Crazy Alberto Knie has established a reputation over the years as an expert fisherman for every species of fish found not only in the northern areas where he started out, but also in his adopted residence in Florida. His keys to success are simple ones — planning, patience and persistence.

That was all on display Monday as Alberto sought to get me into my first snakehead. The snakehead is a popular sport and eating fish in the fresh waters of southeast Asia, but an invasive species in Florida. Though the state would like to get rid of them, snakeheads have become a new target for anglers since they are a challenge to seek out and hook on lures. They certainly aren’t anyone’s idea of a beautiful tropical fish, but it are a worthy opponent.

Alberto picked me up in Ft. Myers for the long trip across the state to the Fort Lauderdale area where he’s caught snakeheads in several places. He warned that we wouldn’t be back until after dark, and that was certainly the case. There were no secret spots, as we fished parks and open areas accessible to anyone.

Unfortunately, the snakeheads didn’t cooperate at all in areas where we cast weedless Ribbit Frog lures over lilly pads and moss beds without effect. Alberto did hook a single largemouth bass of about 14 inches, and later added a couple of cichlids at another area where we were looking for peacock bass — another invasive which is now well-established and accepted by the state.

Alberto was planning to fly rod peacocks once the sun got higher and they could be sighted for sight casting. We never did see many, and Alberto ended up spotting one in a pothole almost up to the road. He made flip cast after flip cast into that hole with a fly on spinning tackle — and kept doing that for about 15 minutes before he finally annoyed it into taking the fly.

Alberto was holding back his best snakehead spots until evening as that’s the only time he felt they would hit. That’s exactly what happened at the first canal where he missed a big hit at the edge before breaking the ice with about a 3-pound snakehead.   He rushed me out of there to what he felt would be a better dusk spot. We had to walk across a busy highway to get to it, but I soon raised a snakehead before getting one on a big strike next to shore. The fish jumped and its undulating body looked like I was fighting an eel in the water before landing the thick 6.2-pounder as it was getting dark — just as Alberto had predicted and planned for.

I’ll be adding another blog when the day’s striper results are in.

 

Sorry for the late blog. I’m in Florida and was fishing with Crazy Alberto Knie to after dark. More about that Tuesday. The only report I found was from the Big Mohawk out of Belmar. They said they had fantastic striper fishing Monday, including lots of releases. They sail for stripers and blackfish at 6 a.m.

Today’s weather was possibly too good, as most ocean boaters didn’t enjoy the hot jigging action which popped up at the end of the week.

The Big Mohawk got out from Belmar early, but found the bass very hard to catch on readings. They’ll be trying again tomorrow at 7 a.m.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar only had scratched out a few keepers and shorts all morning before there was an explosion of action from 12:30 to 2 when keepers up to 30 pounds were jigged. Their next trip will be on Tuesday at 7:30 a.m.

The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands got into a good ocean bite on jigs and shads in the ocean on Saturday when bass ranged from 22 inches to 22 ounds. Hope was high for today, but the fishing was no good. The next trip will probably be on Wednesday.

 

 

Dave Lilly of Hazlet stayed in Raritan Bay with friends on Saturday as they trolled a dozen bass that were almost all in the 30-inch class which hit Mo-Jos that were soaked in Fin Essence bunker oil from the Tackle Box in Hazlet.

Monday’s forecast is for south winds at 15-20 knots with showers. Winds decrease to 10-15 in the afternoon.

Reports from the ocean today were of masses of diving birds and heavy fish readings — but it seems that not everyone enjoyed a Bonanza of striped bass jigging.

At Belmar, the Golden Eagle started off its season with a mix of short and keeper stripers, but had to work for them. Miss Belmar Princess got word of the unexpected striper arrival yesterday and made a late crew trip that quickly produced limits. They sailed today without notice , and Capt. Alan Shinn reported at 11 a.m. that they were into mixed-size bass with action ranging from waiting for a bite to as many as 6-8 on at a time.  The Big Mohawk merely reported an excellent trip without elaborating, but did have striper pictures posted. You can be sure that the fleet will all be sailing by 7:30 Sunday morning.

The marine weather forecast is great, with south 5-10 knot winds, though there may be some rain after midnight. Monday’s forecast is for southwest winds at 10-15 mph.

Capt. Vinnie Vetere got off to a fine start Thursday with his Katfish from Great Kills as he trolled 19 stripers, all over 28 inches, on his Ho Jos in the back of Raritan Bay from 9-11 a.m.

My cell phone went down a few days ago and wouldn’t take a charge. It’s back in shape as of now. I’ll try to catch up on any missed calls.

After larger stripers moved into Raritan Bay on Monday and then the ocean exploded Thursday, the weather seems to be shaping up for anglers to get into the first real surge of the season on legal stripers.

The forecast tomorrow is for west winds of just 5-10 knots with a chance of rain in the morning. Though it goes to northeast on Sunday, it’s still only 5-10 knots before switching to southeast in the afternoon.

Capt. Bobby Quinn was enjoying a calm Thursday with the Ocean Explorer from Belmar though there was only a pick of mostly short tog in 80 feet  — though a blackfish of 10-12 pounds was released to spawn very shortly. He decided to check out birds diving inshore and got into a mass of stripers which ranged up to a 30-pounder and hit Crocs and diamond jigs. They finished up with a drop in shallower waters where there wa a pick of mostly shorts. It was encouraging to see life there as tog are moving inshore with water temperatures up to 43.5 degrees on the surface. The Ocean Explorer will be looking for stripers after today’s blowout, but will be ready with crabs for tog. The Golden Eagle from Belmar will also be sailing for stripers at 7:30 a.m. — but will carry clams for cod and ling if the bass don’t show.

Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park provided the first surf striper report as a regular caught a short on a plug at IBSP where bunkers were spotted outside of casting range. Their daily hours change tomorrow to 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fresh clams and bunkers will be available along with the bloodworms which have been producing bass in the back bay.

Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that blackfishing got off to a good start for boats, and the first tog were caught in Shark River Inlet. Winter flounder are still picky from the docks.

Vinny D’Anton reports from Sarasota that he and Frank Cursi got into the hard-fighting jack crevalle again this week, but were shut out yesterday morning while seeking spotted sea trout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Big Mohawk sailed from Belmar this morning for blackfish, but ended up with a catch of stripers in the 10-to-15-pound class — presumably in the ocean. This sounds like the April run we had in the ocean during April about a decade ago. The Golden Eagle from Belmar got the news and has set up Saturday and Sunday trips at 7:30. The Big Mohawk also added a few blackfish.

The wind is going northeast at 10-15 knots after midnight, but is only forecast to be east at 10-15 with gusts to 20 knots in the morning. The Saturday forecast is west at 5-10 knots — but with rain in the morning.

The Tackle Box in Hazlet reported Matt Calabria got into keeper bass Monday afternoon in the back of the bay — including this 37.5-incher which is the largest reported so far. He was casting Tsunami Shads soaked in Fin Essence bunker oil. m

Chuck Many had to cancel Monday morning’s trip with his Ty Man from Highlands , but Mike Greene joined him for an evening trip that produced 25 bass on artificials which were over half keepers.  The largest was 33 inches.

I’m having a problem with Word Press, and will add reports tomorrow.

 

Blog reader Robert Dreyer had no luck seeking stripers while casting lures in the back of Raritan Bay on Friday and Saturday, but he made the best catch of all by rescuing a kayacker who had fallen in the water and was in big trouble as 45 degree waters were leaking into his two-piece suit for 15 minutes.

Hypothermia had started when the rescue was made, and they warmed him up as best they could before handing the victim over to surfcasters who waded out as far as possible at Keansburg Beach.

Dreyer warned kayackers to dress properly while waters are so cold — and exercise caution, but saw one on Saturday fishing in a t-shirt.

There was better news about stripers in the bay during the last couple of days. Phil Sciortino reported from The Tackle Box in Hazlet that Matt Calabria trolled Rapala X-Raps from his boat to catch bass up to a 20-pounder.

Kevin Kuriawa noted that his friend Rick Pagluco trolled over 20 bass including a 33-incher in the bay.

Capt. Rick Woerner of Carnivore from Cliffside Marina in Sewaren (where Dockside Bait & Tackle is located) made a trip this afternoon from 1:15 to 3:30 and cast Storm Shads in the back of the bay for 30 bass including the only keeper at 31 inches for Joseph Bobel plus Jeff and Jason Plungif.

This was the opening day of the blackfish season, but there were no reports as this was being written from the Belmar blackfish boats.

Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park reports stripers on bait in the back bay. Mike Di Salvo caught a 35-incher and released two other keepers.

Tuesday’s marine forecast is for southeast winds of 10-15 knots. It shifts to northwest 15-20 on Wednesday– with gusts to 30 in the afternoon.

Vinny D’Anton reports from Sarasota that he plugged an 8-pound jack cravalle and a 3-pound bluefish yesterday morning, while Frank Manzi fought a 10-pound cravalle — the toughest of all inshore fish.

Blackfishing opens tomorrow, and despite gusty northwest winds there will be boats waiting for the first catches of the spring.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar didn’t sail today due to lumpy seas, but they’ll be fishing inshore at 7:30 where the northwest wind will knock down the seas. The Big Mohawk from Belmar gets back into action for tog at 7 a.m.

Sorry for missing Saturday’s blog. We drove down to Florida on Friday and had expected to have internet in our home as I had checked with Comcast prior to leaving to ensure it was working. As it turned out were completely out of connections until a technician arrived this evening.

After the negative report about Raritan Bay stripers on Thursday, Capt. Chris Di Stefano reported that a friend trolled stretch plugs off Morgan on Friday to catch a dozen bass, including a 29-incher.