There was good striper action out of Atlantic Highlands today for a variety of sizes.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc said there were some slot stripers mixed in with the big bass which had been dominating on his Sea Hunter. Those N.J. anglers who haven’t applied for a Bonus Bass must do so today by visiting the N.J. Division of Fish and Game web site.
Capt. Ron Santee Jr, made his first striper trip with the Fishermen and was frustrated at first by bass on the surface that wouldn’t hit a variety of lures. However, after the tide change it was game on! Most of the bass were large, as Ron weighed fish of 52, 44 and 42 pounds before the releases. Most were 30-38 inches, and there were no slots. Both plain jigs and those with tube tails worked in the deeper waters.
Those skippers will be sailing tomorrow, but not on Monday due to strong winds.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar won’t be sailing through Tuesday while an engine problem is being repaired. Miss Belmar Princess is fishing for stripers from7:30 to 3:30, and Royal Miss Belmar seeks stripers from 6 to 1 tomorrow.
Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that large winter flounder have turned on for those casting from the docks with worms and clams.
The Jamaica from Brielle has set up a 14-hour tuna trip which sails at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The fare is $360, and reservations can be made by calling 732 528-5014.
The marine forecast for Sunday is southwest 10-15 knots before increasing to 15-20 in the afternoon — and to gusts to 35 knots after midnight. A cold northwester on Monday will blow 25-30 knots.
The Jamaica from Brielle has set up a 14-hour tuna trip which sails at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations on the $360 trip.
With a gale warning posted today, I doubt if anyone sailed this morning.
However. there’s a big change coming for the weekend. Saturday is predicted to start with north winds at 10-15 knots before diminishing to east at 5 -10 knots in the afternoon. Sunday starts at 10-15 southwest before increasing to 15-20 knots in the afternoon. The first blast of winter is ahead on Monday with northwest winds at 20-25 knots that should get the fall surf striper run started.
Party and charter boats are all likely to sail both days this weekend.
Wednesday was the last fishable day, and it seemed as if most boaters did well with oversized stripers. Yet, some “keeper” bass below the maximum of less than 38 inches in New Jersey were caught.
The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant had a great day as most stripers ranged from 35 to 45 inches, and many fares caught from three to five, Both jigs and snagged bunkers worked — and Capt. Dave Riback noted that only the lazy fishermen who just kept bumping bottom with a jig instead of working it failed to catch.
Miss Belmar Princess is looking forward to more great striper action tomorrow when both boats will sail for stripers rather than bluefish.
At Atlantic Highlands, the Sea Hunter is ready to seek giant stripers again and hope for some smaller ones, while the Fishermen will join them in that pursuit after giving up on bottom fishing.
The current run of very large stripers in NY/NJ Bight and surrounding areas is a most unusual one in that some fishermen don’t want to catch the “big one” because they can’t keep them under the current regulations.
Virtually all stripers over 20 pounds are females and the key factor in maintaining the population. That’s why the the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has chosen to establish a maximum size rather than allowing harvest of a single striper of 28 inches or more. That wouldn’t normally be a problem for the average angler who struggles to catch big fish. but these aren’t normal times. The coastal migratory run heading to southerly spawning areas this fall has so far consisted almost entirely of bass exceeding 30 pounds.
Most of those seeking stripers for food which would rather have a 10-pounder or even much smaller than that right down to the smallest size that’s legal. Some don’t even consider very large stripers to be edible — though restaurants buy jumbos routinely and often pass them off as “groupers” on the menu.
Yet, most striper addicts aren’t concerned with the food value of their favorite fish — but many would like to retain a trophy bass. Fortunately. these days there are many alternatives. That “one for the wall” doesn’t require killing the fish as taxidermists have fiberglass molds for every size striper and only need the length and girth to make a copy. A photo should be added if there is anything unusual about the fish. An acceptable weight for the bass can be obtained by using the formula length times girth to the fork of the tail, divided by 800. There is a wide range of weights based on length, soo girth is vital — and the fork length must be used rather than total length that’s now used for all other purposes.
In order not to further stress the bass, get it back in the water as quickly as possible. Capt. Erwin Heinrich worked all of the big bass we caught yesterday from his Scales & Tales out of Twin Lights Marina in Highlands alongside the boat to be sure they could swim before getting the bite on his hand plus raised fin and body movements indicating that she’s ready to go down.
Though somewhat heavy tackle is a must on party boats in order not to inconvenience others. it’s not necessary on private and charter boats as the waters are relatively shallow, obstructions are rare, and the boat can be moved if necessary. Yesterday I caught bass up to 49 inches after fairly short fights on tackle that looked to be more suitable for freshwater fishing. The prototype carbon fiber Tsunami Air Wave was only 6 1/3 feet, and in combination with a Tsunami Salt X spinning reel filled with 30-pound braid felt like a feather — but allowed me to put lots of pressure on 30 and 40-pound stripers which were alongside within minutes.
Our group of anglers who make our livings in the sportfishing world don’t like to troll and didn’t want to fish bunkers as every year at this time we’ve ben able to do our favorite thing with Erwin by casting lures for big bass. A few fish were raised on surface lures, but it was only the dependable Tsunami Deep 6.5-inch Shad that could distract stripers from the thousands of bunkers available to them. Not only is casting the most satisfying way to fish, but it’s also perfect for release fishing as the bass aren’t harmed at all and can even be quickly sent on their way without taking them out of the water.
The snag and drop technique seemed to be most efficient yesterday, but it results in too many bass ending up gut-hooked while having to be released. If you use that method, strike right away when a hit is felt. Most importantly. use the largest snag hook you can find as the bass probably won’t be able to swallow it before getting hooked in the mouth. That method will be illegal next year when only a circle hook will be allowed with bait.
Heinrich (908 477-7537) took a chance running down the beach where we found lots of spraying bunker schools and stripers that would hit off Sandy Hook. Tom Lynch of Angry Fish Galleries in Point Pleasant Beach was with us and, as a surfcaster, got excited at the possibility of bass driving those bunkers to the beach for an epic bite. We weren’t too far off, and that area may be worth
Jon Falkowski of Linden was fishing aboard the Miss Belmar Princess yesterday as they got into stripers on jigs. He said there were 17 fares aboard with catches ranging from zero to one pro with six. Jon was happy to get a 12-pound keeper on an old Run-Off jig that another angler told him to try. That angler later admitted that he’d never caught anything on it before.
were no reports today, and nothing will be doing tomorrow as a gale warning was posted at 5 p.m. which runs to Friday afternoon. There will be northeast gusts to 40 knots tonight before dropping to 25-30 with gusts to 35 from the north. That wind diminishes to 20-25 knots in the afternoon. However, the weekend looks good.
Sorry for the brief Blog yesterday. but after doing a detailed report I was unable to publish it. I’m hoping for better luck today.
I joined Capt. Erwin Heinrich today on his Scales N Tales from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands, along with Jim Hutchinson Jr. of The Fisherman magazine, Jerry Gomber of Folsom Fishing Tackle, and Point Pleasant marine art dealer Tom Lynch. Erwin started the morning in light rain in Raritan Bay with striper readings and spraying bunker schools, but we weren’t getting hits among them by casting Tsunami shads. Gomber managed a 39-inch striper, but the skipper made what turned out to be a good move by taking a quick run down the beach with his 31 Contender where we encountered many more schools of bunkers with some bass under them which were willing to vary their diet. I finally got hot and released four stripers in a row starting with a fat 49-incher on the 6.5-inch Heavy Tsunami Pearl Spot Shad worked slow and deep after casting to the edge of splashing bunker schools. All of the bass we caught were well over the maximum size, but we weren’t complaining about having to fight bass too big before heading in when it slowed down..
The forecast isn’t too bad early tomorrow if you don’t mind rain. The wind forecast is only 5-10 knots northeast before increasing to 15-20 with gusts to 30 knots in the afternoon. A gale warning will go up tomorrow evening to Friday afternoon.
At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Rob Semkewyc has had fine striper action with some anglers catching multiple big stripers up to 50 pounds. He is sailing in the morning, and advises anglers to dress for the rain. All of his bass have been too big to keep, but that could change any day.
The Fishermen has given up bottom fishing, and will resume sailing on Saturday when stripers will be the target.
Miss Belmar Princess reports getting into big bass today that were on the surface and hitting heavy Ava jigs. They also reported having some keepers.
The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant had a very good Tuesday Striper Marathon trip for the big bass up to 47 inches as Jim Steel was high hook with six releases to 46 inches.
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There’s marginal weather ahead of us, so be sure to check with skippers before coming down t
Stripers too large to keep turned on in many areas from Raritan Bay to the Shore today. I did a detailed blog, but Word Press couldn’t send it. I’m hoping this is published and will catch up later or tomorrow.
It’s unlikely that anyone sailed today, but the forecast for tomorrow is for only north at 10-15 knots after small craft warnings come down today at 10 p.m. Furthermore, the prediction is for the wind diminishing in the afternoon to 5-10 knots. Enjoy the break in weather as it appears that we’re in for more wind and rain starting Thursday night.
The Big Mohawk from Belmar will be switching to striped bass tomorrow, and anglers are advised to bring a heavy spinning rod for snagging bunkers as well as a boat rod for jigging.
At Atlantic Highlands, the Sea Hunter should be back after those big stripers that were hooked Sunday, but the Fishermen is sticking with bottom fishing until the school bass arrive.
With surfcasting a poor bet in bad weather plus a big swell, Vinny D’Anton made several calls about Raritan Bay fishing and had only negative comments as even the small blues under wildly diving birds that used to be so abundant under birds in October have been missing.
After two days with only a few stripers on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Rob Semkewyc said the northeast wind turned the bass on — but none of those they caught were small enough to keep. The smallest was 40 inches, and the largest about 45 pounds — though another even larger got off. Unfortunately, the weather looks even worse tomorrow. Rob is hoping for Tuesday. Call him at 732 291-4468;
Also at that port, the Fishermen reported a huge swell killed bottom fishing Saturday and will make fishing impossible tomorrow.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported a nasty day at sea today though they did catch some blues and sea bass. They won’t sail tomorrow, and the Queen Mary from Point Pleasant has also canceled.
Sorry about no blog yesterday, but I was locked out of my account — which was fixed long distance by my daughter Cyndi in Florida his morning.
The forecast is for east winds at 15-20 knots, but dropping to 10-15 in the afternoon. Morning showers and patchy fog are likely.
Even as big stripers are providing trollers with plenty of release action, Shore surfcasters have been having a hard time finding any life during what used to be a good month for that sport.
John Mazzeo, of South Plainfield summed it up yesterday by describing his trip to Sandy Hook as “Different day, different time. different tide — same result.” At least he did see a bass caught by another angler though it was barely larger than the plug it hit. That angler described the mini-bass as the highlight of his fall surfcasting. Frank Huza of Aberdeen made the long trek to the point of Sandy Hook yesterday only to find even that prime spot to be barren. Those who had fished in the dark had the same report.
The big southeast swell has made surfcasting more difficult to the south, especially during early morning low tides. I found the expected rough surf this morning at Sea Girt. where the loose sand was being sucked out from under my boots. That’s a dangerous situation which requires backing up steadily to get out of the resulting holes so as not to be vulnerable to the force of the backwash. Getting knocked down in the wash is perilous when you’re alone on the beach as getting back up in waders is a problem while the waves just keep coming.
October used to be a good month from the beach as big blues would respond to poppers even when they weren’t showing. Unfortunately, the only big blues these day seem to be well offshore, and I haven’t even seen any small choppers in the Monmouth County surf. A few stripers have been reported by night anglers in Ocean County, but there hasn’t been any sign of the migrating schoolies from the east so far. Warm waters and a lack of bait probably have something to do with that – and many regulars blame beach replenishment.
The Jamaica from Brielle has room on its 10 p.m. Sunday tuna trip, as well as upcoming 31-hour tuna expeditions. Recent trips have provided limits of bluefins plus rellowfins up to 90 pounds. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.
The Mimi VI from Point Pleasant has set up striper trips with a fare of $100 and a 15-man limit on Nov. 2,3, and 5 — plus a Nov. 4 $90 bottom fishing sailing. Call 732 370-8019 for reservations.
At Belmar, Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den that jumbo bass were attacking bunkers off Deal this afternoon. He notes that most are over legal size and urges anglers to handle them gently for release.
Miss Belmar Princess is switching to those big stripers at 7:30 a.m. The Golden Eagle saw bluefish today, but only picked at 4-12-pounders. They also caught some sea bass and fluke.
Jim Hutchinson Sr. reports for the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association as follows:
Right now, the fishing scene in southern Ocean County is caught between summer and fall fisheries. No matter how hard the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association wish for the start of the striped bass migration from the north, the warm water temperatures are delaying their arrival.
Surface water temperatures remain in the low 60’s, a bit too warm for the stripers’ liking. There continues to be an excellent bite on bottom fish around inshore structure, however, to fill the fish boxes.
Captain Carl Sheppard of the “Star Fish” has had several groups out fishing recently taking advantage of the hot bottom fishing. One group with Captain Carl and mate Max Goldman fished several wrecks boating over 75 fish including black sea bass, bluefish, triggers, sea robins, and blowfish. Another trip with a family resulted in over 40 fish caught including sea bass up to 15-inches. A final day with two trips resulted in much the same type of action along with a feisty black-tip shark. The afternoon group had some 80 fish keeping 14 sea bass to 16-inches.
Captain Gary Dugan had two anglers out on the “Irish Jig”, and they experienced drop and reel fishing inshore reefs. They ended the day with a fish box packed with black sea bass, triggerfish, tautog, and some porgies. Captain Gary reports he is keeping a sharp eye out for the arrival of stripers from the north.
Captain Brett Taylor of Reel Reaction Sportfishing had a busy weekend with the Hank Wright group on a striped bass charter. Strong winds made a trip to the ocean a poor choice, so they landed a limit of tautog around the jetty rocks of Barnegat Inlet. They switched to stripers and landed 6, keeping two with bonus tags. Paul Kaufmann and Steve Sharf fished Sunday with their sons on a bottom fish charter. They worked hard and managed to box a limit of sea bass, 4 triggerfish, and one porgy. They ended the day boxing a quick limit of tautog.
Additional information on the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association can be found at www.BHCFA.net.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc reports his Thursday trip with Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands eels in the Hudson River wasn’t great, but not too bad either as noted with some of the stripers caught:
They took a long time for them to arrive from the east, but big stripers finally flooded into local waters Wednesday as Capt. Vinny Vetere reported releasing 15 bass between 40 and 50 pounds from his Katfish out of Great Kills. Vetere called it the best day in his 50 years of striper fishing!
He was trolling his TGBT bunker spoons, and Robert O’Hara said they came in by 10:30 a.m. Katfish was still open for the weekend when this was received. Call 917 693-8908.
Chuck Many put Alex Katyan and Mike Michael into bass up to 47 pounds on Tyman from Highlands that morning despite the fog. Many also knew that big bass were caught off Long Branch and Asbury Park on Tuesday.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar had a good Wednesday tuna trip with limits of the smaller bluefins and 12 yellowfins up to a couple of 90-100 pounds. They picked at 4-10-pound blues today along with some sea bass and porgies.
Though the wind forecast is only east at 5-10 knots tomorrow, there are small craft warnings for large swells from the southeast.
Tight Lines 