Gnat Report

Last night, my friend and I ran over near Tobay in the State Channel to drown bait for Stripers. We were thinking of running to the bridges but we figured it would be easier if we didn't run so far to not catch fish.

We got there near the peak of the incoming. There was definitely something chasing small bait on the banks. Looked like spearing. Even though they'd sometimes break the surface we couldn't tell if it was stripers or blues after them, but it went on for a good twenty minutes plus.

We tried bait and casting some artificials into the action, but nothing was interested in our offerings.

Then the tide slackened, the wind died, and the gnats attacked in force. Squadrons of little black dots swarmed around. I ended up with my gaiter on up to my eyeballs. Plus a hat and a heavy long sleeved shirt. *Note: DEET doesn't work any better on those things than it does on Greenflies.

Fortunately, when the tide started to ebb a breeze picked up and overpowered the little bloodsuckers so we could stay and not catch fish a little longer.

Final tally, one dogfish. The only other bites were gnat bites.