Patience is a virtue and we’re all going to have to demonstrate just a bit more to get through this bleak time that is February fishing.
The handful of party boats that are still sailing took advantage of the small window of favorable conditions last weekend to get some anglers out on the water. Boats out of Atlantic Highlands, Belmar, Brielle and Point Pleasant all headed out for cod, ling, blackfish and pollock.
The Prowler 5 out of Atlantic Highlands sailed both Saturday and Sunday. Capt. Scott Hilliard said the conditions at sea on Saturday were miserable, with a screaming southwest wind and a heavy, rolling sea.
Sunday was a much nicer day on the water, he said, but the fishing was slow, with just a pick of ling and tog. Capt. Hilliard said he’s going to wait for spring, which is just a few weeks away, before taking the Prowler 5 out again.
Out of Belmar, the Ocean Explorer sailed the weekend as well and found beautiful conditions on Sunday, but slow fishing. Capt. Bobby Quinn said they covered a lot of ground looking for life and but never found a good concentration of fish.
High hook for the day was three keeper tog and the pool winner was an 8-pound blackfish. Overall, Capt. Quinn said it was a tough day, but he’s planning on sailing this weekend barring any bad weather.
Remember, blackfish season closes on Sunday, so time to catch a tog is running out. The season opens again on April 1 with a limit of four fish, but shuts down once more at the end of the month.
The boats out of Bogan’s Basin in Brielle went after cod and pollock on the offshore wrecks and found similar conditions.
Capt. Howard Bogan on the Big Jamaica said the fishing was slow but some cod and pollock were taken. He also reported a couple of dozen mackerel. The pool winner was a 12-pound cod caught by Eli Posluk from New York.
The water is still pretty warm, Capt. Bogan said, but he hopes to see more cod migrating offshore with some cooler water.
The Jamaica will be sailing every Saturday at 1 a.m. through March.
The story was not much different on the Jamaica II. Capt. Joe Bogan said Saturday’s conditions were very tough with just a few ling and cod caught. Herbert James from Philly took the pool with a cod.
Conditions were much better on Sunday, but the fishing didn’t match the weather. Capt. Bogan said the eels were biting like crazy, but the fish didn’t materialize as he’d hoped.
He said they read a lot of bait so he’s expecting things to break loose in the next couple of weeks.
The Norma K III sailed out of Point Pleasant on the weekend and found a few keepers and some shorts on Saturday in the difficult conditions. Capt. Matt Sosnowski said the huge swell made it tough to hold bottom.
The fishing improved on Sunday, but the anchoring conditions were still tough. The swell went in one direction and the current in another so sticking to one spot was a problem.
Still, there was one limit catch and a couple of guys came close. The pool winner was just under 9 pounds. Capt. Sosnowski said that if they could have sat still, the results would have been better.
He’s heading out again this weekend as will Capt. Willy Egerter of the Dauntless also out of Point Pleasant. Capt. Egerter plans on sailing every day the weather allows.
Those anglers suffering from cabin fever found some relief at last weekend’s Surf Day, organized by the Jersey Shore Surfcasters.
Folks showed up in droves at Brookdale Community College to browse and buy equipment and pick up a few tips in the seminars. The line formed hours before the doors opened at 8:30 a.m. More than 1,150 people attended the event, which is held annually on the third Saturday in February.
Money raised is used to help members of the surf fishing community in need as well as supporting other fishing organizations and recreational programs.
Plug makers and manufacturers all did a brisk business throughout the day and many of the same vendors will be present at the Berkeley Stripers Club’s Annual Flea Market on Sunday, March 6, and at the Asbury Park Fishing Club’s Fishing Flea Market on Sunday, March 13.
Looking on the bright side, the winter flounder season opens on March 1, as does the season for striped bass in rivers and bays. It hasn’t been a particularly cold winter and ocean water temperatures are still hovering around the 40-degree mark so hopefully the water will warm up quickly.
Some sunny days should get the get the flounder out of the mud and the bass starting to feed in the shallows.
Best bets for the weekend
This is the last weekend to fish for blackfish so you might want to give that a shot aboard the few boats that are still sailing. Offshore wreck trips for cod and ling are also scheduled out of Bogan’s Basin in Brielle. Other than that, there’s always some equipment maintenance to keep you busy.