Take a deep breath…

You can almost taste it in the air. The flavor does not really come out too much unless you are doing it at night when the temperature drops below 50, but it is most definitely there. It is that delicate combination of saltiness, crisp humidity free air, and just a touch of bay mud. It is the undeniable aroma of striper season.

Reports from up and down the coast are just encouraging enough to start getting revved up, but it is not time to start practicing your deep, raspy voice for that early “I can’t make it in today boss” phone call. Water temps are dipping in to the lower 60’s, that d*mn 25-knot northeast wind has finally turned around, and reports of sand eels in the lights in the back at night and in the wash near the inlets are just starting to circulate.

Switch out your hooks on your new plugs yet? Take a file to the old ones on your umbrella rigs, stretch collection, and bunker spoons? They are pushing the cars on to the track and the starter is loading up his pistol.

Let’s take a lap around the shops and see what is what…. you can’t have too much info when you are this close to kickoff.

From Efinger’s in Bound Brook I got Darryl on the horn. He and some of his guys fished right through the blow and tell us that the bluefish running up to #22 never left the Shrewsbury Rocks. There have been some bass reported in the cleaner water off the south shore of Long Island where the water did not get all churned up, but mostly shorts are the result of fishing the beach right now. As things are cleaning up there have been a couple of keeper bass taken on fresh clam, for those that have been able to lay their hands on them. Night time fishing seems to be warming up for eeling near the Double Sticks and in Sandy Hook Channel.

The boys from Meltzer’s in Garfield had little news on the bass between the big blow and some of the Federal beaches being closed. A couple of them did, however, beat the heck out of the blackfish on the NY side of the Verrazano. When it blows, and you need some meat, it is a good, solid plan.

From the famous Keyport Marine Basin the news is good and right to the point, as usual. Bob tells us the boys on Dock A made a solid connection at Buoy 11A with 3 20#+ bass. Eels and clam are on the menu and the grill is hot! A couple of nice weakies were also taken from the pier.

Nick at Atlantic Bait & Tackle in Middletown had just weighed in a nice 19.5# striper when I called in. Taken on a bunker chunk on Monmouth Beach. Smaller fish are being reported up near the point of the Hook, but Nick thinks that a little further south is the best bet so far since the blow.

In Hazlet, there is clamming going on at the Knoll and the Shoal and the ones working them are catching some bass. They are not “ginormous” in the phrase of Phillip at the Tackle Box, but they are keeping. Boat anglers pulling umbrella rigs and Stretches are connecting with smaller bass in the structure off the Shrewsbury Rocks, and getting some of their shads chomped pretty good by the bluefish marauding the area. Sand eels in the surf are always a good sign, but no reports of any blitz yet.

As you move further south you hear more of, “Today is the first day….” as the water from the Sea Bright area and below seemed to have taken more of a beating from the Northeast wind the last week. It is just starting to clear according to Tom at Giglio’s Bait & Tackle, and there are sand eels in the wash. Although some anglers have been able to connect on Superstrike Little neck poppers and a few on SP Minnows, the changeover to needlefish has got to be the move once the sand eels become the dominant forage. A few weigh-ins in the 28-32” range, but not real heavy action by any means.

My buddy at The Bait Shop in Bradley Beach tells me that a Vision Sand Eel just brought a 21# bass to his scales. The biggest fish he has weighed in for over a week. Dominick also told me that he just got a load of eels in for those guys wanting to finally get out now that the water is starting to clear a little. Sand eels in the wash and a confirmed report of 60 degree water.

Joe is the new “go-to” guy at Harry’s Adventure Outfitters in Robbinsville and the news is solid. Tsunami Shads, SP Minnows, and needlefish on the beach from Monmouth down to IBSP. In the boats, umbrella tube rigs in burgundy and green to match the sand eels are the ticket. One boat reported in this morning with 20 keeper bass on the umbrellas east of the Shrewsbury rocks. Welcome to the party Joe!

Zipping back tot he coast, in Belmar the crew from Joey’s Bait Shack report bass being taken on bait at Pebble beach, Deal, and Clifford by the wall. Mostly clam and bunker are making the connection. Give your plastic a break from the beach unless you want to get only half of it back — bluefish are chomping some serious petrochemicals.

Apparently the offshore action for those that ventured has been better than good on nice yellowfin according to Ron at Fisherman’s Supply. Re-confirmation, closer to shore, on the Shrewsbury Rocks area for bass in the keeper zone, but no monsters. Bluefish mixed in. Off the beach in Seaside and Bradley Beach there have been a few rushes of bass in tight chasing some really impressive size sand eels.

Best Bet for the Weekend

So here is the scoop. From NY Harbor down to the New Jersey heartland, it’s almost on. Clearing water conditions combined with favorable winds and higher concentrations of bait align all of the stars and the planets for all heck to break loose. With a full moon midweek and it’s unfavorable characteristics being gone before the week ends, I’d be getting my gear together and calling my buddies. I say this weekend is the very beginning of the Fall run with decent numbers of fish but not a big showing in size. The bodies of bigger fish are still being reported far to the North. The highway is clear, the lights are green. I know what I will be doing both days this weekend, do you?

Stay Tuna-ed!