birds. I really need nice weather to fall on my eight days off during May. I got rained out my first weekend ( I went trout fishing in the morning and Wachusett in a downpour in the afternoon). I have seen far less species this year than last. I had no desire to beat my personal best record, but I would like to be in the ballpark. The rainy days falling  on my days off are really hurting that.

I'm sure I'll find something to do on Thursday but I was really looking forward to my camping trip. I planned on birding Wed evening, both Thurs and Fri morning. I was going shad fish around noon time in the Merrimack. In the afternoon Thursday I planned a big hike at Ipswich River. On my way home Friday I was going to Oxbow NWR which is a place I really enjoy. As you can see, I had a lot planned.

Maybe the weather forecast might change but if not it looks like more fishing for me.