North Carolina has a new swordfish record — a 504 1/2-pounder boated by Gary Carney 55 miles off Morehead City.
A small craft advisory is up for NY/NJ Bight through Tuesday afternoon. West winds at 20-25 knots are forecast in the morning before dipping to 15-20 in the afternoon.
The Coast Guard has called off a long search for a private fisherman who was yanked out of a friend’s boat in Hawaii last weekend. There were few details in news releases, but it appears the fisherman was using a handline. He had just exclaimed that he had hooked a “huge” fish when what’s assumed to be an ahi (yellowfin tuna) carried him over the side.
Those tuna grow to over 200 pounds in Hawaii, and will generally dive when hooked. With a loop of line around a foot there was little hope of getting back to the surface unless he had a knife with which to cut the line.
Even the most experienced fishermen can get in trouble when dealing with a large fish. This incident brought bake memories of professional mate Chris Bowie being shot out of a boat while wiring a blue marlin off N.C. in 1994. His body was never found. Much closer to me was the loss of the great Delaware shark skipper Capt. Billy Verbanas, who took the rod from a customer who couldn’t finish off a big mako in 2002 and was yanked overboard while secured in a harness. I had fished with him a couple of times and noted now careful he had been while assigning everyone to a task – including holding onto the angler’s belt. Billy did get back up, but it was too late to save his life.
Carrying a release knife on your belt is a good move as cutting the line may be your only option while being dragged underwater while strapped in a harness.
A small craft advisory is up from Monday morning to late night. The morning forecast is for north winds at 10-15 knots before going northwest at 15-20 in the afternoon.
Chuck Many did a solo trip on his boat at Hilton Head, S.C. to find this large red drum.
Those seeking a good opportunity to try blackfishing in NY/NJ Bight should be in luck tomorrow as the forecast is for south winds at a mere 5-10 knots. There is a chance of rain in the afternoon.
Capt. Joe Massa sent along a photo from his last tog trip from Morgan Marina before taking the boat out. Bobby Glynn and Bob Croaker were along for a good catch up to 7 pounds.
The Staten Island Tuna Club will be running a fishing flea market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Mt. Loretto on Hylan Blvd. Free seminars begin at 9.
Capt. Vinny Vetere will be there with a big display of his lures which he wants to sell in quantity — and will accept any reasonable offer.
The Hi-Mar Striper Club has announced that its annual Fishing Flea Market and seminars will be held on Sat. Feb. 11 at the Port Monmouth VFW, on Rt. 36 East at 1 Veterans Place from 8-2.
The Jamaica from Brielle will be sailing at 11 p.m. tonight and tomorrow for jumbo porgies on far offshore wrecks. There were plenty of scup out there during their last trip when Nelson Neives of Riverside, N.J. took the pool with a 4-pounder. Call 732 528-5014 for the required reservation.
Chuck Many reports that another Cape Charles boat is participating in the Gray tagging program. Capt. John Mathena of Patriot Sportfishing sent a shot of Blake Phillips with a 44-inch striper that weighed 42 pounds with a belly full of roe.
A small craft warning is up tonight in NY/NJ Bight, but will be down to northwest 10-15 with gusts to 20 by morning – and then to north 5-10 in the afternoon.
One of the greatest tragedies off the Atlantic coast didn’t involve a ship, but rather a unique structure – the Texas Tower.
That Air Force early warning radar structure was called “Old Shaky” by its crew, and was damaged by many storms before the end came as the aircraft carrier Wasp raced to the rescue on Jan. 15, 1961.Unfortunately, the Wasp didn’t get there in time and all 28 men aboard were lost.
As with most other maritime tragedies, the Texas Tower wreckage has become a great attraction for sea life and those seeking everything from cod and pollock to bluefin and yellowfin tuna, sharks and white marlin. It’s located about 75 miles east of Barnegat Light, and I was able to get out there with charters a few times when I was running Sheri Berri –a 28-foot Aquasport out of Manasquan Inlet. Indeed, I was near there while winning the Jersey Coast Shark Anglers High Rollers Tournament as Mike Koblan reeled in a tiger shark over 700 pounds.
The NY/NJ Bight forecast includes a small craft advisory from Friday morning to night. However, the 15-20 knot winds with gusts to 30 are from the favorable west direction.
The Jamaica from Brielle is taking reservations for offshore wreck porgy trips departing at 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights. Call 732 528-5014.
Nick La Bella with a wahoo at Bud’ N Mary’s Marina (800 742-7945) in Islamorada, Florida Keys.
Trophy stripers continue to hit at Cape Charles, Virginia, and SHO-NUF proved that point by putting a Gray fish tag into a 58-pounder today (see below) after being blown out a couple of days. They also added another bass release just short of 40 pounds. Charters are available by calling 757 710-0098.
Tomorrow’s forecast in NY/NJ Bight is for calming northwest winds at 10-15 knots after midnight before switching to southeast 10-15 knots with rain in the afternoon.
Absecon Bay Sportsman Center in Absecon reports very good white perch action in South Jersey tidal rivers, and sent along a photo to prove it. Those tasty pan fish preferred bloodworms. That bait may be hard to come by, so call 609 484-0409 before coming down.
The Wednesday forecast is for northwest winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 25.
West winds at just 10 knots are forecast for Tuesday as seas drop to 3-4 feet. There’s a chance of afternoon rain.
SHO- NUF from Cape Charles, Virginia reports their last striper tagging trip before the winds produced a 52-pounder and two in the upper forties. That fishery shows no sign of shutting down so far.
Chuck Many sent a shot of a pretty red drum from salt ponds at Hilton Head. South Carolina.
The gale warning posted yesterday has been discontinued at 6. The forecast is for north winds at 15-20 knots before changing to a fishable northwest at 10-15 in the afternoon.
If a change in weather looks good, this is what’s going on at Bud’Mary’s Marina in Islamorada, Florida Keys. Capt. Alex Adler is among the greatest in the world.
For most striper anglers a 50-pounder is the bass of a lifetime, but at Cape Charles, Virginia during the winter the only hit of a day’s trolling may as likely be such a rarity as a “mere” 30-or-40-pounder.
That was the case yesterday on the SHO-NUF as only three bass were caught — but two of them were 51 and 56 pounds! All bass were tagged and released as per Virginia regulations at this time of year.(See photo below)
The weather has grounded SHO-NUF until Monday, but their winter tally so far is 128 releases of which 28 were 50 pounds or more.
A gale warning is posted from this evening through Sunday afternoon. The forecast is for north winds at 20-25 knots plus gusts to 35. Seas will be 5 to 7 feet.
The Garden State Outdoor Sportsman’s Show at N.J. Expo Center in Edison continues through Sunday. Austin Perilli will be presenting a seminar at 2:30 on hard structure fluke fishing. Below see Grandpa Perilli’s doormat while fishing with Austin. Nick Honachefsky is also providing free seminars.
Tight Lines 