Gear Up. Get out. GO!
No more excuses, it is time to wake up!
If you consider yourself a South Jersey angler then this is the weekend you need to toss your gear in the rear and get set to get wet. The opening bell, whistle, gun, or whatever noisemaker you prefer has signaled the beginning of what you have been waiting for. It is time to get your aft out there.
Reports from all of our sources mid-state and south are that all the spring species are in play. Back bays are crowded with marauding schools of bluefish, the catch and release on summer flounder is hot, and there are legit sized weakies popping up all over. Even some of those floating striper buffets, better known as bunker schools, are starting to work their way our way. Let’s dial up the crew and get you some hard facts now that the wind has finally changed direction.
Up in Barnegat the small bluefish, 2-5#, are all over the bay and the ocean temp has popped up to 55. Matt and Andy at Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin says the action near the tip of the Dike and back around towards Double Creek is strong. Same stuff happening below there in the bay behind Beach Haven and Holgate. Out on the beachfront the blues and stripers are keyed in on bait primarily with the first unwelcome appearance of smooth doggies and skates. Gotta take the bad with the good, but they all bend the rod.
Couple additional reports of action picking up from Greg and the boys at Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom. Several of their fly guys have been connecting on bass throwing half and halfs, and the clam dunkers are getting both striper and black drum action. Find the rips off the tip or a good channel intersection and start chumming it up.
Over in Absecon, Dave at the Sportsman’s Center is not only ready to point you in the right direction, he will take you there! This is Dave’s favorite “Grand Slam” time of year with Stripers, Weakies, Blues and Fluke all in play. Dave even managed to get himself a load of spot in the pens so if you are not anywhere near live bunker and want to swim a few candies out there, you know where to go.
Tackle Direct on Tilton Road in Egg Harbor Township is gearing up for the big Penn Tent Event next weekend. The first one of it’s kind in South Jersey! The whole Tom Blecker, Penn Service team is moving into tents in front of the showroom for three days, Thursday through Saturday the 16-18. The entire line of Penn Rods and Reels will be on display along with some other great items. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of special Tent Event deals and check out the showroom.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City has been a hotspot all it’s own this week with the bluefish ravaging in the back bay, off the South End, off the other side of GE, and down the beachfront. It is time to bust out all those old plastics as the bigger blues seem to be liking them better than the indestructible metals you would rather be throwing. Clams off of the beach have yielded a couple bass but the action primarily has had teeth. Reports of a few very impressive weakies in the back taking any color as long as it is bubblegum. Ed and the boys are looking forward to a great weekend, pay them a visit.
When the wind changed in Sea Isle the fishing lit up. Mike Cunningham at Sea Isle Bait & Tackle had customers coming through early afternoon yesterday after the shift and all had stories of weakies, fluke, and blues from the back. Bass Assassins and Fin-S on lead heads and bucktails seems to be doing it. On the beach, clam chuckers are getting a couple bass but the baits are getting blowfish nibbled to death. Skates in the suds too.
Down in Cape May, my buddy Capt. Bob Cope runs Full Ahead Sport Fishing Charters and he is just walloping the big drum. Bob is running as many trips as the weather has allowed the past week and has connected on all of them. Dial him up at 609-847-2304.
It has been pretty rough out front all week, but is laying down nicely as I am writing this (Thursday AM) so I expect lots of the boat boys to be prepping their boats and making their first trip out this weekend. Please take a little extra time and don’t get all ‘speed drunk’ when you hit the throttles. There are dredges and gear in a couple of our inlets and many of the back bay channels have changed radically since you last ran them. Like the Sarge said on Hill St. Blues, “Hey…..Let’s be careful out there”.
Best Bet for this weekend is to hit the back! Sunrise plugging and tossing a few pink sluggos on the rocks and then later on the FmTuna, shaking out the dust from her long winter’s nap. I’ll be banging the bluefish and then dropping some strips down to do some pre-season C&R recon for opening day of fluke. I wonder where the next super secret hotspot will be?
You’ve been waiting… the wait is over!
Stay Tuna-ed!