Atter enjoying great action yesterday with a high hook of 15 stripers, Capt. Ron Santee found a much tougher condition today when the current started running into the wind. Two anglers managed to catch four bass. Weather permitting, Santee will run his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands through Wednesday.

The Sunday forecast is for northwest winds at 20-25 knots before going to west in the afternoon and diminishing to 15-20 knots.

Striped bass don’t want to leave NY/NJ Bight waters this winter.

Dave Lilly reports that the few remaining charter boats are catching all the keepers they can handle in the back of the bay, and Miss Belmar Princess reported a good ocean catch yesterday with all sizes represented as plain Ava 47 jigs worked best.

Bob Matthews, at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina summed up the fishing as follows:

“Well It’s hard to believe it’s almost Christmas, the weather has been very mild this fall and the fishermen have  been taking advantage of it.The Striped bass are still around, the sandeels finally made an appearance and small micro bass are feeding on them,grab some light tackle and get in on some action.There are still some better fish hitting after dark on Black Bombers and Purple and Black SP Minnows. Add a teaser for some extra insurance.The daytime bite try some Tsunami six inch eels or A !7 with a green tail with a teaser.The Blackfish  has been very good with many limit catches, some really nice fish are being brought in,5 pounds is normal .The flounder bite is holding up and many anglers are fishing for Sundials, they are plentiful and no limit, plus good eating.We are open full service,well stocked for your Christmas needs,gift certificates are available if you’re  not sure what to purchase.”

The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported a slow start to their last striper trip of the season, but fishing improved during the day, and they ended up catching keepers and bonus bass as well as some shorts plus legal blackfish and bluefish. That boat will remain active running giant sea bass trips to offshore wrecks by reservation.

The wind shifts to southwest at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar concludes its striper fishing for the year with tomorrow’s 6:30 a.m. sailing from Belmar. That boat still has some offshore sea bass trips by reservation on its schedule.

The Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands will try to sail through Sunday, though Tuesday’s striper fishing after the south gale was poor. Capt. Ron Santee said he ran north, then south and to the channels but only found some areas with life and fewer with fish marks. A couple of anglers caught two keepers, but it was a tough pick. Of course, all that can change overnight, and there’s a good chance that stripers may be with us for some time yet.

Small craft warnings are up tonight into the morning, when it will be northwest at 15 -20 knots plus gusts to 25 before diminishing in the afternoon to 10-15 knots.

Stripers may outlast party boats

Striped bass fishing is showing no signs of coming to an end, but party boat anglers may be having a hard time finding a boat to fish for them soon.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar is making its last two 6:30 a.m. striper trips Wednesday and Thursday — and the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands may finish up on Sunday.

The forecast is better, with east winds at just 5 knots before switching to north in the afternoon. However, there is a chance of rain or snow in the morning.

The Jamaica from Brielle reports s boat limit of giant sea bass caught on far offshore wrecks Sunday along with some jumbo porgies, blues and weakfish. Lenny Giordano of Ridley, Pa. won the pool with a 6-pound sea bass. There is room on trips departing at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

The gale watch ends tonight, and tomorrow starts with northwest winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25 before decreasing to 10-15 knots in the afternoon,

Small craft warnings go up at midnight, and advance to a gale watch in the afternoon. South winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 30 increase to 25-30 with gusts to 40 in the afternoon. Morning showers are possible.

Capt.. Ron Santee of the Fishermen at Atlantic Highlands reports as follows:

This time of year I would much rather be fishing in the Snot!  If it ain’t blowin, they ain’t showin!  Today was no different. 

Flat calm Ocean, plenty of readings but a lousy bite. Covered everything from the Point of the Hook to the Rocks back up to the North then to the West!!!

Ended the day with a couple handfuls of fish.

Many boats are already out of the water, but it’s not for a lack of stripers. Dave Lilly borrowed a boat this morning and took his son Jeremy and a friend to the back of the bay where they found unlimited numbers of keeper bass by trolling ho-jos, The water was down to 45 degrees and there were few boats on a calm Saturday, though bass were on top all morning. It was different in the ocean where the Golden Eagle from Belmar reported bass on top that wouldn’t hit well,

The forecast is for NE winds at 10-15 knots before going east at 5-10 in the afternoon.

That was Capt. Ron Santee’s assessment of the striper fishing today on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands, There was life over a wide area, and bass from 28 to 35 inches bit all day. Topwater lures worked best, and heavy shads were productive if fished close to bottom in the fast drift.

The Jamaica from Brielle may have room on its 10 p.m. trip to far offshore wrecks. Limits of sea bass up to 5 1/2 pounds have been common along with lots of jumbo porgies and even some bluefish and weakfish. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

Mike Monte saw some cormorants diving in the Sea Girt surf this morning and cast a Tsunami Sand Eel in that area to release two stripers in the 25-inch class and lose two others in that obvious sign of sand eels being present.

Chuck Many fished off Cape Charles, Virginia this morning to release trophy bass with Capt. Clinton Lessard. He recommends that veteran skipper to anyone seeking the striper of a lifetime. Call 757 710-0098.

Saturday’s forecast is for west winds at just 5 knots before increasing to 10-15 with gusts to 20 in the afternoon.

Bob Matthews reports as follows from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina:

“

The bass bite is still hot on the party boats, the Eagle and Belmar returned today with a mixed bag of bass 28 to 38 inches, fish over 40 inches and bonus fish.The boats were fishing off Seaside and Island Beach they had Big Blues mixed in.The surf is feast or famine, they come in on peanut bunkers, if you’re there it’s fishing at its best,the next day you spend gazing at a dead sea1 have had zero luck hitting those remarkable days, when I’m working the fish are blitzing,on my days off I spend looking an empty beautiful surf,so goes the season of peanuts.The bottom boats are doing very well with blackfish, we should see the fishing hold up as long as we don’t get a bad winter storm.I’m still hoping we get a infusion of sandeels in the mix, that would make for a more consistent fishery.             Keep warm and dry, see you on the beach. BOB”

Vinny D’Anton called from Lavallette this afternoon and said nothing was going on, though birds were working outside the bar as anglers hoped they will move in. There was a very brief blitz yesterday afternoon that included a bass in the 30-pound class.

Mike Monte was determined to catch a bass on a Tsunami Sand Eel at Belmar this morning, and didn’t take any other lures with him. He was encouraged by the presence of cormorants diving in the ares, and managed a couple of small bass that hit right in the wash. Hopefully that’s the start of more consistent fishing.

The Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands only found some small bass where he ended up with a blast yesterday before heading out to the ocean where there was 3 knot drift and they just picked away. The high hook caught seven bass and two blues, while the pool striper was 34 inches.

A small craft advisory is up for Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon. Tomorrow’s forecast is for southwest winds qt 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25.

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