Time for sea bass in N.J.

Ocean conditions weren’t good as the sea bass season opened today in New Jersey. Indeed, the Big Mohawk from Belmar took a pass on the opener due to those conditions which also often have a negative effect on the sea bass bite. They’ll be out there tomorrow. The Golden Eagle from Belmar is running a special early trip from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

A small craft advisory is up through Monday morning, but the forecast is for north winds at just 5-10 knots, before going east in the afternoon. The seas drop to 3-5 feet with an east swell and rough inlets.

The exceptional rain combined with big seas made for a dirty surf. However, Nick DiNapoli caught a fat 31-inch striper on salted clams at Monmouth Beach.