Download the mobile app!
Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
With a few exceptions, such as evening fishing, striped bass fishing hasn't been too consistent during a Memorial Day weekend that had been a blitz occasion the last two years. The report from Atlantic Highlands wasn't good, as Capt. Ron Santee (who's noted for telling it like it is) said it's been "more than tough" on his Fishermen the last...
With a few exceptions, such as evening fishing, striped bass fishing hasn't been too consistent during a Memorial Day weekend that had been a blitz occasion the last two years.
The report from Atlantic Highlands wasn't good, as Capt. Ron Santee (who's noted for telling it like it is) said it's been "more than tough" on his Fishermen the last few days after that shot of big bass Friday afternoon. There were no birds working and no jigging fish plus lots of boat traffic. To top it off, spiny dogfish have moved in to make bait fishing more difficult.
Joe Farrell of Ramsey and I joined Joe Reap of Ramsey on his Reaper from Manasquan this morning, but our early departure was delayed by a thunder storm working its way down the coast. After waiting for that weather to pass by, we found bunker to be very scarce as water temperatures had dropped into the low fifties from all the south winds. It took some time to just snag a dozen off Asbury Park, and we missed a modest early bite at Shrewsbury Rocks, where Dave Lilly of Hazlet trolled two bass early on Tony Maja bunker spoons -- but never had another hit. I ended up feeding one of our few live bunkers to a striper that I released, but our other hits came from dogfish and bluefish before an early depature to home.
Evening fishing has been much better for those who can find bunkers. Capt. Dave Riback of Queen Mary from Point Pleasant said all of this week's magic hours trips have been successful. Saturday was best, with stripers up to 38 pounds, but even when only 10 bunkers could be snagged Sunday evening, they were turned into six bass up to 37 pounds.
There was much better news about fluke. Capt. Joe Bogan of Jamaica II from Brielle said he had a couple of 100-fish drifts Sunday as some anglers managed four to six keepers up to 6 1/2 pounds. Sea bass have been spotty, but those caught are large. Toby McCloud had a 6-pound sea bass in addition to six fluke up to 5 1/2 pounds.
Capt. Bobby Bogan of the Gambler from Point Pleasant said his Saturday and Sunday morning fluke trips were good, but afternoons were slower in the south winds. Phil Vallone of Toms River had three keepers from 3 to 5 pounds. That south wind also hurt the Saturday and Sunday evening striper trips.
Capt. Ed Bunting reported 55 keeper fluke were caught today on his Sea Horse from Atlantic Highlands as he drifted west of the Navy Pier. Practically all were caught by 11 a.m., when the west wind shifted to the east and stopped the drift. Tom Vogel won the pool with a 5-pounder.
Orlando Arrena of Newark recorded the season's second doormat, and the largest so far when he boated a 29 3/4-pound fluke Sunday in Reach Channel while fishing with Tom "Broken Bobber" on TnT from Atlantic Highlands. The cousin of the late fluke specialist, Victor Medina, caught his first doormat on a live fresh water herring before weighing it at Atlantic Highlands Bait & Tackle. It was part of a doubleheader with a 20-inch fluke.
Capt. Bud McArthur of Splinter from Brick was shocked this morning when he tried difting for sea bass at Sea Girt Reef and never had a bite -- even from dogfish.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 5/30/2011 8:37:57 PM by Seamus and last updated on 5/30/2011 8:37:57 PM.
Including GPX (Universal GPS Format), KML (Google Earth), and XLS (Excel) files.
Gives You Access To:
Download GPS files of fishing spots. Create Custom Maps of fishing spots. Fishing predictions w/ future date & location. Featured Listings for your fishing business.
$7 month or $49 year