Tight Lines

First good striper report

Matt Calabria supplied an April 1 night trip report of a wormball mayhem with over 20 bass caught with at least seven of keeper size. This was probably in the Raritan Bay area.

Paul Castelli had to drive up from the Everglades yesterday to drop a friend off at the Ft. Myers Airport, and joined me on the local ponds that I can’t fish alone at 89 due to the uneven surfaces and my inability to outrun the alligators.

Casting surface lures produced one decent bass and two little guys for me while Paul caught couple of small bass and a cicihlid while not holding me up. However the big surprise came when I hooked a bottom hugger that turned out to be a softshell turtle which hit a Gulp. It had a mouth full of long sharp teeth.

It’s just a start, but boaters have been breaking the ice on stripers in NY/NJ Bight. Just Saying out of Keyport sent along a release shot of a husky bass, and Andreas Tou reported marking a lot in 49 degree waters and catching a few.

Capt. Lou Grazioso reports that the winter flounder he saw caught was at Belmar Marina. If you can’t find seaworms for bait, bank mussels will work as well — if not better. Create a long slim bait that can easily sucked in the tiny mouth of a flounder. You can harvest mussels from mud banks at low tides.

Lou also noted that N.J. has increased the flounder limit to two at a 12-inch minimum.

The forecast is for west winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25.

Have been having internet problems, but hope to be back shortly.

Saturday’s forecast in NY/NJ Bight is for NW winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25.

Nj Fisherman editor Jim Hutchinson expects the state to loosen bluefish regs a bit this year, That may include up to five for shore fisherman and 7 on for-hire boats.

The forecast in NY/NJ Bight is for south winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20.

It’s typical early season striper fishing in the back bays now with a good shot at mostly short bass on bloodworms and small lures.

Spring starts with a southwest wind at just 5-10 knots before increasing to to gusts up to 30 in the afternoon for NJ/NY Bight.

Anglers in NY/NJ Bight continue to enjoy good fishing conditions as southeast winds at 5-10 knots are forecast for Thursday.

Anglers in the NY/NJ area saw the gale warning come down this morning — and it starts improving tomorrow with northwest winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 before dropping to west 5-10 in the afternoon.

The current severe weather along the coast will change everything after it finally drops out,