Tick Tock. The proverbial “fat lady” is in full voice as the surfcasting season for striped bass draws to its official conclusion on December 15. Moving from fishing season to holiday season, the spirit of one blends into the other and so inspires an annual rewrite of a classic holiday carol by me and big brother Frank. Here then, homage to Jingle Bells, which we call Fishmas Bells:
Fishmas Card 2010
Fishmas Bells
(To the tune of Jingle Bells)
Dashing to the beach
In a rod-filled SUV
O’er the dunes we go, fishing all the way.
Bait at Ditch Plains rise,
Making stripers bite,
What fun it is to cast teaser flies
For quality fish tonight.
Striped bass blitz, striped bass blitz
Bluefish on the hook,
What fun it is to catch them all and take then home to cook.
A day or two ago
To Napeague we did ride
Captain Harvey Bennett
was seated by our side.
His truck was fast and sure
And Jack Yee knew the spot
We tied on the right lure
And fish we caught a lot.
Striped bass blitz, striped bass blitz
Albies in Gardiner’s Bay,
Oh what fun it is to bang keepers on Fishmas Day!