Tight Lines

The N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife issued the following advice to anglers:

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

NJFW will provide information in early spring regarding 2023 applications for individual anglers and party/charter boat owners.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

To ensure eligibility for 2023, please remember:

• The deadline for submitting logbooks is January 15, 2023.
• If you harvested a bonus fish in 2022 and did not report it, please submit a harvest report at this time.                                                                         

Applications for the 2023 SBBP are currently not being accepted.

Effective January 1, 2023, the 2022 Striped Bass Bonus Program will close for individuals and for party/charter boats. All permits issued in 2022 are not valid in 2023. 

NJFW will provide information in early spring regarding 2023 applications for individual anglers and party/charter boat owners.

A small craft advisory goes up at 6 p.m. for southwest gusts to 20 knots. The morning forecast is for west winds at 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 plus showers and fog.

The great fishing for trophy stripers continues out of Cape Charles,Virginia. , where Capt. Clinton Lessard has been trolling 50-pounders regularly before placing Gray Fish tags in them and releasing them to spawn in a couple of months.

Though 50-pounders are almost routine, a couple of days ago one of the six bass released almost made the 60-pound mark which is difficult to achieve even among those fish heavy with roe. Lessard has only two open days left in his season — Jan. 1 and 10. Call him at 757-710-0098.

N.J. blackfishing has been good, and Capt. Ralph Leyrer has spots open on his Last Lady from Belmar both Sunday and Monday. Call 732 988-8907.

Mike Monte pounded the Monmouth County surf the last six mornings without a hit despite the presence of loons feeding on sand eels. He’s hanging up his rod and returning to Nantucket.

During many years of surfcasting in the N.J, surf I usually was able to pick a small bass or two blind casting throughout December, and often to the end of January. However, I never was able to get one on February. It was never good, but it was hard to give up the season completely.

The wind forecast is 5-10 knots south with a chance of fog.

SHO-NUF bass

There was bad news on Facebook today as Capt. Bob Garafano passed away at 85 on Christmas Day. The veteran skipper ran the large group charter boat Catherine II, which was the largest of that category in Belmar when I moved to the Shore. The funeral will be held Friday at St. Innocent’s church in Neptune at 10:30.

The weather looks good for the last jumbo sea bass trips to far offshore wrecks before that season closes. Southwest winds at 10-15 knots are predicted for tomorrow. The Golden Eagle from Belmar and the Paramount from Brielle have 7 p.m. Friday trips by reservation to fish on wrecks showing up on fishfinders as illustrated below:

Party boats are making their last trips to far offshore wrecks before the sea bass season closes.

The Paramount from Brielle has openings on Dec. 29and 30 trips that depart at 7 p.m. Call 732 528-5014 for required reservations. The Jamaica had limits of both sea bass and weakfish on this week’s trip along with plenty of scup.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar makes their final trip of the season to those sea bass wrecks on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. The last trip produced limits of sea bass and weakfish as well as lots of porgies.

The forecast for the week features favorable west winds. Tomorrow starts with southwest winds at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 20 with 2-3-foot seas.

The weather was right, and Jerry Lasko saw birds working over bait in the Ocean County, N.J. surf, but he and Maren Toleno haven’t had a bite during the last two afternoons. Though the ocean conditions were fine, Barnegat Bay is already frozen over.

The forecast remains good with west winds at 10-15 knots tomorrow plus 2-4-foot seas.

Mike Monte won’t be casting into the NJ surf until the morning, but he took a look at it this afternoon and found it to be flat calm.

That should be the same condition in the morning as the forecast is for west winds at just 10-15 knots with 2-3-foot seas. The Big Mohawk from Belmar reported mostly short blackfish this morning, but it should be better tomorrow as the bottom settles from recent swells.

Capt. Clinton Lessard reports from Cape Charles, Va. that he only has two days open for trolling trophy stripers on his SHO NUF — Jan. 1 and 10. Call him at 757 710-0098.

It was 43 degrees yesterday morning in West Palm Beach, and Florida continues to experience its coldest Christmas in 33 years. There’s not much more fishing going on here then to the north, but at least we know it won’t last.

The NY/NJ Bight forecast is for west winds at 15-20 knots tomorrow morning before dropping to 10-15 in the afternoon. That should result in calm seas inshore plus the opportunity to get into the deep water wreck fishing for jumbo sea bass and porgies.

Merry Christmas and a fishy New Year!

The weather may leave something to be desired, but striper anglers trying to join the ranks of those who have caught a 50-pounder may not have a better chance of doing so than during early winter out of Cape Charles, Virginia. The following report yesterday from Chuck Many illustrates the possibilities as follows:

Big Girls came out to play!! 3 over 50 (55, 54, 51) and a few real close. Smallest of the day went just over 40 pounds. Great day on SHO NUF Sportfishing with Captain Clinton Lessard, Wesley Rose, & Joseph Eller!!

Lessard has some openings in January. Call 757-710-0098.

+Though the weather has been brutal, west winds will settle the ocean and possibly provide fishable conditions during the week.

Merry Christmas and a fishy New Year!

212Alberto Knie, Nick Honachefsky and 210 others

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• ActiveJim Hutchinson Jr.Keep an eye out for our tagged fish named Berkeley – she’s gotta be there somewhere!
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Write a comment…Chuck Tyman Manny  · Awesome day with Clint Gray & Clint’s Striper Guide Service!!! Close again with fish to 58 pounds. Union Hall, VA  · A bumpy start to the day was an understatement. Me and Chuck Tyman Manny beat our way out through the chop and it paid. 3 for 4 today with a big behemoth 58lb slob. Congrats Chuck on some beautiful fish. Heading home for Christmas tomorrow and I’ll be back at it next week. I still have a few January dates available to chase these trophy fish. Call 540-493-9660.
Write a comment…Lori Rose  · 0:43Water looks fairly calmLikeReply1wView 4 more comments

Sorry about the problem with publishing as I’ve found that my last two blogs didn’t go out. That was unfortunate as Jerry Lasko reported a very late blitz of school stripers in the Ocean County surf the last two afternoons. The mornings were duds despite peanut bunkers being present, but there was plenty of bird life in the afternoons with bass in the 24-inch class. Maren Toleno released 14 and Jerry had five this afternoon. Rick Murphy also found a 30-incher among them yesterday. See photo below.

Unfortunately, the water temperature has dropped to 43 degrees — and that fishing may not survive the bad weather coming.

A gale warning is posted from 7 p.m. through late Friday. The morning forecast is for south winds at 25-30 knots with gusts before going southwest at 30-35 plus higher gusts and rain in the afternoon.

Party boats have been having a hard time getting in their offshore giant sea bass trips, but there may be some windows of better weather coming up. The Jamaica from Brielle had limits of sea bass plus many porgies on this week’s trip. Bill Itkin of Tuxedo Park , NY won the pool with a 10-pound pollock that beat a 6-pound sea bass. The Jamaica has spots available on several upcoming trips. Call 732 528-5014 for required reservations.

Party

Though smaller tog dominated today in a strong current, The Big Mohawk from Belmar came up with a real trophy on Monday when a few in the 7-10-pound class were also caught.

The forecast is fine for Wednesday with north winds at 5-10 knots before a gale watch goes up Thursday evening through late Friday.

Mike Monte has been shut out on school stripers the last two mornings in Monmouth County despite an abundance of loons feeding on sand eels.