NJ fishing reports

[JerseySure]

Just found this Forum in my email in box. Last week's catch out jigging 37 miles off the coast of Fire Island. The trolling while there was not productive so we started jigging. It was the only fish caught. It is a long, long ride from Point Pleasant. Worth the effort.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Monday 8/5/19 - Found whales about 8 miles short of the Atlantic Princess. Dropped jigs and got 2 school bluefin before 730AM. We ran out to Chicken Canyon for mahi on pots. Got 2 small ones on the first pot but the pots were few and far between so we headed into the Glory hole where we got a nice dolphin and another small one.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Tried the Atlantic Princess area again 8/17. Nothing happening with tuna so we went to the Glory to catch dolphin on the pot markers. They were loaded up and we caught 24 from 3 to 8 pounds.
Some on bait at the pots but most trolling past them.
Word is the tuna moved north and east to the Coimbra wreck. I did hear of a few lucky guys stumbling on them on the north side of the Glory and the east side of the Chicken.
On the way in at the west edge of the Glory we saw flying fish get up in front of us. Have't seen them inshore of the canyons for quite a few years.

 

[JerseySure]

Tried the Atlantic Princess area again 8/17. Nothing happening with tuna so we went to the Glory to catch dolphin on the pot markers. They were loaded up and we caught 24 from 3 to 8 pounds.
Some on bait at the pots but most trolling past them.
Word is the tuna moved north and east to the Coimbra wreck. I did hear of a few lucky guys stumbling on them on the north side of the Glory and the east side of the Chicken.
On the way in at the west edge of the Glory we saw flying fish get up in front of us. Have't seen them inshore of the canyons for quite a few years.

Nice catch. We fished Axel Carlson Saturday while in the VFW Fluke Tournament. Gotta get a bigger net lost three door mat sized fluke out there. Caught many shorts and four keepers, biggest one about 4 lbs.

 

[SkunkBoat]

9-16 Monday- Took a lazy day Monday...got to the boat at 830, gassed up and ran in near flat seas to the Mud Hole pots...nothing but false albies(aka bonita)

Debated running to Glory Hole pots or wreck fishing. Decided to hop pots down the west side of the mud hole to the Lillian wreck area and try to find it. I have three numbers for it and there is nothing at any of them... While we were there we heard on vhf that the Glory Hole pots were covered in dolphin.

So... ran there and stopped on the first pots we came upon.... 30 fish limit... awesome day!

No trolling just throwing albie chunks at pots and catching dolphin on spinning rods. We were 39.5 miles east of Manasquan Inlet.

 

[Jargon]

9-16 Monday- Took a lazy day Monday...got to the boat at 830, gassed up and ran in near flat seas to the Mud Hole pots...nothing but false albies(aka bonita)

Debated running to Glory Hole pots or wreck fishing. Decided to hop pots down the west side of the mud hole to the Lillian wreck area and try to find it. I have three numbers for it and there is nothing at any of them... While we were there we heard on vhf that the Glory Hole pots were covered in dolphin.

So... ran there and stopped on the first pots we came upon.... 30 fish limit... awesome day!

No trolling just throwing albie chunks at pots and catching dolphin on spinning rods. We were 39.5 miles east of Manasquan Inlet.

That trip was worth the gas money! Looks like TONS of fun!!!

 

[JerseySure]

Do you guys carry a bladder tank of fuel for the long fishing trips or do you have extra large gas tanks? I am curious.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Do you guys carry a bladder tank of fuel for the long fishing trips or do you have extra large gas tanks? I am curious.

tanks hold 250
We average 1 mpg with the ox66s.
We can easily do Chicken Canyon or even Texas Tower#4 on that

Only take extra when going to the edge at Hudson or Toms Canyons and that's really just for safety.
We did push it to the Hundred Square once but that was because we saved fuel by trolling from Hudson Tip and trolling back to tip

We have two 14 gal rolling fuel caddies (with 12 gals each so easier to handle without spills).
Put them in when we start to troll and then strap them up on the bow.



That ride you got there with the single can certainly get you to Bluefin and Mahi grounds

 

[SkunkBoat]

We caught a throw net full of very small Ballyhoo in Manasquan river last night. I have never seen ballyhoo in NJ.
These were from 3" to maybe 5". some were smaller and went thru the net.
My brother lived in Florida for decades and has never seen ballyhoo this small, ever. And he has caught thousands of ballyhoo for bait.

So I put one on a hook and caught a 16 " striper on a live ballyhoo. Don't think anyone in the world can claim to have done that!

So a dock mate was walking by and we showed him and he shows us a picture on his phone of a 4" dolphin (mahi mahi) caught in a throw net in Barnegat Bay!

Bring on that global warming! We'll be catching sailfish in the mud hole in a few years at this pace!

 

[JerseySure]

That’s probably the only good news about global warming I’ve heard yet. Bring on the new species of fish.

 

[shawnod7]

Picked up this yellowfin on Sat 9/28 at the tip of the Baltimore, lost 3 whites, picked a small mahi and ended the day, stopping on the way in and trolled behind a scallop boat where we got 4 falsies in 20 minutes. Great day, but a solid 3-4'. Dont think my boat would have done well. I was on my friends 37' Freeman.

 

[JerseySure]

I’ve decided to haul it and winterize it soon. The forecast is too choppy for me.

 

[SkunkBoat]

I’ve decided to haul it and winterize it soon. The forecast is too choppy for me.

The best NJ striped bass fishing of the year is in November when its flat along the beach with a NW wind. You do need some coveralls sometimes....but sometimes its t-shirt weather... I pull after Thanksgiving.
This is when I miss the smaller trailered boat. I could pull it in my own time if early snow/freeze was coming. Now I have to schedule a haul and block

 

[SkunkBoat]

I’ve decided to haul it and winterize it soon. The forecast is too choppy for me.

In the Manasquan River the short striper bite is hot at the bridges. Has to be fast moving tide between dusk & dawn.

 

[JerseySure]

The marina wants all our boats out before 1 November. Weather and my availability in the next few weeks is limited. So have to pull the boat. Will fish from surf or along the canal when I can't hitch a ride on a friend's boat. We travel a lot and go fishing in every port that offers 6 pac charters from Alaska to South America and New Zealand to Hawaii. Looking for new places to try.
Any ideas for us?

 

[SkunkBoat]

The marina wants all our boats out before 1 November. Weather and my availability in the next few weeks is limited. So have to pull the boat. Will fish from surf or along the canal when I can't hitch a ride on a friend's boat. We travel a lot and go fishing in every port that offers 6 pac charters from Alaska to South America and New Zealand to Hawaii. Looking for new places to try.
Any ideas for us?

Its been my experience with marinas around here that the "season " ends Oct 31 but you can usually stay in. Sometimes they want another month of $, others don't care, especially those that cater to fishermen.


Of course, they all shut off the water before the hard freeze.

 

[bac0701]

skunk Ive got a trailer if you ever need to pull it out quick for anything I'm in brick.

 

[JerseySure]

The school where I'm working was closed today so I pulled the boat and power washed the bottom. It's on the trailer and getting the 120- hour service. The Nor Easter coming in tomorrow and Friday should make things a bit nasty. Going to keep it wrapped up until March. Doing fall and winter stuff now until then. I am available as a crew member if anyone needs help when I am not working.
Bill

 

[SkunkBoat]

ran out by myself this afternoon at 2:30 to the Sea Girt reef. Managed to get 4 keeper sea bass before calling it quits at 4:45. Wind had kicked up and I was not anchored. Basically drop on top of wreck, get bit immediately, catch fish or lose bait, off the wreck, go back around & try again .

Hoping to get out tomorrow afternoon. supposed to be flat. Maybe run to Shark River reef for sea bass and look for mahi & bluefins.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Mud Hole pot markers had no life yesterday. Water was 62 degrees. Looks like mahi fishing is done.
I made a couple drops on the Shark River reef. There are some seabass and I got one really big porgy but it wasn't great.
There were reports of bluefin popping up inside of 10 miles but no one could catch them.
And there is a body of keeper stripers off Monmouth county that has popped up in the afternoon providing action for head boats.
Nobody is catching yellowfin tuna in the canyons.