Tight Lines

A most unusual aspect of the Fisherman magazine Dream Boat Challenge was the lack of bluefish entries. That was primarily due to the 15-pound minimum which was imposed after several years when big blues arrived early and filled up on adult bunkers to such an extent that 15-pounders weren’t uncommon. However, that early run seems to have faded away — leaving anglers with the very high minimum which resulted in only two 2025 entries.

Amir Rajpaul entered a 16.5-pounder on 10/07, and Norman Bouchard had a 16.1-pounder on 9/25. There used to be many blues that size in late summer and early fall in NY/NJ Bight as well as in Long Island and Block Island Sounds as well as other areas. Though blues seem to be in a general decline which has resulted in tight limits, they are far from the historic lows I experienced when growing up on the south shore of Long Island around 1950. At that time the catch of even a single adult bluefish or weakfish was newsworthy. Yet I caught lots of juvenile weaks and snapper blues with my cane pole from local docks. It was accepted at that time that blues were a cyclical species. Hal Lyman was an expert on that species and speculated that they had a seven- year cycle. They started to return to the Bight around 1955 and soon returned to abundance in most areas while attaining record sizes in some areas. Overfishing came to the fore in short order before conservation measures were finally put in place. Though the fishery has been up and down, there has been no sign of a cyclical disappearance. Yet, the almost complete lack of larger spawners is disturbing.

Hopefully, the Fisherman will adjust the minimum size in the contest which is open only to subscribers — except for captains, mates and outdoor writers. A good time to subscribe is coming up at the winter sportsman’s shows when the Fisherman will offer a fishing item as an incentive].

A gale warning is up through Thursday afternoon in the Bight. The forecast tomorrow is for northwest winds at 20-25 lnots plus gusts to 35 along with snow showers.

Have a fishy New Year!

As noted yesterday, Rashawn Williams had to set personal records for almost every species in the Fisherman magazine Dream Boat contest in order to win the 2025 title. He put 18,000 miles on his truck , made the most from his NYPD shifts, and was blessed with an understanding girl friend. After leading most of the way. he ended up fishing offshore wrecks six straight days at the end of the season on the Cp tt. Lou fleet from Freeport in order to get over the sea bass 4-pound minimum. Then there was the clinching 13. 16- pound,blackfish that hit a whole white crab in Rhode Island on Sound Bound.

THe Dream boat is open to Fisherman subscribers.

A gale warning is up through tonight in NY/NJ Bight.

Rashawn Williams figured he’d have to set personal records for each species in the Fisherman Dream Boat Challange in order to win the Steiger Craft 21/Yamaha rig– and that’s what he did last year to end up with an eight point win over Vince Zorskas. Williams took the lead with a Nantucket party boat trip which produced a 13.06-pund doormat fluke..

The second place prize of a trip for two to Tropic Star Lodge in Panama is an almost sure shot at a black marlin plus many other tropical species.

More about this tomorrow.

A gale warning is up in NY/NJ Bight through Tuesday afternoon. West winds will be gusting to 40 knots.

The large party boats seeking sea bass on far offshore wrecks lost many trips to weather this fall, and there’s no making up for that as the season closes with the end of the month,

Southwest winds at 15-20 knots increase to 25-30 in the afternoon. Seas up to 9 feet plus rain areare added.

As if 25-khot northeast winds aren’t enough, anglers in NY/NJ Bight will also get snow with their small craft warnings .

The far offshore wrecks remain loaded with big sea bass, but getting to them remains a challenge. The Golden Eagle from Belmar has cancelled Dec. 26 and 28 trips due to the weather forecasts.

Sho-Nuf Charters from Cape Charles, Va. will continue their trophy striper trolling as long as those trophy size bass can be released.

A gale warning remains up in NY/NJ Bight. Rain and snow is likely at times.;, with seas up to 6 feet.

Merry Christmas & a Fishy New Year.

It’s been one after another lately for NY/NJ Bight, but now even large vessels are urged to remain port.

Merry Christmas and a fishy New Year!

Though it’s best to stay away from tackle which may not be suitable for the fishing your angler enjoys, you can’t go wrong with AFTCO fishing clothing. I wear AFTCO shorts almost every day as they not only are almost indestructible, but also fashionable. AFTCO also features a line of Guy Harvey shirts covering many types of saltwater fish in action. Many tackle shops carry AFTCO clothing which can also be purchased on their web site.

If your angler regularly fishes aboard a particular party boat, you can go to their web site and find discounted trip tickets which can be used at any time. The same thing can be accomplished with his favorite tackle shop.

For young anglers, a stocking full of such odds and ends as leadered hooks and sinkers may be more appreciated than school clothing. At least that was the case with me when I started fishing with a cane pole from docks around Merrick, Long Island!

The forecast for NY/NJ Bight is for southwest winds at 15-20 knots before diminishing to 15 in the afternoon. Rain and snow is likely.

Though Chuck Many wasn’t able to bring his Tyman to the Chesapeake for the winter trophy striper fishery, he got out with Capt. Clinton Lessard on his Sho-Nuf last week for experimental trips that produced 18 big stripers including 51 and 53 pounders by slow trolling live eels out of Cape Charles. This is all release fishing, but a best bet for those seeking the largest striper of a lifetime.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar had to cancel last night’s offshore wreck trip due to the winds.

The NY/NJ Bight forecast is for west winds at 15-20 knots.

Anglers seeking a personal best striper are very likely to reach their goal by fishing Chesapeake Bay’s winter waters. Females that left northern waters in the fall are now full of roe which adds to the weight of the released fish. Those interested should contact Sho-Nuf Charters at Cape Charles, Virginia.

The forecast for NY/NJ Bight is for west winds at 15-20 knots before increasing to 25 in the afternoon.