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Hooking Up Anglers Since 2011.
Hurricane Irene put a crimp in the extended September fluke season, as most of those fish apparently headed offshore after the storm despite continuing warm water temperatures. Fluking has been so poor that some party boats are switching to other species even before the season ends. When the alternatives for a slightly increased quota were presented by the Division of...
Hurricane Irene put a crimp in the extended September fluke season, as most of those fish apparently headed offshore after the storm despite continuing warm water temperatures. Fluking has been so poor that some party boats are switching to other species even before the season ends.
When the alternatives for a slightly increased quota were presented by the Division of Fish & Wildlife in the spring, most opted for extending the season rather than the opportunity to keep a slot fish as part of the bag limit. Actually, fluking was generally decent during most of the summer even with the 18-inch minimum.
Capt. Stan Zagleski couldn’t stand another day of catching hardly anything while drifting with his Elaine B. from Highlands on Wednesday, and quit fluking to get ready for bottom fishing at 7 a.m. Saturday.
Since the sea bass season is closed until Nov. 1, he’ll be concentrating on porgies plus the one blackfish per person currently permitted.
At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Scotty Hilliard switched to stripers and porgies Wednesday with his Prowler V. He only found short stripers at Romer Shoal, but a move for porgies worked out very well.
Capt. Ron Santee changes Sunday from fluke to stripers with his Fishermen. He also notes that his father, Capt. Ron Santee, Sr., is recovering well from a heart valve replacement operation.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc makes his switch to striped bass with the Sea Hunter from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Gene Graman of Middletown was disappointed in Wednesday’s clamming on Romer Shoal. He pulled anchor time and again, but never could get a bite going on his That’s It from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands. That was in complete contrast to the previous Wednesday when he and I released 25 stripers — only four of which were under 28 inches. This time we caught two small dogfish and a sea robin. I hooked the only striper that hit, and had a 15-pounder on the surface a few feet away in a strong current only to watch the 8/0 circle hook pop out of its mouth.
There was good news for canyon anglers this week as albacore returned to Hudson Canyon. Adam La Rosa reports the two Canyon Runner boats trolled a total of 60 longfins Tuesday in three hours.
Capt. Howard Bogan Jr. limited anglers on his Jamaica from Brielle with yellowfin tuna that day. While looking for dolphin to start the trip, he came across yellowfins that hit bait and jigs during a four-hour drift. More tuna were caught at anchor during the night, but the big blast started at 5:30 a.m. on jigs, bait and even poppers.
TOP CATCHES
The Jamaica has also been loading up on big bluefish on daily trips, as well as little tunny (false albacore) on trips targeting that species. Jan Gladstone of East Brunswick caught 21 tunny on a trip this week. Tsunami soft plastic lures have been the hot casting lure for tunny. The Jamaica will run tunny specials at 6 a.m. on Fridays and Wednesdays.
Point Pleasant party boats are also catching big blues more consistently now, and doing very well on special trips aimed at little tunny and bonito — though there are still no bonito. The Queen Mary has a limited tunny trip set for Tuesday. Capt. Dave Riback came down to the deck to catch five tunny on the Tsunami soft plastic during the first targeted trip this week. While little tunny are available to boaters, there’s still been no word of them for surfcasters. Stripers have become more active in the surf, though almost all are shorts. Increasing numbers of mullet are the attraction.
Blowfish are keeping Barnegat Bay anglers busy. Tony Arcabascio of Bayville is still coming up with catches in the hundreds that allow for culling out all but the largest puffers that provide a prime “chicken of the sea.” There’s also lots of variety in that bottom fishing including kingfish, sand porgies, porcupinefish, and small jacks sea bass and croakers. Even a few keeper weakfish hit the clam baits, but there have been none of the spot that were also abundant last summer.
Arcabascio’s Tony Maja tackle line, including EZ Outrodders, bunker spoons, and the rods to fish them with, has been expanded with his Signature Series Wire Line Trolling reel. Crafted to his specifications by Canyon Reels, this high quality model weighs 32 ounces, has a fast 6.1:1 gear ratio, and can be filled with 200 feet of 60-pound mono backing plus 300 feet of 40-pound wire. Alternately, it can be used as a stand-up tuna reel with 600 yards of 60-pound braid. For details visit tonymajaproducts.com. Arcabascio notes that his custom bunker spoon rods are finally back in stock.
A public hearing on Draft Addendum 5 to Amendment 1 of the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Menhaden will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Toms River Municipal Building at 33 Washington Street.
Options to reduce bunker catches by as much as 40 percent are offered in order to improve abundance and spawning stock biomass plus bunker availability as vital forage for striped bass and a host of other predators. A good source of information on the internet about the bunker situation is menhadendefenders.org. E-mails in support of lower quotas can be sent through a link on that site.
The Jersey Shore Boat Sale & Expo, sponsored by the Marine Trades Association of N.J., will be held from today through Sunday at First Energy Park in Lakewood.
The seventh Father Time Family Fishing Derby will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Keansburg Beach. For details contact Jeff Johnson at (732) 787-2007, ext. 55833.
The Hi-Mar Striper Club Fall Striped Bass Tournament runs from after the 7 p.m. captains meeting on Friday, Oct. 21through noon that Sunday at Bahr’s in Highlands. The entry fee before Oct. 8 is $80, and $100 thereafter. Entry forms may be printed by visiting www.falltournament@hi-mar.com. Questions should be directed to Bob Kamienski at (732) 495-9210, or bobk@hi-mar.com.
The IGFA Striped Bass Trolling Seminar is a new event set up by the N,J, IGFA reps. It will be held Wednesday night, Oct. 12 from 7-10 at the Toms River American Legion , 2025 Church St.(off Brick Blvd.) for the benefit of the IGFA Youth Fishing Program. Capt. Gene Nigro, of the Phantom at Leonardo, will be joined on the podium by Capt. Pete Barrett and Tony Arcabascio of Tony Maja outrodders, bunker spoons and bunker spoon rods. The $10 admission ($5 for spouses and kids under 12) includes e-membership to the IGFA and a chance at door prizes.
The recent New Jersey Beach Buggy Association Kids Tournament at Island Beach State Park produced good bluefishing. Nikita Jones of Mays Landing had the largest at 19.5 inches, and led the 8 and under class with 34. Austin Murphy of Toms River caught the most unusual fish — a stargazer.
Anna Maria Steepy, formerly of Highlands, released a50-pound sailfish while fishing with her husband, Capt. Dick Steepy of Big Pine Key, Fla., while Elmwood Park anglers John Mosca, Matt Boyce and Tom McSorley added dolphin, yellowtail snappers and grouper.
It’s going to be awhile before mosquitoes are out of the picture. The newest device from the ThermaCELL folks is a good option for use at night in any outdoor camping situation. The ThermaCELL Outdoor Insect-Repellent Lantern is both a powerful insect repellent device and a portable, long-lasting outdoor LED lantern, with both functions being usable separately or together. Providing a 15-by-15-foot mosquito-free zone. It’s 98 percent effective, tested and used by the Department of Defense and the United States Army, and also non-toxic, safe and non-intrusive, being DEET-free, silent, portable and odor free. It weighs only 13 ounces. Rather than using a harmful toxin, ThermaCELL utilizes allethrin, an artificial version of a natural insecticide found in chrysanthemum flowers. The Lantern has a frosted globe, and offers two illumination settings. The butane cartridge which powers the mosquito repellent provides 12 hours of power and is located internally. Eight LEDs provide the light from the lantern powered by 4 AA batteries. It retails for $31.99, it can be purchased online at www.mosquitorepellent.com, via phone at 866-753-3837 or at retailers.
This Fishing Report was submitted on 9/25/2011 6:17:48 AM by Seamus and last updated on 9/25/2011 6:17:48 AM.
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