Capt. Rob Semkewyc didn’t know what he would find with his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands on his first trip after the storm, and was surprised to get into his best volume fishing of a great fall season with over over 700 stripers jigged by 15 anglers. Big Bob upped his boat record with 116. Rob will continue sailing as long as the weather holds.

Jerry Lasko didn’t have a good report from the surf as he and Maren Toleno did nothing both in the Ocean County surf and at IBSP. The water had a strange tint to it. but was very fishable.

Sunday’s forecast is for SW winds at 5-10 knots before going NW after midnight. There’s a chance of rain in the evening.

The storm made a mess of the ocean, but that condition should change rapidly with a forecast of light winds and modest seas over the weekend.

We’re down to very few party and charter boats still operating, but the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands is going to be seeking those massive schools of school stripers that were off Sandy Hook before it became impossible to get out there. Capt. Rob Semkewyc will sail Saturday and Sunday before deciding whether to continue after that. The Shore blackfish boats will probably get back to fishing as the bottom settles — and the Elaine B II from Highlands will resume sailing for blackfish at 7 a.m. Saturday. The Ocean Explorer from Belmar will be sailing. and they note that the seasonal pool for largest tog is up to over $3000. They will be heading south and fishing in deep waters for the biggest tog.

The Jamaica from Brielle is resuming their almost nightly runs to far offshore wrecks for jumbo sea bass and porgies. Though expensive, those trips are usually well worth the time and expense for the largest sizes of the target species plus quantities rarely seen on inshore wrecks in season. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

Surfcasters are hoping to find some school stripers left after the waters clear. With west winds coming, conditions should be good for several days. The surf should be calm instead of what it looked like at Bay Head when Jerry Lasko checked it yesterday morning (see below).

Small craft warnings come down at 6 p.m. Saturday starts with north winds at a mere 5-10 knots and seas down to 2 to 3 feet as the wind shifts to west in the afternoon. That sets up Sunday with 5-10 knot southwest winds.

The ocean didn’t look good today. but but it should improve be the weekend so anglers can determine whether stripers are still with us. The big swell won’t do inshore bottom fishing any good, but wrecks far offshore should continue to produce lots of jumbo sea bass and porgies.

The Jamaica from Brielle continues to add trips to the deep water wrecks where fishing should actually improve as water temperatures decrease. Sunday’s trip produced a few blues plus a couple of weakfish in addition to the target species. Abdullah Samadeen from Philadelphia won the pool with a 6.5-pound sea bass, followed by Gary Nelson of Chester Twp. at 5.5 pounds. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar did so well on those wrecks that they’ve set another for Dec, 19 at 7 p.m. Make reservations at goldeneaglefishing,com

Gale warnings came down at 4 p.m. after north gusts to 40 knots. Friday’s forecast is for north winds at 10-15 knots with 4 to 5 foot seas.

Even the beginning of a gale couldn’t stop some surfcasters from getting in a possible last shot at stripers before the storm.

Nick Honachefsky reported “
Crushed it this morning again in the surf! Nasty 25 to 30 knots northeast fish started hitting at 615 am until 8 am red hot. All on black tail ava jigs you had to get to the bottom but soon as you began to reel, whamo! Landed 16 fish and shook off another 5 or so with the heavy surf. Some were pushing the 29 inch mark. Hands were ice cold numb once they got wet! If I was casting all the time i was trying to warm my hands up probably would’ve had more fish “

The forecast shifts to a storm warning at 6 p.m. with NE gusts to 50 knots and seas up to 14 feet plus snow and rain. Thursday starts with north winds at 25-38 knots and gusts to 40 before diminishing to to 20-25 knots in the afternoon.

Now for some warmer thoughts here’s Sean Worrell with a Florida tripletail.

Fishable conditions continue into tomorrow morning, but there will be a big change by the afternoon.

The day starts with northeast winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 before increasing to 20-25 with gusts to 35 in the afternoon. Rain and snow are likely . and the winds will gust to 45 knots at night.

Jerry Lasko said the Ocean County surf was clear and calm this morning as he and Maren Toleno enjoyed 45 minutes of hot action with school stripers feeding on sand eels. He released eight while Maren totaled 22.

Bob Matthews reported from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that winter flounder fishing has been good in Shark River. You’re only allowed two flounder a day, but a kayack angler caught his from among a dozen.

The forecast for tomorrow is good enough for fishing, but there may not be much left inshore after the northeast storm predicted for midweek.

Tomorrow starts with northwest winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25 before diminishing to 10-15 in the afternoon.

Capt. Rob Semkewyc had a fine striper trip today on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands. His report follows:

SEA HUNTER RAINY MONDAY 12-14 REPORT

 “We went out with a handful of diehard  fishermen. Plenty of action loads of shorts Everyone took home a slot fish and we had one that was 32 inches. I am not going to try again till probably the weekend. I will check the weather and keep you updated.  Hopefully we can get a few more trips in.

Hope to see you soon, Capt. Rob”🔚

With waters still relatively mild, striped bass have been reluctant to leave the Jersey Shore, but boat options for anglers are disappearing as a mid-week northeaster gets closer.

At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Ron Santee Jr. went out in a blaze of glory with his Fishermen today as the high hook jigged 79 stripers. Capt. Rob Semkewyc had a slot bass for everyone from among the many small fish plus some keepers on his Sea Hunter. He will be sailing in the morning, but has cancelled the rest of the week.

Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that the blackfish boats have had their moments, including their capture of a 15-pound tog. Winter flounder are being caught from the docks. Tom Tini from Pa. caught eight up to a 3 1/8-pounder while keeping only his limit of two. Matthews notes that surfcasting for mostly 24-28-inch stripers has its moments for those casting Tsunami Sand Eels and similar sand eel lures. Add a teaser unless you don’t want to deal with hickory shad.

Dan Sheehan reports there were small stripers feeding in the wash at Sea Bright early this morning, but hits were few and far between.

Jerry Lasko had a good morning yesterday in the Ocean County surf when he and Maren Toleno waded out on the sand bar to get into better-sized bass including some keeper releases up to a 32-incher by Maren as part her 15 while Jerry counted 10. The yellow-tailed Ava jig plus a teaser did the job as they both had two doubleheaders. A south wind killed the afternoon bite as Jerry only added two bass.

Frank Huza went to Island Beach State Park early this morning where he couldn’t get hit, but saw four bass caught among many anglers. His next surfcasting trip will be on April 1, 2021.

Vinnie D’Anton left the surf stripers to fish out of his winter home in Sarasota and got into 15 large spotted sea trout on DOA Shrimp and MirrOlures during his first wading attempt.

Monday’s forecast is for northeast winds at only 5-10 knots before increasing to 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 in the afternoon.

The Atlantic Highlands party boats had loads of stripers once again, but it appears that shorts are becoming a larger proportion of the catch. The Sea Hunter had slots and a few keepers. The weather coming up after tomorrow may signal an end to the great jigging. Capt. Rob Semkewyc figures rain will scare away anglers Monday, but he’ll try Tuesday if enough customers call him. Capt. Ron Santee Jr. had an all day bite on the Fishermen with a 10-pound bass taking the pool. He’ll try sailing into next week.

Nick Honachefsky had a great time in the Ocean County surf yesterday morning with 15 bass up to 32 inches on a green tail Ava plus teaser. Frank Huza went to IBSP this morning and had lots of company. He managed a 21-inch bass, but one group of anglers caught them steadily.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar had a super offshore wreck trip for big sea bass plus lots of porgies. They limited on sea bass and bluefish before daylight, and also caught weakfish, cod and ling. Another trip is possible next week if enough anglers e-mail goldeneaglefishing.com for the $205 sailing.

Sunday’s forecast is for southwest winds at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20.

Chuck Many reports from Cape Charles as follows:

“Definitely a WOOOOOOOO kind of day going 5 for 8 on monsters with a 57 and 52 pounder!!!! Trying the new Shimano Teramar New England Series combo with Trinidad 30, absolutely sick!! Why do you take your boat to VA and get skunked 4 days in a row??? This is why!! All released unharmed”.

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Capt. Rob Semkewyc said striped bass jigging on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands was good by normal standards, but it was the first time in a while that the boat wasn’t limited on slots as smaller bass dominated.

Frank Huza of Aberdeen went all the way to IBSP where he managed two 25-inch bass.

Jerry Lasko said it was slower on Ocean County beaches as he and Maren Toleno had to get out on the bars where she caught eight and he had one casting skinny metals plus teasers.

The Jamaica from Brielle may have a few spots open Saturday’s 10 p.m. sailing to offshore wrecks for jumbo sea bass and porgies. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

The Saturday forecast is for south winds at 5-10 knots with a chance of fog and showers before switching to southeast with gusts to 20 in the afternoon.

Historically. it hasn’t been often that anglers seeking striped bass could be concerned only about how many and not if they were going to catch them when they left port.

That hasn’t been the case lately in NY/NJ Bight, but it won’t last forever.

Fishing was a bit slower in the ocean today as the Golden Eagle from Belmar reported stripers and some blues for a decent catch, The bite was best early, and they had to move around to find more. Tomorrow’s 6:30 trip will be their last for stripers.

There was no change in the great jigging for Atlantic Highlands boats. The Sea Hunter had a slot bass for everyone and some over 28 inches. The Fishermen reported they moved into deeper waters to add some larger bass up to 34 inches. The action slowed after the tide changed and the wind came up.

Jerry Lasko said the Ocean County surf was flat and the striper fishing flow. After he outfished Maren Toleno yeterday, everything was back to normal today as Maren scratched out five and Jerry couldn;t score. He noted that some peanut binker were spotted in the evening.

There may be some rain on the weekend, but Friday looks great with southwest winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20.

“Paul Haertel reported on Facebook about blackfishing on his boat out of Barnegat Inlet as follows: Well this kid, Peter Hammond is in big trouble. Once again he broke the boat rules by catching a bigger fish than the Captain. This time though he did it twice with two personal best, the first weighing in at 10 lbs 2 oz and the second a whopping 13 lbs. 3 oz. To his credit though he released both of them. Today he even outfished King Dante Soriente though Dante had some nice ones and was high hook. My friend Jeff C and I managed a few tog though. Congrats Pete but don’t let this happen again. All on Magictails. #magictails“

123Jim Freda, Chris Lido and 121 others39 Comments6 SharesLikeCommentShare

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