Bass Bite Not Over Yet
Just when you may have thought about putting away your sticks for a long winter’s rest, the water throws another surprise at you. Recent rises in water temperatures and better water clarity seems to have turned the bite on again, making it decision time for those of you out there still looking to put a few more fish in the freezer to get you through the dark months. The rebuilding process is still ongoing and each week access to prime fishing spots gets a little better. So if you still have the fever, keep reading. I am certain you will find the right prescription to meet your symptoms.
Captain Chris Hueth and his new Big Mohawk are certainly putting the new vessel through its paces and having some fun while doing so. They have been on the blackfish almost every available day since the season went to expanded levels. Fish up to 5 pounds are commonplace and I have seen some in excess of the 9 pound mark. The 75-foot Big Mohawk sails out of Belmar daily but I would recommend calling ahead this time of year.
Kevin at Bait Your Hook Tackle and Ice has been hard to reach but I have heard from sources that they are still cleaning up and rebuilding from Sandy. There are definitely boats running out of the Highlands, most searching for blackfish and having success according to the second hand reports I am getting. I would recommend calling ahead to finds out if you favorites is one of them.
Max at Pride Fishing Tackle in Red Bank got word to me that the fishing on the beaches close to the shop are definitely seeing action lately. Waters have cleared up and there is bait in the area. Most of the catch off the beaches are smaller stripers, as is to be expected this time of year. Boat anglers are also having success with a bigger fish available on troll or bait fishing. There have been reports of sand eels in the area so have your metal imitators ready to go for the jig. Max also has had success with the blackfish off the Fisher Price III. Recent catches have included tog in the 10-pound class, all taken on crab baits.
It may be fishing season still, but the gang at the Sportsmens Center in Bordentown has all they can handle with that and the full blown open of deer season in NJ. But don’t worry, the guys there are masters at multi-tasking and can still handle all your fishing needs. Tom P., resident Guru for both fresh and salt water angling tells me that the trout bite is still going strong in Round Valley with Rainbows, lake and browns all being caught on shiners. Lake Hopatcong has a nice pickerel bite at Chestnut Point. Sylvan Lake has good trout action as well. Anglers are using flies and or shiners to get their limits. The Delaware River and canals are unusually quiet according to Tom. Tom asked me to remind Christmas shoppers to check out the specials the Sportsmen’s Center is having on their gift cards.
Skylarker Charters and Captain Steve Spinelli are still taking charters out of Belmar right through the end of the year. The Skylarker is a perfect boat for charters up and over 15 people. Lately Captain Steve told me his charters have been doing well with the blackfish and they even got their personal best for the year at 9.4 pounds last week. In addition, they are picking up some nice ling and still getting the occasional porgy.
I got the opportunity to speak with Eric at the Reel Seat in Brielle this week and he informed me the best bet for table fare was blackfish in 40 to 60 feet of water. The best bait (which they have plenty of) is green crab. On the bass side of the equation, plenty being caught but the keeper to throwback ratio is growing wider. Eric told me that the best days for catching have been with the wind blowing west or north and that any wind out of the south has made for a long day. There have been some reports of fish off the beaches in the Spring Lake area, mostly chasing rain baits and herring although there have been some who mentioned peanut bunker. Sand Eels are also showing up so pack the metal. Eric informed me that their new e-commerce side of the Reel Seat website is up and running and they currently have some featured Christmas packages that are “reel sweet.” Check them out if you get a chance.
Jack Montiero of Surf Side Bait and Tackle most certainly took a hit from Sandy but he’s not going to let it knock him out of the game. When I spoke to him this week, Jack told me the fishing has been fair to good in the Long Branch area with most anglers using clam as bait. Fish up to 18 pounds are being taken off the beaches. Not monsters by any stretch of the imagination, but action. Metal is also producing as there have been sand eels and small baits in the area. Surfside will be open through the end of the year.
The report form Giglios Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright is simple, there is bait in the water and that means fish on the beaches. Mostly sand eels, anchovies and a smattering of herring but that’s plenty. The fish aren’t all keepers or lunkers but there are plenty to go around. Clam chucker’s are having the best success followed by metal and some action on Daiwa Specials.
In Robbinsville, Harrys Army Navy is the place to go for all your outdoor needs. When I spoke to Chris at the store this week, he was a wealth of information about the NJ angling scene. For freshwater outings, Chris suggested live bait, shiners if available and hit any of the recently stocked lakes for browns or some really nice rainbow trout. On the saltwater side, he informed me that the best blackfish of late was off Little Egg Inlet where the reefs hadn’t been worked as hard. If you are interested in striped bass, he suggested the Shrewsbury Rocks where the bite has been on for a few days now. The fish are chasing rain bait there and Chris said the top lure is Tsunami Swim Shad, white pearl. And there are some big fish coming out of that area, especially since the water temperatures went up a little this week. Chris also told me that kayakers in the Belmar and Sandy Hook area took advantage of the warm weather this week and had mixed success. Plenty of bass being caught off the beaches up there as well but the bigger fish seem to be staying just outside the break line.
Best Bets for the weekend.
Well the best I can say is that it’s definitely not over for the year. As we get closer to the Holidays and year’s end, information tends to get scarcer. Fewer people fishing mean fewer sources to draw from. But there are still plenty of options. The blackfish bite is on all over the place. 40 to 60 feet of water and crabs for bait are the key. The bass bite is still going on and the waters are definitely clearing up a bit. Reports up and down the coast lead me to believe there is a huge amount of bait inshore. Rain bait, herring, sand eels and even peanut bunker are thick on many of the new lumps. It’s that time of year when you may need to weed through the smaller fish to find something for the table, but there are still plenty of 30-pound-class fish in the zone. Match the hatch. Freshwater still has some options like pickerel and trout and you can always target perch. I have caught some huge grass shrimp of late and perch love grass shrimp. Like I said, there are plenty of options. I purposely limited my comments about the devastation which Sandy brought upon the fishing industry this week. We need to get back to a normal lifestyle. Going fishing is part of that. What I am asking you to do to help is shop local for any of your angling needs including clothing. Most of the shops and vendors are trying to get their business back up on its feet. The best way you can help is to stop in a buy local. It may cast a few cents more than the big box store but at least you will know that your hard earned dollars are going to a good cause. Whatever you chose to do this weekend, stay safe out there. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.