Cobia Catches Confirmed
It is currently being reported that we are in the midst of the hottest summer season since records started being kept in the 1800’s. That may be true, but from my perspective, the heat certainly has not affected the fishing. And the schools of bait in the back bays are of epic proportions. Enough peanut bunker to fill a five gallon bucket on a single toss of the cast net. There are spot and now, mullet all over the sod banks. About the only bait that seems to be in short supply are green crabs which, according to some “experts” I have spoken with, are being forced out by the tremendous hatch of blue claws this season. The only downside that I can see to this abundance of baitfish is attracting your quarry’s attention. I recommend having a variety of lures available, sort of a smorgasbord, to entice them onto the hook. Change is good. Let’s see if our team of local scouts concurs with me. After all, they are much closer to the action on a daily basis, and love to share their secret prescriptions for success.
When the water heats up to the levels we see this time of year, it makes sense that the fish will seek the shade of cooler water. With that, you as the angler will want to find those hiding spots if you want to relocate them to your cooler. An easy way to find these hiding spots is to climb aboard The Big Mohawk (Belmar Marine Basin) and let Captain Chris Hueth escort you to their lair. Based on the pictures I been seeing of late from their trips, he either knows the secret spots or he is the luckiest man on the north Atlantic. Five-pound fluke seem to be the norm on the Mohawk as opposed to the exception. When I spoke to the Cap this week, he told me the secret of late has been big Berkley swim tail Gulps. They have been fishing in 30 to 75 feet of water, and this combination has resulted in their continued success. Fish over 9 pounds have been recorded daily with a 10-plus-pound fish the largest this week. I have seen the proof.
If your freezer is already stuffed with fluke and you are looking for something to compliment them at the dinner table, then head over to Crabby’s Bait and Tackle in Keyport for a blue claw fix. If Chris can’t outfit you and point you in the right direction for a bushel, then no one can. Just off the Matawan Creek which feeds into the Raritan Bay, your options are many. Crabbing of course has been great and the outlook is for continued greatness. Any of the local piers and backwater docks are producing, according to owner Chris. Keansburg and Lawrence Harbor have been the hot spots of late. The fluking in the bay has been okay, but you will need to work for your catch as the bigger fish seem to have moved out front to deeper water. Cocktail blues and the occasional weakfish can be caught in the bay. Shedder crab is the key for weaks and everything else for the blues. Don’t forget to enter your big crab in Crabby’s summer long tourney. Crabs must be brought in live for entry. The current leader is 7.25 inches, point to point.
Heat like we have been experiencing really tests the mettle of the average freshwater angler. As water levels go down, so do oxygen levels, making the target fish a little less active. The trick is to hit the bigger bodies of water for your days of adventure. That path should lead you to Lake Hopatcong in the northern reaches of the state. Once there, stop in to Dows Boat Rental and get the latest info on lake hot spots. When I spoke to Laurie Murphy this week, the story was as follows:
Hybrid stripers up to 9 pounds caught on live herring. Still fishing off the Points, Elba and Pickerel Point off the Main Lake and also back in Byram Cove. Lots of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, with Kaleb William’s smallie, just under 2 pounds. Lots of crappies on small jigs or fatheads, and pan fish in shallow water on worms. Remember, Knee Deeps Catfish Contest is this weekend, August 11th and 12th. Catfish are also starting to bite, with Tom Facciola weighing in a nice channel this week at 13 pounds, 1 ounce, and Charlie McBride with his at 12 pound, 5 ounce. fish. Both fish were caught on herring.
The next time you stop in Pride Fishing Tackle on Front Street in Red Bank, make sure you ask Max for his recipe on Ceviche and a list of their upcoming seminars. It’s all about fishing at Pride. They are constantly running seminars to help anglers increase their catch ratio and now Max is posting pics of his culinary creations online. When I spoke to max today, he told me that the heat has slowed down the action a little in the Navesink River, but there are still fluke in the area. The bigger fluke have moved outside to deeper water but the back is loaded with menhaden of all sizes. The crabbing in the river has been fantastic. If you are looking for action there are plenty of sharks around with browns and threshers leading the pack. Max tells me he is seeing more thresher sharks in the area than in prior years and attributes that to the abundance of adult bunker. And the big fluke are out there as well, hiding out in 60 feet of water. Cocktail and taylor blues make for a fun day fishing but the bigger blues have been a little silent of late. Max also told me about cobia in the area, something I have heard from shop owners all over the state but no confirmed landings so far. If anyone hears of one being caught, take a picture and email it to On The Water. I know they are here in numbers but can’t prove it.
Finding big fish when the water gets this warm often means finding the best water. If you have trouble on your own, then I recommend you think about bringing in outside help. If you are in the Belmar Marine Basin area, one of the fine charter boats up there can help you with your search. When I spoke with the captain of one of them today, George Stellar of Teri Jean II, he was doing just that. With a charter out at the Klondike, they were on the fish. He even put one of his customers on the phone, Maggie, who had just landed a 5-plus-pound fluke on squid strips. Several other nice fluke had been put in the cooler including one nice sea bass in the 4 pound class. Conditions today were tough according to Captain George with little or no wind to assist in the drift. Imagine what they could do for you in good conditions if this is how they fish bad conditions. Give him a call and find out for yourself.
When you need a barometer for fishing in the state, there is no better place to look than the Sportsman Center in Bordentown and the resident guru, Tommy P. Fresh or salt, Tommy will give you all the info you will need and probably sell you a setup in his spare time. That’s how good he is. This week, Tom pointed me towards the fresh water section of the Tom River in search of the trout he and Denise left for us peons. Using killies in 69 degree water, they slayed them earlier in the week. If you are looking for largemouth bass, Tom recommends Crystal Lake not far from the store. Union Lake is your best bet for smallmouth. All the best fluking is being done off the headboats in the north and Tom put a recommendation in for the Jamaica, which he fished recently and killed the fluke. Fish up to 5 pounds were common with more than a few over 8 pounds. And in my never ending search for a cobia landing, Tom confirmed at least one. A customer named Gil came into the shop with a 15-pound cobia that was taken off the beach in the area of Long Branch. Next time get a picture Tommy, I need visual proof.
In Long Branch, Jack Montiero of Surf Side Bait and Tackle is the go-to guy for the beach report. When I spoke to Jack this week, he told me the fluke action is about normal for this time of year. With water temps off the beach closing in on 80, there are plenty of shorts and the occasional keeper. Killies and or Berkly Gulps are the best lures. There are plenty of small blues in the one to two pound range. If you are looking for baitfish like spot, that has also moved in to the area in big numbers. Or you can use some Fish Bytes or sandworms and target northern kingfish for a good day of fishing. Plenty of bunker in the area and when they are around with the warm water around, you can usually find some brown sharks in the area and Jack tells me that has been also been the norm of late. The jetties or elsewhere with structure are holding trigger fish locally and the occasional spike weakfish have been taken on sand worms. Finally, Jack has had reports of some small stripers filtering into the area apparently taking advantage of the profusion of bait in the water.
I’m pretty sure that Julians Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands has been around longer than I have been alive. So when I am looking for an overall picture of the area, I always check in with the staff there for the latest information. I spoke to Jim at the shop this morning and he was up to the task as usual. Tile fish at the Hudson Canyon are still hanging tough for those of you heading out that way. Make sure those electric reels are in working order. The Bacardi is giving up some nice Bluefin to those using a jig. Ling Fishing at the Mud Hole has been decent. If you are looking for bluefish, then head to the Mud Buoy where they are chumming for some big fish with great success. As with everywhere else north of the Mason Dixon line, the fluking has been great on almost all of the structure and reefs in the area. Party boat captains are reporting in with many fish over 5 pounds and it hasn’t been unusual to have customers limit out on a trip. Sea bassing has been good if you find the right reef. And to close it out, Jim told me the crabbing has been as good as it gets in the area. Big meaty blue claw crabs are just about overflowing in the shallows.
This time of year, it can get tough if you are looking for fun in the surf. It seems to be all about sitting with your feet in the sand and waiting for that flatfish to find you rig in the water. That’s when I give a shout out to the gang at Giglios Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright. Check them out if you are in the area, they are a class establishment, especially for you plugging degenerates. Nice, shiny stuff. And they are a mecca of info as well. When I spoke to Tom at the shop today, he confirmed my suspicions about things slowing down a bit. Anglers are still getting a good amount of keeper fluke off the beaches but nothing really big. The bigger fish have moved into the deeper water. The rig of choice for fluke from the sand is your typical hi-lo with a Gulp on the top and a long squid strip on the bottom. But the news of the day form Tom was that the False Albacore have started to move onto the beaches. If you want to have some fun, these are the fish you want to play with off the sand. Big reels and shiny lures are the ticket. These are fast fish that like fast food, hence the big reel. You want to give them a fast, shiny target to zone in on. Not good eating but if you are lucky or good enough to hook one, hold on. Think bluefish on steroids and five hours energy drinks. More fun than a barrel full of monkeys! Make sure your arsenal is up to the task and you have the right equipment at the ready. They are worth the extra effort.
Right in the heart of Bradley Beach is the Bait Shop. Great name for a bait and tackle, easy enough to remember and close enough to the Shark River inlet to monitor the activity there and report it along to their customers. I spoke with Mark at the shop today to get a handle on the local fishery. The story of the week has been king fish off the beaches. They are thick with them. Bloodworms, sandworms or clam pieces and a small hooked hi-lo rig is the ticket to success. There are still plenty of fluking taking place off the beach but the keeper to throwback ratio has gone up to around 6 to 1. Cocktail blues are plentiful off the beaches and in the inlet in river. Spot have moved into the area if you are looking to catch your own bait. Some reports of weakfish, mostly south of Bradley Beach, more towards Barnegat Bay. Mark also told me his customers have been hitting the blue claw crabs with great success using bunker and chicken livers. The Shark River and points farther west towards Lacy have been the best producing areas for crabs.
In what seems like my never ending search for cobia the last several weeks, I finally have confirmation of a landing. All it took was one phone call to Dave Arbietman and the crew of the Reel Seat Bait and tackle shop in Brielle. If anyone has their finger on the pulse of the local angling scene, it’s the gang at the Reel Seat. There was a 57-pound cobia weighed in last week at Hoffman’s Marina and I saw the picture. Speaking of pictures, while I was trolling the web, I came across pics of Mr. Arbeitman showing off a 5-plus-pound fluke taken while aboard the Big Mohawk yesterday. One of more than a few caught by Dave that day. Good job Dave! In other news, John at the shop told me the fluking has been great for the past week or so and many of the head boats are certainly up for the task with many coming in with more than a few doormats. The cod and ling bite has slowed down a little bit with most of the action coming at night. Big blues are starting to get a little more active chasing the pods of adult bunker in the area. The offshore report has been a little slow but there were good reports of white marlin in the Poor Man’s and folks are starting to get some Bluefin tuna on jigs, mostly in the southern holes.
In Atlantic Highlands, the place to get info is Bait Your Hook Tackle and Ice. It’s in the heart of the action with plenty of charter and head boat just a stone’s throw away. They can’t help but have the latest activity reports; all they need to do is listen as the anglers recount their trips of the day. And for the most part, what they have been hearing is that the fluking has been nothing short of spectacular, with all boats reporting catches of flatfish exceeding their wildest dreams. Five pound flatties are not uncommon and fish up to ten pounds are not uncommon. Big Gulp baits married to buck tails and squid strips are the overwhelming favorite of anglers lately. The boats are also starting to report some schools of big blues during the day. Prior to this week, most of the bluefish activity was taking place on overnight trips. Sea bass are being caught but not in the numbers from earlier in the season. All reports indicate that the season is gearing up for a slam bang close as the water become more welcoming as they cool down a bit later in the month.
Best Bets for the Weekend.
Fluke reign as king in the north of the state, there is little doubt of that this week. If you can find a way to get into the deep water, that is what I would recommend. I have seen so many pictures of doormat sized fluke this week, I am looking into a Photoshop program to make my catch meet the grade. The beaches are still productive but the throwback ratio is a little higher due to the warmer water in the shallows. If you are looking for some fun time with the kids or a “can’t miss” opportunity to put some seafood on the table then think about a day of crabbing. It’s as close to a sure thing as you can get. Kingfish are also an inshore favorite and small blues can keep you occupied for hours. There have been strong reports of weakfish in some areas but remember the limit is one. Still, they are one helluva fun fish to track down and catch. I suspect that the sod banks in most areas have good striped bass activity; it’s just that most anglers focus is elsewhere this time of year so the reports are limited. With all the bait around, I would focus my efforts on first and last light and stick to top water plugs. Whichever path you choose to take, do it for the fun of it and stay safe. I learned that lesson from a good friend and fishing comrade, Danny Speciale. Unfortunately, Danny hung his waders up for the last time this weekend when he passed unexpectedly. A man who loved the sport more than Danny, you will be hard pressed to find in a lifetime of searching. I was lucky enough to fish with him on many occasions and learned something each time. Wherever you are now Dan, I hope there is a good supply of bait, a prime fishing hole and a place to stop in for an occasional beer or two. You deserve only the best. See you again on the incoming.