Like many of the women who have passed briefly through my life, Irene proved to be an enigma wrapped in a mystery. At first glance, she was wild and untamed. Spend a little time with her and she seemed to be more sizzle than fire. And just when you thought you had her figured out, she came back at you with a fury that almost seemed relentless in its attack. And when you thought she was gone from your life forever, remnants of her existence continue to haunt you well into the future. Depending on where you live or fish, she turned out to be a harsh mistress, one that both excited and scared. And then she was gone, leaving a trail of broken hearts behind in her wake. For those that suffered during because of Irene’s tirade, you have our prayers and sympathies. We will get through this, no doubt about that. And for most, we will be better off, of that I am sure. We have learned from her and will be better prepared next time one like her rolls into our life.
Fishing is a big part of my life and if you are reading this report, I am sure it plays an important role in yours as well. After assessing the damage to my bayside property my thoughts turned to fishing prospects in the near future. My first stop was to visit with Don Brown at Captain Andy’s Fishing Center in Margate. According to Don, The waters in the back and front of Absecon Island are relatively clean, although still a little muddy. That is subject to change as the Great Egg River and other feeder tributaries are still pretty wild but all in all, the area came out pretty sweet. Some “corn cob” mullet have been pushed from the back by the storm and surf anglers have been rewarded with some striped bass following the mullet and some nice flounder as well. Most of the lucky anglers have been using live mullet rigs. The back is loaded with peanut bunker and plenty of bass back far in the deep holes. Don asked me to mention that the headboats and pontoon boats are up and running, so if you pulled your boat to weather the storm, head over to Captain Andy’s and hop on for a 4- or 6-hour fishing trip.
If your boat or favorite captain is still out of the water, the beach is certainly a viable alternative, and Island Beach State Park is certainly one of the better beaches for angling in coastal New Jersey. According to Paul at Grumpy’s in Seaside Park, the beach was relatively unhurt by the passing of Irene. The back bays are a little cloudy but blowfish are certainly biting strong, and the crabbing has been nothing short of phenomenal and should remain so for the foreseeable future. Look for the fluke bite to pick up as the water clears with tailor-sized blues both in the back and front. Don’t forget the fall run is right around the corner and Grump’s has a first class shop for all your tackle needs including repairs. Now is the time to stock up and prepare for the blitz.
Over the past few days since the storm, I have stopped at more than a few marinas in the areas. It is immediately apparent that many had pulled their boats in anticipation of Irene. Better safe than sorry was definitely the motto last week. And with rough conditions throughout the three state area still existing, the return to the water for many, won’t be quick or easy to accomplish. There are alternatives available for those wanting to get on the water as soon as possible. I am talking about the great charter fleet available in New Jersey from one end of the state to the other. In Point Pleasant, for those of you in the northern end of the state, the Gambler, a 90-foot custom headboat is hitting the fluke hard and heavy with half day trips. They also do night trips for blues and wreck fishing. If you can’t get your boat back in the water and don’t want to miss what looks to be some prime fishing weather over the next week or so, contact captain Mike and the crew on the Gambler. Trips depart at 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily.
Logic will tell you that the bigger bodies of water may experience bigger problems from a storm of this magnitude. It would seem that logic is holding true for Delaware Bay according to Rusty at Off the Hook Marina in Cape May. Few boats are venture to the Delaware, waiting to see how much debris will filter in from its feeder rivers and streams. As you may have heard, the amount of rain inland over the past few weeks has led to record floods in almost all of these feeder areas. Rusty did inform me that most if not all of the many head boats in Cape May county are operating on normal schedules and that they are doing well on the reefs in the ocean-side areas. For you offshore gurus, Rusty reported a nice thermal break out around the Baltimore Canyon, and it appeared that more than a few of the big boys from the Canyon Club are venturing out. Talk is, there are some marlin to be had for those that make the trip.
The beaches in the Wildwoods fared the storm well but there is some grass, especially around Hereford Inlet, but a few more tides should clean things up considerably. Plenty of bait hanging around the back bays with mullet and peanut bunker leading the race. And where the bait hangs out, the fish can’t be that far away. Crabbing is strong in the back as well. Once the inland wash slows down, we could be looking at some exceptional conditions for the Labor Day weekend.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Trying to project fishing prospects after a major storm is always interesting. Usually, past history tells you what to look forward to in the upcoming week. With so many boats out of the water and so many anglers dealing with issues at their homes and businesses, it’s is certainly a difficult week to do a fishing report. I venture out to the local beaches this week and while my success was limited, I found the waters extremely clean and teeming with baitfish in some areas. It should be noted that some beaches are still closed to vehicles, like those of LBI which will try to reopen by September 9. If you must be on the water, most of the headboats and back-bay boats are fully operational, so they are a good option. It is Labor Day Weekend, so plan accordingly. Crabbing and back-bay fishing seem to be back to normal already, but getting there may represent your biggest obstacle. I would suggest to all that stopping in your local bait and tackle shops is mandatory this week. Most of the proprietors are the best informed, gathering information from a wide spectrum of anglers and are ready willing and able to share it with you. Whichever option you chose as best for your needs, be careful out there. While Irene didn’t pack the punch that some were expecting, she was a crafty storm, inflicting her wrath in ways that many experienced prognosticators could have never envisioned. That favorite fishing hole may have changed or that productive sod bank may now have an undercut making it a treacherous natural diving board. Have a good Labor Day, be safe and get ready, get set – GO FISH!