After having a very good all-day striper bite yesterday, Capt. Ron Santee wasn’t about to be scared off by today’s wind and rough waters with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands. He summed up the day as follows:”
Had fish right off the bat once again, the wind hadn’t started to blow so we got a good hour out of it. Got a little nasty with the last of the incoming but the customers toughed it out and they were rewarded.
After the change it settled a bit and beleave it or not the bite got better!! Long drifts on Keepers, Bonus & Overs….Everyone went home with the meat. Back at it in the Morning.‘
The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported “It was a slow pick on the STRIPERS in the morning but the last half of the day the fish were splashing on top. We had better action as the day went on. We ended up with a good amount of throwbacks along with Keepers and some SLOT FISH.“
A small craft advisory is up through Sunday evening. Sunday’s forecast is for west winds at 10-15 knots increasing to 15-20 with gusts to 25 in the afternoon.
Quite in contrast to the world record in last night’s blog, Joe Handley was happy with this small one at LBI as reported by Fisherman’s Headquarters.
When David Deuel cast a cut mullet into the Avon, N,C. surf on. Nov. 7, 1984, he wasn’t expecting anything special, but ended up with what may be the most impressive surf catch ever.
The fish fought for 45 minutes and carried him along a mile of beach before he was able to land a huge red drum weighing 94 pounds, 2 ounces. That fish set a new IGFA world record that will stand forever unless red drum management regulations are changed to allow the capture of that species above a small slot limit.Ironically, the previous record was set on the same days 11 years earlier. It was a blessing that Deuel made that catch before the new regulations would have prohibited it, but he didn’t have very long to enjoy it as that talented marine biologist working for NMFS in North Carolina was cut down by cancer as a young man.
I was a member of the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council at the time, and talked with him regularly. Dave was as nice a guy as I’ve ever met, as well as being a fine scientist. He sure went out on a high note with that catch of one of the nation’s most popular marine species which will require no exaggeration in heaven.
The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported as follows:
“
Back out on the striper grounds today. Had a nice shot of fish first thing with keepers and bonus tags mixed in. Picked at em as the day went on. Found a nice pile of bunkers with a steady live bait bite for the last few hours of the day overs and keepers mixed in. Was nice to see the bunker fish again. Ended with a load of slot size keepers and bonus tag fish as well. We will be back at it tommorow sailing 6am book online to secure your spot or come on down walk ons welcome provided we have room.“
Also at Belmar, the Golden Eagle reported “
Back out on the striper grounds today. Had a nice shot of fish first thing with keepers and bonus tags mixed in. Picked at em as the day went on. Found a nice pile of bunkers with a steady live bait bite for the last few hours of the day overs and keepers mixed in. Was nice to see the bunker fish again. Ended with a load of slot size keepers and bonus tag fish as well. We will be back at it tommorow sailing 6am book online to secure your spot or come on down walk ons welcome provided we have room.“
The Ocean Explorer is blackfishing daily. Anglers are urged to use light leaders as the bottom water is very clear.
There is a small craft warning from Saturday morning to late night. Northwest winds of 20-25 knots plus gusts to 30 are forecasted. Morning rain is possible.
Surfcasting in the fall is often a matter of extremes. Vinny D’Anton had a friend from Pa, come over to the Monmouth County surf yesterday , but he didn’t catch a fish while Vinny only got one bass. Yet, there were so many bass into solid peanut bunkers today that it was almost impossible to not catch stripers — and the blitz was still going on when Vinny called this afternoon after being too tired to continue. He said the bass ranged from 24 to 48 inches, and hit almost anything. Bill Hoblitzell switched to his fly tackle and did as well..
Ironically, Vinny’s friends all headed south to Ocean County this morning, and had to be called back to Monmouth County. The party boat fleet was just offshore, but didn’t do as well under the conditions. The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported:
”Back out on the striper grounds today. Slow pick for us today. Managed a boat limit of keepers but ya had to work for em. Started the morning with a few keepers right away with tons of readings and some fish splashing on top but they def didn’t bite like ya read em. Took a steam in another direction and had our best shots of fish towards the end of the day. Back at it tommorow sailing 6am book online to secure your spot or come on down walk ons welcome.“
The Tyman is back into action, and Chuck Nany reported about yesterday as follows:”
Capt. Jim Freda is both a fly fishing enthusiast and Shore Catch charter captain, so you can take his word about the present opportunities with that tackle in NY/NJ Bight.
“If there were ever a Nirvana for a fly fisher it’s right here right now right outside our home port of Manasqun Inlet! Its all out mayhem fish after fish couldn’t be any better! This is world class for sure! One big bass after another to your heart’s content. Our central New Jersey area has definitely become a destination location for any fly fisher!! This is an experience you don’t want to miss!”
Capt. Ron Santee reports from his Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands reports as follows:
“Found fish right off the bat today close to home.
Action continued all day on Keepers, Over’s & Bonus fish. High hooks were well over 20 fish by days end. Shads & NLBN’s worked the best. Weather looks great for the rest of the week…Don’t miss the bite!“
The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported another awesome day of striper fishing with surface action and bass of all sizes.
The forecast is for west winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 before going southwest at at 5-10 in the afternoon.
The N.J. tautog bag limit increases to five from Nov.16 to Dec. 31 with the same 15-inch minimum.
I’ve seen several tributes to Bobby Matthews during the last few days and am sharing this one posted by Andrew Meli on Facebook today:
“Robert Matthews hired me at the Fisherman’s Den when I was 16 years old. At the time I would have never known the impact it would have on my life. Working there, I met all the amazing friends I have today. If I never had that job, I would have never heard of Maritime college, and I would not have the career I have now. I owe everything good in my life to Bobby, all because he gave a kid who liked to fish a job.
We would talk about striper fishing for hours. Even on my days off I would go to the Den just to talk fishing with Bobby. I always considered him to be the best of the best and I know many others did as well. I learned so much from him and all the other guys at the shop. Going to the Fisherman’s Den will never be the same without seeing him behind the counter. But I know somewhere up above he’s on a jetty fishing a live herring, catching huge bass. And I know you’ll be right there along with me on every fishing trip”
All reactions:
Paul Castelli of Atlantic City got frozen out of a long-awaited duck hunting trip to the north, but made up for it by getting into the great striper fishing this fall along with his son Michael and friends..
At Belmar, the Big Mohawk didn’t sail due to the wind forecast, but the crew went out and a ball with the stripers.
The Golden Eagle reported another awesome day of striper fishing as everyone went home with fish.
Capt. Ron Santee said conditions were tougher today for his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands — especially after the tide change. He ended up in the ocean with a 3-knot drift that kept the best drift total down to five. but the crew slugged away to a decent catch.
Tomorrow looks much better with northwest winds at 5 knots before changing to southwest 10-15 plus gusts to 20 in the afternoon.
Just before publishing,I got a call from Vinny D’Anton about a Monmouth County surf blitz that he got into around 11 a.m. The bass were spread over a very long stretch of beach, and he caught them up to 38 inches on the Lill DOC
Wednesday, November 15Webinar Hearing6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection & Pennsylvania Fish and Boat CommissionThe webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below.
Thursday, November 16In-person Hearing6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Connecticut Dept. of Energy & Environmental ProtectionHearing Location:CT DEEP Marine HeadquartersBoating Education Center (“Back Building”) 333 Ferry Road, Old Lyme CT 06371
Tuesday, November 28Hybrid Hearing6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Delaware Division of Fish and WildlifeNote: This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below. Hearing Location:DNREC Auditorium89 Kings Highway SW, Dover, DE 19901
Thursday, November 30In-person Hearing6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental ManagementHearing Location:University of Rhode Island Bay CampusCorless Auditorium215 South Ferry Road, Narraganset, RI 02882
Monday, December 4In-person Hearing6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
New York State Dept. of Environmental ConservationHearing Location:NYSDEC Division of Marine Resources123 Kings Park Blvd (inside Nissequogue River State Park), Kings Park, NY 11754 Note: NYSDEC will provide a listen-only livestream link to be posted on the NYSDEC calendar.
New Hampshire Fish and Game Dept.Note: This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar instructions are below. Hearing Location:Urban Forestry Center45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH 03801
Tuesday, December 12Webinar Hearing6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Potomac River Fisheries Commission &District of Columbia Dept. of Energy and EnvironmentThe webinar registration link is available here, and additional webinar details are below.
Thursday, December 14Hybrid Hearing6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Maine Dept. of Marine ResourcesNote: This is a hybrid meeting (both in-person and virtual). The virtual Microsoft Teams link is here, and additional instructions are below. Hearing Location:Maine DMR Office – AugustaRoom 118, Marquardt Building32 Blossom Lane, Augusta, ME 04330
Monday, December 18In-person Hearing6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
New York State Dept. of Environmental ConservationHearing Location:NYSDEC Region 3 Headquarters21 South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561 Note: NYSDEC will provide a listen-only livestream link to be posted on the NYSDEC calendar.
The Board initiated Draft Addendum II in May 2023 in response to the low probability of meeting the 2029 stock rebuilding deadline if the unexpectedly high 2022 fishing mortality rate continues.
Capt. Ron Santee reports from his Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands as follows:
After the past couple of days dealing with a finicky bite and running all over the Ocean…..Today, the bite was back on!
Several area’s of life right off the bat, we were the first ones on the meat..Smaller fish to start out the first couple of hours.
Took a ride when that bite looked like it was going to die, found the Jumbo’s and had them all to ourselves for several drifts!
Fish up to 35 pounds with all the keepers we needed for the day. Had White water several times throughout the day…it was awsome! Many of the customers in double digits by the end of the day. Lots of nice pics tonight. Back at it in the AM, don’t let a little wind keep you home, we will be catching.“
The Golden Eagle from Belmar had an excellent day of striper fishing with limits of keepers and slots all caught on swim shads.
A small craft advisory is up from Tuesday morning to evening, but with the favorable northwest direction that will be 20-25 knots plus gusts 30 in the morning.
The Monmouth County surf had been quiet until Vinny D’Anton returned this afternoon and started picking decent stripers despite a lack of activity except for some birds picking
The Jamaica from Brielle has started fishing the far offshore wrecks for giant sea bass.They’ll be sailing at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday each week by reservation. Call 732 528 5014.The first trip produced some limits of sea bass up to 6 pounds plus jumbo porgies and some cod, weakfish and blues. A 12-lb cod took the pool,
Remember when the Jamaica fished in November for the first cod of the season rather than for sea bass far offshore? Mel Deak photo
Forty-five very happy anglers display their catch of Cod aboard the “JAMAICA 2” from Brielle, NJ circa 1963.
One of the finest surfcasters on the N.J. coast has passed away. Bobby Matthews, of Fisherman’s Den in Belmar spent his last days in hospice care with his sister. Bobby was not only a great surfcaster, but also a mentor to many novice anglers whose introduction to the sport became a smooth one. His career as a postal worker left him with plenty of time to pursue his sport. especially during darkness when his skills were most effective. Indeed, he was one of the few left who fish for big stripers even on the darkest nights in from shore in the canal and rivers while somehow managing other activities without sleep. While mere mortals slept, Bobby caught!
Anyone with a story to share about Bobby can e-mail it to cristori@aool.com.
Capt. Ron Santee of the Fishermen at Atlantic Highlands reports as follows:
“Morning started out with life, had to keep chasing the fish and slugged away.
Traffic made it difficult with the run & gun fishing. Smiley Joe landed 9 followed by Frank with 8 fish. Eric had a couple fish along with a nice 34 incher. Was certainly tough for most though. Went searching for some better life but it never turned back on“.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported lots of stripers and bunkers on top. but the bite wasn’t up to the recent par.
The forecast is for north winds at 5 knots before going southwest at 10-15 in the afternoon.
After a generally slow Friday for boaters, striper fishing improved today.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported”
It was OVER THETOP EXCELLENT STRIPED BASS FISHING TODAY. The fish were on top working on bait and stacked up under the boat. There were nice long drifts where we banged right away with PLENTY OF KEEPER BASS along with SLOT FISH and throwbacks. Shads and poppers both worked great.“
Capt. Ron Santee saw amazing surface action yesterday morning, but anglers on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands could only catch a few bass before they would turn off. There was a lot of running and gunning before he found one cooperative patch. He had a charter today, and there was no such problem even with all the boat traffic.
Vinny D’Anton reported the Monmouth County surf has remained dead since the afternoon blitz earlier in the week.
The forecast is for northeast winds at just 10-15 knots before dropping to 5-10 in the afternoon.
The Bobby Tosto Blackfish Tournament will be held out of Captain’s Marina on Staten Island tomorrow, with a rain date on Sunday. There’s a $300entry fee in the expected $10,000 contest. Call Angelo at the marina for details, or visit captains marina@att.net.
The Big Mohawk from Belmar reports “
11/10/23. Back out on the striper grounds today. Started the morning with haystacks off striped bass readings but only picked a few fish. With heavy boat traffic we decided to take a ride in another direction. We found a few areas of bird life with fish breaking on top we picked a few more but they were moving fast and hard to catch. Tommorow is another day and we will be headed out. Book online to secure your spot or come on down walk ons welcome provided we have room.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar had some action in the bunker schools, but it was nothing like what they have been enjoying every day. They are only charging veterans the kid’s fare of $70 tomorrow,
The forecast is for northwest winds at 10-15 knots.
My cell phone went dead this morning. Anyone trying to reach me should e-mail me at cristori@aol.com
Vinny D’Anton said he was picking Wednesday afternoon in the Monmouth County surf when a school of big bunkers moved inside the bars, While it wasn’t a classic blast, large stripers were under those bunkers. Vinny was fishing with Frank Manzi and Shell Caris and did best by casting down the beach rather than into the bunkers. The hot lure was the Lil DOC which is worked like a Zara Spook..Multiple bass often followed that surface lure (see photo below) The bass ranged up to 40 inches, with most being around 32 inches. Everyone was exhausted from the long-lasting blitz,, but they had plenty of time to rest this morning as there was no action on the same beaches.
The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported yesterday’s great striper fishing as follows: “Beatdown on the striper grounds today. Starting to sound like a broken record. The fishing we have going on in our backyard is incredible. The best that our crew has ever seen in our lifetime. It’s not everyday or year that Miles of fish up and down the coast are blasting bunkers out of the water. Todays crew landed over 250 striped bass with a full boat limit of keeper size as well. Fish ate Shad’s, bunkers, metals, metal lip swimmers, doc plugs and topwater poppers. We are going to let the pictures and videos show you the rest. We will be sailing tomorow book online to reserve your spot or come on down walk ons welcome provided we have room.
The Golden Eagle from Belmar noted today:
SHING EVERY DAY:30AM – 1:30PM(weather permitting)
Veteran’s SPECIALNOVEMBER 10TH & 11THALL VETERANSPRICE OF KID’S FARE $70V
IT WAS SUPER STRIPER FISHING! The early departure did not disappoint and great action continued around the boat all day. There were lots of fish on top in the bunkers and shads worked the best today. We had plenty of KEEPER BASS along with slot fish and numerous throwbacks.”
At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Ron Santee had to fish in the snot during the outgoing tide, but his regulars worked hard to put a catch together with frequent moves. The high hook caught eight bass.
The forecast is better tomorrow with west winds at 10-15 knots before increasing to 15-20 in the afternoon.
Capt. Vinnie Vetere set a boat record last week with a catch of 75 stripers up to 25 pounds during a half-day charter on his Katfish from Great Kills.
Tight Lines 