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Canyon fishing was poor after Hurricane Irene, but a Gulf Stream eddy moved in Saturday to produce some fine catches. Frank Criscola of Bedminster put in the day aboard his Crisdel from Brielle Yacht Club during the Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club Offshore Open in Toms Canyon, where 15 yellowfin tuna up to a 58-pounder were trolled along with...
Canyon fishing was poor after Hurricane Irene, but a Gulf Stream eddy moved in Saturday to produce some fine catches. Frank Criscola of Bedminster put in the day aboard his Crisdel from Brielle Yacht Club during the Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club Offshore Open in Toms Canyon, where 15 yellowfin tuna up to a 58-pounder were trolled along with an exceptional 93.6-pound wahoo fought by Captain Chris De Stefano of Wall. That catch easily took the $2,565 Calcutta for wahoo. Captain Paul Dalik and mate George Steller Jr. handled the boat as Criscola, De Stefano, Joe De Prestifillipo, and Captain John McGursky manned the rods.
Another exceptional catch in the offshore open was a 276-pound bigeye on George Harms’ Low Bid that earned $33,248 in the tuna division. Nick Vlachos’ Mary Kate took second with a 101-pound bigeye, and Larry Grafas’ Brenda’s III was third with a 65.5-pound yellowfin. No swordfish were caught in the 40-boat contest that ran from Aug. 27 to Sunday. Ross Mannetta’s Tra Sea Ann had two blue marlin releases to take that $2,099.75 Calcutta, while Neil Franzoni’s Bahia Moon released one blue. Steve Matthews’ Pepper released two white marlin worth $2,094.75, and John Collins’ Tijerta released one white. Al Bessemer’s Linda B. won the dolphin Calcutta with a 25.9-pounder for $3,175.
The Jenny Lee from Manasquan got off to a slow start canyon fishing last Friday for the Tim Wilsey party from Quakertown, Pa., as a white marlin was missed that afternoon, and night chunking was dead. However, the early morning troll produced eight yellowfins up to 35 pounds before a big blue marlin hit. Captains Jimmy Gahm and Kevin Gerrity maneuvered the Jenny Lee during a 1 1/3-hour battle as all five fishermen were on the 50W outfit before the 14 1/2-foot blue with a girth of at least 60 inches was released. They estimated the weight at 750 pounds.
Captain Mark De Blasio fished the Joe Bednar party on Canyon Runner from Point Pleasant during the contest on a Thursday to Friday overnighter as he trolled warm water in the deep of Hudson Canyon for yellowfins and large dolphin in 400 fathoms before night fishing turned out to be dead. The morning troll produced three yellowfins and a 50-pound wahoo that would have won but for the Crisdel’s huge entry.
The 20th annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament will be held at Island Beach State Park on Sunday, Oct. 2. The early entry fee is $10 for adults over 18, $5 for ages 13 to 17, and free for kids 12 and under if postmarked by Sept. 10. Visit njfishandwildlife.com for information.
The N.J. Beach Buggy Association’s Kid’s Tournament will be held Saturday at Pavillion 1 in Island Beach State Park. There are divisions for youngsters 13-16, 9-12, and 8 or under. The free contest includes T-shirts and a hot dog lunch, plus awards and grab bags. For information visit njbba.org (click charitable events), or call Tim Burden at (732) 279-3177.
The Hudson River Fishermen’s Association 10th annual Surf Fishing Tournament will be held in Seaside Park and Seaside Heights on Saturday, Oct. 15. For information visit hrfa.us (follow the tournament link), or call Paul Hartmann at (201) 481-4390.
The Mid-Atlantic $500,000 Tournament’s final tally for 117 boats was 442 white marlin released and 16 weighed; 17 blue marlin released, with four weighed; 23 tuna, six dolphin and two wahoo weighed. A longbill spearfish was also released, bringing the total to 460 of 480 billfish released. Tournament publicist Jeff Merrill was proud of the 96 percent release rate, and noted that the 1.36 billfish per boat day was the contest’s second best — just short of last year’s 1.42. New Jersey winners who didn’t make the cut in last Friday’s column included Frank Holtham of Hackensack with a 69-pound white marlin that won a daily leaderboard prize of $16,292; and the two blue marlin winners who also were first and second for blue marlin trophy points — Steve Sciosia of Elizabeth on his Tail Spin, and Damian Romeo of Forked River on Hubris.
TOP CATCHES
There was no good news about fluke in the Raritan Bay area after Irene until Labor Day. Captain Stan Zagleski, of Elaine B at Highlands, was licking his wounds after “a bummer of a trip” in the ocean on Sunday, and tried drifting in the bay shallows. Surprisingly, there was a good bite that produced a few keepers for most — while Dennis O’Brien of South Bound Brook bagged five. Wayne Pinder from Somerset had four up to the 4 7/16-pound pool winner.
Captain Sal Cursi of Cathy Sea at Sewaren reports his mate, Al Glohuski of Sewaren, and a friend combined for 11 keeper fluke up to 5 pounds in the back of the bay on Monday.
Fluke pro Dave Lilly of Hazlet fished from Sandy Hook to Scotland and Ambrose Channel on Saturday, and termed fluking “dismal” as the only fish he caught was a single sea robin in Ambrose.
Pat Donnelly had plenty of action that day east of Sea Girt Reef with his Shanakee from Point Pleasant. The Brielle dentist said his crew caught over 100 fluke, including just four keepers, but most fluke were only 10-to-12-inchers that were much smaller than the shorts hooked prior to the storm.
Sea bass fishing has improved since the hurricane. Capt. Arthur Stokes of Fintastic from Clarks Landing in Point Pleasant did well with them in 85 feet on Sunday, and hopes to get another shot at them this Sunday before the season comes to a temporary close that night before reopening on Nov. 1. Both commercial and recreational shellfishing has been reopened throughout the state except for Delaware Bay and its tributaries after the Aug. 27 closure due to run-off from Hurricane Irene.
Capt. Jeff Gutman has run a couple of two-day tilefish trips recently with his Voyager from Point Pleasant. The first produced only a pick of tiles plus lots of rosefish. Capt. Barry Goldman boated 42 1/2-pound tilefish, and Jim Rice won the pool with a 33-pounder. Rick Petschaeur of Spring Lake took the pool for other species with a 17-pound white hake. This week’s trip was good for mostly small tilefish in the 5-to-10-pound class plus a few 10-to-20-pounders — and a 35-pounder by Fred Pohlig of Bellmawr. Variety was provided by rosefish, wreckfish up to 25 pounds, barrelfish to 7 pounds, and white hake to 10 pounds. Joe Mellillo at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant reports stripers from 18 to 29 inches in Point Pleasant Canal on plugs, and also along the beaches from Long Branch to Manasquan. Mike Lynch of Brick used a Bomber for an 11 3/8-pounder at Bay Head. I’ve been fishing at daylight north of Manasquan Inlet, and have seen an occasional schoolie caught while managing only two small bass in the wash of a rough surf last weekend on a Tsunami 3-ounce Slim Wave metal and a Joe Blaze teaser fly. A big southeast swell from Hurricane Katia made surfcasting a challenge yesterday morning, as I cast metal to no avail while staying out of reach of the breakers. I had the beach at Sea Girt to myself as not even surfers were in sight. Surfcasters have to exercise caution under these circumstances, as the backwash can sweep you off your feet.
Melillo said clams are producing bass at Belmar, but Allen Woods of Point Pleasant landed his 14 1/8-pounder on bait at Bay Head. The canal is also hot for blackfish on clams and green crabs. John Letizia of Brick cast a live finger mullet into Manasquan Inlet to hook a 5 1/4-pound fluke.
Capt. Pete Wagner took a Mearsk Shipping party 20 miles offshore on his Hyper Striper from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands at the end of last week for a pick of cod. They had a dozen small keepers plus two in the 15-pound class, along with some ling and four big bluefish. At Brielle, Capt.Howard Bogan Jr. reported good Sunday night bluefishing from his Jamaica in the Mud Hole as the high hook had 12 blues up to 14 pounds. Capt. Joe Bogan of Jamaica II found lots of smaller fluke on the hills, and some bigger ones around rocks and wrecks last Friday. Fernando Arrelano of Hope Lawn bagged six to 5 3/4 pounds. Brien Castellano from Lincroft boated a 5 3/8-pound sea bass the day before.
Greg Bogan, at Brielle Tackle, weighed a 9-pound fluke caught on killies and squid just south of the inlet over the weekend by Eric Polefka of Monroe Township. He reports snappers and crabs remain abundant in Manasquan River. Jay Yuhas of Edison caught a 3-pound triggerfish in Point Pleasant Canal, and released small blackfish.
Capt. Bob Pennington reported a slow pick of big blues plus some large sea bass on his Sea Devil from Point Pleasant on Monday. Due to the weather reports, very few party boats have sailed this week.
The Hudson River Fishermen’s Association will have Capt. Paul Eidman as their guest speaker at Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. meeting in the Ridgefield Elks at Spruce St. and Cedar Ave. in Ridgefield Park. Eidman created the internet organization Menhaden Defenders to fight for conservation of that vital forage fish that is very heavily exploited by both “bait boat” gillnetters working inshore plus the huge seiners of the Virginia industrial fleet that must stay outside New Jersey’s three mile limit.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 9/11/2011 1:38:09 PM by Seamus and last updated on 9/11/2011 1:38:09 PM.
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