Tight Lines

Dave Lilly had an unusual fluking report today as he encountered big breaking swells well beyond the shore while heading south to try the Rattlesnake before changing course to the east after watching a 20-foot boat almost get flipped while failing to navigate the breakers properly. That was a good move as his crew limited up to 5 1/2 pounds in calm waters off Long Island. Lilly also noted that chub mackerel were hitting baits being reeled in. On the way back he ran across the Tin Can Grounds and saw everyone reeling in doubles of big porgies.

The big swell doesn’t seem to be a problem for offshore tuna fishing, and Raritan Bay was flat calm.

Fluke boats have been complaining of a lack of drift, but Capt. Ron Santee said the catching was better on Tuesday when a new monthly pool leader at 6 3/8-pounds was boated on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands.

The Big Mohawk from Belmar also had a new monthly leader that day as a 9 5/16-pound fluke was boated.

Paul Haertel reported that “Ryan Loughlin, Tom Kowitski Nick Cacopardo and I had a nice day on the water yesterday. We caught 40- plus mostly small mahi but we did catch a few nicer ones to just over 9 lbs.. We caught 10 goldens but all were small.”

Bluefish cooperated today on the Golden Eagle from Belmar. They ranged up to 6 pounds, and a few bonito were mixed in.

The forecast is for southwest winds at a mere 5 knots, increasing to 10-15 knots in the afternoon.

Capt. Dave DeGennaro is putting together a yellowfin tuna trip tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on his Hi Flier from Barnegat while those tuna are biting within easy range. The cost is $500 with a limit of four. Call 732 330-5674.

Hans Kaspersetz reported the usual big catch of tuna this week on the Blue Runner.

Though a smaller class of blues dominated today. the Golden Eagle from Belmar reported excellent jigging with limits for all which included some large choppers along with the 2-5-pounders. That boat starts Saturday night bluefishing at 7 p.m. this weekend — and has room on Sunday’s 23-hour canyon tuna trip.

Capt. Ron Santee has been fighting a lack of current while drifting for fluke with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands, but was happy with a 6.6-pound pool winner. That boat is chartered Friday and Saturday.

The forecast is for northwest winds at 5 knots before switching to southwest in the afternoon.

Chuck many is back from Hilton Head, and got right back into NY/NJ Bight bass and blues yesterday.

After a terrible start when there were no bigeye tuna caught at the Big Rock Tournament. those canyon tuna ended up producing strong action as the season went on.

The best of it happened at the concluding Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club’s Offshore Open in which boaters could fish either two day trips or one overnighter during a two-week period. The largest bigeye was boated by The Experience at 256.8 pounds, but the volume was most impressive as Canyon Runner weighed five over 150 pounds including the second place 218.2-pounder – followed by Blue Runner at 215.9 and 215 pounds!

The Yellowfin/Longfin tuna stringer money went to Due Course at 157.7 pounds over jersey Nutz 45 at 149.3 and Clean Livin’ with 145.7 pounds.

Large dolphin had also been relatively scarce at this summer’s contests, but Uncorked quickly turned that around with a 47.3-pounder. Done Deal found second and third place dolphin of 35.9 and 30.6 pounds at the end of the contest and snatched the Mahi Stringer category with 79.6 pounds from Uncorked’s 78.5 pounds. They also took the wahoo category with a 50-pounder — and came up with a 93.2-pound swordfish to edge out Pepper’s 85.7-pounder.

The hot marlin fishing at the MidAtlantic didn’t carry over as Blue Runner won in white marlin releases with just two, while Flying Tiger had the only blue marlin release.

The albacore category was topped by Following Seas at 54.2 pounds.

The forecast is for north winds at just 5 knots before switching to south in the afternoon. With a large southeast swell. inlets remain rough on outgoing tide.

Very good news on bluefishing in NY/NJ Bight as the Golden Eagle from Belmar reported bigger blues dominated for jiggers today. Most of the choppers were from 4-10 pounds, and many anglers limited.

Bluefish jigging in NY/NJ Bight has been up-and-down lately, but today’s report from the Golden Eagle out of Belmar was very positive as limits of choppers up to 6 pounds were jigged along with some bonito and little tunny. They’ll be back out there at 7:30 a.m. with a forecast of a northwest breeze at 5 knots before going southwest in the afternoon.

The awards party for the Offshore Open is going on as this is written. I’l have the final results tomorrow.

Capt. Joe Massa got into bigger blues in the Hudson River on Friday while adding a striper on his My Three Sons from Morgan Marina.

Kil Song was testing a new line of Korean rods he’s importing while catching stripers on a night trip of the Ebb Tide at Montauk.

Capt. Joe Massa did it again yesterday as he caught his second sheepshead of the summer in Raritan Bay on his My Three Sons from Morgan Marina.

This one was hooked on a piece of crab, and also released. Massa took the length measurement at 16 1//2 inches which was slightly shorter than the last one. That brings Massa’s boat total up to three as I released a 20-inch, 7-pounder while casting a Gulp Jerk Shad for weakfish from his boat on Sept. Sept. 7, 2013.

Sheepshead were once so abundant in the region that the largest party boat port in the east was named for them. Sheepshead Bay is still there, but I haven’t heard of any sheepshead being caught there in decades.

The Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club’s Offshore Open concludes tomorrow. The leaders ilisted this week are still in place as of tonight.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported slower jigging for small blues today, with the best action early and late in the trip. Some bonito and little tunny were also jigged.

The weather forecast is for southwest winds at 10-15 knots.

Both the weather and fishing prospects are looking good as the Labor Day weekend gets underway.

Tomorrow begins with west winds at just 5 knots before going to south 10-15 knots in the afternoon. That should be fine for jigging small blues in NY/NJ Bight.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported that fishing was a bit slower today, though they had shots at the usual 2-3-pounders plus other times when 4-6-pounders were hitting. Though the action was in flurries, plenty of fish were marked on the hills, and those who worked at it caught limits. A few bonito and little tunny were also jigged. The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant has had similar reports down the beach.

Austin Perilli reports from Jamaica Bay as follows:

Lots of bass and bluefish in the bay right now hitting surface poppers, soft plastics, and small metal jigs. Plus, we have been doing well drifting live bait for weakfish. This type of high-action fishing in calm, sheltered water is perfect for friends, families, and kids to get out on the water for a few hours.

With that being said, we will be running after school special trips from 4 or 5 pm – sunset daily during the months of September and October.. Contact him at austinoutfittersnyc.com.

Fluke fishing has been generally good on rough bottoms when drifting conditions are decent.

The bigeye tuna bite has been great for boaters entered in the Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club’s Offshore Open which concludes on Sept. 3. The Experience remains the leader in tuna at this time with a massive 256.8-pounder.

After the first surge of big tuna entered in the Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club’s Offshore Open, there was no time for the new leaders to rejoice before challengers arrived.

The Experience weighed a trophy 256.8-pound bigeye to take over first, while Blue Runner’s 215.9 and 215-pounders were dropped to third and fourth. Canyon Runner hadn’t been fishing the tournaments this summer, but made a good start with a 218.2-pound bigeye to move into second. They also weighed in bigeyes of 195.6, 172.9 and 163.9 pounds. Lightningshack entered a 195.7-pound tuna.

Bigeye tuna are not only great game fish, but they sometimes are worth close to giant bluefins when shipped to Japan.

The Experience added a white marlin release in that contest which gives entrants the choice of fishing two day trips or one overnighter through Sept. 3.

I’m sorry about yesterday’s messed-up headline, but I’m sure you figured out the report of fine bonito fishing along with limits of small blues on the Golden Eagle from Belmar. The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant has had similar jigging success.

Capt. Ron Santee was faced with windy conditions this morning, but gave fluking a shot as many regulars were boarding the Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands in order to take a last shot at the monthly pool. Unfortunately, the conditions resulted in poor fishing which left Bill Venezia a richer man with the 9-pounder he was leading with.

A small craft warning is up through late tonight. The morning forecast is for northeast winds at 10-15 knots before dropping to 5-10 in the afternoon.

Kids enjoying

fluking at the Jersey Devil fishing camp earlier in the summer

Hot bonito bite in NY/NJ Bight

There’s been a pick of bonito in NY/NJ Bight this summer, but those great fighting and eating fish dominated this morning on the Golden Eagle from Belmar. Anglers caught them on both epoxy and plain jigs as well as bait. Small blues were also in the mix as many limits were taken.

Capt. Ron Santee had good drifting conditions Monday on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands, and went down on deck to school newcomers on how to catch fluke — just as his father Ron used to do. He limited, as did others — and the pool fluke of 6 pounds was boated by an angler who also caught a sea bass, a bonito — and a turtle! How do you do that?

A small craft advisory is up through Thursday afternoon. The forecast is for north winds at 15-20 knots before going northeast in the afternoon at 10-15 knots. With a 4-6-foot southeast swell, inlets remain rough on outgoing tides.

Hurricane Idellia passed by Ft. Myers without doing much damage before slamming much further north into Keaton Beach where they hadn’t experienced a hurricane in 125 years.

Pat Renna caught his first doormat in local waters — an 11-pounder.

There was a dramatic change yesterday at the Mansquan River Marlin & Tuna Club Offshore Open as very large bigeye tuna were weighed in. The new leader is Blue Runner with an almost identical pair at 215.9 and 215 pounds. Lucky Strike 1 took over third at 160 pounds, followed by Following Seas with a 130.7-pounder and Due Course at 94.3 pounds.

Blue Runner also has two white marlin releases, while Offshore Business and Pepper each have one. It’s going to take a huFt.ge dolphin to beat the 47.3-pounder that Uncorked started off with. Offshore Business is second at 20.1 pounds. Two small swordfish have been entered, with Pepper at 95.7 pounds, ahead of Lucky Strike 1 at 54.6 pounds. Unlike most tournaments, the Offshore Open has a separate category for albacore which is led by led by Following Seas at 54.2 pounds. Fishing continues through Sept. 3.

A small craft advisory is up from this evening to Wednesday evening. Yet, the morning forecast is for southwest winds at just 5-10 knots before going west in the afternoon. The warning about rough seas at inlets continues. That still sounds good to me while waiting out the hurricane in Ft. Myers!

Jim Hutchinson Sr. and Jr. had a great trip in the East River yesterday while casting for stripers and blues with Tony Dilernia.

The ongoing Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club Offshore Open started off with small tuna, but a 47.3-pound dolphin on Uncorked would have been big enough to win last week’s much bigger MidAtlantic. This contest runs through Sept. 3, and gives entrants their choice of two day trips or one overnighter.

The weekend tuna entries were led by Clean Livin’ at 94.3 pounds, and Kelly Lynn with two of 71.5 and 58.1 pounds.

Though the winds are light, boaters will have to exercise caution at inlets due to large swells. Southwest winds will be 5-10 knots with possible showers.

The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported lots of 2-4-pound blues yesterday on jigs along with some bonito, chub mackerel and little tunny.

The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant had a fine weekend jigging 4-7-pound blues, and over 60 bonito were added Saturday. The A-17 jig worked best.

Eric Kerber has been high speed trolling for wahoo while making moves for tuna, and finally came up with his first local wahoo from On A Mission.

Chuck Many released 10 black drum from his salt ponds at Hilton Head, S.C. before flying back north.