New Jersey Fishing Reports

Although New York’s blackfish season closed on December 20 and reopens on Sunday, Outcast Charters has been picking up blackfish anglers from New Jersey, where the blackfish season is open. A trip Friday that picked up the anglers from Jersey had no problem limiting out on the tog, playing catch and release with more, Capt. Joe said. Some were sizeable, including a 12-1/2-pounder, an 11-pounder and a 10-1/2-pounder. A couple weighed 7 pounds, and the rest of the keepers probably weighed 3 to 5 pounds. The fishing was good in the morning, afterward slowed a little for a while, and then became good again. Two ling were hooked, and more of the blackfish trips are slated for today and Wednesday. When New York’s season for the tog reopens on Sunday, trips for the fish will once again be able to sail from the boat’s dock. But Outcast can still pick up anglers from Jersey and frequently does, and call for info. ***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Two trips blackfished Monday and Wednesday, picking up the anglers from Jersey, Joe said. Monday’s fishing was okay, a pick of 22 of the tog, not that great. The fish weighed up to 9 pounds, and three cod – a 12-pounder and two 6-pounders – and a few ling were iced. Wednesday’s fishing limited out on a pick all day, scored okay, and some of the blacks were larger, including an 11-1/2-pounder, a 10-pounder and a couple of 9’s, and the rest of the fish were quality. Waters hovered around 40 degrees, not a bad temp for the angling, but the fish will probably stop feeding after a drop of another couple of degrees. Warmer weather was supposed to arrive in the next days. Outcast will keep blackfishing as long as the catches hold up, and another trip is slated for Saturday. Again, New York’s season for the fish reopens on Sunday, when trips will either be able to sail from the dock on Staten Island or be picked up from Jersey, and call for info.

Neptune

The whole boat limited out on blackfish by 12:30 p.m. Saturday on an individual-reservation trip for the tog, and some of the fish were hogs, Capt. Ralph from Last Lady Fishing Charters said. Another one of the trips limited out on Sunday, waffled constant action, and the slipperies weren’t as large but weighed up to 8 pounds. One of the anglers lost a big one in a snag on the way up. Another looted a bunch of ling on shrimp. Green crabs, white leggers and shrimp caught the tog, and the greenies are supplied, and the white leggers are available at the marina, opening at 6 a.m. The anglers brought their own shrimp. Individual-rez trips will run for blackfish every day possible through Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, and charters are available. Only two spots are left on Wednesday, and the weekend is filling, and anglers are already calling about Monday. After Monday Ralph will take a winter vacation. If the fish keep snapping after the vacation, trips will chase after them. ***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Wednesday’s trip limited out on blackfish and came back early, Ralph said in an e-mail. He was frying some up that the anglers gave him for dinner as he sent the report. Fat ling were also reeled aboard. “Anything else to add?” Ralph was asked in a phone call afterward. “Just get on the fishing!” he answered. “It’s hot!” Individual-reservation trips are full today through Saturday, but openings remain Sunday and Monday.

Belmar

A trip for blackfish was scheduled on the Nan Sea J for Saturday, but was cancelled because of the cold, Capt. Tom said. But the weather is supposed to be warmer later this week, and make-up trips for the tog are on the books for Wednesday and Friday, and space is available. Call to climb aboard.

***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Mackerel, plenty of the fish, were bailed on the Miss Belmar Princess, Capt. Alan said. A five- or six-day stretch put customers into coolers full, and lately the angling on each trip turned on well for a while, and customers loaded up for 2 or 3 hours, until conditions like winds turned off the bite. Sunday was slow because of conditions, but Saturday was great. Tuesday’s trip mugged the macks until 11 a.m., when winds killed the action. Wednesday’s fishing was super again. The mackerel were medium to large, and none was small, and trips found the schools 20 to 25 miles from port. The boat was the only head boat reaching the fish, Alan said, because the three engines allowed the 20-knot cruising it took to sail that range, compared with 15 knots that other vessels cruised. The only bad thing was that commercial boats failed to find the mother lode of mackerel. Apparently small pods of the fish were around, and that was enough for party boats but not for commercials. The mackerel population seemed to be off ever since Gov. Christine Whitman allowed Russian boats to catch them, Alan said. The recreational fleet never got a good run of the fish in spring since then. In other news, heads up anglers: Cod trips off Montauk, outings that shellacked the catches on the Miss Belmar Princess last winter, will once again sail this year, starting Friday, February 5, running every Friday night. The boat’s range also allows those trips, unlike other vessels. That was some of the best fishing, and some of the only fishing, available from the coast at that time last year, exciting trips. Limited to 40 passengers, the trips are $200 per person and require reservations. For now, the Miss Belmar Princess is mackerel fishing 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Fishing for tog plundered the catches, very good fishing, on the Big Mohawk on some days, and the angling “was just, eh,” on others, but generally was good, Capt. Chris said. “Put it this way,” he said, “for January, it’s okay.” Sizeable ones, like an 11-pounder on Wednesday’s trip, were in the mix. Some 13-pounders, other 11-pounders and lots of 10’s were creamed through the past week. So the size was there, and plenty of limits were made. Trips will keep fishing at least into next week, and then Chris will take stock of how the catches are holding up. The Big Mohawk is blackfishing 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Brielle

Offshore trips on the party boat Jamaica during the weekend hung pollock to 30 pounds, cod to 25 pounds, a good show of jumbo porgies and some ling, an e-mail from the boat said. Pool winners were Tom Xenakis with a 31-pound pollock, Jamie Mendez with a 30-pound pollock, and Joe Blustein with three pollock from 20 to 27 pounds. The high hook on cod, Christian Hoops, clocked four. Trips are steaming offshore 45 to 65 miles for cod, pollock, hake and jumbo porgies every Friday through Sunday through February.

Point Pleasant

***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Ling and blackfish were rounded up on the party boat Dauntless, Capt. Butch said. Some of the anglers dropped 10 to 15 ling and four or five blacks in their buckets, so the fishing was okay. A few cod, mostly just keeper-sized, were belted each day, and no pollock showed up in a couple of weeks. Some big pollock 15 to 20 pounds were pelted then. Only a few mackerel were plucked on trips lately, and the crew had been hoping the Bostons would migrate within range to chase. When macks do appear, trips go after them in the mornings, when the fishing is best, and bottom fish for ling and blacks afterward. The boat bottom fished in 100 to 150 feet, getting out four or five times a week between the weather. A trip fished on Wednesday but not on Tuesday. But previously four or five trips sailed in a row. Waters were 40 to 44 degrees. The Dauntless sails all winter long, one of the state’s few vessels that does, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Anglers on the party boat Gambler dusted up pretty good catches through the week, Capt. Bob said. Probably most anglers at least limited out on blackfish on a trip for the tog Wednesday. The fish weighed up to 8 pounds, and white leggers and green crabs were the baits. A trip farther offshore on Thursday nailed a healthy shot of cod, a couple of pollock and plenty of ling for a productive day. Kip Tobish from Philly clobbered a 31-pound cod, a 25-pounder – a couple of bruisers – and some fat ling. Paul Byrne from Toms River waxed a 12-pound cod and 16 sizeable ling. The fishing was somewhat slower on a trip Saturday in rougher weather, but a few cod, a quality-sized pollock and quite a few ling were bucketed. The ling on both trips were caught toward the end of the day. A trip was ready to sail for mackerel on Sunday, but apparently the cold kept anglers from showing up. The Gambler is blackfishing every Wednesday, is targeting cod, pollock and ling every Thursday through Saturday at the 20- to 50-mile wrecks, and is mackerel fishing every Sunday through Tuesday. All trips run 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: An edited e-mail from the party boat Cock Robin: “We are beginning the new year with a plea for your help. As many of you are aware, there have been many changes to the fishing regs in 2009, implemented without regard to actual scientific data. Summer flounder or fluke, sea bass and tautog stocks are in good shape, and the biomasses are at the highest levels ever recorded. However, we cannot say (that the opportunity to fish for them is in the same shape). In spite of great progress in rebuilding (these stocks), another round of federal quota cuts are on the way for 2010, and the National Marine Fisheries Service has threatened to ban fishing for fluke, sea bass and tog in the future. We all want sustainable fisheries so that we can continue to enjoy fishing and ensure that our kids can do likewise … but this situation is ridiculous, and the time has come to stop it. We need your help! You might ask why we, a business dedicated to stripers, bluefish, bonito, false albacore and inshore tuna would care about these other fisheries? The answer is simple: If these government organizations are able to broadly close and limit these fisheries, who is to say they won't take the same uneducated, drastic measures on other fisheries?! How can you help? 1.) <a href="http://joinrfa.org/Press/SenatorLautenbergRFA.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a>, print, sign, send and tell a friend. It’s that simple! Really! 2.) Join us in an historic March on Washington, D.C. Recreational and commercial fishermen, supporting business owners, families and community leaders will gather at the steps of our nation's capitol on Wednesday, February 24, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. to show Congress a united front of the impacts caused by the unintended (consequences) of the revised Magnuson Stevens Conservation and Management Act (RMSA), effective January 2007. The overly restrictive management requirements created by the RMSA based on non-scientific, arbitrary deadlines are forcing anglers off the waters, eliminating commercial fishing, preventing consumers from purchasing locally caught, fresh seafood, destroying small, family businesses, increasing unemployment, and adversely affecting coastal communities. We fully support real, science-based management and the conservation of our marine resources, while also being able to sustain recreational and commercial fishing activities, providing locally caught seafood, sustaining small family businesses, and supporting our coastal communities. Make your plans to join us for this historic event, and work with us in a united effort from coast to coast. <a href=" http://ssfff.net/marchondcticketsdirections.html" target="_blank">Click here</a> to purchase a seat on a bus to Washington, D.C. (Bus locations: Brielle, Atlantic Highlands, Wildwood and Bordentown.) Educate yourself on what is happening to your recreation: <a href="http://ssfff.net/index.html" target="_blank">Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund</a>, <a href="http://www.unitedboatmen.com/" target="_blank">United Boatmen</a>, <a href="http://www.joinrfa.org/" target="_blank">Recreational Fishing Alliance</a>. Thank you!”

Seaside

With forecasts calling for today’s air temp to reach the mid 30s, the weather wasn’t much better than on previous days, and the beaches were empty – no surf anglers – all weekend, said the report on Grumpy’s Tackle’s Web site. But the weather won’t last forever. Remember to sign up for the <a href="http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov" target="_blank">National Saltwater Angler Registry</a>, required for the first time this year. Anglers should also join the <a href="http://www.ssfff.org" target="_blank">Fishermen’s March on Washington</a> on Wednesday, February 24. “If you think we are overregulated now, just see what happens if we don′t stand up and make our voices heard!” the report said. The crew at Grumpy’s will try to arrange a bus that departs from the shop to the march.

Beach Haven

***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Five inches of ice in the harbor kept the party boat Miss Beach Haven’s weekend trips for blackfish from sailing, Capt. Frank said. But the weather was forecast to warm, and this Saturday’s trip should sail for sure, and lots of anglers said they were coming down. The boat will probably run this weekend and maybe the following weekend before it goes on winter break. Trips are blackfishing 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Mystic Island

Four anglers at Collins Cove on the Mullica River nabbed good numbers of white perch through 5 inches of ice on Thursday, said the report on Scott’s Bait & Tackle Web site. That was the last mention of the catches on the site, but the weather stayed as cold or colder through the weekend, so maybe the ice was still there. But use extreme caution. Collins Cove, located immediately upstream of the Garden State Parkway Bridge, is the hot spot for perch fishing through the ice in the state. The fish gather in the cove to escape the cooler waters in the currents in the river. The brackish waters are slow to freeze, and the ice might only last a moment. Live grass shrimp are the best bait but ran out at the shop when an unusual amount of rains this past season caused freshwater to kill them in the lagoon. Scott at the shop has no plans to catch more anytime soon. The shrimp can be caught through winter, but it takes work. Scott described catching them like this: hanging upside down under a bridge with a shrimp-net duct taped to a pole to catch a handful per hour. ***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Probably up to 20 anglers ice fished for white perch at Collins Cove on Tuesday, Scott said on Wednesday. Check <a href="http://www.scottsbt.com/fishing/report.htm" target="_blank">the shop’s online report</a> for a couple of sources for live grass shrimp for bait that are posted. One captain planned to sail for tog this week, the first news heard about a tog trip this year at the store. The weather’s been tough. Customers talked about party boat fishing for mackerel, ling and cod, the only other angling anyone mentioned. Reel repairs began to pile up at Scott’s, and get them in before the spring rush. Lots of orders rolled in at <a href="http://store.scottsbt.com/Penn-Parts-Home-Page-W7C1.aspx" target="_blank">PennParts.com</a>, the store’s online source for every available Penn Part and more. Check it out.

Longport

The past days were too cold for the daily, open-boat trips for blackfish on the Stray Cat, but the weather is supposed to become warmer this week, and the trips should resume by Wednesday and Thursday, Capt. Mike said. The fish should be out there, and ice that formed on the decks was the only problem. When 20 feet of spray flies over the wheelhouse onto the deck and freezes, anglers can’t fish. Such ice isn’t a problem on bigger boats but is a no-go on smaller ones. Open trips will push farther offshore to the 30-mile wrecks on both days of the weekend and on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tog should bite there, and maybe pollock will turn up, and ling might be found, but waters might be too deep for ling. More of those trips will begin sailing afterward, and anglers can call the boat to be mailed a flier with the rest of the dates. Special trips for sea bass will launch in April or whenever the sea bass season will be opened to get all over the lumpheads. ***Update, Thursday, 1/14***: Trips stayed “iced in” this week. But now the weather was turning warmer, and the boat will head for tog Friday through Sunday and fish offshore Monday, Mike said. Saturday was nearly sold out, and Sunday was close to full.

Ocean City

Tog caught on the party boats on the ocean and white perch angled through some of the frozen, brackish rivers was all the fishing heard about, said Ed from Fin-Atics. Ice at a few places on the rivers was fishable, and Collins Cove on the Mullica was supposedly one. The perch anglers usually dunk grass shrimp or minnows for bait. Fin-Atics is open Fridays through Sundays.

Sea Isle City

Capt. Joe Hughes from Jersey Cape Guide Service and Gibson’s Tackle usually starts striped bass fishing on the first weekend of March, he said. The area’s back bay can warm up quicker than other waters to give up some of the state’s first catches of the season. The bay’s shallow waters promote the warmth, and the Beesley’s Point power plant can also heat up the waters. Joe early in the season usually casts a Clouser fly on a sinking line on a slow retrieve at the creek outflows and around the power plant. A couple of days of warm weather helps, and so do outgoing tides in the afternoons. Outgoing tides push in warmer waters at that time of year, and the afternoons give time for the sun to raise water temps through the day. Joe this weekend will take another one of his trips to fish the Florida Keys that he takes several times in winter until Easter, offering traveling charters when he goes. Packages are available that arrive Fridays, fish all day Saturdays and part of Sundays, and depart on Sunday evenings. They’re a perfect weekend getaway, and the charters fish for everything from snook, speckled sea trout, redfish, jacks and bonefish to sailfish, blackfin tuna and more. The type of fishing largely depends on the weather and is done everywhere from the back country in the Everglades to the Straights of Florida out front. Quite a few of the trips are already booked, and check out more info on the <a href=" http://www.gibsonstackle.com/page6.html" target="_blank">Traveling Fisherman Charters</a> page on Jersey Cape’s Web site.

Cape May

Capt. George from the Heavy Hitter wrapped up his trips for the year, he said. He had been striped bass fishing, but he heard that even one of the main party boats from Cape May was finished for the year, and the whole fleet seemed to call it a season. George was running trips on a friend’s boat that was left in the waters, and had already put the Heavy Hitter in dry dock. But the friend will leave the boat in the waters, so George will be able to run trips on the vessel to chase the spring run of striped bass earlier than usual, even though the Heavy Hitter will go in the waters later. In the past couple of years or so the spring run seemed to start early, before most vessels were in the waters, even though in years prior, stripers were hooked later. But lately the run seemed to start from late March into April sometime. If anglers get the itch to go early, give George a call. He’ll go if the fish are there. One never knows when the run will start, but early in the year was the recent trend.