After a brutal dawn today, it looks like it may be fishable early Friday and certainly during the day as small craft warnings are lowered.  The forecast is for NE 5-10 knots with gusts to 20. For Saturday it’s south 10-15 before going to SE 25 knots in the afternoon.

There were no reports from today, but it seems that every Thanksgiving there’s a striper blitz on the beach somewhere when almost everyone is involved in family dinners.

The Jamaica from Brielle will be sailing at 11 p.m. Friday for jumbo sea bass on far offshore wrecks. There’s room on that trip, and reservations can be made by calling 732 528-5014. Wednesday’s trip was good, with some limits of sea bass and some porgies, cod, pollock, hake and ling. The pool went to Joe Lorenzo of Bergenfield with a 12-pound cod — and Alberto Alponte from Brooklyn had a giant 7.5-pound sea bass.

 

I hope everyone is enjoying a fine Thanksgiving meal in a warm house — especially if you went out into this morning’s brutal cold to fish.

I used to be able to fish in brutal weather, but this morning was too much for this 82-year-old. When I arrived at Point Pleasant Beach there were birds dipping, and a young angler said he saw fish rolling — but they wouldn’t hit anything.

After a few casts I was convinced and only saw very small swirls and tiny bait spraying. I might have been willing to sacrifice a couple of fingers to frostbite if there were big swirls, but retreated to the car where it took 10 minutes to warm my hands up enough to drive.

Bob Correll found the same thing at Bay Head and caught the largest hickory shad he’s seen before racing home to run hot water over frozen hands.

I’ll have another blog tonight after the holiday celebrations. Black Friday is looking much more fishable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only rugged anglers need apply for the Thanksgiving blast of cold NW wind from an Artic front pushing through. The morning brings 20-25 knot winds with gusts to 35, and there’s a gale warning for the afternoon when most of us will be dining on turkey in warm homes.

Several party boats had scheduled early Thanksgiving striper trips, but some have cancelled. Ne sure to check with skippers before coming down.

The Jamaica from Brielle will be sailing their holiday trip from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as Capt. Howard Bogan says they’ll be jigging for stripers within three miles of the shore which will reduce the waves.

Just about everyone will be sailing on Black Friday, when the forecast is for 5-10 knot NE winds with gusts to 20.

At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Rob Semkewyc said he was finding mostly short stripers until he took a ride with his Sea Hunter that payed off in bigger bass on jigs plus a cod.

Capt. Ron Santee also found mostly shorts early and was hampered by a 3 knot current. He ended up getting bigger bass in deeper waters with jigs bounced off bottom. Those larger bass ran up to 15 pounds and had bunker in their stomachs rather than the sand eels which small bass have been feeding on.

The Golden Eagle from Belmat started finding mized size stripers north of Shark River Inlet and continued following them north all day. They have cancelled their Thanksgiving trip.

The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant caught bass up to 20 pounds on jigs throughout the day.

Capt. Stan Zagleski of the Elaine B. II from Bahrs in Highlands said blackfishing was slow last weekend, but bounced back Monday. He’s sailing daily at 7 a.m.

Frank Manzi and I started surfcasting this morning at Spring Lake where the surf was flat and there was no sign of fish or bait. A move well to the north was required for Frank to get into short bass at Monmouth Beach on teasers while fishing with Vinny D’Anton who also picked on metal. Jim Louro got a surprise among all the shorts there when he landed a keeper.

Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park weighed a 37-inch, 16.8-pound striper caught on bunker in IBSP by Alex Gelpke. They were getting reports of mostly short bass throughout the day, but not everyone is catching.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

Though there’s still a gale waring in place until 6 p.m. Friday, the forecast after that is as good as it gets in mid-November. Saturday morning starts out with a marginable for boaters west at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25 — but diminishing by afternoon to 10-15 knots. It might be better not to be an early bird tomorrow. Sunday starts with a mere 5-10 knots before becoming southeast in the afternoon. It’s back to west on Monday, but at only 10-15 knots.

I doubt if anyone sailed into today’s gale, but it’s likely that the whole fleet will be out there tomorrow and Sunday.  There was a hot bite of stripers on jigs in several areas before the storm, and everyone will be looking for that new body of bass again.

.Surfcasters were faced with a huge swell this morning. Vinny D’Anton checked a surfing cam that put the swell at 12 feet. The northwest wind has been knocking that down, but it may take another day for the surf to clear. Casting sure won’t be a problem with the west wind at your back. There was a showing of school bass in the surf from IBSP to Point Pleasant just before the storm. As nasty as Thursday was, Jerry Lasko stayed on the beaches with his buggy from dawn to dusk and managed three bass on diamond jigs — though Maren Toleno had 17 releases that included one close to 28 inches.

Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park reported that those who got out early in the NE storm caught short bass on metal and teasers. Betty & Nick’s in that town noted that the best bet just before the storms was yellow — in SP Minnows, Otter Tails, and bucktails.

Jim Hutchinson Sr. reports skippers of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association had good action trolling stripers up to 48 pounds north of the inlet before the storm. Capt. Ray Lopez of Miss Liane had six to 35 pounds on one trip that included a first striper for Zach Reitmann (13), who’s also a member of the association’s Junior Mate Program.

Those dreaming of the tropics at this time of year may be interested in the third day results of the Los Cabos Big Game Charter Boat Tournament out of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo in Baja California, Mexico. A noteworthy 203-pound yellowfin tuna was boated by Mike Rasi from California on the Renegade, which also had the day’s largest wahoo at 36.6 pounds. That contest concludes today.

Reader J.R. Aloise sent a note on Word Press that he had a good weekend with stripers of 32 and 34 inches plus a huge blue — but with no details. I can’t seem to get replies out to such messages, and once again urge all to message me at my e-mail — cristori@aol.com., My daughter Cyndi (who also set up this blog) set that e-mail up many years ago with just the “c” for captain. I’ve had it so long that it would be too much trouble to change it. Be sure to include the details with reports such as when, where, and how.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reader Monday’s prediction ir west at 19-15 knots.

It’s been a pretty poor surfcasting season along the Jersey Shore so far, but there were some good signs on Wednesday as small stripers started getting active in several places.

The wind came up quickly this morning, and though I saw a few hardy souls casting along the beaches there didn’t seem to be any action in a very rough surf during a raw morning — and it got a lot worse in the afternoon.

I assume all boaters stayed home today. The Big Mohawk from Belmar had planned to try it, but didn’t go. With gale warnings up through Friday afternoon for east winds gusting to 45 knots tonight and west winds gusting to 40 tomorrow, they’ll be waiting until Saturday morning — nd I suspect that so will everyone else.  Thankfully, the forecast for Saturday is just 10-15 west, and down to north at 5-10 on Sunday.

Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, had several reports from Bay Head to Point Pleasant, with one angler catching eight schoolies. The Run-Off silver sand eel metal in 1 1/2 or 2 ounces was the hot lure along with teasers. Bob Correll’s dog Bailey checks out the schoolie he hooked at Bay Head late yesterday afternoon before release.