Late-stage cabin fever is running rampant. And there’s only one cure.
Unfortunately, while ice fishing, offshore porgies and blackfish are keeping the dedicated anglers busy, relief for the masses is still a few weeks away.
At least there were a few encouraging signs this week. Some white perch and a few small bass were caught in the Toms River area.
Capt. Bobby Quinn on the Ocean Explorer out of Belmar has been sailing whenever he can and continues to catch keeper blackfish.
He reported a nice day on Tuesday with high hook getting three keeper tog. There were bunch of shorts caught along with a few more keepers to fill out the day.
The Ocean Explorer sailed on Sunday as well and Capt. Quinn reported a handful of keeper blackfish and along with some nice cod. The biggest reached 18 pounds. There were also some ling in the mix.
The weather kept the boat at the dock on Wednesday and Thursday, but Capt. Quinn expects to sail again on Friday.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar is currently booking spring striper trips and will be at the at the Greater Philadelphia Outdoor Show in Oaks, Pa., this Saturday to talk about bucktailing for big fluke.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said it’s been pretty quiet there but the Big Jamaica sailed for porgies over the weekend and had its best trip of the winter. It’s a bit of a haul with the boat sailing south and east for about 70 miles to the fish.
There were limits around the boat with porgies up to 3½ pounds along with a few white hake up to 7½ pounds. The Big Jamaica is sailing Friday and Saturday night this weekend.
Bogan said the shop will have bloodworms for the winter flounder opener on March 1. He also mentioned freshwater anglers have been having luck in the ponds in Wall for crappie and perch.
Dave Arbeitman at the Reel Seat in Brielle said there isn’t much going on there either but that the Voyager out of Point Pleasant Beach had a good porgy trip over the weekend with a few mackerel and pollock caught as well. The Voyager is currently in the shipyard but will sail again in early March.
Arbeitman said the shop is getting ready for the slow-pitch jigging seminar set for this Saturday aboard the River Queen in Brielle at 10 a.m. The River Queen is located at 800 Ashley Ave.
In conjunction with the seminar, the Reel Seat is offering 10 percent off all slow-pitch jigging equipment, including rods and reels, on Saturday and Sunday.
The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach is still sailing for blackfish on the weekends but the last several trips have been stymied by bad weather. Capt. Matt Sosnowski is going to try again this Saturday and Sunday. Blackfish season closes at the end of the month and will reopen on April 1.
Zack at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said that while it’s been pretty slow, there have been a few white perch caught in the Island Heights area.
Bob at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park also reported some white perch and small bass being caught in the same area. He told me that he’d built a rod for a customer who was anxious to see how well it cast.
The young angler tossed a Scabelly glider and caught a short bass on his first cast. The fish are there, you just have to wait to March 1 to catch them.
Bob said the shop’s booth at Surf Day, organized by the Jersey Shore Surfcasters, drew a lot of traffic last Saturday and the shop is now getting ready for the Berkeley Striper Club Fishing Flea Market on March 3.
Surf Day attracted more than 1,100 attendees at Brookdale Community College with a day full of seminars and loads of rods, reels, tackle and other merchandise for sale.
Ron Tucci at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said Wednesday’s lousy weather made for a slow day at the shop and that all he’s hearing about lately is the ice fishing. It’s holding up farther north with folks catching crappie, bass and panfish.
Steve at Garden State Bait and Tackle in Stockholm said the inconsistent weather has made some anglers skeptical about ice fishing but the ones that are going are having a great time.
The ice is still good and the bite has been excellent for bass, pickerel, crappie, blue gills and trout.
Silver Lake, Greenwood Lake and Green Turtle Pond, he said, have been very good for trout.
John at Tackle and Field in Wanaque said there is still plenty of ice at Monksville Reservoir and a number of muskie have been caught. He also said there are salmon coming out of Lake Wawayanda and trout anglers have been doing well in the local rivers and streams.
Fishing Forecast for New Jersey
If your fishing is confined to the weekends, this is the last shot at blackfish until April. The season closes at the end of the month. The porgy fishing remains good, but be prepared for a long ride.
This may also be the last weekend for ice fishing. Temperatures are forecast to approach 60 degrees on Sunday.
And mark your calendars. Next weekend brings the opening of striped bass in rivers and bays and the winter flounder season.
Plus, the Berkeley Striper Club will be holding in annual Flea Market on Sunday March 3 at the Toms River Intermediate North School, 150 Intermediate North Way, Toms River. The Flea Market is a favorite early spring stop with tables loaded with plugs, rods, reels and tackle.