Andreas Toy from Perth Amboy reports “Slipped out for a couple hours in the afternoon and got on our best bite of the season. Mostly oversized fish but weeded thru and got some keepers too. The 8.25” @shadlifebaits paddle tails in white and chartreuse did some damage. With fish pouring into the bay it’s lining up to be a great season. “
‘A gale warning continues to 6 p.m. The forecast is for a switch to northwest winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 and a chance of rain in the morning.
Chuck Many returned from S.C. yesterday. and quickly found the big stripers he specializes in tagging and releasing from his Tyman out of Highlands. Caesar Carranza got one casting, while the big bass then responded to live eels just as they do during the summer.
***** A gale warning goes up this evening into Saturday afternoon. Saturday starts with northeast winds at 20-25 knots plus gusts to 35.
a consistent striper bite has been held back by winds and big swells. The A small craft advisory is up for Friday afternoon to evening, followed by a gale warning from then to Saturday afternoon.
Friday starts with east winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25.
Chuck Many is in no rush to get back to N.J. for the early striper bite while he’s enjoying variety sport in Hilton Head, S.C., where he has a choice of working salt ponds or small boat fishing close to shore. The salt ponds are reliable for redfish and many other species, but sharks have eating everything up out front. Nevertheless, Many has been into some bull reds and colorful gag groupers,
*******
The NY/NJ Bight forecast is for southeast winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20.
The Billfish Foundation (TBF) and billfish lost a champion early this morning (4/7/25) last night (4/6/25) with the death of Dr. Eric Prince. Prince was the billfish scientist to whom Win Rockefeller and Tim Choate turned to answer their questions about the status of Atlantic billfish stocks in 1985. The two experienced anglers recognized despite their fishing experience and quality equipment, they were catching fewer and fewer billfish. It was Prince who explained billfish were not priority species with the federal government because they were not targeted by commercial fisheries for the US food market. Not being priority species with the federal government meant little to no research money was ever available for stock assessments to estimate the species abundance in the water. TBF was created in 1986 with its first financial commitment to providing funds for international billfish stock assessments through a research program chaired by Prince.
Prince served almost four decades as a billfish biologist at the NMFS Southeast Lab in Miami, and is credited with much of what we know about those oceanic wanderers.
********************************
Though a gale warning is up in NJ/NY Bight. northwest winds should calm the seas
by tomorrow when they drop to 15-20 knots with gusts to 25. As a result, the Big Mohawk will be sailing from Belmar at 6:30 for blackfish.
and 5-7-foot Gale warning tomorrow. but better days ahead
Though a gale warning is up for Tuesday morning to evening in NY/NJ Bight, things are looking better after northwest winds knock down the swell. Tuesday’s wins will be NW at 25-30 knots plus gusts to 35 and 5-7-foot seas.
The latest report from Andreas Toy at Perth Amboy remains good. ” On the 31 Capt Greg had Jim Steel and crew out. Picked some fish early on shads and had a bit of a lull but pieced together a boat limit of keepers with a couple of “overs” released. Shads accounted for majority of the fish and one fish on an SP minnow. Incredible amount of fish around and it should only get better
Andreas Toy has both boats fishing out of Perth Amboy, where they have been doing well with stripers though it’s taken some time to get them started during the last couple of trips.
The forecast is for northeast winds, though at only 5-10 knots. Seas will be 3-5 feet.
The last positive striper report from Just Sayin out of Keyport was followed up by Matt Calabia with a note that the afternoon bite was also good for keeper-size bass and lots of shorts while describing it as “wormball madness”.
*****
The forecast is for west winds at 15 knots plus gusts to 20.
The following was posted on Facebook today by Capt. John Contello with Matt Calabria and Eddie Brown on Just Sayin from Keyport:
Fish to 35” already this morning. A bunch of Nice overs, keepers, and shorts. We had pushed off some Charters until we had more consistent fishing. Should be game on from here on out!! Text 732-670-1919 for Charter availability JustSayinSportfishing.com *Sunday is full* #JustSayinows on
The forecast is for east winds around 15 knots plus gusts to 20 and a chance of showers.
The Ocean Explorer from Belmar reported a lumpy sea yesterday, though they had lots of bites and caught many blackfish that were mostly in the 14-inch range.
Fisherman editor Jim Hutchinson reports the largest stripers of the young season are being released in the Delaware River. A Stockton professor started out the week by putting a 47-pounder on his Bogagrip, and later added another in the 50-pound class. Those Delaware River bass are relatively short. but have huge bellies full of roe — and should be handled very carefully.
Hutchinson also noted that the first South Jersey black drum was hooked on the bay side at Graveling Point — a traditional early season striper spot.
After another rainy day, Dave Lilly still didn’t see any earthworms on the sidewalks, as that signal of the start of the Raritan Bay run continues to disappoint.
Friday’s forecast is for northwest winds at just 5-10 knots with possible morning showers.
Tight Lines 