The big one for saltwater anglers, the Saltwater Fishing Expo, is coming up from March 13-15 in the N.J. Convention Hall at Edison. As always, all of the big national fishing tackle manufactures will have full displays , along with many local firms. There will be a full slate of seminars, though I will only be there on Saturday, March 14 with a program on big stripers and the usual Tady Lure giveaway to everyone attending the seminar.  I’ll have a lot more on this event as it gets closer.

Striped bass fishing is off to a slow start, but Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park reports some are being caught on both sides of the bay with bloodworms and various small lures including swimmers. A few keepers may be among them.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar expects a nice day tomorrow, and will be sailing for cod. Though it’s windy as this being written, the morning forecast is down to northwest at 10-15 knots with gusts to 25 before switching to west at just 5-10 knots in the afternoon.

 

 

There have been scattered reports of small stripers, but Dave Lily knows that it’s still too early for a real effort. He determines that without even getting his hands wet by looking for earthworms coming out of the ground after a rain. So far, bot a single worm in Hazlet!

That being the case, you might as well take in Capt. Vinny Vetere’s presentation on striper trolling at tonight’s Hi-Mar Striper Club meeting in Bahrs Landing, Highlands. Vinny didn’t provide a time, but I imagine that 8 p.m. would be likely. Percy Wentworth will also be there to demonstrate throwing his famous cast nets.  Prospective members are welcome.

Small craft warnings are up to tomorrow afternoon. West winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 30 are predicted for the morning.

Only 10 tickets are still available or Sunday’s Canyon Runner Seminar at Freeport, L. I.. —  and none will be available at the door for the limited event that costs $150 plus tax. Ten tickets are available at no charge for first responders and the military. Call 732 272-4445.

 

The Canyon Runner fleet, which is booking for an Oregon Inlet charter boat makes a point about the abundance of giant bluefin tuna in the offshore waters there. If you’ve never caught a giant, this may be your best shot at doing so. Trolling is also producing “meat” in the form of school yellowfins and mako sharks.  Call 732 272-4445 for info.

 

Phil Sciortino, at The Tackle Box in Hazlet, got reports of school stripers bitting after midnight for shore casters along Raritan Bay. Bloodworms are the bait. Phil saw a photo of a released bass that was definitely over 28 inches. That fishing should get steadily better in the warm days coming up.

Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina reports just a few winter flounder were caught there yesterday during the opening day for that species.

Small craft warnings remain up tonight, but the morning forecast is for only southwest at 5-10 knots before going to south in the afternoon with possible showers.

It’s been cold and windy, but we should be seeing better conditions and warmer temperatures this week  However, that may take a couple of days to arrive.

Small craft warnings are up for Monday morning to night, though the day starts with south winds at 10-15 knots before going to 15-20 in the afternoon — and gusting to 30 knots southwest after midnight. It looks a lot better by Tuesday.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar didn’t sail for cod this weekend due to the cold, windy weather.

 

 

 

After a mild winter with hardly any snow or very low temperatures, striped bass should be biting tomorrow as bays and rivers are opened for striped bass fishing .

School bass should certainly be available to those using seaworms and clams — and it’s likely that a 28-inch keeper will be landed somewhere.

The internal waters were closed many years ago  in N.J. as stripers would often hold over in deep holes where they were vulnerable to netting and snagging. The surf is open all year, and in the old days there used to be school bass caught on bloodworms in such areas as Island Beach State Park during March, though I haven’t heard of anyone trying that in recent years.

A traditional hot spot for early stripers from shore has been Graveling Point in Great Bay.  There will also be anglers wading out from Raritan Bay shorelines  to cast worms out into the shallow waters that are warmed by the sun. It should be warm enough for that tomorrow, but northwest winds are in your face there — and that’s what is forecasted for the morning at 15-20 knots before dropping to west at 10-15 in the afternoon.  J

Check with tackle shops about the availability of bait. The winter flounder season also opens tomorrow, though those once abundant fish have been harder to catch than stripers during the last few years.  A likely spot has been from the Belmar Marina docks, and Fisherman’s Den there plans to have worms available.

The blackfish season closed yesterday, so any party boats sailing into what should be a calm sea after all the west wind we’ve experienced will be seeking cod.

The World Fishing & Outdoor Show winds up at Rockland Community College Field House in Suffern, N.Y. with Family Day from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. as children 11 and younger are admitted free with an adult paying the $14 entrance fee.

The Atlantic City Boat Show concludes its 40th year from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Convention Hall.

The Berkeley Striper Club Fishing Flea Market runs from 9-2 in Toms River North Intermediate School.

 

 

 

 

 

Enough wind already! That west wind must have completely flattened the ocean  and blown most of the water off the beach, Now if it would just lay down and give anglers a break as the internal waters open up for striped bass and winter flounder on Sunday.

The weather is perfect for driving to the World Fishing & Outdoor Expo in Rockland County Community Field House at Suffern, N.Y. The first time that show tried to open its doors it couldn’t do so because a blizzard had blown in. It wasn’t until that Sunday that more than a few people could get there over almost impassible roads to see booths from almost every national fishing tackle manufacturer. I figured they’d never be back, but there hasn’t been any such problem since.

The Expo is open till 8  p.m. today, and runs from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday before concluding Sunday from 9:30-5. Parking is free, and adult admission is $14 .Children from 6-11 pay $3, but Sunday is Family Day when there’s no admission charge for those 11 or younger. For seminar schedules and other details visit Sportshows.com.

The Atlantic City Boat Show also runs through the weekend in Convention Hall. The hours are 10-8 tomorrow, and 10-6 Sunday. Adult admission is $17, with no charge for those 12 and younger.

The Berkeley Striper Club has a fishing flea market set for Sunday from 9-2 in Toms River North Intermediate School.

The marine weather forecast turned  on us overnight as west winds are still gusting to 30 knots, and small craft warnings remain up into Saturday afternoon. By morning, they will still be west at 15-20 with gusts to 25. Sunday was supposed to be calm, but now they are down to 10-15 knots with gusts to 25. It looks better as the wind moves to southwest by Monday and it warms up.

Most shops should have bloodworms in stock for the weekend, but be sure to call ahead to confirm that. Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park reports anglers fishing worms for white perch in the bay have also hooked some short stripers.

The Big Jamaica from Brielle sails at 1 a.m. to offshore wrecks for jumbo porgies plus cod, pollock and hake. Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

The Canyon Runner from Point Pleasant is sold out on spring canyon trips, but has just a few left during early summer. They didn’t go to North Carolina this winter, but are booking the 55-foot Patriot for the tuna season. The Matt Mozitis party was down there  recently to catch a 100-inch giant estimated at 550 pounds plus school yellowfins. Call 732 272-4445 for info.

West winds have been howling this afternoon, and a gale warning is up for 40 knot gusts. However, it looks better for the weekend after 25-30 knot west winds Friday morning diminish to 20-25 in the afternoon — and to west at 15-20 by Saturday morning. All that west wind should flatten out the ocean, and result in a perfect Sunday with just 10-15 knot west winds as the internal  waters reopen.

The Big Jamaica sails from Brielle at 1 a.m.  Saturday to far offshore wrecks for jumbo porgies plus a shot at cod, pollock and hake . Reservations are required. Call 732 528-5014.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar had calm seas with a pick of keeper blackfish Tuesday and Wednesday.  They finished up blackfishing Wednesday due to blowouts the next two days and the tautog season closing on Friday. Roger not only won the pool. but also collected the big seasonal pool he’s been leading for a long time. A cod and a couple of pollock were also boated that day — before the switch to codfishing on Saturday.

 

 

There are already lots of bunkers in Raritan Bay, and Capt. Chris Di Stefano heard from a friend that the back of the bay is loaded with seals. Chris saw sea gulls lifting bunkers out of the water at the Belmar boat ramp, and then was surprised to see one come up with a large squid.

Phil Sciortino, at The Tackle Box in Hazlet, has been hearing about shore fishermen catching some early school stripers from Raritan Bay Shorelines, and will have worms in stock for the weekend. He expects to see the first keeper striper during Sunday’s internal waters opener.

The World Fishing & Outdoor Expo opened today and runs through 8 p.m. in the Rockland Community Field House at Suffern, N.Y.  Tomorrow’s hours are noon to 8.

The Atlantic City Boat Show continues in the Convention Hall through the weekend.

The Atlantic City Boat Show opened at Convention Hall today and runs through Sunday, while the World Fishing & Outdoor Expo starts tomorrow in Rockland Community College, Suffern N.Y  and also runs through Sunday.

 

The A.C. show is mostly about boats, but there are some fishing booths plus seminars. Adult admission is $7 , while kids 12 and under are admitted free. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Friday; 10-8 Saturday; and 10-6 Sunday.

The Suffern Show opens Thursday in Rockland Community College, Field House, 145 College Rd.  For details visit Sportshows.com. You can get a $3 savings on admission there by using the code POSTCARD. Thursday hours are 1-8 p.m., and that’s the ideal time to be there before the weekend mobs. All of the major fishing tackle companies have booths there, along with many other exhibitors and free seminars. Adult admission is $14, but just $3 for kids 6-11 and no charge below 6. Unlike at A,C., parking is free.

The Canyon Runner Seminar in Freeport Long Island  on March 8 is almost sold out. It’s primarily for their fishing report subscribers and includes a lot of personal instruction, The cost is $150 plus tax.  Call 732 272-4445 for info.

The marine forecast is for gusty  SE winds after midnight switching to a small craft advisory tomorrow with 20-25 knot west winds gusting to 40 in the afternoon. The weekend looks much better.

The Big Jamaica will be making its regular 1 a.m. Saturday trip to the offshore wrecks. They marked lots of fish last Saturday, but they weren’t biting very well.  Mark Coleman from Washington, D.C. won the pool with a 15-pound pollock, followed by Calvin Ward of Trenton with a 3 1/2-pound porgy.  Call 732 528-5014 for reservations.

It’s hard to believe now, but the United We Fish rally attended by busloads of east coast anglers plus some who flew into Washington D.C from other areas occurred 10 years ago.  It was an impressive showing, and several congressmen joined Jimmy Donafrio at the microphone to pledge support for Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act changes to benefit American fishermen.

Though the immediate results hoped for didn’t come to be, the potential of fishermen as a voting bloc was demonstrated.

Bob Matthews reports from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina that the mild winter has been producing fishing opportunities. The Ocean Explorer has been getting out for blackfish many days, and had tog up to 8 pounds yesterday. Matthews noted that season only runs through Friday.  James Wier of Belmar reported catching two short stripers on a jig in the Belmar surf. Internal waters striper fishing opens on March 1, as does the winter flounder season. Bob will have bloodworms and chum in time for the weekend.

The Mimi VI from Point Pleasant will be fishing open for blackfish Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 a.m. with a fare of $120, a limit of 12 fares and both green and whiteleger crabs. On Thursday they’ll sail at 7 a.m. with an $80 fare and a limit of 25 with only green crabs and clams included for bait. A Saturday trip is for cod at 6 a.m. The fare is $120 with a limit of 15. Call 732 370-8019 for reservations.

There’s a small craft warning up from late tonight through Wednesday afternoon, though the morning forecast is for only east winds at 10-15 knots.

Following up last night’s scoping meeting on summer flounder, scup and black sea bass in Belmar, there will be another from 6-8 p.m.  tonight in the Galloway Township Library at Manahawkin.

Public Scoping Hearings on summer flounder, scup and black sea bass are being held from 6-8 p.m. today in the Belmar Municipal Court at 601 Main St., and tomorrow at the Galloway Township Library in Manahawkin.

Allocations are among the issues to be discussed. While that appears to be mainly about shifting some commercial quota from N.J. to N.Y., the possibility of cutting into recreational quota always exists.

Though I fought to get a summer flounder management plan underway as a member of the original Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, along with the late Bill Feinberg of Asbury Park and Eliot Goldman from Pa., most of the members at that time were more concerned with surf clams and looked at fluke as an inshore species which could be left to the ASMFC.  They weren’t even aware that fluke stocks were being decimated by large draggers on their offshore spawning grounds.

Fluke had been so abundant decades ago that there was no size or bag limit. Even commercial fishermen only had a very small minimum for sale. The imposition of a 14-inch minimum in N.Y. gained quick support as it was imposed not for conservation, but to spread out the catch to last all summer.

Summer flounder made it through the foreign fishing disaster in good shape as those fleets weren’t interested in them — and the State Dept. had an informal agreement with foreign fleets  to stay out of the offshore fluke spawning area.

Prior to regulation, NOAA Fisheries put together a study referred to as The United States Marine Fisheries Resource — Marmap Contribution No. I — March 1974. It concluded  that anglers in 1970 caught 39 million pounds of summer flounder that was nearly seven times the commercial landings.

Yet, the NOAA Fisheries study was ignored when the Council came out with their plan, and the public ended up with just 40 percent of the quota. I was off the Council at that time, and those preparing the plan selected landings from a year when big trawlers destroyed the spawning fluke offshore — leaving little for hook-and-line and traditional small draggers to catch inshore.

How that distortion got through is hard to comprehend, but funny things happen behind closed doors. The result has been high minimum lengths, small bag limits and short seasons for anglers and economic losses for party boats, tackle shops and all the others dependent on angling expenditures.  It’s long overdue to right that wrong, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see further erosion of the public’s share of the fishery.

One more calm day is coming up, as the marine forecast is for just 5 knot southeast winds in the morning before  it switches to the east in the afternoon and light rain becomes more likely.