Jersey Shore surfcasting has been generally so poor that the weekend northeaster could actually be a blessing in disguise. Joe Melillo thinks the problem could be continuing cold surf waters, and that may change after the storm. Last Sunday’s Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament at IBSP was contested in perfect weather and Tom Fote of the JCAA said 455 anglers fished in flat calm surf to catch very little even though the fluke season was open unlike in many previous events,
The press release follows:
Summer Weather and Summer FlounderA summer-like day had participants in the Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament enjoy a day of family fishing fun at Island Beach State Park despite not catching a lot of fish. DEP Acting Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and DEP Assistant Commissioner Ray Bukowski were able spend time on the beach visiting with some participants.Tyler Bender of Milford won the tournament cup with a 21 1/2″ bluefish, and Manasquan High School won the High School Team category with a 20 5/8″ summer flounder.
Fishing conditions are looking poor for the weekend with small craft warnings for northeast winds up tomorrow before a gale warning in the afternoon. I’ll catch up with reports tomorrow. .
Chuck Many reports “Awesome couple days of Tagging big Stripers with Gray FishTag Research (Jim Hutchinson Jr., Bill Dobbelaer, John Tiedemann, Bob Nikki Bowden, Roxanne Wilmer). Got a Satellite Tag in a beautiful 44”, 35 pound Bass and tagged about a dozen more to 49”, 44 pounds. Great times, Great People!!”
Capt. Rob Semkewyc didn’t have enough anglers to make his live lining striper trip this morning on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands, but will try again tomorrow.
The forecast is good , with west winds at 5-10 knots before a northeaster rolls in for the weekend.
The Jamaica reported mostly limits of sea bass yesterday along with ling and even another monkfish. They will continue with that fishing from Brielle at 7:3 0 each morning
The Golden Eagle from Belmar had limits of sea bass again today..
Capt. Rob Semkewyc didn’t have enough anglers to make a live lining trip for stripers today with his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands. However, he will try again tomorrow.
Everyone seems to be doing well with sea bass this season, but there’s often some variety in the catch. The Jamaica from Brielle found that to be the case on Monday when two monkfish were added along with a few whiting.
Monkfish are properly known as anglers, and also commonly called goosefish as they’ve been known to clamp on a dangling goose leg in shallow waters and drag the unfortunate bird to the bottom. The angler grows to well over 50 pounds, and is capable of swallowing prey almost as large as itself. My personal record of 42 1/2 pounds was caught on an umbrella rig being trolled with wire line at Shark’s Ledge off Block Island. Though ugly, they are very good eating and only have one bone running through a mound of meat after cleaning.
After a long stretch of fine weather, there’s a change starting Wednesday after starting with 10-15-knot southwest winds. In the afternoon it kicks up to 15-20 knots with a chance of showers and thunder storms.
I’m traveling back to N.J. today, and won’t be back in time to do another blog until Wednesday night.
There have been sea bass openers when that fishing died down to a pick after the initial burst, but that doesn’t seem to be the case so far as limits are still common. The Golden Eagle from Belmar was able to put in the day on just one wreck that produced 95% keeper sea bass. However, conditions weren’t right for bluefish which have been showing up most days. Those 2-4-pounders have been hitting jigs.
The Mimi VI from Point Pleasant has last minute openings on tomorrow’s trip as follows:
“Open Boat Sea BassTomorrow. May 25 2 spots opened up!! 6:30am departure, 15 man max, $110 Call 732-370-8019 between 8am and 8pm to reserve your spots. Pulling up Sea Bass, Ling, Cod!! And a few other surprises too! Or book your private Charter…. see our Rates Page at www.mimivi.com“
See Mimi sea bass at bottom of page
Due to the slow start with fluke, the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands will be switching to live lining for striped bass on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The trips are limited to 20 anglers at $100 by reservation.
The Sea Tiger II from that port did a lot of running around for few fluke Sunday morning, but had one fare with the first three-fluke limit on the afternoon trip when a few blues were also caught.
Capt. Stan Zagleski Jr. said the first weekend of fluking on Elaine B II from Bahrs in Highlands only produced a pick of shorts and keepers, but the highlight was seeing a large whale just 20 feet off the bow at the dock.
Results from yesterday’s Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament haven’t been posted as yet.
As expected with the early start to the New Jersey fluke season, here were mostly shorts among a pick of fish in cool northern waters– though I suspect that they did much better in South Jersey. Yet. there was at least one fluke worth bragging about as The Tackle Box in Hazlet reported Richard Downato of Kearny boated an 8-pounder which hit a Fisherman’s Choice squid strip soaked in crab oil plus a killie drifted in Sandy Hook Channel.
At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Rob Semkewyc found a few fluke in shallow bay waters with his Sea Hunter, but it wasn’t good fishing. He saw surfacing stripers, and is thinking about setting up a livelining trip this week if enough anglers call to indicate their interest.
Capt. Ron Santee Jr. was happy he stuck with sea bass, and also added a couple of cod plus ling on the Fishermen. A charter today loaded up on sea bass durng a single drop and also had a cod,
The half-day Sea Tiger II reported the Saturday trips produced only a few keepers and shorts. Steve Kaminski caught the first keeper of the season to win a free trip.
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Nick Honachefsky opened the fluke seaso at Manasquan while fishing with a frend as they caught 60 fluke but could keep only three.
Chuck Many continued to rack up 50-pound strier releases yesterday evening on his Tyman from Highlands as he put Bob and Nikki Bowden plus Rich Carpenter into bass from 36 to 53 pounds.
Though there’s a swell from the,south. the wind forecast for Monday is just south at 10-15 knots with a 3-5-foot sea. The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant reported that the swell interfered with bluefishing, but they also added sea bass. They won’t be sailing tomorrow due to that swell.
The Berkeley Striper Club’s Catch & Release Striped BassTournament starts on May 28. Visit berkeleystriperclub.org for info.
The Asbury Park Fishing Club Tournament was won by the home team with 68 points over the Spring Lake Lineliners with 37, and the Shark River Anglers with 33 points. Congratulations to Tom Cook (Shark River) for largest striped bass at 20 pounds.
The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife issued the following release:
Beautiful Weather, Fluke Season is Open and Prize Categories for All!
The Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament is at Island Beach State Park this Sunday, May 23. Fishing is from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will not be an awards ceremony, but winners will receive their prizes that day.Tournament participants planning to register in-person should arrive with the registration form completed. (Also available to pick up at park gatehouse.)In-person registration opens at 5:00 a.m. If you mailed in your registration you should receive your registration packet in the mail.
For info call 609 748-4347 or visit the Division’s web site.
Sorry for the short blog, but I’ve been involved in the Baptisim of my granddaughter at St.Ann Church in Palm Beach and the family gathering.. Will catch up tomorrow.
The fluke season in New Jersey opens Saturday , and many party boats will be shifting over to the flatfish. Be sure to check wth your favorite skipper before coming down. The regulations are the same as last year. .
Since sea bass fishing remains good, Capt. Ron Santee Jr. has decided to continue with that sport on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands. The bite was a little off yesterday, but was back in shape today along with some ling and winter flounder.
Also at that port, the Sea Hunter switches to daily fluke from 8-2. after finishing up what had been a tough striper season by enjoying a hot bite on live bunkers Wednesday and Thursday. As a result, Capt. RobSemkewyc is planning to run a few evening striper trips from 2:30 to 8 p.m. with a limit of 20 anglers at $100.
The forecast remains good with a southwest wind of just 10 knots, though there is a 4 to 6-foot swell from the east which small boaters can avoid by drifting off the Coast Guard Station inside Sandy Hook Bay or in the inlets.
Bluefish in the 2-4-pound class provided limit jigging catches today for the Golden Eagle out of Belmar — and then the boat was also almost limited with sea bass.
Andreas Toy from Keyport hade a run far offshore this week to fill the box with 30 tilefish up to 15 pounds.
Raritan Bay area striper fishing remains excelent fot big bass speialsts. Chuck Many trolled eels to put his anglers into personal bests of 52 and 54 pounds on his Tyman out of Highlands. SEE PHOTO BELOW.
Capt. Vinny Vetere reported 26 stripers up to 47 pounds yesterday morning while trolling his TGT bunker spoons from Katfish out of Great Kills. His largest release so far was a 51-pounder. The next opening on Katfish is on Tuesday, and then the following Saturday and Sunday.
Jim Hutchinson Jr. of The Fisherman magazine reports as follows:
A former commercial bunker boat, Carters Creek, takes a few final breaths before her 145-foot hull sinks to rest at the ocean floor at Manasquan Reef. Kudos to the Greater Point Pleasant Charter Boat Association and The Sportfishing Fund for sponsoring the new deployment, and especially the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife.
Capt. Stan Zagleski Jr. will be switching to daily fluke fishing on Saurday with his Elaine B. II from Bahrs in Highlands. His father set stadards for party boat doornats that he’ll be trying to eclipse this year.
Also switching to fluke on Saturday will be the half-day Sea Tiger from Atlantic Highlands. They jigged a 35-inch striper Sunday morning, and had a few blues on the fternoon trip.
The beautiful weather continues with 5-knot east winds in the morning before increasing late in the afternoon.
Though some giant bluefins already made a showing in NY/NJ Bight before that season closed, they’ve been replaced by some mediums that can be targeted. N.Y. skipper John McMurry has been specializing in “running and gunning” with anglers ready to cast poppers and jigs to hefty bluefins — and has gotten into early bluefins such as the one below,
Striped bass aren’t running quite that large, but many of those being caught n the Raritan Bay ara are well above the maximum length. Capt. Vinny Vetere has been doing very well with them on his Katfish out of Great Kills, but due to a scheduling problem may have from Friday to Sunday open for chaters. Call him at 917 693-8968.
Sea bass fishing remains very good, but some N.J. boats will be switching to fluke with the opening of that season on Saturday. After a year off due to the pandemic, the Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament returns to Island Beach State Park on Sunday — and this time fluke will be in season and an official contested species.
Bob Matthews. at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina says sea bass fishing is still in high gear for party boats at the marina. His skiffs are ready for Saturday’s fluke opener, and those who have sampled the river are anticipating good catches. Bob also notes there are small blues off the tennis courts, and big bass are being trolled out to the three mile line.
The Jamaica from Brielle will be running limited sea bass trips at 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. over the weekend.
Weakfish have been scarce the last few years, but Jim Hutchinson Sr. passed along an interesting report of a Barnegat Bay trip by Capt. Brett Taylr who put his party into five weaks up to 6 pounds plus 35 releases on Reel Reaction from Beach Haven.
The Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands will be making a last effort with stripers on Thursday by fishing with live bunkers. Friday will be a day off to get ready for fluke on Saturday.
The weather looks good again with southeast winds at just 5-10 knots.
Vinny D’Anton made his first attempt of the season wading in Shark River yesterday, and went through all his favorite lures before catching a couple of 21-inch stripers on his go-to seatrout lure, the D.O.A. Shrimp. However, that didn’t work today before he came up with a single schoolie on his favorite lure — the Chug Bug.
A summer-like day had participants in the Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament enjoy a day of family fishing fun at Island Beach State Park despite not catching a lot of fish. DEP Acting Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and DEP Assistant Commissioner Ray Bukowski were able spend time on the beach visiting with some participants.Tyler Bender of Milford won the tournament cup with a 21 1/2″ bluefish, and Manasquan High School won the High School Team category with a 20 5/8″ summer flounder. 
