It’s been a long time coming, but there appears to be a break in the weather that will permit some winter fishing.
Sunday’s forecast is for west winds at 15 knots with gusts to 20 and 3-5-foot seas. Momday looks calm.
As noted yesterday, the Big Jamaica is sailing to offshore wrecks at midnight. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations. The Big Mohawk from Belmar will be blackfishing at 6:30 a.m.
Nick Honachefsky’s Saltwater Underground show on weakfishing in Barnegat Bay aboard Capt. Dave De Gennaro’s Hi Flier will air on the Sportsman Channel on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
After being blown out for weeks, the Big Jamaica from Brielle finally should be able to get in the trip sailing at midnight Saturday to far offshore wrecks. Though the sea bass season is closed, they’ll be fishing wrecks that hold jumbo porgies. There’s also a possibility of weakfish, cod and pollock.
Call 732 528-5014 for the required reservations.
The marine forecast is for northeast winds at 15-20 knots Saturday morning before diminishing to 5-10 in the afternoon. That sets up a fishable northwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 on Sunday.
The constant wind and rough seas that have been the winter norm could settle a bit by Sunday for those seeking to catch a cod or blackfish.
It will still be north at 15-20 knots on Friday, and that continues into Saturday before diminishing to 10-15 in the afternoon. Sunday’s forecast is just 10-15 knots from the west with seas at 2-4 feet.
A Miami University study has indicated that tiger sharks are moving north 14 days earlier than normal and up to 250 miles poleward into waters previously thought to be too cold for them.
Those changes are believed to be a result of climate change and a consequent rise in water temperatures, though I didn’t get any reports of unusually high offshore readings last year. Tiger sharks were never abundant off N.Y. and N.J., though they weren’t an uncommon catch. Indeed, big ones could be targeted. I had been sharking with Jesse York out of Atlantic Beach, Long Island many years ago when he started catching big tigers near the Texas Tower, so I headed out there years after that when the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers ran a High Rollers Shark Tournament, and I figured it would take a tiger to win it. My charter, Big Mike Koblan, ended up reeling in a tiger over 700 pounds that presented quite a problem for us to get into my Aquasport 28 center console, but we made it back to Point Pleasant to easily win the contest. That was one of the last shark tournaments where any species counted, and I never went back to my “honey hole”. Charters were more interested in catching a sporty and good-eating mako rather than wrestling with a tiger.
Every so often I’d spot a big tiger on the surface, and that was the case when I was chartering at Montauk and a young Dave Riback was being treated to a tuna trip by his father. We saw the shark on the surface while heading back, and I had a rigged bait ready in the cooler which was slow trolled in front of the tiger which took it like manna from Heaven. Dave, who’s now captain of the Queen Mary from Point Pleasant, fought that monster to boatside before I clipped the wire leader for a release.
Small tigers were also caught on occasion in those days while sharking, but that has declined due to strict regulations — making it difficult to get any idea of their present status in northern waters.
Tough weather continues as the Thursday forecast is for north winds at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 plus snow and rain in the morning.
The Jamaica from Brielle hasn’t been able to get out on Saturday and Sunday offshore wreck trips for jumbo porgies due to the weather. There’s also a chance for cod and pollock on those trips which sail at midnight Friday and Saturday. Reservations are required, and can be made by calling 732 528-5014.
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has its annual auction coming up on Jan.29 in the Ritz-Carlton at Ft, Lauderdale. Fishing tackle, fishing trips and marine art are featured at this annual event. For info call 954 927-2628, or visit events@igfa.org. Those attending can participate in the dinner which starts at 8 p.m.
Huge waves pounded the Shore today, and a gale warning is up through 8 p.m. Tuesday’s wind will be northwest at 15-20 knots with gusts to 30.
Winter holidays rarely work out for anglers, and tomorrow is no exception.
Southwest winds at 25-30 knots plus gusts to 40 with 10-to-14-foot seas are forecast along with rain. At least there won’t be any tornados such as occurred in Fort Myers today. A trailer park was torn up as the cold front came through.
‘It’s not often that a switch to northeast is an improvement, but the forecast for Sunday is down to 10-15 knots before it goes east at 25-30 plus gusts to 40 at night.
A posting yesterday on njfishing.com revealed there was massive abuse of conservation regulations during the fall. An officer from the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife Bureau of Law Enforcement noted at the recent Marine Fisheries Council meeting that over 200 summonses were issued in just one month last fall for over-limit stripers. Worst of all, that was probably only the tip of the iceberg. It’s the sacrifices by anglers that have led to the great striper fishing of recent years. Hopefully, those cases will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
A gale warning is up from Friday morning through late in the night. North winds of 20-25 nots plus gusts to 35 increase to 25-30 with gusts to 40 knots in the afternoon.
Jeff Merrill reported a fine trip yesterday with Fish On out of Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, Fl. as they went one for two on sails along with some gaffer dolphin up to the 35-pounder shown before adding some bottom fish.
Tight Lines 