New Jersey Fishing Reports

Anglers aboard sailed for blackfish on three trips Friday through Sunday with Outcast Charters, Capt. Joe said. The charter Friday limited out on the tog with no problem, playing catch and release with more afterward. One of the anglers pummeled a 9-pounder. A 7-pounder and an 8-pounder were also swung in, if Joe remembered correctly. Saturday’s charter packed it in early, because of nasty weather with northeast winds and pouring rains. But the group scored an okay catch of blackfish before they came in. Sunday’s charter, picked up from Jersey on the boat, limited out on the slipperies to 7 pounds, another good catch. Winds blew a bit in the morning but calmed by 11 a.m. The weather began to turn cold that day, but Joe liked the cold. Should be good for the fishing, he said. Charters with Outcast can now either sail from the boat’s dock on Staten Island or can be picked up in Jersey, and call for info.

Bayonne

Bulkhead anglers had to be patient to catch striped bass, but they banked them, said Capt. Akira from True World Tackle and True World Tackle Charters. One of the anglers bunker chunked a 37-pound 46-incher from the Bayonne Pier on Newark Bay. Another tugged in a 36-incher from the bulkhead on the New York Bay side. Boaters trolled for stripers every day on New York Bay inshore of Robbins Reef, and one customer hauled a 30-pounder from the waters. Another said sand eels filled the waters. The bait was abundant at this time last year, too. Boaters also jigged stripers at Sandy Hook Channel and eeled stripers at the channels. A charter with Akira today was supposed to jig for stripers and then look for blackfish.

Atlantic Highlands

On the Atlantic Star blackfishing was good, one of the better days of the season, on Friday, a one-drop day, Capt. Tom said. Saturday’s trip stayed docked because of weather forecasts, but Sunday’s trip ran for the tog in northeast winds and colder weather but completely fishable. A couple of the anglers limited out, and some bagged three or four keepers, and a couple boated no keepers. But the fishing was okay, all in all, even if a higher ratio of shorts bit than on Friday, and the winds made feeling the bites a little tough. Blackfishing in general was pretty good on the trips. The Atlantic Star is blackfishing 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Striped bass anglers on the Fishermen mugged good action today on small fish and a handful of keepers, Capt. Ron said in an e-mail. Catches were more consistent early in the day and after the tide changed to outgoing after mid day. The trip fished a couple of areas, and not much life was located to the south. Ava 27 and 47 jigs without tails worked on this trip, and the load of herring that birds worked along the beaches Sunday were nowhere to be found today. No e-mail came in about Sunday’s fishing on the boat, and no report was posted on the vessel’s Web site about any of the past several days, and some of the trips were probably weathered out. Today was beautiful on the waters, and the weather looked clear for Tuesday. The Fishermen is sailing for striped bass 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily.

Highlands

Fisher Price Charters ran the final trip of the season today on the boat, ending with a great catch, Capt. Derek said. First the anglers jigged and released more than 50 short striped bass down the ocean beaches. Then they blackfished 2 ½ hours, shellacking a six-angler limit of the tog to 10 pounds, including numerous 7- and 8-pounders. Seas were gorgeous, like a lake. Derek thanks all the anglers who hopped aboard for a good season and wishes everyone a happy and safe holidays, New Year’s and winter. Trips will begin again on April 1, and reservations are already being booked for striped bass fishing and bottom fishing for blackfish and ling, the first fishing that will sail.

Capt. Bob from Sandy Hook Fishing Adventures called it a season, and he was supposed to pull the boat today and begin getting ready for next season, he said in an e-mail. The fishing year ended all too soon, he said, and although he loves fall fishing the most, the weather was closing in, even forcing his final two trips to be cancelled this past week. Reservations are being accepted for spring striped bass fishing, and anyone who books before April 30 is eligible for a good discount. The boat next year will sail from Clam Hut Marina on Atlantic Street in the Highlands, only a few blocks from the previous location. The new marina will be much better for anglers, offering closer parking, easier loading onto the boat, modern facilities including showers, and dining and cocktails just a few steps away. Bob thanks everyone who fished on the boat this year, “(and) while we had to endure weather and many new regulations, there was some fine fishing, with many personal bests,” he said. Bob and Matt the mate wish everyone Happy Holidays and a safe New Year and ask everybody to remember the men and women in uniform this Holiday Season.

Neptune

Blackfishing with Last Lady Fishing Charters plowed the fish to 9 pounds on a charter Saturday, scoring even better on the tog to 11 pounds on an individual-reservation trip Sunday, Capt. Ralph said. Both days were quite productive. Lots of small blacks were around, but so were lots of quality ones. On Saturday’s trip Ralph got a rare chance to fish, because the charter were friends, and he banged out seven keepers to 9 pounds and was high hook. On Sunday the angler with the 11-pounder also creamed an 8-pounder, and five of the seven anglers limited out or caught more. So they were actually able to catch limits for the whole boat plus Ralph and the mate. The trips fished in one spot in 55 feet, and as soon as they got on the right location, catches were constant. Lots of bluefin tuna were seen on Saturday, but none showed up on Sunday. Individual-reservation trips are fishing for blackfish every Saturday and Sunday when no charter is booked. They’re also running on December 23, New Year’s Eve Day and New Year’s Day.

Belmar

Trips the last couple of days boated blackfish to 7 pounds on the Nan Sea J, Capt. Tom said. The fishing was fair to good lately, depending on conditions, and the trips targeted 35- to 60-foot depths. Waters were 50.5 degrees on Sunday, so the temps were dropping. Tom didn’t hear much recently about striped bass and bluefish catches, but lots of gannets worked the waters. The Nan Sea J will fish to January, and the vessel sailed through January last year, and the angling was worthwhile, Tom said. Don’t have enough anglers for a full charter? Call Tom anyway, because small groups and even individual spaces can be claimed on make-up trips.

Brielle

A 15-pound blackfish and a 12-1/2-pounder were socked on a trip that limited out on the tog Friday on the Big Kid, Capt. Ken said. Trips lately fished for them in 80 feet at the reefs, and charters also continued to striper fish. A trip today was supposed to target the striped bass in the morning and go for blackfish afterward, and many customers love that combo. Stripers currently bit early, early in the mornings on the boat’s trips.

After several days of weather, Fish Monger Charters got back to blackfishing today, Capt. Jerry said in an e-mail. The charter took home their limit of the tog, including three 8-pounders. Lots more keepers 3 to 8 pounds, better quality fish, snapped than before. A bunch of drops and adjustments had to be made, and winds “kept changing, dying, etc.,” he said, but all the anglers fished hard, picking away until they limited out. The high hook racked up 12 keepers, keeping only his limit, and another angler totaled 10, bagging only his quota. A flurry of 5- to 8-pounders gave up bites on white leggers at one point. The trip first made a drop in 60 feet, and kept moving on to other spots, finding life on each, wrangling up shorts and keepers until the action stopped, and moving on again. The anglers worked for the fish, but the catch added up by the end. Charters and open-boat trips are sailing.

Beach anglers banked fairly good catches of striped bass from Sea Girt to Brick Beach in the local area, said Dave from The Reel Seat. Metal and teasers worked well, and here are the final results from the shop’s free surf striper tournament during Thanksgiving weekend: 1st place, Bob Gammer, 26.4-pounder; 2nd place, Jerry Taylor, 16.75-pounder; and 3rd place, Ken Morse, 15-pounder. Bluefish were scarce in the suds lately, unclear whether they departed for the season or disappeared temporarily. Waters were 52 or 53 degrees, and fluke remained in the surf at least early last week, when Dave saw them reeled in. Striper fishing on boats wasn’t so hot on the ocean in the past days. Mixed reports rolled in about tog fishing on the ocean, and some anglers nailed quality catches, and others fared poorly. No really big tog were seen at the shop so far this season. Bluefin tuna, big fish to 150 pounds, schooled around the Mud Buoy, and a customer on Sunday morning was headed out to try for them. Dave heard about one of the tuna landed Saturday on a trolled, rigged ballyhoo, and about another that an angler hooked and fought on a Hogy soft plastic lure on a jighead on spinning tackle for a couple of hours before the fish got off on Friday. Here’s a good idea: For the holidays, anglers can fill out a gift wish list at the shop, and anyone looking for a gift for the angler can call the store or stop by, and the shop will be able to tell what the angler would like for a gift. Some kind of sale is always going on at the shop, if anyone’s looking for gifts. The Reel Seat will be open full time through Christmas Eve before taking a winter break for a moment.

Seaside

A few striped bass were weighed in from the surf Sunday, and that was good, because only a few anglers fished the wash, said the report on Grumpy’s Tackle’s Web site. The bass, weighing 7 to 9 pounds, were nabbed on Grumpy clams and bunker. But anglers talked about catching and releasing lots of short stripers from the suds on skinny metal and teasers that day. Not a lot fished Saturday once rains started. But the early morning seemed to give up stripers from the beach. Either the bite lasted a short time, or the anglers quickly went home. The surf was in the low 50s, “and there are bass in it,” the report said. Check out the shop’s bargain bin that at the moment included buy-one, get-one Gulp pogies and strip baits and dollar-off Calcutta shads and Storm shads. <a href=" http://www.grumpystackle.com/fishing_reports.cfm" target="_blank"> Click here</a> for updates.

Barnegat Light

Plenty of striped bass were dusted up with Reel Fantasea Charters, when the weather allowed trips to sail, Capt. Steve said in an e-mail. After a trip had to be cancelled Thursday because of another gale warning, a trip with Tony Mafei’s crew sailed Friday in calm winds and seas, some of the best weather of the fall. Striped bass gave up steady action, and a few slammer blues and even some good-sized, out-of-season fluke were pumped in. The three anglers landed 30 stripers, keeping five and a few blues. On Sunday Jay Simmons and son Justin headed out, toughing out weather in the mid 30’s and knifing, 20 to 30 m.p.h. winds. But they tackled steady action with more than 20 stripers, bagging two keepers. They would’ve limited out, except for a couple that pulled the hooks at boat side. Justin angled up his first-ever linesiders and the biggest one of the trip. Reel Fantasea was one of the last charters of the season to keep sailing last year, and Capt. Steve toward the end sent photos of ice formed around the boat in the slip but stripers caught. Still, take advantage now.

Surf City

The crew at Surf City Bait & Tackle was preparing to close the shop for the season, Barbara said. She was doing inventory when she gave this report today. Surf fishing was sort of slow during the weekend because of rough weather, but previously 10-pound blues sometimes stormed the wash. The eight-week Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Classic wrapped up on Sunday, and lots of fish, not a lot of huge ones, were checked in for the event at the shop. The tournament’s results take a day or two afterward to be released, but the contest’s Web site showed that a 42.69-pound striped bass was the biggest linesider, and a 16.31-pound blue was the largest slammer, if those results are declared official.

Mystic Island

A few hearty anglers fished for striped bass at Little Egg Inlet on Sunday morning with clams, until winds picked up, chasing them away, said the report on Scott’s Bait & Tackle’s Web site. White perch anglers saw bunker swimming the Mullica River that day. Anglers seemed wary of storm warnings on Saturday, and even radio chatter was mostly quiet. But boaters at the inlet on Friday found fair numbers of stripers of mixed sizes. Several veterans talked about losing big bass, probably 30-plus pounders, and other anglers released as many as four shorts. Boaters who trolled and jigged for stripers on the ocean that day said catches were few and far between, apparently because the fish remained in the back waters. But they expected the first cold snap to ball up the bass on the ocean like usually happens, creating easy pickings. That cold snap might’ve arrived now. One troller that day landed a monkfish on an umbrella rig, and had thought he had hooked a striper of a lifetime. “Did you ever try to drag in a monkfish with his mouth open?” the report asked. One customer checked in a 15-pound striper he banked at Pebble Beach on Friday morning. Surprising that the catch was made in the sunny weather, because most of the action in the area happened on rainy days or just after dark. One gang limited out on tog, weighing in two 10-pounders, had a super day on Friday, confident they could return for a repeat when the weather allowed. The report guessed they fished at Garden State Reef South.

Brigantine

“The fish are still out there,” said the report on Riptide Bait & Tackle’s Web site, but few anglers fished the surf. The weather was rough, but fish should litter the surf then. A 23-pound striped bass was weighed in Friday that was clocked at the cove on fresh bunker from Riptide. One angler kept banging away at stripers in the back bay, and a photo was posted on the site of two sizeable bass he checked in Saturday. Boaters had been limiting out on stripers at Absecon Inlet at least through Wednesday, the last time the report mentioned the fishing. Riptide’s hours were changed to 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting today, but if customers needed anything, they could call the shop, and messages would be checked. A sale is being started, featuring 10 to 50 percent off everything in the shop. Stop by “and see what’s hot,” the report said. The Riptide Striper Derby, an annual event, lasts through the month, and all proceeds are donated to charity. Cash prizes are awarded each month and at the end of the tournament for the biggest fish. The $20 entry in the tournament allows beach buggy access to the entire stretch of Brigantine during the event for those with a Brigantine permit, the only event doing so now. Participants must sign up 24 hours in advance to enter a catch.

Longport

The anglers on Friday’s trip limited out on blackfish, but Sunday’s fishing for the tog was very slow on the boat, said Capt. Mike from the Stray Cat. Two anglers joined that trip, hauling up two keepers and a dozen shorts, and the bite was off, for some reason. But trips until then whaled away at the slipperies, covered in previous reports. Trips lately found the tog from close to shore to 10 miles out or so, but the angling on Ocean City Reef produced nothing, for unknown reasons. Open-boat trips are steaming for blackfish 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily when no charter is booked, and Stray Cat bills Longport as the Blackfish Capital of the World. The relatively unpressured pieces off South Jersey can serve up some of the better catches.

Somers Point

Striped bass, blues and tog cooperated when the weather was calm enough for anglers to fish, said T.C. from Brennan Marine in a fax. Great Egg Reef produced large numbers of 4- and 5-pound tog at mid week on green crabs, and anglers limited out in a short time. Ron and J.R. Gentile on their boat Fillet of Fish early in the week trolled a sizeable striper and monster blues to 15 pounds at Sea Isle Lump on Stretch 30 lures. Bill Carew and company on his Moonlight snagged bunker at the rock pile off Longport, bagging a 13-pound 33-ich striper on the baitfish. On Saturday Don Slota and Joe Fare got into a one-hour blitz of stripers at Great Egg Harbor Inlet, tackling four respectable keepers on fresh bunker while anchored. Al and Tina Cortes and Mike Collins on Al’s Tina Marie at the inlet boated a quality trio of bass: Al’s 19-pound 37-incher, Tina’s 10-pound 37-incher and Mike’s 13.25-pound 32-incher.

Sea Isle City

Four striped bass to 34 inches and a big blue were clobbered on the ocean on jigs on a trip over the weekend with Rich Duffy, said Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle. Lots of fish and bait were marked, and the fish-finder screen was lit up at one point, but fewer fish than were read were willing to bite. The fish landed were respectable sized, and a white Fin-S Fish on a jighead was the lure. Friends ran across a bunch of large blues and no stripers farther north. The ocean was 53 degrees, and the migration of fish is likely far from finished, and Joe expects the good angling to last at least until Christmas. But he always recommends anglers go now, while the fish are here. An opening is available for a trip this weekend. Trying to find the perfect holiday gift? Jersey Cape offers gift certificates for charters. Call or <a href="mailto:gibsonstackle@hotmail.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a> Joe if interested. Looking ahead, Joe will relocate his flats boat to Florida after Christmas, offering annual <a href=" http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">traveling charters</a> to the Keys during certain times through Easter when he travels there. The trips target species from sailfish, king mackerel and mahi mahi in the ocean to redfish, speckled sea trout, jack crevalles and snook in the back country. The type of fishing is dictated by the weather.

Cape May

Catches of striped bass held up through the past week on the Down Deep on the ocean and at the Cape May Rips, Capt. Bob said. Many were shorts, but lots were keepers, and the angling was pretty much good all over. The fish on the ocean were trolled and at the rips were eeled or bucktailed, and the supply of spots ran out that were previously also fished at the rips. Big blues sometimes attacked on the troll, but fewer blues were around than a week or two ago, and mainly stripers were hooked. Charters will fish through Sunday until Bob wraps up the season, and space is available toward the end of the week.

Trolling for striped bass along the ocean front served up striped bass, good catches, on trips Friday and Sunday on the Heavy Hitter, and a trip Saturday was weathered out, Capt. George said. Some of the bass were also jigged on bucktails when anglers dropped down the lures when the boat was stopped at times. Friday’s charter, with John Lepo’s group, reeled in six keeper stripers, a bunch of throwbacks and a mess of big blues. A couple of 4-pound, out-of-season flounder were tossed back, and were actually trolled. A 10-pound monkfish was also trolled. Sunday’s trip with the Chris and Larry Troy charter limited out on 12 stripers, threw back some shorts, lost other fish that bit, and landed three big blues before the group decided to head back by 10 a.m., calling it a trip early because of rough seas. Plenty of bird life popped up on the trip, and the stripers were marked 10 feet thick on the fish finder. Lots of sand eels and bait filled the waters on the trips. So plenty of stripers remained in the area, and waters were 52 degrees, so the fishing should last a while longer. Call if interested in a trip, and George will offer charters into January if the angling continues. His boat will be pulled from the waters before then, but he’ll run a friend’s boat that will stay in.

Winds blew too hard, calmed down too late in the afternoon, for a trip to sail for striped bass on Sunday with Fish Tale Charters, and that was the final scheduled trip of the season, Capt. Craig said. He’ll now pull the boat from the waters for the winter. A friend tried to sail that day, trolled a short striper but got beaten up and came back in. Still, stripers most definitely remained, and with waters in the low to mid 50s, fishing for them should continue to Christmas, and Craig wouldn’t be surprised if the angling lasted into January. Bluefish still swam the waters, and they usually leave before stripers. Craig thanks everyone who fished on the boat this season and hopes to see them next year. Catch a special that offers a discount to early birds who book a trip for 2010. Details will be posted on Fish Tale’s Web site after the first of the year.

Business slowed a bit, but the fish stuck around, said Matt from Jim’s Bait & Tackle in a fax. Striped bass at the Cape May Rips were smaller than before, were mostly school fish. The tops of tides were best to catch them, because waters were clearer, and eels, jigs, bucktails and rubber shads did the job. Stripers schooled the ocean at the Wildwood Lump, 20-Minute Slough and Peacock Shoal, and jigging or trolling for them seemed best, and dogfish could be a problem if bait were used. Big blues were mixed in. Delaware Bay’s striper fishing slowed a little, but big bass were hauled from the Horseshoe and the Punk Grounds in the bay, and big blues also chomped, both fish taken on bunker. Harry Brill weighed in a 41-pound striper from Crooked Neck in the bay, and Peter Dorsey checked in a 33-pounder from the Punk Grounds. Blackfish moved to deeper waters, could be grabbed at Wildwood Reef and Cape May Reef. Surf fishing was spotty, and mostly short stripers were beached, but anglers hoped the cold weather pushed in more bass from up north.