Tough day for stripers

Many were called, but few were chosen. That sums up the striped bass reports from today.

As noted in last night’s blog, I joined Bob Correll on his Sea Vee  32 from Crystal Point in Point Pleasant for a run to the north under good conditions yesterday afternoon  after the hard northwester — but we saw nothing to fish on all the way up to the Highlands Bridge.

Not discouraged by that, we ran south today to find the same thing. There were very few birds and no signs of fish though Bob jigged a spiny dogfish that was hooked in the tail. We ran down to Seaside while Miss Barnegat Light passed us going north. The Golden Eagle from Point Pleasant saw a few bass splashing to the north, but they were quickly chased down by the fleet. They did catch a thresher shark and a few dogfish.

The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands reported there was only one spot that produced for jiggers, but too many boats were there. Worse yet, it was in N.Y. waters where the slots they jigged had to be returned. Remember that N.J. slot bass are just shorts in N.Y.

Mark Roy returned from Florida to miss the good striper fishing in Raritan Bay with his Release Me from Raritan Marina. He got nothing trolling mo-jos and jigging, but did raise a couple of short bass to pencil poppers late in the day.

The forecast for Sunday is west winds at 15 knots with gusts to 20.

Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, said some surfcasters at local beaches caught lots of hickory shad on teasers and a couple of stripers on metal. Blackfishing in the canal is a best bet.