Sea Bass Bonanza. You just have to go…NOW!
I am so cranked up over my trip this past Tuesday hitting the rockpiles for giant winter sea bass that I almost did a quick turnaround to go right back! I am telling you, close your office doors or walk far enough away from the boss to make a phone call and book a spot to hit it now. The bottom is just covered with big fish.
Anybody that even suggests there is a problem with this fishery is spending too much time fondling their calculator and keyboard and not enough time in reality. I was asked to come along as a guest on the Boss Lady, Captain Bill May’s beautiful 50-foot Custom East Bay Express out of Avalon NJ. A 5:00 AM departure had the dock a little slick with 35-degree temps, but it was warm and cozy inside for the ride out to the rock fields. Once out there, it was drop and reel for five solid, muscle-burning hours.
The morning started on the first drop with all 7 anglers hooking up immediately after our jig/dropper loop combos hit the bottom. The Christmas tree color assortment of squid was working, but it seemed that the wads of salted clam were enticing larger fish. All that scent in the water also attracted more than a fair share of unwanted deep-water dwellers as well. Lots of big doggies, and some monster chopper blues. I added this so you can make sure to tie plenty of rigs made out of heavier leader material—50-pound-test mono would be the minimum. There is no reason to go fluorocarbon as the Sea bass are not leader shy. I was field testing some cod rigs I tied that have the hooks connected to the droppers with swivels to cut down on line twist on the way down with heavy lead and it proved to be a good call. I will be taking the squid skirts off if sea bass is my target in the future as I also seemed to attract more doggies and blues on the way back up. Guys with bare hook/bead combos seemed to be less popular with the junk fish.
We all started with 6- to 10-ounce jigs for getting down, but after the drift and wind picked up we all switched them out for big lead up to 20 ounces. It reduced bow in the line and saved lots of extra cranking when we got down to the 200- to 220-foot bottom faster. A high-speed-retrieve reel makes the world of difference on a full day like this one, and although I was using my Accurate Boss 665, the guys that had the Newell workhorses, Saltigas and Talicas seemed to be covering territory faster than I was.
Although I don’t think we swung one over the side all day that was not of legal length, plenty of smaller fish were vented and returned to the bottom. There were plenty of 4- and 5-pounders in the 7-man limit we brought home, and one that topped 6 that came over the rail on the very last drift. No, not by me, but it was one of the Team TackleDirect guys.
Trying to find places to get your gear and bait this time of year can be almost as much of a challenge as finding a ride. Save gas and let your phone do the work! Most of our network of shops are either closed or running winter hours right now, so I am punching out the whole list to you this week that I have either spoken to or believe will be open this weekend:
TackleDirect – Egg Harbor Township – 888-354-7335
Harrys Army Navy – Robbinsville – 609-585-5450
SurfSide Bait and Tackle – Long Branch – 732-222-4436
Zuback’s Marine – Morgan – 732-727-3953
The Reel Seat – Brielle – 732-223-5353
Sportsmens Center – Bordentown – 609-298-5300
Reel Life – Point Pleasant – 732-899-3506
Absecon Bay Sportsmans Center – Absecon – 609-484-0409
Kollmer Equipment Co – Flemington – 908-237-5600
Go Fish Bait and Tackle -Toms River – 732-929-FISH
Sea Isle Bait and Tackle – 609-263-6540
Pride Bait and Tackle – 732-383-8198
Red Bank Marina – 732-741-3320
Meltzer’s Sporting Goods – Garfield – 973-478-7647
Fin-Atics – Ocean City – 609-398-2248
Fisherman’s Supply – Point Pleasant – 732-892-2058
Giglios – Sea Bright – 732-383-5375
Two Chums Bait and Tackle – Sea Isle – 609-263-2486
Tony’s Bait and Tackle – Manahawkin – 732-597-7250
If you are looking for a ride, there really are only a couple of options that I am aware of to get out to the action. Don’t go without calling! Limited boats going, revised hours, and limited number of fares are in effect on almost every boat still afloat so make a reservation. Most going for sea bass but some still hitting the tog spots and a few are taking mackerel adventures.
The Gambler – Point Pleasant Beach – 732-295-7569
Big Mohawk – Belmar – 732-974-9606
Jamaica – Brielle – 732-528-5014
Paramount – Brielle – 732-528-2117
Golden Eagle – Belmar – 732-681-6144
Doris Mae IV – Barnegat Light – 609-494-7468
I did catch a couple of guys that were in the shops mid-week.
Ron at Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant is open every day from 9 to 4. Besides sea bass, he tells me that the inshore ling bite has been pretty good. Adding a Gulp Ghost Shrimp to your rig seems to be bumping up the catch. Some of the guys on the beach in Sea Girt and Spring Lake are catching schoolies off the beac h as well Try something with an orange belly and slow it down a little.
Of course, the Team at TackleDirect is open 7 days a week at the showroom in Egg Harbor Township and 24/7 on line. I know I am going back there before my next Sea Bass outing to bump up my “inches per crank” and give my arm a break.
Reel Life Bait and Tackle in Point Pleasant is open except for Tuesday and Wednesday from 9-5. A few blackfish still in the canal on clams and, of course, the sea bass reports. The boys also tell me that on what is left of the beach, a few clam chuckers are connecting with smaller stripers.
Tonys Bait and Tackle in Manahawkin is running winter hours daily from 9-3. They do have salted clam if you feel like flinging a few from the sand or stocking up for Sea Bass.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City is also running winter hours. You can catch the boys Friday and Saturday from 9-5 and Sunday from 9-3. I did talk to the crew and they are still working the local wrecks for tog and doing well. Talk of the town is still the Sea Bass bite out at the rock piles, but the South Jersey head boat options are pretty thin.
There is no question that opening up the Sea Bass fishery for January and February is giving a very hard hit industry at least a fighting chance to make it through the cold months.
My Best Bet for this weekend is to follow me! The weather is going to be unseasonably warm, the seas unseasonably calm, and I am going back out to the rock piles for sea bass. I am sure every boat afloat is going to have full rails this weekend, so stop reading and start dialing! This just might be the best chance for you to get out there without freezing your aft off and fill the freezer before you hunker down.
Stay Tuna-ed!