The Nor’easter by Bill Wetzel

The Nor’easter

By Bill Wetzel

The October nor’easter was on its way as the increased wind and rain began to batter my home. I knew the fishing was going to be good as “Mr. Spock’s” voice from the weather station called for winds to increase in excess of 50 knots with hard driving rain. Sometimes I wonder if the weather station robots have personalities when snotty weather comes in, or is it just my imagination that the weird voice gets jacked up a notch? As for me, when a weather system like this comes, my hands start to shake. Not the kind of shake that I think you would notice, but the kind that is just enough to confirm my addiction. Since I had no charter and did not want to wake my wife I didn’t crawl out of bed until 6:30am. I know what you are thinking. “6:30 is way too late. Practically the middle of the day”. You are correct, and that was my mistake. Read on. As the nor’easter rattled our windows I geared up to get the hell out of the house as fast as I could. At the same time I was in no particular hurry, figuring if there is going to be a bite it would be an all-day event. I even stopped at south Hampton beaches on my way to my office in Montauk. Mistake two! There I only found very dirty big ass water. Not worth the time. I arrived in Mother Land at about 9:30am. As I crawled my buggy into the north side I found no parking on the beach (due to tide heights) so I had to park down one of the paths. I tell ya, rain that feels like needles piercing the skin, 15’ waves driving piles and piles of white water, and 50 knot plus winds just does something to me. I have to admit I had the big fish shakes big time, and could barely tie my bucktail onto my leader. As I walked closer to the water I saw tails, and more tails, and more tails, and more tails!!! Sweet Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Immediately, I put my 11/2 oz. lime green buck with red rind into a nice low teen blue, then another, then another! I banged about 12 or so blues and about 5 bass until 10:30 or 11am when the action ended. All big blues, but why did not hit any big bass? By noon the north sides tide was up, and it was not fishable any longer. I headed to get a bite to eat and stopped by Johnny’s B&T. There I met up with Willie Young and Vito Orlando. Vito was happy as a pig in poop with a smile from ear to ear. “Ohhhh no—here it comes, I thought”. He let me know he banged a forty, a thirty, and a high twenty. His biggest bass since 1979!! All caught at first light by the way. What could I do but be happy for one of the best surf casters on the planet. I congratulated him, and then sat through Willie Young’s story of his fish at first light. Damn it! I felt great for the boys, but a knot developed in my stomach like an addict that needed his fix. My head was spinning to come up with a plan. It was to either hit Horton’s point or Sore Thumb for my next stop, as I thought Montauk was going to be toast for the rest of the day. I was leaning toward the thumb thinking that Horton’s probably would just be big blues. BUUUUT – After speaking with Willie he convinced me to stay in Montauk for the ebb. I said to Willie—“I think the water will be too high to fish before dark”, as after dark would just be a suicide mission. Willie shook his head “naaah it will ebb quickly”. So I went against my instinct and stayed to fish with Willie for the evening bight, which never happened. It sure was fun standing there and BSing with Willie while we got pelted by 50mph winds. NO joke—it really was a good time. There is something about just being in that kind of weather that makes me feel so darn small and so alive. It is a feeling every surf caster should feel as frequently as possible. Hmmmm, one more thing. If you are in Montauk and it is blowing NE, get your lazy ass out of bed (I am actually referring to my lazy ass), call in dead from work, and catch some bass!

Editor note

This video was not from same day as a story

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