Capt. Ron off to a good start

Capt. Ron Santee was among the last few party boat skippers to get started this season, but he made a trip into Raritan Bay this morning to join in the steady spring striped bass bite. Fish were up on the morning change of tide as shads and flutter spoons produced bass up to 43 inches. That bite backed off as the current started ripping, and searching around didn’t result in another hot bite to add to the successful opener. Santee will be back at it with the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands at 7:30 a.m.

Capt. John Contello not only had another fine striper trip with Just Sayin from Highlands, but topped it off with the boat’s largest release of the spring at 51 inches.

Chuck Many repeated his afternoon venture for super-sized stripers with Tyman from Highlands yesterday with trolled live baits that bass up to a 52-incher (48 pounds) hit.

The forecast remains fine through Monday. Tomorrow starts with northwest winds at a modest 5-10 knots before going southeast in the afternoon.

There were many charter and private boat reports from Raritan Bay as all seemed to have striper limits if they wanted them plus releases using both live bunkers and lures. Some boaters jump right on them, while others have to make some moves.

Small blues are building up there, and into backwater areas. Some of the big blues which often show up inside the inlets at this time may be on their way as indicated by this bay photo from Fisherman’s Headquarters on Long Beach Island.

The Berkeley Striper Club holds their 28th annual Fisherman’s Flea Market from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marina Park in Seaside Park. Admission is $7, with kids under 10 admitted free. Grumpy’s Tackle partners with them to present saltwater seminars.

Fluke fishing is off to a slow start in Sandy Hook Bay, but some keepers are being caught among the shorts.

Though the ASMFC Emergency change in striped bass regulations are supposed to be effective immediately, jurisdictions have until July 2 to do so. New Jersey voted against the proposal, and isn’t rushing to change anything.

Chuck Many had a hunch that big ocean stripers may have arrived, and made a solo trip yesterday afternoon to check it out. Most anglers would be satisfied to troll one line, but Chuck set out his usual spread of six lines to slow-troll live baits throughout the water column — and twice loaded them up as total mayhem ensued. Those released bass ranged from a minimum of 44 inches up to a 50-incher!

The weather looks good right through the weekend. North winds at 5 knots in the morning switch to southeast in the afternoon. Showers are likely.

Capt. Ron Santee starts his season with the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands by targeting stripers tomorrow.

Capt. Dave Gennaro is loaded up with bait on his Hi Flier to get his season out of Barnegat started with stripers in the bay, inlet and ocean with open trips the next three days. The Friday trip is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 732 330-5674.

School bluefin tuna are probably already available off the Mid-Atlantic coast, and anglers will be able to boat more of them this year as a result of a change in regulations announced today by NOAA Fisheries.

Private vessels with a HMS Angling category permit will be allowed two school bluefins ((27-47) inches) plus one large school/small medium (47-73 inches).

Charter boats with a HMS Charter category permit fishing recreationally are allowed three school and one large school/small medium.

Headboats are moved up to six school bluefins and two large school/small medium bluefins

The adjusted limits take effect immediately and extend through December 31, 2023, unless modified by later action

• Summary of Change
• Vessel
• /Permit Type
• Default Retention Limit per Vessel per Day
• TripAdjusted Retention Limit per Vessel per Day/Trip
• Private vessels with a Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling category from 2 school bluefin tuna (27-47inches) and one large school/smsl
  • 2 school bluefin tuna (27 to <47”)1 large school/small medium (47 to <73”)
• Charter boats with an HMS Charter/Headboat permit fishing recreationally from
• 1 school, large school, or small medium 
  • 3 school1 large school/small medium
  Headboats with an HMS Charter/Headboat permit fishing recreationally1 school, large school, or small medium from 1 school and to 6 school and 2 large school
  • 6 school2 large school/small medium
  Who is affected?
• The changes apply to HMS Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessels when fishing recreationally. The daily retention limits are effective for all areas except for the Gulf of Mexico, where NOAA Fisheries does not allow targeted fishing for bluefin tuna.
• Catch reporting
• HMS Angling and HMS Charter/Headboat permitted vessel owners are required to report the catch of all bluefin retained or discarded dead within 24 hours of landing or the end of each trip by:
  • Accessing the HMS Permit Shop.Using the HMS Catch Reporting app.Calling 888-872-8862 (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4
  p.m.
• Yesterday’s surprising striped bass news from the ASMFC is still being digested. Tom Fote noted that the Technical Committee hadn’t considered it, and the proposal wasn’t on the agenda. New Jersey was the only jurisdiction that voted against the reduction in maximum size to 31 inches in order to take pressure off the strong 2015 year class. Ironically, the May trophy season in Chesapeake Bay was exempted from the emergency regulation which must be adopted by July 2.
• Yesterday’s opening of the N.J. fluke season was pretty dull. The Atlantic Star reported most anglers were scared off by showers, but they sailed the morning trip from Atlantic Highlands with a few fares that caught some shorts and a couple of keepers in Sandy Hook Bay. The Sea Tiger 2 from that port made both trips and actually had a couple of limits.
• The forecast remains favorable, with north winds at 10-15 knots in the morning before going northeast in the afternoon — but at only 5-10 knots.

• 
  

I published this shot of Paddy Sciortino with a large weakfish he released after it hit sandworms at night in Raritan Bay, but it may not have appeared due to another photo below it. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet says his son has been trying to find another big one, and has heard of some weakfish-like marks in the bay. The weakfish cycle has been down for years, but over the years they’ve come back from out of nowhere many times.

The N.J. fluke season was celebrated early this morning when Kevin Mc Gloin raced in with a keeper to win the opening day Calcutta at Absecon Bay Sportsman Center.

As noted a few days ago. Wednesday looked to be a good one for fishing — and that forecast holds with southwest winds at 5-10 knots before going northwest after midnight. There is a chance of showers. Now it looks good through Saturday.

STRIPED BASS MAX SIZE TO BE PUSHED UP TO 31 INCHES

Just before publishing, I got a note from Tom Fote that the ASMFC Striped Bass Board has taken emergency action to change the striped bass max length to 31 inches no later than July 2. More about this tomorrow.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Announces New Recreational Fishing Regulations for Black Sea Bass and Scup Harvest Changes Maintain Compliance with Interstate Fishery Management Plans The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced new recreational saltwater fishing regulations that take effect immediately in New York’s Marine and Coastal District. These regulatory changes are necessary for New York State to remain in compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) by reducing recreational harvest of scup and black sea bass.Black Sea Bass New York’s recreational black sea bass season opens June 23, and the minimum size limit is 16.5 inches. From June 23 through Aug. 31, recreational anglers may possess three black sea bass per day; and from Sept. 1 until Dec. 31, anglers are allowed six fish per day. New York State is required to reduce harvest by 10 percent per a joint decision by the ASMFC and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC). New York is complying with the new rule by increasing the minimum size limit by one half-inch.Scup The recreational scup season will be open from May 1 through Dec. 31. The minimum size limit for recreational anglers from shore is 9.5 inches and for vessel-based anglers the minimum size is 10.5″. Recreational anglers may possess 30 fish per day and anglers aboard licensed p

The N.J. fluke season opens in the morning with the same regulations as last year.

For most areas, that means two between 17 ad 18 inches plus one 18 inches and over. In the Delaware River and its tributaries the limit is three at 17 inches, and for shore fishermen in Island Beach State Park it’s two fluke at just 16 inches.

The spring tautog season ended with April. but bottom fishermen can still target ling and cod before sea bass opens on May 17 with 10 fish at a 13-inch minimum.

The Atlantic Highlands fluke fleet will be out in force tomorrow, except for the Fishermen as Capt. Ron Santee will start striper fishing on Friday for the rest of the spring.

Bluefish are just getting started with small choppers showing in Raritan Bay while there are only a few reports of the jumbos that come through the inlets some years. Fisherman’s Headquarters sent this photo of one caught Sunday at Long Beach Island.

Raritan Bay striper fishing was tougher in all the recent windy weather, but still productive as shown in this shot before release from Eric Kerber aboard On A Mission out of Belmar.

A small craft warning is up through Tuesday afternoon, but the morning forecast is down to southwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 plus showers — which should be fishable for fluke in Sandy Hook Bay.

The Mi-Jo from Point Pleasant will be running some limited cod and ling trips this month. including Wednesday and Friday. Call 732 370-8019 for info.

While yesterday’s huge ocean swell will impact bottom fishing there, it probably won’t put much of a crimp in the Raritan Bay striper fishery.

Unfortunately, fishing conditions don’t look good until Wednesday. The morning forecast is for southwest winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25 — and 5-8-foot seas. Evening showers are possible.

Yesterday’s description of Tyman’s Friday trip was wrong about the large stripers as Chuck Many said they got out of the wind to fish worms and topwaters in the Hudson for plenty of schoolies plus the weakfish and a fluke that were all released.

Chris Buchta sent a note about his April striper fishing which illustrates just how good it has been:

“

“From April 1 to the 27 we caught all our bass on artificials , 2 days we used live bait , most trips 15-25 fish and many over that , only 3 trips where we saw slower fishing and had at least 8 bass , biggest went 42# many in the 30# class with 2 just under 40#s , may should be amazing with big fish coming up the beach and in the bays , still have a few weekday spots available.”

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar summed it up with those words before canceling Sunday’s trip.

A small craft advisory continues through Monday evening, and conditions remain poor until Wednesday.

Sunday starts a bit better at southeast 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 -plus 5-7-foot seas and rain. Then it gets worse in the afternoon building to 20-25 knots with gusts to 30.

Alex Katyan fished yesterday with Chuck Many on Tyman as they not only caught the usual large stripers but also a weakfish and a fluke.

The fourth generation of Sciortinos is keeping the Tackle Box family tradition of fishing expertise going as Phillip’s son Paddy spiced up a night of catching stripers on worms in Raritan Bay by hooking into the biggest weakfish I’ve heard of this season.

Paddy didn’t weigh that beautiful spawner, before releasing her, but it’s probably over 10 pounds.

Weather prospects are poor as a small craft advisory is up before going to a gale watch in the morning with east winds at 20-25 knots plus gusts to 30 and a chance of rain.

The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported a 12-pound male tautog which wasn’t in the pool was caught yesterday. The pool winner was half that size, but part of a limit as shorts continued to dominate.

Capt. Frank Massaria said it was blowing hard in the bay, but he got on bass hitting shads and stayed with them on his Vitamin Sea from Keyport for hours.

Raritan Bay spring striper fishing is as good as it was last year, and with easterly weather in the forecast may be easier to fish than more exposed areas.

Friday’s forecast is for east winds at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20, but that sounds a lot better then Saturday’s east at 20-25 knots plus gusts to 30.

Live bunkers have been the best bet for stripers, but they’ve been hard to come by some days. If the birds provide some help, you may be able to get on bass willing to hit shads and flutter spoons — and there are times when stripers come up and are targets for poppers and other surface lures. Be prepared for all of those situations and you should be successful.

Tautog anglers have had to fish through lots of shorts. Lou Castellano and five others from the Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County fished aboard the Sea Owl from Point Pleasant today and also had to release plenty of sea bass. Lou managed a keeper tog, but that was the only one out of about 25. He also noted that some cod were hooked.

You just might come across a 50-inch cow full of roe at this time just before the Hudson River spawning, though this one was posted on my Facebook by Kayack fishing in Chesapeake Bay.

After catching lots of redfish and cobia at Hilton Head, Chuck Many is back at his first love releasing big bass in NY/NJ Bight — and doing it in his favorite way with live eels. Bob and David Mangone were aboard for the usual results!

Reports from boaters using live bunkers were also very good today, with lots of “overs” being released.

The forecast is for southeast winds at a mere 5-10 knots with a chance of showers.

At Belmar, the Big Mohawk reported lots of out-of-season sea bass were hitting blackfish baits Tuesday, but a tog of about 6 pounds took the pool. The Ocean Explorer had a nice bite all day with some keepers among all the hits.

Ginger Tatum enjoyed her blackfishing yesterday with Gary Caputi.