The winds continue to blow hard as yet another gale warning is up through Sunday morning for NY/NJ Bight.

The forecast is for north winds at 25-30 knots which will diminish to 20-25 in the afternoon. Seas will be 6 to 11 feet.

Just so you remember what they look like, here’s an historic striper shot from Crazy Alberto Knie

The Jersey Shore has lost another if its legends as Gene Graman passed away this week. Graman made a miraculous recovery from heart problems a few years ago, but old age finally caught up to him as the lifelong bachelor had to go into a long term care facility.

Gene was a founding member of the Hi-Mar Striper Club, and owned a series of wooden boats that resulted in his nickname of Capt. Wood. He owned a small appliance repair shop in Red Bank, where he also lived.

Gene’s only hobby was fishing, and he worked hard at that — especially at night. We met after I took over as Salt Water Editor of the Newark Star-Ledger. I used to commute from Lake Hiawatha in northern N.J. to my Mako center console berthed in Montauk, but decided to bring it to N.J. after moving even further away to Wall Township on the Shore. I wrote about particularly missing night trolling with large plugs for big stripers on the Shagwong Reef rip, which had produced many lunkers including several 50-pounders.

Gene sent a note inviting me to join him in fishing a similar rip in N.J. even if it was over sand bars rather than rocks and kelp. With the ebb tide roaring past Sandy Hook to meet the ocean swell, there was a crashing rip that Gene worked with his wooden skiff which could safely handle the breaking waves if he got sucked in too far. He used lighter conventional wire line tackle and smaller plugs, but it took the same skill to get the lures in the right place without being blasted by a wave.

The bass were of mixed sizes, but I was surprised to catch two of 32 and 36 pounds which took quite a bit of time to fight against the fast current while avoiding the breakers. Big bass weren’t common in N.J. at that time, so this was a revelation. Unfortunately, I never caught such large bass at night in the rip after that, though there was usually good action with little competition.

Storms and channel dredging changed the nature of that fishery, and Gene switched to drifting sandworms and small eels through what had come to be relatively mild rips.

Gene was also a master of working eels in Ambrose Channel during the fall, and moved his boats down the Shore to run off for Mud Hole school tuna chunking. He ordered the last wood boat constructed in Raritan Bay. The aptly-named “That’s It” was a very seaworthy beauty, though no longer practical when the builder closed his doors and there was no one left to winterize it. Gene ended up resurrecting a “go fast” boat, but had to sell it after realizing that he wasn’t able to maintain it as he grew older. He had always kidded about wanting a Viking funeral in That’s It with the boat set afire and headed out to sea. but that wasn’t to be. He did leave behind a legacy of information about striper fishing which he freely shared with other anglers. I’m sure Gene is exploring heavenly fishing grounds now – and surely will be remembered among the greats of Raritan Bay fishing.

A gale watch is up through Sunday afternoon. Saturday starts with SE winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 35 in the afternoon.

The LBI Surf Fishing Classic forwarded the following:

“

Here’s Bayside Dave with the winning bluefish of the 2022 LBI Spring Derby. He caught this 14.8lb fish using a top water plug just after dawn at a land based spot on the bay. It’s been over 7 years since we’ve seen bluefish like this in great numbers, but there are reports that gator blues are making their way up the Atlantic coast. Maybe this is the year of their return to the LBI area. Make sure to go to one of the 3 tackle shops on the island to sign up for the LBI Spring Surf Fishing Contest.

A small craft advisory is up until 11 p.m. with NW winds gusting to 25 knots.

Friday’s forecast is for NW winds at 10-15 knots before changing to SW 10-15 in the afternoon.

A small craft advisory is up at 8 p.m. before going to a gale warning through Thursday morning with west gusts to 35 knots.

Bunkers have been appearing in Raritan Bay ever earlier in March for years, but stripers usually don’t get on them right away. However, all that has changed. Phil Sciortino reports from The Tackle Box [n Hazlet that there was blitz fishing on metal lip plugs.

The bay water temperature has been holding around 50 degrees — and the bass are hungry! Chunks have also been working.

Andreas Toy reports :

We hosted our first trip of the year with Blackfish Bobby and buddy Tom, found the fish but the tide wasn’t right, after an hour it was non stop bites with fish up to 33 inches, great way to start the season. Check out those marks on the sounder, its on!

Our first open boat of the year is Saturday March 23rd call/text 201-421-8653 to jump on.”

A small craft advisory is up tonight.. The morning forecast is for SW winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25.

A small craft advisory is up in NY/NJ Bight through Tuesday afternoon. West winds at 20 knots plus gusts to 25.

Sorry for short blogs, but my reading glasses broke and I’m almost blind without them.

Less wind would be better, but west at 10-15 kknots with gusts to 20 may be doable.

The Saltwater Fishing Expo completes ss run Sunday from 10-5 at the NJ. Expo Center at 97 Sunfield Ave, in Edison.

Stripers should be hitting in Raritan Bay . tough the forecast isn’t optimal with northwest winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 30.

The Saltwater Fishing Expo opened this afternoon in the N.J. Convention Center at 97 Sunfield Ave, in Edison. The best show of the season continues tomorrow from 10-6 and Sunday from 10- 5.

There are many seminars and presentations which are detailed at saltwater.sportshow.com — along with all other info about the Expo. Capt. Frank Mihalic posts that he has a special seminar at 12:45 Saturday on Jersey Jumbo Tog.

The Jamaica from Brielle had last minute cancellation on tonight’s11:30 a.m. tilefish trip. Anyone interested in that single opening must e-mail bigjamaica.com ASAP.

The forecast is for northwest winds at only 5-10 knots before going southwest at10-15 plus gusts to 20 in the afternoon.

Anglers without tickets for Friday’s opening of the Saltwater Fishing Expo at the N.J. Convention Center, located at 97 Sunfield Ave. in Edison should arrive well before the noon opening as there’s always long lines waiting to get in before the weekend crowds.

Admittance is $15, but only $5 for those 6-11. Friday hours are noon to 8 — followed by 10-6 Saturday and 10-5 Sunday.

All of the national tackle companies have booths at this show, which also features many seminars by famous anglers and skippers.

Crazy Alberto Knie (see photo below) promises to give up his most important secrets for catching big stripers from shore, Nick Honachefsky will add tips from N.J. beaches. and Fisherman editor Jim Hutchinson may let out some secrets about back bay striper fishing that’s already underway. Among the many captains I’ve. enjoyed fishing with over the years doing seminars are Erwin Heinrich. Jim Freda, Gene Quigley and Fred Gamboa.

For details on the Expo, visit saltwater.sportshow.com

Though there’s a chance of showers after midnight in NY/NJ Bight, the weather remains fishable with southwest winds at just 10 knots which continues into Saturday.