Beware the polar vortex.
The coldest air of the winter is expected to roll in this weekend and it can’t possibly help the fishing prospects. Forecasters predict that temperatures will fall 20 to 30 degrees below normal and that should keep most folks snug indoors.
Participation hasn’t been great even with fairly good weather.
Capt. Joe Bogan of the Jamaica II out of Brielle said it was a pretty nice day last Saturday, but not too many people showed up to go wreck fishing.
The captain reported that those who ventured out landed a smattering of cod, ling and pollock. There were also some ocean pout and silver eels. The fishing wasn’t great he said, but nearly everyone went home with something for the table.
The pool winner was Billy Watson with a 19-pound cod. Capt. Bogan said they’ll be staying at the dock this weekend and his President’s Day trip scheduled for Monday is looking a little iffy as well.
The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach also sailed last weekend with Super Bowl Sunday proving to be the better of the two days. Capt. Matt Sosnowski said both green and white crabs were working with nice blackfish coming up around the boat.
The nicest one was a 16-pound pool winner followed by a 12 pounder that came in second. Obviously, there are still some big tog biting.
Capt. Matt also said there were quite a few in the 4- to 8-pound range and a couple of anglers got their limits. He hasn’t made a final decision on plans for sailing this weekend, but as it stands now, it looks like the Norma K III will stick to the dock until the following weekend.
Capt. Rick Wilkowski on the Jersey Hooker sailed as well last weekend and reported a good open boat trip on Sunday.
The bite was slow on the first drop but things picked up on the second. A 12½-pound tog came aboard followed by a 14 pounder landed by John Kim. Then the action went quiet so the captain made a move and found the fish again about four miles away. At the end of the day, there were 16 keepers in the box.
The Jersey Hooker will be sailing for tog on Friday, but that will be it for the weekend. Capt. Wilkowski said he will be thinning out his inventory at Jersey Hooker Outfitters in Brick this Friday, Saturday and Sunday with deals on rods, reels and tackle.
Speaking of deals on equipment, the Hi-Mar Striper Club will be holding its annual Flea Market this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Middletown VFW Post 2179 on Route 36 in Middletown. It’s one way to keep the fishing habit fed until the weather improves.
In addition to the vendors, fishing seminars will be held throughout the show. Admission is $5.
For those who fish the hard water, this winter’s weather hasn’t provided much opportunity. Laurie Murphy at Dow’s Boat Rentals at Lake Hopatcong said there’s not going on up there with no ice to speak of.
There was a small window of opportunity following the blizzard of a couple weeks ago when a few coves froze over and the guys who know lake managed to catch some pickerel, perch and crappie. The subsequent rain ruined what little fishing there was.
But you don’t need the ice to go freshwater fishing. Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said anglers are finding good winter fishing in the Monmouth County lakes and rivers. He’s had reports of trout being caught in the Manasquan River on worms. The shop has night crawlers and shiners.
Next week’s rod-building classes are all filled up, but Bogan said they have scheduled another series for March. You can check with the shop for exact dates. He also wanted to remind folks that the opening of winter flounder season is only a couple of weeks away on March 1. Striper fishing in rivers and bays opens on the same date as well.
Finally, in case you missed it, the summer flounder regulations are changing a bit for the 2016 season. While the regional management plan that’s been in place for the past several years will remain, The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission approved Addendum XXVII on Feb. 4, which was designed to address a problem with management measures between New Jersey and Delaware in the Delaware Bay. The difference in size limits, which could be up to two inches, was making life difficult for southern New Jersey anglers and fishing businesses.
The latest addendum modifies the regions and allows for a more equitable fluke harvest. New Jersey will now allow a 17-inch size limit and 4-fish bag limit in a designated area of Delaware Bay. There are some restrictions regarding location and New Jersey regulators still have to finalize the opening and closing dates of the season, which will be 128 days long. Stay tuned.
Best Bets for the Weekend.
Stay inside. This is going to be a dangerously cold weekend so a flea market may be your best option. The arctic cold will freeze the lakes and ponds, but the ice might not be thick enough for fishing. Tog season will still be open next weekend, so try and hang on.