Calming seas

West winds will provide calming seas and better fishing conditions. The forecast is for west winds at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 which will reduce seas from 4-6 feet to 2-4 feet as winds diminish further in the afternoon to 5-10 knots. Though stripers disappeared off Sandy Hook this week, that area may be worth checking again. Those calm seas should be ideal for blackfishing and for school stripers in the surf.

Small craft warnings are up through Saturday morning when west winds at 15-20 knots should start settling 6-9-foot seas.

Mike Monte proved there were still stripers in the Belmar surf yesterday morning as he had another good morning at Belmar. The bass were smaller, 18 to 22 inches, but they were right in the wash. Mike said they were hard to catch despite all the hits as they were nipping at the tail of the Tsunami Sand Eel.

Jerry Lasko said it was a different story in the Ocean County surf. Yesterday afternoon Maren Toleno caught four bass and he had one — but conditions were tough this morning and they did nothing.

A storm warning went up at 6, and the morning forecast is for southeast winds at 25-30 knots with gusts to 50. Seas build to 12-17 feet.

Merry Christmas

A storm is on its way to NY/NJ Bight.

The morning forecast isn’t too bad with south winds at 15-20 knots, but it goes southeast in the afternoon to 20-25 — before back to south after midnight with gusts to 60 knots as storm warnings go up through Friday morning plus rain.

Jim Hutchinson Jr. of the Fisherman magazine reports there was a new N.J. state record tautog record set off Cape May on Sunday. Ironically, it was taken on the same charter boat that produced the present record of a 25.592-pounder. Chris Sullivan was fishing aboard Capt. Tom Duffin’s Fishing Fever when the 25.8-pound tog hit in about 100-foot depths around 20 miles offshore.

There were no fishing reports submitted today, but the Ocean Explorer from Belmar reported blackfishing came back quickly after the storm and they found life on every drop Monday as a male 10.8-pound tog was boated to tie a female caught the day before for the lead in the seasonal pool.

The marine forecast is for small craft warnings to come down tonight after northwest winds gusting to to 30 knots. By morning it will be down to 10-15 northwest with gusts to 20 before shifting to southwest at 5-10 knots in the afternoon.

Migrating fish don’t always follow the script, and that was the case today with those that have been so abundant off Sandy Hook.

Capt. Rob Semkewyc didn’t know if he’d find any stripers yesterday with his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands when he sailed for the first time since the storm. As noted last night, the bass were more scattered though some fares caught over 40 — which would be considered great during a normal fall. Yet, Rob was shocked to find nothing at all in the same area today even though there was no change in weather. He also looked around in other areas without finding anything. As a result, the Sea Hunter is finished for the season.

On the other hand, Mike Monte reported his best surfcasting of the fall as he got into better-sized bass from 26 to 30 inches on Tsunami Sand Eels in the Belmar area and released five.

Northwest winds at 15-20 knots are forecast for the morning before increasing to 20-25 in the afternoon.

Capt. Rob Semkewyc of the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands reported another fine day of striped bass jigging, though the fish were more scattered and releases “only” up to the forties. He will fish tomorrow. but not on Tuesday.

Blackfishing came back after the storm, at least in the deeper waters fished yesterday by the Ocean Explorer from Belmar. There were a few limits, and a 6-pound. 10-ounce tog took the lead in the seasonal pool. A few keeper cod and a pollock were added.

The marine forecast for Monday is for southwest winds about 10 knots with two foot waves.

There may be a last minute opportunity to board tonight’s offshore wreck trip of the Jamaica from Brielle at 10. Call 732 528-5014.

Capt. Rob Semkewyc didn’t know what he would find with his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands on his first trip after the storm, and was surprised to get into his best volume fishing of a great fall season with over over 700 stripers jigged by 15 anglers. Big Bob upped his boat record with 116. Rob will continue sailing as long as the weather holds.

Jerry Lasko didn’t have a good report from the surf as he and Maren Toleno did nothing both in the Ocean County surf and at IBSP. The water had a strange tint to it. but was very fishable.

Sunday’s forecast is for SW winds at 5-10 knots before going NW after midnight. There’s a chance of rain in the evening.

The storm made a mess of the ocean, but that condition should change rapidly with a forecast of light winds and modest seas over the weekend.

We’re down to very few party and charter boats still operating, but the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands is going to be seeking those massive schools of school stripers that were off Sandy Hook before it became impossible to get out there. Capt. Rob Semkewyc will sail Saturday and Sunday before deciding whether to continue after that. The Shore blackfish boats will probably get back to fishing as the bottom settles — and the Elaine B II from Highlands will resume sailing for blackfish at 7 a.m. Saturday. The Ocean Explorer from Belmar will be sailing. and they note that the seasonal pool for largest tog is up to over $3000. They will be heading south and fishing in deep waters for the biggest tog.

The Jamaica from Brielle is resuming their almost nightly runs to far offshore wrecks for jumbo sea bass and porgies. Though expensive, those trips are usually well worth the time and expense for the largest sizes of the target species plus quantities rarely seen on inshore wrecks in season. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

Surfcasters are hoping to find some school stripers left after the waters clear. With west winds coming, conditions should be good for several days. The surf should be calm instead of what it looked like at Bay Head when Jerry Lasko checked it yesterday morning (see below).

Small craft warnings come down at 6 p.m. Saturday starts with north winds at a mere 5-10 knots and seas down to 2 to 3 feet as the wind shifts to west in the afternoon. That sets up Sunday with 5-10 knot southwest winds.

The ocean didn’t look good today. but but it should improve be the weekend so anglers can determine whether stripers are still with us. The big swell won’t do inshore bottom fishing any good, but wrecks far offshore should continue to produce lots of jumbo sea bass and porgies.

The Jamaica from Brielle continues to add trips to the deep water wrecks where fishing should actually improve as water temperatures decrease. Sunday’s trip produced a few blues plus a couple of weakfish in addition to the target species. Abdullah Samadeen from Philadelphia won the pool with a 6.5-pound sea bass, followed by Gary Nelson of Chester Twp. at 5.5 pounds. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar did so well on those wrecks that they’ve set another for Dec, 19 at 7 p.m. Make reservations at goldeneaglefishing,com

Gale warnings came down at 4 p.m. after north gusts to 40 knots. Friday’s forecast is for north winds at 10-15 knots with 4 to 5 foot seas.