As the boatyards fill up, and smaller crafts are shrink-wrapped and winterized, the headboats hang tough. To anglers thirsting for fishing opportunities, they stand, like steel-hulled oases, ready to add salt to the bland winter months.
Here’s the trips you can expect to take this winter:
Offshore Sea Bass
Off New York and New Jersey, the best sea-bassing of the season saves itself for last. Big hump-headed sea bass settle into the wrecks 40 to 60 miles off the coast. Limits are the norm, and big numbers of platter-sized porgies further ensure the freezer will be well-stocked for the winter ahead.
Read more:
• Jumbo Sea Bass – The biggest sea bass of the season will be on the offshore wrecks in December.
• Steakers and Sea Bass – Don’t wait for winter—get in on the bottom-fishing double-feature at Coxes Ledge this fall.
Block Island Cod
Southern New England’s go-to cabin fever cure is the Block Island cod fishery. The productivity varies from year to year, but overall, you can count on taking home a couple keepers, with bonus species such as the pollock, ling, and the underrated bergall, adding more fillets to the coolers.
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• Winter Cod Fishing – capitalize on a rebounded angling opportunity.
• Montauk Cod Party – Long Island cod gives anglers another wintertime fishing option.
Tautog
A number of Jersey headboats will be running tog trips daily through the end of the season in February. Tog fishing can get tough in the middle of winter, but sharp anglers (with the right baits) can almost always scratch together a good catch.
Read More:
• End the Season with Party Boat Blackfish – End the season with a blackfish party-boat trip!
• Lessons in Headboat Tog – A New Jersey party boat blackfish trip reveals 3 key tactics.
Dressing the Part
Regardless of what you’re targeting at the rail this winter, being properly outfitted for the elements is a must. Winter headboats are packed with die-hard anglers and run by die-hard captains who aren’t going to turn around just because you’re cold. So, bundle up, or plan on finding a seat next to the kerosene heater while the other anglers fill their coolers.
Built with an insulated fleece liner, the heavyweight Grundens Kodiak Flannel is perfect for wearing under your foul-weather gear. When the sun gets up and the temperature rises above freezing, you can shed the jacket and count on this flannel to keep you warm and comfortable while dialing in the tog bite.
Keep your coffee (or soup) hot on an full-day trip with the Yeti Rambler Half-Gallon Jug. A stainless steel handle and rugged construction will survive bouncing around the cabin when the wind and seas kick up.
Dry feet are warm feet. A heavy-duty wool sock tucked into the Grundens Deck Boss Fishing Boots will keep your toes toasty even when ice is forming in your guides.
Double-coated PVC/polyester construction makes the Grundens Hauler Bib impervious to rain, spray, wind and grime, yet provides a relaxed fit for dancing around the other fishermen when the pool-winning cod runs down the rail.
