Capt. Rob Semkewyc saw some hope for the Raritan Bay striper bite on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands this morning as casting shads produced a legal striper plus a few shorts before trollers started working the area. A move to try bait fishing produced some shorts before it also went dead in the boat traffic. Semkewyc is looking forward to the morning for a fresh start without so much boat traffic.
The forecast is for south winds at 5-10 knots; with a possibility of showers or thunder storms in the afternoon.
Shore anglers have been taking advantage of bluefish blasts whenever they occur. Sarah Nadine caught these blues in the Seaside Park area.
Capt. Vinnie Vetere is ready to start chartering with his Katfish from Great Kills, but exploratory trips have revealed an influx of big bass into Raritan Bay which are a “no-brainer” for trolling. Vetere can be contacted at 917 693-8908
Party boats have been having a hard time getting hits from the many stripers they’ve been marking, but there were good reports of feeding schooliies in the bay before the winds got too strong.
The wind forecast kept most boaters in port today, but many will be itching to get out tomorrow with southwest winds down to 10-15 knots — though still with gusts to 25.
The west winds have been fine for surfcasters who have been picking away at mostly short stripers on clams while hoping to get into blasts of newly-arrived jumbo blues on poppers or any other lures cast to them. Bob Matthews, at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina says those blues have also been coming into both Manasquan and Shark River inlets.
NOAA Fisheries is adjusting Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limits for recreational fishermen. The adjusted limits go into effect on May 2, 2021, and extend through December 31, 2021, unless modified by later action. What is changing? Limit per Vessel per Day/Trip Adjusted Retention Limit per Vessel per Day/Trip Private vessels with a Highly Migratory Species (HMS Angling category permit 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 3 school & 1 large school/small medium Headboats with an HMS Charter/Headboat permit fishing recreationally 6 school & 2 large school/small medium Who is affected The changes apply to HMS Angling category permitted vessels 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. Anglers may still catch and release or tag and release bluefin tuna of all sizes, subject to the requirements of HM gale warning S catch-and-release and tag-and-release programs. All released bluefin tuna must be handled in a manner that will maximize survivability and without removing the fish from the water. Catch reporting Angling category 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 4:30 p.m.).
A gale warning is up through late tonight for west gusts to 45 knots. That’s fine for surfcasters, and will knock down the swell, but boaters will look forward to Sunday with northwest 15-20 knots dropping to 10-15 in the afternoon.
After some days of modest winds, NY/NJ Bight will be getting blasted the next two days.
The shame of it was that so few anglers showed up at Atlantic Highlands this morning that boats couldn’t get out when the charter boat Little Hawk from that port reported bass on top and hitting lures at 7:40 a.m. in Raritan Bay. The Sea Hunter had a decent bait bite Tuesday morning, before the current died, which produced four keeper bass as well as shorts. They are canceling Friday and Saturday due to strong west winds.
Jerry Lasko said anglers fishing Manasquan Inlet yesterday got into lots of big blues. It wasn’t as good this morning, and some smaller choppers were mixed in. The early bluefish run is surprising since stocks of those fish have been low. Anglers should take advantage of this opportunity as it may not result in the summer bluefishing we used to take for granted.
The west winds will be fine for surfcasters. Small craft warnings are up through Friday morning before changing to a gale warning from Friday afternoon to late night with gusts to 40 knots.
Capt. Dave De Gennaro just got his Hi Flier in the water at Barnegat. and is ready to start chartering with a Sunday noon trip. His son, Capt. Nick, was casting topwater lures in Barnegat Bay this morning along with a friend and catching school stripers that were mostly from 18 to 24 inches, but included some from 24 to 28 inches.
Chuck Many fished eels yesterday afternoon with his Ty Man from Highlands and released seven stripers up to 33 pounds.
Bluefish are showing up in both surf and boat catches despite continuing cold water temperatures in NY/NJ Bight.
Both Betty & Nicks and Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park reported surf catches, and the former also had a school striper surf report from yesterday evening on lures. One angler also reported two 30-inchers. Grumpy’s posted a shot of Thomas with a surf blue this morning.
Andreas Toy from Keyport got into a limit of Raritan Bay stripers this morning with bass up to 35 inches before looking for surface action with those fish, but only finding gator blues! That may be a blessing for party boats which have been struggling to get bites from legal stripers despite lots of marks. The choppers may be more willing biters. Capt. Rob Semkewyc reported another frustrating trip yesterday with his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands as the marks didn’t result into any bass larger than 27 inches.
Blackfishing closes with the end of the month; but Capt. Joe Massa found it to be very good yesterday as he and Bobby Glynn caught about 25 of legal size from about 100 off Long Branch on My Three Sons out of Morgan Marina and added a cod.
The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported a good pick of blacks on Tuesday with some limits and lots of shorts plus sea bass that had to be released.
The fine weather starts to turn as southwest winds at just 5-10 knots also produce patchy fog and a chance of showers in the morning which are also possible in the afternoon as the wind gusts to 20 knots at night.
Following are the leaders in the HRFA Fred Rung Memorial Fishing Tournament :
Current WEEK 2 LEADER BOARD(Week 2 ends 7:00 AM Saturday May 2nd) Largest: Jerry Crean (39.67″ entered 4/25 at 9:51 AM)2nd Largest: Keith Baez (39.67″ entered 4/25 at 8:36 PM)3rd Largest: Charlie Spindelman (25.00″)4th Largest: Dirk VanEverdingen (25.00″)5th Largest: Carl Hartmann (25.00″)
Largest from Shore: Dirk VanEverdingen (25.00″)Largest Tagged: Jerry Crean (39.67″)Most Tagged: Charlie Spindelman (14)2nd Most Tagged: Chris Palmer (13)
The great fishing weather continues with the morning forecast of 5-10 knots south winds.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar still hasn’t found ocean stripers yet, but did well with blackfish this morning as there were three limits and lots of shorts plus a few ling, cod and mackerel.
Capt. Ron Santee reports conditions weren’t favorable this morning as he only picked at small stripers with wind against current in Raritan Bay with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands.
Jim Hutchinson Sr. reports for the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Assn. as follows:
The captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association are noticing a slow increase in water temperatures which has them looking eagerly ahead to an increase in fishing action. Some have already found some of that action.
Right now, striped bass and bluefish seasons are wide open. The tog action has been good, but that season will close on May 1 until August 1. Black sea bass opens on May 15, and summer flounder become legal prey on May 22.
Captain Carl Sheppard has already had some groups out on the Star Fish working some inshore structure for bottom action. Although keepers have been a little hard to come by, black sea bass and tog have been keeping the rods bent. The top fish so far has been a beauty of a tog measuring out to 18.5-inches.
Captain Gary Dugan of the Irish Jig has been catching striped bass in Great Bay and tog on the reefs. One recent trip resulted in two keeper tog to 21-inches.
Captain Brett Taylor of Reel Reaction Sport fishing had Max Cavallaro and friends on a bay and inlet trip. They picked a few tog on a jetty with one keeper while fishing with fly rods. On another trip he had I had Howie Tanenbaum with his 5-year-old son Penn on their 1st ever charter. Fishing in shallow water for bass both anglers managed to boat bass. A highlight of the trip was a sighting of a small seal.
Captain John Lewis has been busy setting up his spring schedule of boat deliveries. He is one of the top captains around for ferrying boats back and forth from winter harbors in the south. He says he has some open dates open for a couple more deliveries.
The Junior Mate classes this year will be starting on Thursday June 24 at 7:00 PM. The 2021 schedule has been posted on the Association website at www.BHCFA.net
Classes will be held at the Beach Haven Marlin & Tuna complete with social distancing and all activities outside under an overhang. This year will feature a new variety of classes designed to be relevant to teenagers.
The northwest wind seems to have kept most boaters ashore today, but light winds and modest seas should dominate until Thursday night. West winds at just 5-10 knots are forecast for Tuesday before going southwest in the afternoon.
The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported a picky bottom bite on Sunday though there were some blackfish limits and many shorts. The Golden Eagle from that port will be sailing daily this week while looking for the first ocean stripers and bottom fishing if they don’t bite.
The Jamaica from Brielle is already looking ahead to the sea bass season and taking reservations for Sea Bass Marathons that still have openings on May 16 from 6-4, and May 17 from 7:30 to 3:30. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.
Striped bass fishing in Raritan Bay has been tough for some, but Chuck Many’s crews on Ty Man have been releasing big bass regularly.
Wind and rain resulted in no reports, but things are looking up during the week as the New Jersey tautog season ends as the month runs out.
Small craft warnings are up as northwest winds blow through Monday afternoon. The morning forecast is for 20-25 knots before diminishing to 15-20 plus higher gusts in the afternoon which should produce a flat ocean during the week.
Though there have been lots of striped bass in Raritan Bay, there have been many days when they haven’t been biting well. Charter skippers and striper pros have usually been able to work around that by changing areas and techniques, but the situation has been tough on party boats as noted in the following post yesterday by Capt. Rob Semkewyc of the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands.
“This has been one of the hardest starts to a spring striper season that I can remember. We are catching some shorts, but it’s not good fishing. I keep hoping every trip that this is the day they are going to eat. I have never seen so many fish. The charter boats that are trolling are catching some fish but most days are not even that good. We have a full moon tonight and I hope and pray that things get going next week. We will keep trying that’s all I can do. See you soon, Capt. Rob”
One of the great mysteries in fishing is how long it takes for predator fish to attack the same bait or lure which fooled them once before.?
That probably varies greatly with species. Blue sharks may be at the top of the list in learning nothing. I once caught the same blue shark during a single long drift in Butterfish Hole off Montauk using bunker fillets. That happened decades ago when I was one of the first to use center consoles for sharking despite warnings from big boat skippers of impending doom. I was tagging sharks alone on my Mako 21 that day and did have my only problem sharking as I found it hard to believe the same shark had been hooked three times. Thinking maybe another shark with a fresh tag in it might have fooled me, I pulled it close enough to the boat to try to read the tiny tag number — when the blue slapped me on the head with its tail. That knocked my sunglasses into the boat and proved to be a learning experience about not taking chances even with blue sharks!
A freshwater experience in one of my Ft. Myers ponds put a time frame on largemouth bass after I broke off a relatively small bass due to a bad spot in my leader. A week later, in the same pond and the same area of it, I hooked a bass with exactly the same twister tail grub and found my old leader hanging out of its mouth. That worked out well for the bass as it had tried to swallow the lure which had stuck in its throat and prevented it from getting anything else down before I removed both identical lures.
Tuesday morning I fished the same pond which usually provides a few small bass that will hit my 3-inch Z Man DieZel MinnowZ paddletail run across the surface with no weight. After a few small bass hits I saw a wake behind the surface lure and hooked a big bass that started jumping and thrashing on my light spinning tackle. I managed to get her up to the wet shore when she flipped over and made a couple of short runs against the drag before I moved her in again only to have the hook pull.
I returned to the same pond this morning with no expectations, and was shut out until I got to the same area where I had lost the big bass. A blind hit resulted in a big bass jumping, and this time everything went well as I released a 24-inch bucketmouth with a 14-inch girth. It looked exactly like the bass I had a clear view of when it was on the wet shore for a second – and can’t imagine that there could be two such seemingly identical large bass in a pond that small.
Though the weather was fine this morning, Capt. Ron Santee found the Raritan Bay water temperature down to 48 degrees. He had found an early bite of school stripers on bait from his Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands on Friday, with one angler releasing five. Yet, there was nothing doing this morning until he went further west in the bay to find 51 degrees and a few bass up to 27 inches. He won’t be sailing Sunday due to the weather.
Northeast winds at 15-20 knots are predicted for the morning along with rain. The winds drop to 10-15 in the afternoon before the clearing switch to northwest at night.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar got a good start bottom fishing this morning with lots of short blackfish and some keepers plus ling and out of season sea bass.
The Ocean Explorer from Belmar had good Friday conditions which produced a few tog limits plus cod. See photo below.
Following is the press release for the Manhattan Cup which is returning after last year’s postponement due to the pandemic.
The Manhattan Cup Charity Striped Bass Tournament, presented by Yamaha Outboards, is scheduled for June 4, 2021 at Liberty Landing Marina and the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City, NJ. You can support transitioning combat veterans and striped bass conservation by entering to fish in any of the categories or by making a tax-deductible charitable donation. Visit www.manhattancup.com for details.
The Manhattan Cup is an all-release tournament that encourages tagging of all released fish. All winning fish will be determined by a simple length/girth measurement with photo verification to reduce time out of the water and further improve survivability. Certified measuring devices will be provided. A portion of the revenue generated will be used for satellite tagging striped bass in conjunction with Gray FishTag Research and other programs aimed at conversation through expanding scientific knowledge of these amazing creatures.
The Manhattan Cup brings combat veterans to fish the tournament in a special Warrior Division aboard boats donated by area charter captains, light-tackle guides and anglers. Most are dealing with visible and invisible wounds such as PTSD. In past years this the tournament has introduced numerous vets to the joy of fishing helping some with a difficult readjustment to life after combat, while honoring their service and sacrifice.
If you’ve fished the Manhattan Cup before you know it is a first-class event that includes a pre-fishing breakfast and captain/angler meeting, gourmet box lunches for all, and an awards dinner/BBQ in the shadow of the NYC skyline at the Liberty House Restaurant. All health requirements will be in place for the event to keep participants and personnel a safe environment. Celebrity anglers will be in attendance and we will again honor FDNY hero and warrior MSgt. Christopher J. Raguso, who lost his life during Operation Inherent Resolve, the fight to destroy ISIS, in Syria in 2018. Chris was flying an air force rescue helicopter in support of special forces when his chopper went down in enemy held territory.
There are several ways you can enter or support the event. Captains can donate their boat and services for the day on our website or by calling Capt. Frank Crescitelli. Anglers can enter as a team and fish from their own boats in the Sportsman Division. Angler teams can purchase a professional captain and boat for the day or enter as an individual and be assigned to a charter boat. Can’t fish, but want to help? Make a donation to sponsor one or more warriors. No donation is too small, all are greatly appreciated. Your company can become a tournament sponsor with a product or a cash donation by calling Gary Caputi or John DePersenaire. Dinner tickets will also be available for purchase to non-fishermen who want to honor our heroes and get in on the celebration, raffles, auctions and fun.
The Manhattan Cup Charity Striped Bass Tournament, presented by Yamaha Outboards, is scheduled for June 4, 2021 at Liberty Landing Marina and the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City, NJ. You can support transitioning combat veterans and striped bass conservation by entering to fish in any of the categories or by making a tax-deductible charitable donation. Visit www.manhattancup.com for details.
Go to www.manhattancup.com and sign up, donate or purchase tickets. If you have questions call John DePersenaire at the RFA at 609-294-3810, Gary Caputi at 732-740-9982 or Capt. Frank Crescitelli at 917-468-4817.
The Manhattan Cup is underwritten and sponsored by the RFA-Fisheries Conservation Trust and presented by Yamaha Outboards. Sponsors include Staten Island Yacht Sales, Steigercraft boats, Interlux, Raymarine, Liberty Landing Marina, Black Rifle Coffee, D&R Boat Sales, Fin Chasers TV, Tsunami Awesome Tackle, Bimini Bay, The Fisherman, Alltackle.com, AFW Fishing Brands, Tony Maja Products, Starbrite, Princeton Tec, StormR, Costa del Mar Sunglasses, Pettit, Manhattan2Montauk, Guides Secret lures, Gray Taxidermy, the Recreational Fishing Alliance, AFTCO, ‘Wichcraft, and other companies to be announced at a later date.
Nick Honachefsky is offering a new surf guiding service during which he will show anglers how to fish the barrier islands and Island Beach State Park. For details e-mail Nick at saltwaterunderground @gmail.com
Today’s west wind was fine for surfcasters, but there were no boat reports. However, those west winds should have flattened the ocean in time for Saturday — when the forecast is for west winds at 5-10 knots before becoming south at 10-15 with gusts to 20 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, that will lead to east winds and rain on Sunday.
Capt. Joe Massa not only caught blackfish not far off Long Branch Sunday, but also added cod on his My Three Sons from Morgan Marina.
Tight Lines 