Despite what the calendar indicates, this past week’s warm weather has kept anglers on the water and the fish have been there ready and waiting. What they catch depends on where they’re fishing.
Those fishing up north, where there was a red hot striper bite around Thanksgiving, are now targeting tog with good success. One bit of advice is to get out early. Desirable pieces of bottom are claimed quickly.
Capt. George Bachert on the Angler out of Atlantic Highlands said the blackfishing picked up nicely beginning last Friday and has been going strong since.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said he’s been blackfishing every day and there have been a quite a few limits caught. Some of the tog have been up to 10 pounds. He’s been fishing in 30 to 40 feet of water and using mostly white-legger crabs.
Those fishing aboard Capt. Peter Sykes Parker Petes Fishing Charters, also out of Belmar, have also been enjoying some good togging. As usual, Capt. Sykes said some days are better than others while some have been phenomenal.
Blackfish over 10 pounds have come over the rail and Capt. Sykes said a few fish were hooked that were impossible to get off the bottom. On Tuesday’s trip, everyone in the group from Fisherman’s Den in Belmar went home with their limit.
The Norma K, Point Pleasant Beach, also saw an uptick in the blackfishing with a tog over 12 pounds taking the pool on last Sunday’s trip, followed by an 11-pounder on Monday’s outing. Green and white crabs both produced fish.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said he’s getting good tog reports from guys fishing in 60 to 80 feet of water catching blackfish up to 10 pounds. The Manasquan Inlet, he added, is developing a surprise sundial fishery that’s attracting its own dedicated anglers.
Those in search of porgies and sea bass are finding them on offshore wrecks. Bogan said the Paramount and Jamaica II out of Brielle have landed jumbo porgies well over three pounds along with good sea bass catches.
That’s not to say the stripers have disappeared, they’ve just moved farther south.
When he’s not after tog, Capt. Sykes has been finding bass from Island Beach down to Barnegat Inlet. He’s been catching them jigging storm shads and, if he has to, on the troll.
The Gambler out of Point Pleasant Beach has been fishing from Lavallette to Barnegat and scoring with bass for the last couple of weeks. Capt. Bob Bogan said the fishing has been good on shorts, slot fish and keepers.
The bass are feeding on peanut bunker, rainfish, squid and sand eels and they’re hitting Krocs, Avas and swim shads. He doesn’t see why the good bass fishing won’t continue through the end of December.
He’ll be heading offshore for sea bass on Dec. 16.
Jason Szabo at Fishermen’s Den in Point Pleasant Beach said the boats trolling Mojo rigs from Seaside to Barnegat Inlet are doing very well and guys casting pearl-white Tsunami shads retrieved slowly are catching bass as well.
The majority of the fish are from 20 to 32 inches and a lot of fun on light tackle. Schools of herring and peanut bunker are keeping the fish in the area. Szabo said the toggers are getting fish on the Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs with fish up to 13 pounds reported.
The ferocious striper action that was found along Island Beach State Park just a few days ago has calmed down but John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said there are still lot of big blues and schoolie stripers to be caught by beach fishermen. Both bait and artificials are catching fish.
John Pizzuto at Dock outfitters also reported a slowdown in the striper fishing on Island Beach State Park and the size of the fish has diminished as well. Anglers were shoulder to shoulder on the beach at the beginning of the week and the bass were driving the bait right up onto the sand.
While the frenzy may have passed, he said, the bass continue to bite and there are small blues in the mix.
While the bass action cooled off in the norther part of the state, it caught fire down south.
Kurt at Absecon Bay Sportsman said nice bass, from 15 to 30 pounds, are being caught anywhere from right off the beach to two miles out. The fish are from Brigantine to Ocean City and are being caught on the troll, snagging and dropping bunker and on jigs.
He said the fish have been moving steadily south about a mile or two every day, depending on conditions.
They’ve evidently made it to Ocean City where Justin Schenker at Fin-atics said there are loads of bass being caught out front both snagging and dropping and on the troll. The larger fish are upwards of 45-plus inches.
For those trolling, Mann’s Stretch lures and white and chartreuse Mojo rigs have been working best. For some reason, not too many people are fishing the beach, even though the fish are in close. Schenker said some charter boats have been fishing in 10 feet of water.
There are tons of school-sized bass back in the bay, Schenker said, and if you want to catch, that’s the place to go. The fish are between 22 and 28 inches and hitting mostly soft baits.
Best Bets For The Weekend
It all depends on what you want to catch. The tog fishing looks pretty solid right now with some hefty fish – up to 13 pounds – being taken. Reports indicate the keeper ratio has been good, so a nice blackfish dinner is a real possibility. Like real estate, it’s all about location, so get an early start as the prime spots get taken quickly. The nice weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday is sure to draw the crowds.
The odds for striper success will improve the farther south you go. Boats fishing south of the Manasquan Inlet are finding fish trolling and jigging. Beach fishermen tossing metal, shads and bait have a good shot at fish, although the red hot bite that was at Island Beach State Park just a few days ago has cooled off considerably.