Finish Fluke Season with a Doormat
For some, the end of summer arrives on Labor Day. For those who abide by the calendar, this Saturday marks the finale of the summer season. But for most of the anglers that I associate with, the last day of fluke season marks the culmination of the season. That makes Friday September 28th the final day of 2012 to put some flatfish in the cooler. And there is no need to despair. There is plenty of life yet to come for anglers in the 2012 season. But it is time to start rotating the tackle and adjusting the schedule. The mullet have started their migration, signaling the early start of the fall run. Sea bass reopens next week for another abbreviated season and the good blackfish times are just around the corner. Plenty to do, that’s for sure!
As water temperatures start to fall, opportunities to get some tasty blue claw crabs for your table go down commensurately. It’s important to prioritize your needs this time of year, especially if you are looking for some final treats before winter kicks in. Fluke and crabbing should be at the top of those lists right now and Crabby’s Bait and Tackle of Keyport fame is just the place that can help you with both. When I spoke with Bob at the shop this week, the crab bite was still going strong and with water temps in the low 70s, it could remain good for at least a few more weeks. Bob also said that the fluke bite in the bay has slowed down a bit with the bigger fish moving further out front. But he also noted that the striper bite is definitely starting to move up the ladder with more anglers reporting catches of small but keeper sized fish. Plugs are working well in the warm shallows and live lining mullet in some of the deeper reaches of the river. He also reminded me to remind you to bring in any live large crabs to the shop for their quest at a state record blue claw.
In Atlantic Highlands, the place to go for information, as far as I am concerned, is Bait Your Hook Tackle and Ice. When I called the shop this week, Kevin was itching to get back on the water for the final fluke push. High winds have kept most of the local fleet tied up to the pilings but that should change shortly. Prior to this last storm system, the fluking was on fire with more 5- to 7-pound keepers than the last two weeks of august combined. The fish seem to be moving off the main reefs to the flats surrounding them according to Kevin, but near enough so you can be on the sea bass again when it reopens next week. He also told me the Hudson Canyon was alive with yellowfin tuna taken on the night chunk and that should be the case again this weekend if the weather cooperated. Inshore, the striper bite is starting to emerge with nice fish being reported off Sandy Hook by sand jockeys using clam. If you are fluking, Ambrose Channel is the recent hot spot, with anglers boating flatfish up to eight pounds. The bait of choice has been Berkley Gulps in the nuclear chicken pattern. Killies, Live peanut bunker and spearing are also working well. And finally, Kevin informed me the big bluefish are thick on the Mud Buoy with party boats loading up on the yellow eyed fiends up to 15 pounds. Make sure you have plenty of wire leaders in your tackle box.
Driving or Dunking, that’s the question. The answer is the Ol Salty II out of Belmar, which can accommodate either form of recreational fishing in the Atlantic. Last week, they trolled up seventeen 50- to 70-pound-class yellow fin tuna on a Hudson Canyon trip. Add in a couple of nice swordfish and it’s easy to see that these guys can do it all. And with a certified dive staff on board, going subsurface is just as easy, especially on a boat that boasts a 19.5-foot beam, offering comfort and stability. Now is the time to get in on that action, but you need to act fast. The Canyon run is on and the Ol’ Salty will book up fast.
Red Bank may be up the Navesink River a bit but that doesn’t mean they aren’t close to the action. When I spoke to Max at Pride Fishing Tackle this week, he was all about the tuna bite that has been going on. The Mud Hole has been the hot spot of late with a reported (and I have seen pictures) 920 giant bluefin tuna taken in the area. Farther out, the Hudson Canyon has been logging in with nice yellow fin catches and the occasional swordfish. Mahi also seem to have finally made a showing in almost all the areas offshore. Water temperatures up to 80 degrees are helping the bite considerably. In closer to the coast, Max told me the fluke bite is still going strong and should resume want the waters clear up from the recent blow. Bass are starting to show in the bay, taking advantage of the glut of bait, from spot to bunker to mullet which all seems to be migrating towards open water. Before he got back to re-pricing inventory for his end of summer sale, Max told me that there have some reports of Wahoo in the area with Captain George of the Sinner sending him a picture of a nice one caught over the weekend. Definitely something to think about!
Chris Hueth, captain of the Big Mohawk out of Belmar has been tied up to the dock most of the week because of the high winds and associated big seas. I am sure there a lot of big fluke out there that are sleeping a little better because of it. Captain Chris has been absolutely slaying the doormats this year. And he is ready to get back on the action as soon as the water lays down a bit and lets him get back to business. With only a week to go, you can be sure that the crew of the Big Mohawk is going to make the most of it. Chris told me that as long as the water temps hold up for one more week, he is a happy camper and then will make the switch over to sea bass and porgy before he goes full bore on blackfish. Based on the pictures I have seen all summer from his fluking expeditions, it would be advisable for the next targets to move south if they want to stay off the decks of the Mohawk.
Looking to the freshwater scene, it’s a must to visit the Sportsmens Center in Bordentown. Just be careful if you run into Tommy P. Once he corners you about where to fish, your decision gets that much harder. When he trapped me this week, his recommendations were Lake Hopatcong for big hybrid Stripers on live herring ( or wait a couple of weeks to jig them up in deeper water) or the upper Delaware River for nice Walleyes using live shad as the bait. Or you can use football jigs covered with chartreuse. Tom also told me that they have been taking nice northern pike at the D and R Canal from Washington’s Crossing down to Griggstown. Spinner baits were the most effective attractants for pike. In the Delaware channel catties and small mouth are ruling the day. Tom suggested using stink baits for channel catfish up to 8 pounds.
Back to the salt and a stop in to chat with Tom at Giglios Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright. Giglio’s has long been a mecca for surf anglers and they always have the best scouting reports I the area. There have been some major bluefish attacks in the Shrewsbury River, one lasting up to 10 hours. Blues up to 12 pounds were absolutely tearing into pods of bunker. Tom also told me that the fluking off the beaches in Sea Bright, Sandy hook and Monmouth have all been giving up nice fluke, even with the rough surf we have been experiencing. In some cases, the up swell has made for even more productive outing and it wasn’t uncommon for anglers to leave the sand with fluke up to 7 pounds. Bait is all over the beaches. Bunker, spearing, rainfish and mullet in the wash this time of year have produced small blitzes of both false albacore and small keeper stripers along with some nice sized bluefish. Tom told me that waters are still a little warm hovering around 75 degrees and as it cools off the surf scene can only get better. On the albies and stripers, Tom suggested swimming plugs like Gibbs Swimming Danny’s and Daiwa Minnows.
Toms River report from Chris at Better Bait and Tackle is as follows. Blowfish, Big Blowfish and more Big Blowfish. Well, there are other games in town but the blowfish are about as good as it has ever been. All you need is a clam chum log, some small hooked rigs (size 8 or so) and a basket to put them in like the old days. Head out to the BB Buoy for the best results. And don’t be shocked if you mix in some spot, croakers and weakfish with the catch. There are also snapper blues in the area feeding on the spot, mullet and peanut bunker. There are also reports of some very nice white perch in the canals by Oyster Creek. Best bets for the perch will be to use some shedder crabs or grass shrimp for bait. Crabbing remains great by the island according to Chris by those using bunker for bait. And the first reports of small stripers have been coming in to the shop by anglers tossing metal and top water plugs around sod banks.
In the upper reaches of the state, Liberty Landing Marina is about as close to New Your City as you can get without leaving the Garden State. With over 560 boat slips, it’s a great transient and or permanent place to berth your boat with convenient access to all the great local fishing. When I spoke with Liz at the marine store this week, she told me that primary targets this week in the upper and lower bays have been nice sized blue fish feeding on the schools of adult bunker seeking refuge from the high seas of the ocean. Fluking was fair to moderate with the water being churned up by strong westerly winds. That should settle down going into the weekend which would hopefully turn the bite up a notch. Some reports of small striped bass have been filtering into the shop. Liz also asked me to remind our readers that the marine store is full service and remains open year round.
Before the weather waylaid fishing plans, the crew at XTC Sportfishing was doing very well with albies and blues inshore. The bite was hot up until Monday when the weather took a turn. With the seas flattening out, the canyons are in the XTC Crosshairs this coming weekend.
A quick report from the gang at Red Bank Marina on the scenic Navesink River. When I spoke to Steve this morning, he told me that the bait seemed to be filling up the river with spot, spearing, mullet and bunker. Small stripers were being taken on live mullet and or swimming plugs. Small snapper bluefish are all over the place, just the right size for a fish fry party. Add some crabs to that menu as well because the crabbing is still going strong in the river. Water temperatures in the river are hovering in the mid-seventies , which should mean that the blue claws should stay active for at least a few more weeks. All in all, a good season in Red Bank that can only get better as the fall striper run shifts into the next gear.
Rough churned up surf has been hasn’t deterred the anglers who frequent the sand around Long Branch according to Jack Montiero of Surf Side Bait and Tackle. And those who have braved the elements have been rewarded with some nice periods in between the roar of the surf. Fluke are responding to the big swells by moving closer to the shelter of the coastline. Anglers throwing bucktails like the Sand S Rattle Tail, have been rewarded with flatfish up to five pounds. Jack recommends using some wire leader as a precaution to those marauding bluefish which have been cruising the suds in search of an easy meal. King fish, spot and the first mullet of the season are all over the front beaches along with rainfish and even some adult bunker that wander in too close. With all that bait around, the blues aren’t the only critters patrolling the surf. There have been false albacore runs in the pools for the last week or two which means you need to have a rod rigged with metal should they make an appearance. If you have never hooked into a fat albert from the sand, I recommend you give it a try. It’s a ride you will definitely want to take again.
In regard to the party and charter boats this week, I have decided to lump them all together. Most stayed tied to the docks this week because the conditions have been so poor. As such, forecasting the upcoming weekend was an almost impossible task this week. However, all that I spoke to agreed that the conditions look good for the end of the week and hopefully the bite will pick up where it left off. The canyons were producing everything from yellows, to blues to wahoo, to swords and even a giant blue fin tuna in closer at the mud hole. Big blues are really starting to pick up steam. The fluke bite should continue for the final week and you have the bonus of sea bass reopening to make life that much more interesting. I would suggest calling ahead for availability as I suspect a mini case of “cabin fever” from some of the local die hard anglers. All of our advertisers that I spoke to planned on resuming their regular schedules as of Thursday.
Best Bet for the Weekend.
This is it for fluke. The season closes on September 28th for the year so obviously it’s now or never. There have been good reports from the sand and great reports from the boats. If fluking is your favorite, this is the time to do it. The offshore report has been pretty good of late as well but the weather has been unpredictable which add a little pain to the planning effort. If you can get to it, there are more opportunities for big fish now than there have been for a while so have at it. Sea Bass opens up again and the blues are getting to slamming size so you need not go under the cover of darkness to fight them. And if your time is limited, the surf is filling up with all the bait from the back so it’s almost a sure thing that the fall run will turn on any minute now. There is great variety available from the sand as well. And don’t forget the fresh water action. Your options are virtually endless. Plan an adventure and grab hold of it. But whatever you plan to do, play safely out there. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.