I have been waiting….. and waiting… and waiting…, but now it is time to use the M-word! It’s Mullet time my fishing brothers, and the run is on! It’s not that I have hung up the keys to the FmTuna, but now when I roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m. each day, it’s a steamy cup of coffee in a travel mug and directly into my waders. I have to admit, there are times when it’s my pajamas under the Gortex (no one can see the little Badwater Designs striper prints on them anyway) until the water gets cold enough to bust out the fleece pants. With surf temps still hovering around 70, it looks like even the wet waders have still got some time.
In my neck of the woods, the Atlantic County Surf Fishing Derby has just started, and that gets a few hundred of my closest friends free beach access (OK, it costs $20 that goes to prizes and the local PBA’s, but that is just like free) to drive on the sand in Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate & Longport. Derby rules allow those in Brigantine to participate, but you need a Brigantine Beach pass which runs $175 for the year. As of this morning there have been some nice weigh-ins reported, and it looks like the awards lunch at Maynard’s in Margate in mid-November is going to be one crazy afternoon! It’s not too late to join, just call Tournament Headquarters at Captain Andy’s Fishing Center in Margate at 609-822-0916 to find the shop in your area that is on board for sign-ups and weigh-ins.
Also in the “More news you can use” department, the NJDEP is offering a one day Women’s Surf Fishing clinic on October 1 from 9:00 to 3:00 at Island Beach State Park. Call Karen Leskie at 609-748-4347 for details. Cut-off date is 9/26, so don’t wait to call. This is the day before the Governors Surf Fishing Tournament and the ladies are invited to participate. Go to http://njfishandwildlife.com/gsft.htm for full details.
On to the real stuff… I had a few minutes on the phone with Tom from Giglios in Sea Bright this morning, and he is totally cranked up. Bass, bluefish and albies have been hitting the beaches almost every day in one spot or another from Sandy Hook to the bay. The action has not been concentrated in any specific spot, but with the mullet in the wash along with a few loads of peanuts, it is game on! Rick Herbinas weighed in a 19-pound bass that he plugged up and Sea Bright local, Bill Kalaka dragged a huge 61-pound drum on the sand while he was hanging clams. Tom had a clinic this past weekend with about 30 participants to introduce his new Century rod line…. they are truly worth checking out.
Dave at The Reel Seat is busy, but not too busy (I heard him dictating in the background to John on the phone) to fill us in on a strong longfin bite going on in the Hudson on the troll. Overnighters are being rewarded with decent yellowfin action and they are taking swords as far south as the Toms.
Fisherman’s Headquarters (my regular stop for years when I was slipped in LBI) sees some promise on the horizon, but it has not busted loose yet. The good news is that there are plenty of nice kingies and blowfish in the bay, with a few flatties as well. Bloodworms are in stock, naturally. If you are willing to work it hard, a few sharpies are picking bass in the inlet by throwing big Danny’s and swimming eels at night. The bait is there, it just has not pushed out front yet.
Talking fishing with Capt Andy over at Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine is always a blast, but when he is cranked up over the finger mullet flushing out, you better get comfortable! They are out front in Brigantine and there have been a few nice blitzes of blues and some bass on them. But, like the reports a little farther North, the real mayhem has not started yet. Some of the boat guys are getting keepers and the sodbusters are picking some too. Jetty jumpers throwing plugs are getting enough action to show up for, but not enough to write home about.
Team Tackle Direct has some truly awesome news for all of you, even though it has nothing to do with catching fish this week. They are in the process of building a huge (and I’m not kidding, this place is BIG) new Superstore that should be ready in a little over a month. Their monster new facility is being fitted out right now. Stay tuna-ed for details as they roll in.
Chuck down at Off the Hook in Cape May has his finger on the pulse of what’s going on down in the Delaware Bay and right now the patient heartbeat is dangerously slow! He confirms a decent canyon bite going on when you can get out there with some Yellowfin and swords on the overnight, but most of the regulars have been sitting at the dock waiting for a break. Fluke fishing after Irene has been truly bad up and down the coast and the nearshore Cape May reef sites that usually have strong reports on big fish this time of year are just plain quiet. Bring on the bass & blues!
Best Bets for the Weekend
Best bet for this weekend is to blow the dust off your waders and hit the beach! Things up in Montauk are red hot, the Hook is starting to fire up, and it is only a short matter of time before it breaks wide open all the way down the coast. Maybe a little northbound road trip is in order?
You can wait to hear about it and then go… or be there when the lid blows off. Personally, I’m planning on doing the telling, not the listening!
Stay Tuna-ed!