If you’re planning on fishing for blackfish all winter, there’s an opportunity to get all you can handle for free if you can just transport them from Washington, where the governor has issued an emergency order to exterminate that invasive species which is impacting native shellfish stocks.

Green crabs are native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, but arrived on this side of the Atlantic by clinging to the bottoms of sailing ships to Cape Cod during the 1800s. They’ve since spread into cold waters everywhere. They’ve become so common that few anglers realize they’re an invasive species\

It seems that the only positive to them is that they make a great bait for tautog. Washington may even supply you with green crabs if you take them away. Amazingly, that crab has managed to thrive in many different climates around the world, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Some very bad weather is on the way, but Friday morning may be good for fishing with west winds at 10 knots plus gusts to 20. A gale warning is up from late Friday to Saturday night. Snow will be on its way. Down in Ft. Myers we’re bracing for temperatures in the 30s this weekend that may break all-time records. What happened to the warm weather promised with climate change?

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar expects to fish for tog in the morning.

A short burst of decent winter weather will be followed by a storm staring Friday night that may become a blizzard.

The northeast wind starts tomorrow at a modest 5-10 knots before becoming south in the afternoon. Friday is similar before the big change that night.

The ASMFC Striped Bass Management Board meets tomorrow at 1:30 in a winter meeting Webinar. They’ll have a lot to consider after a generally good year even though the population numbers aren’t as favorable.

The marine forecast is for northwest winds at 15 knots plus gusts to 20.

Chuck Many ended his winter season for stripers in Virgina recently and needed a N.J. fishing charge which he got with Alex Katyan on the ice.

The frigid weather and rough seas were bad news for blackfishing, but the Big Mohawk finally had a good report today as the bite was good at times and everyone went home with some fish, The forecast also looks good with calming west winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 tomorrow.
Don’t look to the south for warmer weather. There were areas close to Ft. Myers with frost warnings this morning. However, Vinny D’Anton had some good action a few days ago with ladyfish and spotted sea trout at Sarasota on MirrOlures and DOA Shrimp.

With west winds at just 5-10 knots, Monday looks s good as can be expected in winter. The wind moves to east in the afternoon.

It’s cold in the north, but don’t head to southwest Florida right now as 40 degree temperatures are predicted in the morning.

It’s been a long time coming, but there appears to be a break in the weather that will permit some winter fishing.

Sunday’s forecast is for west winds at 15 knots with gusts to 20 and 3-5-foot seas. Momday looks calm.

As noted yesterday, the Big Jamaica is sailing to offshore wrecks at midnight. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations. The Big Mohawk from Belmar will be blackfishing at 6:30 a.m.

Nick Honachefsky’s Saltwater Underground show on weakfishing in Barnegat Bay aboard Capt. Dave De Gennaro’s Hi Flier will air on the Sportsman Channel on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

After being blown out for weeks, the Big Jamaica from Brielle finally should be able to get in the trip sailing at midnight Saturday to far offshore wrecks. Though the sea bass season is closed, they’ll be fishing wrecks that hold jumbo porgies. There’s also a possibility of weakfish, cod and pollock.

Call 732 528-5014 for the required reservations.

The marine forecast is for northeast winds at 15-20 knots Saturday morning before diminishing to 5-10 in the afternoon. That sets up a fishable northwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 on Sunday.

The constant wind and rough seas that have been the winter norm could settle a bit by Sunday for those seeking to catch a cod or blackfish.

It will still be north at 15-20 knots on Friday, and that continues into Saturday before diminishing to 10-15 in the afternoon. Sunday’s forecast is just 10-15 knots from the west with seas at 2-4 feet.

A Miami University study has indicated that tiger sharks are moving north 14 days earlier than normal and up to 250 miles poleward into waters previously thought to be too cold for them.

Those changes are believed to be a result of climate change and a consequent rise in water temperatures, though I didn’t get any reports of unusually high offshore readings last year. Tiger sharks were never abundant off N.Y. and N.J., though they weren’t an uncommon catch. Indeed, big ones could be targeted.
I had been sharking with Jesse York out of Atlantic Beach, Long Island many years ago when he started catching big tigers near the Texas Tower, so I headed out there years after that when the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers ran a High Rollers Shark Tournament, and I figured it would take a tiger to win it. My charter, Big Mike Koblan, ended up reeling in a tiger over 700 pounds that presented quite a problem for us to get into my Aquasport 28 center console, but we made it back to Point Pleasant to easily win the contest. That was one of the last shark tournaments where any species counted, and I never went back to my “honey hole”. Charters were more interested in catching a sporty and good-eating mako rather than wrestling with a tiger.

Every so often I’d spot a big tiger on the surface, and that was the case when I was chartering at Montauk and a young Dave Riback was being treated to a tuna trip by his father. We saw the shark on the surface while heading back, and I had a rigged bait ready in the cooler which was slow trolled in front of the tiger which took it like manna from Heaven. Dave, who’s now captain of the Queen Mary from Point Pleasant, fought that monster to boatside before I clipped the wire leader for a release.

Small tigers were also caught on occasion in those days while sharking, but that has declined due to strict regulations — making it difficult to get any idea of their present status in northern waters.

Tough weather continues as the Thursday forecast is for north winds at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 plus snow and rain in the morning.

The Jamaica from Brielle hasn’t been able to get out on Saturday and Sunday offshore wreck trips for jumbo porgies due to the weather. There’s also a chance for cod and pollock on those trips which sail at midnight Friday and Saturday. Reservations are required, and can be made by calling 732 528-5014.

The gale warning came down at 6 p.m., but the Wednesday forecast is for southwest winds at 25-30 knots with 5-8-foot seas.

If it’s any consolation, early morning temperatures in southwest Florida were in the upper 40s.