Though the saltwater scene has been a little quiet the past couple weeks, last Friday, one angler made a catch worth shouting about. Shane Burke of Homdel, NJ boated a behemoth 23-pound tog while fishing out of Wildwood. The fish is one of three 20-pound-plus tog taken during the fall/winter blackfish season, including a new state record for New York and a new world record out of Maryland.
Catching monster tog this time of year can involve long runs to deepwater structure. The former world record tog, caught out of Ocean City, New Jersey on January 20, 1998, was reportedly taken in 120 feet of water on the 28-Mile Wreck—a popular spot for targeting tuna and sharks during the warm weather months.
Besides the news of that big tog, not much has changed on the saltwater scene. Headboats continue to pick off keeper tog when the weather is favorable for a trip.
Freshwater, specifically frozen freshwater, is the only game in town for anglers in the Northern Half of the state reported Brayden from Efinger’s Sporting Goods in Bound Brook. Jigging perch has been the main attraction on Lake Hopatcong, Brayden said.
Musconetcong has been producing some pickerel on tip-up, Brayden said, but on his recent outing there, he had a difficult time locating the schools of perch to catch on jigs.
Swartswood, one of the Garden State’s walleye honey holes, has been overrun with pickerel this winter. For fishermen looking for action, this has been great, as they are bumping up their leader strength and enjoying the fast action with the toothy picks.
At Harry’s Army Navy, perch and pickerel have been reported coming through the ice on Lake Assunpink. Beyond that, there have been few reports coming in. Some lakes in the southern half of the state are still open, and bass fishermen are getting out and enjoying some late-winter action.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The Atlantic City Boat show is happening this weekend, and even if you can’t actually get out on the water, at least you’ll be able to catch some fishing seminars and check out some boats. Otherwise, plan on hitting the ice this weekend. Be sure to put safety first before venturing out. Swartswood seems like a good bet for fast action with pickerel, and you may even snag a bonus walleye for your efforts.