Peanut bunkers in March!

Capt. Joe Massa had two unusual reports from Friday’s fishing aboard his My Three Sons from Morgan Marina. A couple of fat legal stripers were kept after being caught on shads upriver at the back of Raritan Bay — and it turned out that they had adult bunkers in their stomachs. It wasn’t surprising that bunkers were there already, but stripers usually don’t feed on them this early. Massa then spotted what appeared to be a bunker school and cast a snag hook to get a bait, but was shocked to see the treble filled with peanut bunkers. Bunkers arrive in the bay full of roe before going back to the ocean to spawn, That results in large quantities of peanuts by late summer, but how could there be peanuts now when spawning hasn’t even started? Peanuts migrate south in the fall, but perhaps they’ve adapted to overwintering in the warmer rivers.

A small craft warning is up through Sunday afternoon as west winds gust over 30 knots after midnight. The morning forecast calls for west winds at 20-25 knots plus gusts to 30.

The Saltwater Expo finishes up Sunday at the NJ. Expo Center in Edison.

The 30th Asbury Park Fishing Club Show in on today from 9-2 at the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, 1401 Ocean Ave.. Admittance is $5. It’s a great show for custom lure collectors as almost all regional wood lure artists will be there. Skip Smith’s Skippy plugs will be at the Crazy Dogs display, It was in 1997 that Skip earned his way into the Asbury Park Club by catching a most unusual March ocean jetty striper of 25 3/4 pounds.

Chuck Many reports from Hilton Head, S.C. as follows:

Had calm seas on Thursday, so Bobby and I decided to run out to the inshore reefs and see what we could find. Had a great Black Drum bite on one reef and a bunch of grouper on another (mainly small, but a couple beauties). When we weren’t catching them, other reef critters (sea bass, bluefish, squirrel fish, jacks) made it non stop action. Great day!