Tight Lines

The annual trip that Crazy Alberto Knie and I make to fish the Everglades with Paul Castelli at Chokoleskee produced a decent bite of small game to provide for a huge sushi dinner by gourmet chef Alberto, but the highlight was provided by a crazed sheepshead.

That beautiful and very good-eating species is similar to the tautog in feeding and fighting aspects even though they aren’t related. Both species feed primarily on crabs and are tricky to hook. Furthermore, both will try to “rock” you out without running any further than the rough bottom they live on. Yet, I suddenly found myself hooked up on light spinning tackle with a fish that hit a live shrimp like a sheepshead – but was running line off my reel like a much larger shark , cobia or ray. Possibly for the first time in sheepshead fishing history, Paul had to run on that fish.

Then I felt the jine break out of something on the bottom and the fish came up toward the surface as I gained line. It was still battling next to the boat before Alberto netted it. Though I was using only a single hook “knocker” rig, the stout 18 1/2-inch sheepshead had somehow gotten

snagged by the tiny #2 hook!

I’ll have more about this trip tomorrow.

The NY/NJ Bight forecast is for only 5-10-knot north winds, though rain and patchy fog is also in the forecast.

There haven’t been many fishable days in NY/NJ Bight this winter, but Monday is still looking good.

A small craft advisory is up until 8 p.m. for northwest winds up to 30 knots. However, by morning it will be southwest at 10-15 knots.

Only the most dedicated are still fishing the Jersey Shore surf, but none should miss the annual Surf Day at Brookdale Community College i Lincroft which is scheduled for 2/17/24. That day features seminars and displays along with raffles as surfcasters get ready to start another long season. For info go to jssssurfday@gmail.com

With northwest winds continuing, the surf should be fishable. That wind will be 20-25 knots Sunday plus gusts to 30 with light freezing spray in the morning. As noted yesterday, that’s expected to drop to just 10-15 knots by Monday.

Anglers in NY/NJ Bight have been dealing with a seemingly endless run of gale and storm warnings plus rain, snow and bitter cold, but there’s an improvement coming. Unfortunately, it’s not until Monday.

A small craft advisory is up tonight before going up to a gale watch tomorrow with northwest gusts to 40 knots and possible freezing spray.

By Monday there will be a big change to west winds at just 10-15 knots.

The New Jersey Boat Show and Expo will be coming up at Edison from Feb. 15-18.

The annual Canyon Runner Seminar is coming up from 9-5 on Feb. 3 in Harrah’s at Atlantic City. That event features seminars on all aspects of offshore fishing by the Canyon Runner pros as well as many other top offshore skippers from many ports. There are also lots of door prizes and drawings during the event as well as breakfast and beer included in the $125 ticket. I’ve attended a couple of these events and highly recommend it.

There are no ticket sales at the show, and there may be very few left. Call Adam La Rosa at 732 272-4445 ASAP.

There’s a small craft advisory in NY/NJ Bight from Friday evening to Saturday night. A gale watch follows into Sunday. Friday starts with northeast winds at 10-15 knots increasing to 15-20 knots in the afternoon along with snow.

As if the winds and big seas aren’t enough to discourage anglers, Dave Lilly reported it was 17 degrees at Hazlet this morning with everything covered in ice.

The weather was a lot better in Sarasota this morning as Vinny D’Anton caught jacks and seatrout on the D.O.A. Shrimp in gold speckles.

The windy weather continues, with a small craft advisory up through Thursday morning. However, it will drop a bit to west at 10-15 knots plus gusts to 25. At least the surf should be fishable after the west winds.

Wind isn’t a problem for Chuck Many when he fishes his salt ponds at Hilton Head, South Carolina for black drum and other species.

As noted yesterday, the Young of the Year Hudson River striped bass for index for 2023 was very poor. Results from the main migratory population in Chesapeake Bay have also been poor, but historically it’s only been necessary to have a few very good spawning years spread over decades to maintain a healthy striper fishery — and that was before the very strict conservation regulations now in effect.

The NY/NJ Bight striper fishery last year was outstanding by any standard, and the vast majority of those bass of all sizes were released to spawn again this spring. Spawning success depends primarily on weather and river conditions which are basically beyond our control. All we can do is assure adequate numbers of spawning-size stripers — which doesn’t seem to be a problem as long as strict regulations remain in place.

A small craft advisory is in effect through Wednesday evening. The weather forecast is for west winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 30 in the morning with a chance of light freezing sleet.

Striper anglers trying to join the elite of the sport by catching a 50-pounder have the perfect opportunity to do so during the winter release fishery at Cape Charles, Virginia. Check out the following delayed report from Chuck Many on Jan. 4:

Awesome day with Clinton Lessard & Joseph Eller on SHO NUF out of Cape Charles, VA. Had 34 Bites, landing 25. 7 over 50, Biggest 54.5 on digital scale, 2 under 40 pounds (37 & 39 pounds). 23 of 25 tagged for Gray FishTag Research!! Bass season never ends!!!!

+16

Jim Hutchinson Jr. , editor of the Fisherman magazine, had bad news to pass along today. According to the NYDEC chart, the 2023 striped bass young-of-the-year iindex is significantly below the long-term average, indicating that last year may go down in the history books as one of the worst recruitment seasons for striped bass since the 1980s.

“NYDEC’s Hudson River striped bass YOY index value provides an estimate of annual recruitment for striped bass in the Hudson River. This index is generated through a beach seine survey at 13 sites along the lower Hudson River conducted bi-weekly from July to November.  In addition to the Hudson River seining efforts, NYDEC also collects striped bass data in the Western Long Island (WLI) survey. This survey captures predominantly 1-year-old fish and is used in striped bass stock assessments.” I’ll have more about this tomorrow.

The weather in NY/NJ Bight lately has been so bad that a gale warning seems like an improvement over all the storm warnings.

However, after west gusts to 40 knots and 10-foot seas tonight, the morning forecast is for only west at 10-15 knots and 2-4-foot seas.

Crazy Alberto Knie put in a lot of time at night to catch this big Florida snook from shore