Every boat fisherman hates dense fog that creates dangerous running conditions and prevents sighting bait schools and working birds. However, if you do get on fish it may be possible to have them to yourself –even on a weekend.
Chris Buchta reports today as follows: “What’s better than fishing for 4 hours , running out of 2 dozen eels and have fish on all the time with doubles and triples, doing it with my girls Hailey Buchta and Jordana Buchta , Kuba Luczynski did good too lol , thanks to Rob Crossley and son Robert for coming and catching jumbos for hours
The dense fog advisory continues until 8 p.m.a A small craft advisory runs from 6 to late tonight.
Dave Lilly has been waiting for fluke to move into the back of Raritan Bay as they usually do at this time of year — and that fluke pro was finally rewarded today with a limit catch for his crew.
Lilly’s best action was on a mussel bed in 16 feet, and there were few shorts. Both jigs and bait worked.
Capt. Ron Santee Jr. was enveloped in fog today, which made the search for hungry sea bass with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands more difficult. Fortunately, he anchored on a good rocky bottom with a lot of ling and some sea bass as everyone went home with dinner. There were also some stray fluke and tautog hooked.
A dense fog advisory is up to 10 a.m. Monday. Then a southeast wind at 10-15 knots comes up before increasing to 15-20 in the afternoon.
Chuck Many reports that jumbo stripers are continuing to build up in NY/NJ Bight as his Tyman from Highlands tags lots of bass. His report from this this week follows:
“Great two days with Dean Cox, Rich Miller & Beefn Chedda!! Yesterday was definitely one to remember with a crazy consistent bite, at one point going over 3 hours with at least one jumbo hooked up. Biggest went 53 pounds. Look forward to next time!!”
After the easy fishing that usually occurs at a season opening, it often drops off considerably by the second week. However, the current NJ sea bass run seems to be holding up most days.
Capt. Ron Santee Jr. had a picky trip yesterday with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands, but headed to a new area today. His report follows:
“Read a bunch of life when we got there, got set up and had a couple handfulls of Big Sea Bass, caught our pool fish there. The tiny porgies took over and the Sea Bass bite turned into the pins. Left the area and took a ride. Once we got set up again we slugged away the rest of the day on Sea Bass & Ling. The best catch of ling so far which was nice to put in the buckets. Big Mike took the pool with a beauty Sea Bass.
Here goes my yearly rant…..BRING ICE!!!!! Don’t mind lending a bucket but for Christ sake it was 80 degrees out there today. Your fish are going to cook and become mush. Please add it to your list of things needed! The noodle rods with 8oz, you know how I feel about that by now. Weather Looks Great right through the weekend for a change…Come on down.“
At Belmar, the Golden Eagle ended up Wednesday with many sea bass limits plus ling. flounders and some whiting — along with a real bonus of action with big stripers that had to be released.
The forecast remains great in NY/NJ Bight with northeast winds at only 5 knots which shift to southeast in the afternoon.
It does happen every so often! Betty & Nick’s in Seaside Park sent this shot of “Bent rods everywhere” from recent blitzes of big bluefish – and even of black drum on clams.
The man who dubbed the lowly bunker as The Most Important Fish in the Seas in his book passed away in his N.J. home at 90. The former Rutgers professor was noted as an anti-war activist, but recognized how important menhaden were in the chain of ocean life — and yet not being protected at all from unlimited purse seining for reduction into everything from oils to chicken feed, The once enormous schools were being greatly diminished when Franklin joined other conservationists and many anglers in fighting for bunker conservation which eventually won the day with regulations that recognize the needs of fish, marine mammals and birds as well as those of fishermen and industries. Franklin’s book was a very important part of that fight.
Sea bass fishing has been generally good since the seaon in N.J. opened last week. Capt. Ron Santee Jr. had steady action Wednesday on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands that included a 3-pound sea bass, ling and some whitin and even a 3 1/2-pound winter flounder. However, today’s fishing was surprisingly picky.
The Friday forecast is fine, with west winds at just 5 knots before going south in the afternoon. There’s only a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms.
Frank Ruczynski sent this ode to an ugly — with a good photo.
“A face only a mother could love! I caught a bunch of northern stargazers over the years, mostly on jigs while fishing on or near the bottom. The mouth of the stargazer faces up so that it can ambush prey while hiding in the sandy bottoms of coastal waters. The top of the stargazer has electric organs in the orbitae which can generate and transmit an electric shock. The electric apparatus is composed of two organs, which form two vertical columns roughly oval in horizontal section, and placed behind and somewhat under each eye. It is composed of about 200 thin layers of electric tissue.”
I’ve caught quite a few stargazers over the years, both from the NJ surf and boats. They don’t fight at all, but try to dig into the sand — leaving surfcasters with a bent rod and line pointing straight down in the sand. They can be held with a hand under the belly.
Capt. Frank Masseria of Vitamin Sea from Keyport reports “Excellent live line bite this morning. The 4 man crew managed a couple of dozen ++ bass with overs, unders and a boat limit of keepers in the mix.
Bunker have finally moved into the bay by the millions.
Some blue bite offs. “
Fluke pro Dave Lilly once again found no fluke at his offshore spots before finally hitting a small area that produced five fluke from 3 to 3 1/2 pounds for his crew. There were also small sea bass, but no short fluke.
The forecast is for southwest winds at just 10 knots, but with a slight chance of thunderstorms and showers.
Stargazer
Capt. Ron Santee Jr. of the Fishermen at Atlantic Highlands reported a very good Tuesday sea bass trip as follows”
Once again it was another very good fishing day today.
Despite the South wind and lousy conditions the Sea Bass & Ling were hungry. Some real beauties in the mix with the pool fish going 3 pounds. A pollock, couple whiting and Winter Flounder finished it off.“
Jim Hutchinson Jr. of the Fisherman sent the following tagging report:
The NOAA Marine weather forecast for May 16th wasn’t so hot, but we still had a great day with our StriperQuest event as friends and family joined in the ‘quest’ to tag striped bass with Gray Fishtag Research. At the end of the single-day event, over 80 striped bass were caught, tagged and released by field of 20 boats, with three 40-pound class stripers also fit with MiniPAT tracking devices to follow their movements for the next 4 months. Three boats deployed the satellite tagging devices, including Chuck Many’s “Tyman” and Dave Glassberg’s “Critter Catcher,” as well as Dave Schunke’s “Fish Circus” which also had a team of anglers from PENN, Tackle Direct and The Fisherman aboard nabbing the award for most fish tagged for the day. Second place in the overall tagging was Guy Buono’s “Krunch” out of Staten Island, while a private crew of “Dirty Ol’ Bassers” skippered by Tom Streahle earned third place.
This is the start of another year of striper tagging with the Northeast Striped Bass Study; in 2023, there were 2,110 stripers tagged through Gray Fishtag Research, with “Andrea’s Toy” captain Greg DeMello tagging 391 for the year getting honored by Gray for top tagger in the world last season. Round and round they swim, where they end up we’ll eventually learn through technology and science.
Critter Catcher’s Jack Glassberg, Caterpillar Marine’s Chris Scanzillo and Bill Dobbelaer from Gray Fishtag Research with one of the stripers fitted with a MiniPAT satellite tracking device on May 16th off Sandy Hook.
Critter Catcher’s Jack Glassberg, Caterpillar Marine’s Chris Scanzillo and Bill Dobbelaer from Gray Fishtag Research with one of the stripers fitted with a MiniPAT satellite tracking device on May 16th off Sandy Hook.
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sat tagThe offshore tournament season is off to a good start. The Hatteras Village Offshore Open produced the following results:
Sea Toy – Biggest Blue Marlin – 547lbs
First Look – 2nd place Marlin – 502.7lbs
Doc Fees – Level I and II (5 blue Marlin), Day 4 release, and 2nd place Dolphin
Due South – 2nd place Level I and II (4 blue Marlin)
Play It By Ear – 3rd place Level I and II (3 blue Marlin), Day 3 release
Capt. Ron Santee Jr. summed up today’s sea bass fishing from his Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands as follows: “
4 Days in a row with great weather and good fishing, The World is gonna end!!
Action right from the start till the end of the day. Didn’t see any Whiting today and only a hand full of ling but the Sea Bass bite kept everyone busy. Weather looks great for the next several days, come on down.“
The forecast is for southwest winds at a mere 5-10 knots before going south at 10-15 plus gusts to 20 in the afternoon.
The N.J. sea bass season opened Friday, and so far there have been mostly good reports. Limit catches seem to be common, and there haven’t been too many complaints about having to pick through lots of shorts. Most boats are also reporting ling in the mix, as well as a few whiting.
Today was somewhat of an exception as the Golden Eagle from Belmar reported “It was a slower start today with the SEA BASS so we picked with shots along with lulls.
We made a few moves and it got better as the day went on. Anglers that stayed at it had their limits of SEA BASS along with LING in the mix. There was also a showing of WHITING and WINTER FLOUNDER.“
Chuck Many reported from his Tyman out of Highlands a couple of days ago”
Great day with the Kings of the Musky world, Mike, Bob, & James!!! 40 Giant Bass to 52 pounds. Definitely one to remember!!! Love these guys!” See photos below.
That was the first 50 I’ve heard of so far this season.
The forecast is for northeast winds at just 5-10 knots before going east in the afternoon.
Sorry for no blog last night, but I got delayed in traveling after a “wild” second birthday party in Palm Beach Gardens for my grandson Alex Gonzalez.
Capt. Michael Ardolino reported good opening day sea bass fishing on both Miss Belmar and Miss Belmar Princess — including many limit catches. They sail at 7:30.
He also noted there are only three spots left on “the OFF THE GRID” FAR DISTANT CANYON TILEFISH TRIP. Imagine 60 hours of YOU being off the grid! Deep Blue Water fishing in the abyss. Do you follow reports or do you make reports? Do you follow trends or do you set them? GO FOR IT!
www.captloufleet.com or call 516 623 5823 for reservations. Wednesday May 22nd 10pm sail return Saturday May 25 by 4am.
Capt. Ron Santee Jr. of the Fishermen at Atlantic Highlands reported as follows:
“
Wasn’t sure what to expect today with all the crappy weather and nasty ocean the past few days…
Was pleasantly surprised once we hit the ocean. Had a swell but it was fishable. First drop was not good with only a few fish coming up. Made a move to a little shallower water and found a better pick for the rest of the day.
Nice mix of Sea Bass, a couple big whiting, some ling and a keeper fluke. Fish were ice cold. A nice 2 pound Sea Bass took the pool.
The forecast is for northeast winds at just 10 knots before going east in the afternoon.
One of many releases this week on Chuck Many’s Tyman from Highlands,
being off the grid! Deep Blue Water fishing in the abyss. Do you follow reports or do you make reports? Do you follow trends or do you set them? GO FOR IT!
Tight Lines 