Tight Lines

Lilly’s 50 was a migrant

That 50 repoorted by Dave Lilly this week was a migrant as indicated by all the sea ice it shedded.

Capt. Ron Santee lefy Atlantic Highlands with his anglers all set to snag bunkers as bait for abundant stripers only tp find the bass were gone. A lot of running located stripers that wouldn’t hit. Tomorrow is another day!

Though lots of big stripers are being caught in NY/NJ Bight, there had been no claim of a 50-pounder in quite a while. Striper pro Dave Lilly changed that Sunday when he trolled his combo rig on wire line in the back of Raritan Bay. Blake Daniel had a long fight with a fat bass measuring at least 50 inches fork-length. The giant bass was having trouble swimming and they had to revive it rather than boating it for the girth measurement before she was able to swim off.

Capt. Ron Santee reported good live bait fishing in the ocean bunker schools for anglers on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands as bass up to 40 pounds were released.

The NY/NJ Bight fleet is finding good numbers of stripers feeding on bunkers, but getting them to pick up even live baits with a hook in them has been a challenge. Most boats report a few 25-30-pound stripers released, with many more follows.

The weather is looking good this week.

Capt. Ron Santee found many more stripers off the beaches today with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands, but they were way too big to keep. Several 25-35-pounders were released on bunker baits.

N.Y.C. Capt. John McMurray is into those bass, but feels they are overdue..

After a poor start to his striper season yesterday, Capt. Ron Santee found good quantities today with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands. Only a few large bass were caught including a 40-pound release, but it’s a start. Anglers should bring snag hooks and beefy spinning tackle as live bunkers are needed for those fish.

Fisher Price IV reported some good jigging for stripers to get the fall season started. Capt. Ron Santee wasn’t successful during his first trip with the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands, but will be sailing daily at 7.

After a long period of unfishable northeast winds, there’s a shift to light NE and then to light west coming up. The fish should be famished!

After a long period of high winds and seas, the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands plan to start striper fishing Friday at 7 a.m,