There’s a big change in weather coming as a gale warning went up at 5 p.m. and extends to Monday evening. Monday’s forecast is east at 25-30 knots with gusts to 45 and 7-10-foot seas plus rain.
Fortunately, it’s supposed to switch to northwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 by Tuesday morning.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar found the big blues again on a calmer day — including one of about 20 pounds. Anglers had all they wanted if they kept jigging. There were also some bonito and sea bass.
Yesterday’s rough ocean forced the Queen Mary from Point Pleasant to fish closer to the beach where tiny blues and bonito were jigged along with weakfish that included a few keepers. Capt. Dave Riback advises anglers to look to Wednesday for the next trip.
The Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands had decent Saturday morning fishing for porgies and mostly small sea bass, but also some excitement when a fare cast a swim shad at a passing school of bunkers and hooked a striper before the hook pulled.
Dan Brodzinski tried the surf yesterday morning at Sea Bright and Sandy Hook with no action at all though there were big schools of bunkers offshore. I gave the surf at Manasquan a short try this morning, but there wasn’t much water at dawn — and nothing in the areas that were deep enough. One angler said he had caught a hickory shad.
Capt. Joe Massa of My Three Sons from Morgan Marina added a Rhodan trolling motor to his 30 foot Grady Canyon, which enables him to fish his blackfish spots without ever dropping an anchor.
The Rhodan features a built in GPS that locks you on your favorite wrecks or rockpiles, and takes bottom fishing to another level. Massa had the Rhoden installed by their N.J. dealer, J and M boat repairs (732 318-7044).
I was quite impressed as it held us on 3 different spots for 7 hours and kept its charge. Dan Rubino of Keyport was aboard along with famed Staten Island striper pro Capt. Vinny Vetere of Katfish from Great Kills — who was taking a busman’s Holiday to do some bottom fishing.
Massa first fished a spot off Breezy Point where he had been catching jumbo porgies, and I promptly had scup of 16 and 17 inches take my green crab-baited hook. Dan also caught a similar porgy on crab, but Vinnie could only get small sea bass hits on clam. Then, out-of-season blackfish took over and only one more jumbo porgy was boated.
Massa briefly tried sea bass jigging at Scotland before moving down the beach to his favorite tautog bottoms. I quickly came up with a nice sea bass on crab (see photo below) but after that we had to fight the little sea bass in order to enjoy a good bite of tog up to 19 inches. As the wind direction shifted a bit and swells pushed the boat off the honey hole, the Rhoden automatically took us right back. When the bite slowed, Massa used the remote control to move the boat around the spot to find more tog.
The Rhodan isn’t cheap, but it seems like a must for serious bottom fishermen as it eliminates all the hassles of anchoring on a small spot and staying there regardless of tidal or weather conditions before just returning it to its holder and running home. No more expensive anchors lost in the bottom!
While fishing in several ocean areas, we saw many schools of “happy” bunkers finning on the surface, though nothing seemed to be hitting them. We also saw birds picking on tiny surface bait off Sandy Hook, but there were no splashes in them or fish marks on the fishfinder.
There wasn’t anything caught during the first day of this weekend’s Barrier Island Beach Brawl that can’t be beaten. There was a 4.17-pound triggerfish; a 4.38-pound bluefish; a 3.36-pound blackfish; and a 0.74-pound kingfish.
The Mimi VI from Point Pleasant is sailing open at 6:30 a.m. Sunday .The fare is $90, and reservations can be made by calling 732 370-8019.
Today’s windy weather prevented the Golden Eagle out of Belmar from getting out to the big blues they jigged yesterday. They fished in calmer waters closer to shore and found small weakfish that included a few keepers while adding some small blues and sea bass.
There are small craft warnings up tonight, but it’s supposed to drop to north at 10-15 knots by morning before northeast gusts to 20 in the afternoon. A gale watch is in effect from late Sunday night through Monday afternoon.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported a great day of jigging blues which ranged from 3-12 pounds. They also had some sea bass and little tunny/
I got home very late from a bottom fishing trip with Capt. Joe Massa on My Three Sons from Morgan Marina, including blackfishing without anchoring. I’ll detait that experience tomorrow.
The forecast is for southwest winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 30 tomorrow, but Sunday looks good with northwest winds.
Though it didn’t seem as windy as predicted, there was enough for Miss Belmar Princess to cancel it’s trip. The Big Mohawk from Belmar did report decent sea bass fishing that included limits.
There are two spots left tonight on an offshore tuna trip of the Jamaica from Brielle which sails at 9 p.m. The fare is $335. Call 732 528-5014 for this last minute opportunity.
Frank Criscola’s Crisdel from Brielle Yacht Club had a good trip to the Hudson on the weekend as the overnighter produced a wahoo of about 70 pounds. a bigeye around 170 pounds and albacore before Capt. George Steller put the crew into a 100-pound swordfish.
The wind is supposed to drop out and only 5-10 knots from the west is predicted. The surf should be flat.
Weather permitting, most N.J. party boats will be fishing tomorrow for sea bass which opens for the rest of the month with the same 12 1/2-inch minimum, but a 10 fish bag limit. Most will be sailing limited trips, and may have different sailing times. Be sure to call for reservations.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar released many fat sea bass today, but their fares were happy with the medium to large blues they jigged. They went east of the reef and also saw tuna and little tunny out there.
Bob Matthews says he’s all geared up for sea bass at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina. He noted that the Golden Eagle had blues to over 15 pounds today. Large kingfish are being caught in Shark River. but surfcasting has been slow lately.
Capt. Ron Santee Jr. started catching porgies this morning on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands before the wind came on hard and it went downhill from there. As a result he won’t be fishing tomorrow in all the wind.
Today is the deadline to sign up for this weekend’s Barrier Island Beach Brawl at http://www.saltwater underground/shop.
A gale warning is up tonight with southwest gusts to 40 knots, but it switches in the morning to northwest 15-20 plus gusts to 25 knots.
The amazing run of yellowfin tuna continues in the Triple Wrecks area. Capt. Lou Grazioso said some days are tougher than others, but most trips are successful. Most encouraging is the volume of sand eels in tuna stomachs. Earlier in the run the tuna were stuffed with only the chunks being provided by anglers, but now there’s natural bait to keep them in the area.
Grazioso reported that one of his friends was pleasantly surprised to catch a large white marlin that hit a bait dropped to bottom.
Unfortunately for that sport, we’re in for some windy weather. There’s a small craft warning up through tomorrow — to be followed by a gale watch. Wednesday starts with southwest winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 30.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar canceled tomorrow’s tuna trip, but added a new 18-hour trip next Tuesday at 11 p.m. They caught some bluefish on jigs today.
It’s been many years since there was a real giant bluefin tuna fall run in the Mud Hole, but Capt. Arthur Stokes is expecting something will be happening after spotting them out there on Sunday.
That was a trolling trip, and the tuna didn’t respond, However, the traditional fishery was a chunking bite. Stokes was a friend of the late Dean of N.J. Giant tuna Fishing, Capt. Bob Pisano. Bob was always the first to experiment with chunking, and enlisted other pros to join the search as he directed them to try various spots to get the fishery started,
Pisano’s ashes were deposited out there, and I’m sure that he’s up above doing what he can to revive a once great fishery from the very beginning of that sport.
Stokes noted that he found a patch of blue, 67.5 degree water that had lots of turtle life in it along with the giants. Most of us have blamed the lack of what had been large quantities of ling and whiting in the Mud Hole for the failure of giants to return. We used to be able to catch live baits on the spot. but in recent years we haven’t been able to get through the spiny dogfish which may even rise up in the chunking slick. Hopefully, the remaining old pros will put in the time necessary to determine if we have a giant fishery again.
Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that an angler chumming successfully in Shark River for large kingfish also caught the first winter flounder of the season there despite the very warm waters.
What a difference a day made for Capt. Ron Santee Jr, over the weekend while fishing for porgies on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands. Saturday’s porgy bite was good in the morning before the afternoon current was too strong and shut it off. It was just the opposite Sunday as there was little caught until the end of the day when the fish he’d been reading turned on as the current increased. Doubleheaders came up all around the boat, and everyone went home with plenty of fish. A couple of blackfish were included along with some blowfish, winter flounder and even fluke.
Tuesday’s weather starts with south winds at just 5 knots, but increases in the afternoon to 10-15 southwest with gusts to 20 knots.
Bottom fishing in N.J. ocean waters now features porgies along with a few triggerfish and the one blackfish presently allowed — plus sea bass that have to be released. However, all that will change on Oct. 8 when the N.J. sea bass fishery reopens. Check with your favorite skipper as special limited trips may be scheduled for the first few trips.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported a very good Saturday night trip for 3-8-pound blues on both bait and jigs. However, today’s day trip was again slow. They saw a lot of blues, had to work for every one. There were a few larger blues up to over 10 pounds among the mostly small to medium choppers. They also caught some 5-7-pound little tunny.
There’s another light wind forecast for tomorrow. Let’s hope they are right this time. Today’s forecast was for northeast at 5-10 knots, but when I checked the surf at Bay Head it seemed as if they should have written 5 plus 10 because the flags were straight out. Monday’s forecast is again NE 5-10, but with a chance of morning showers.
In addition to Betty & Nick’s. you can also sign up for next weekend’s Barrier Island Beach Brawl at Grumpy’s Tackle, Gabriel Tackle, Fisherman’s Supply and Charlie’s Tackle.
After party boats enjoyed very good ocean jigging for 2-pound blues yesterday, it was just the opposite today.
Miss Belmar Princess reported only a few were jigged during a frustrating day in good conditions. Surprisingly, there were quite a few short weakfish caught.
The Big Mohawk from Belmar got back to bottom fishing yesterday, and had the expected action with porgies and triggerfish — but everyone also had their one fish tog limit.
Nick Honachefsky has been loading up on small blues the last two days in the the Seaside area surf. There are a few to 4 pounds among the cocktails which are taking mullet rigs — but also hit on shad lures and teasers. Nick finished up blackfishing off Elberon today. and caught some along with a conger and a tropical pinfish.
Nick’s Barrier Islands Beach Brawl is coming up next weekend. It’s necessary to sign up right away at http://www.saltwaterunderground.com/shop — or in person at Betty & Nick’s in Seaside Park.
Light winds continue on Sunday with southeast breezes at 5-10 knots before shifting to east in the afternoon.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar had another good catch of 1-4-pound bluefish today along with some bonito and little tunny. They were quickly into catch-and-release mode, and it was all on jigs.
The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant did another Thursday bonito/little tunny trip that was once again a bust. Capt. Dave Riback may switch Tuesday’s bonito /little tunny trip unless he hears some good info about the species sought.
There’s an open boat opportunity to fish the canyons or the yellowfin tuna grounds both days this weekend on Capt. Chris De Gennaro’s Hi Flier from Barnegat. The cost is $450 with a maximum. of four anglers. Call him at 732 330-5674.
The weather looks good with northwest winds at just 5-10 knots before going west in the afternoon. Sunday starts with the same 5-10 knots but northeast until switching to southeast in the afternoon.
Tight Lines 