NJ fishing reports

[SkunkBoat]

Did I read correctly that you departed at 2:20AM? When did you get out of bed? Did you even go to sleep?

I'm lucky to get underway by 7:30AM when I do a run to the Keys from my home port.

This is inconceivable to me...Don't fish bite in the afternoon?

Actually, I slept on the boat.
The pains of Jersey tuna fishing...
The "inshore" tuna grounds are 40 to 75 miles. The canyons are 90. If you want to have lines in the water at first light you either run at night or stay out overnight.
We have done "afternoon bite" trips but then you have limited time but burn the same amount of gas. And then you have to run home in the dark.

We sure miss the fishing out of Pompano Beach,Fl. Never woke up before 8 am. Putted out the inlet 3 miles and we were into dolphin/sails/kings/wahoo/blackfin/amberjack/yellowtail/grouper.
Had to run 15 miles to get to the swordfish grounds!!!

Amamola, I feel for you. I used to fish Barnegat bay. I always beat the sunrise and was on my way home before 10 am. Its a different place that early.

 

[Blaugrana]

Yep, if I do a weekend, I am back at my dock by 9am no matter the bite. I find it surprising how many boats are making their way into the inlet at 8am

I’ll make my way out next year probably as I need to upgrade my electronics.

75 miles out is insane...How does the 265 handle it?

 

[SkunkBoat]

Yep, if I do a weekend, I am back at my dock by 9am no matter the bite. I find it surprising how many boats are making their way into the inlet at 8am

I’ll make my way out next year probably as I need to upgrade my electronics.

75 miles out is insane...How does the 265 handle it?

265 express was designed for just for hardcore Northeast fishermen who wanted a canyon capable machine that didn't absolutely crush their wallet.
I was looking for an old Blackwatch or Northcoast 24 with the tailgate and I stumbled across this and it was love at first sight. It has not disappointed.

 

[Blaugrana]

265 express was designed for just for hardcore Northeast fishermen who wanted a canyon capable machine that didn't absolutely crush their wallet.
I was looking for an old Blackwatch or Northcoast 24 with the tailgate and I stumbled across this and it was love at first sight. It has not disappointed.

I definitely wouldn’t put myself in that group but saw one a few months ago and it caught my eye. I liked it a lot. Maybe in the future it will be what I upgrade to.

 

[Blaugrana]

Anybody try fishing today? Went out in the Barnegat and got skunked. Hardly any bites and inlet channel was like rapids even though the water was calm...started drifting at the beginning of one sod bank and shot me out about 300 yards down the other side in no time.

Did walk by the Barnegat Inlet and saw folks catching shorts so they were biting. I changed my rigs from red a 5/0 hook to black 3/0 and not sure if that played a role in my bad luck.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Anybody try fishing today? Went out in the Barnegat and got skunked. Hardly any bites and inlet channel was like rapids even though the water was calm...started drifting at the beginning of one sod bank and shot me out about 300 yards down the other side in no time.

Did walk by the Barnegat Inlet and saw folks catching shorts so they were biting. I changed my rigs from red a 5/0 hook to black 3/0 and not sure if that played a role in my bad luck.

My buddy was out a few days ago. Limited nice fish on Axel Carlson reef - don't drift- get around and on top of rocks with jig& 6" gulp
We don't use the old time fluke rigs anymore...ever... you catch & kill too many shorts. They are going tomorrow morning.

 

[Blaugrana]

My buddy was out a few days ago. Limited nice fish on Axel Carlson reef - don't drift- get around and on top of rocks with jig& 6" gulp
We don't use the old time fluke rigs anymore...ever... you catch & kill too many shorts. They are going tomorrow morning.

Nice, I’ll try to get into the ocean next year as I need to upgrade some electronics and my VHF doesn’t seem to work right.

Ive been going with Spro bucktail topped with 5in gulp and a teaser about 12-18in high. Beginning of this year, they always attacked the teaser but now it’s consistently the bucktail. I’m going to try making some different rigs and experiment a bit as it seems some days they want a more plain setup while others a little more flash.

I went old school today as none of my bucktails were holding with the drift so put a sinker with live Killie, ended up fighting a nice stingray.

As for anchoring, are there any rules about doing it in the oyster creek channel? Assume people don’t do it because of the traffic but I found some drop offs from 6ft to 25ft that I want to sit over.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Nice, I’ll try to get into the ocean next year as I need to upgrade some electronics and my VHF doesn’t seem to work right.

Ive been going with Spro bucktail topped with 5in gulp and a teaser about 12-18in high. Beginning of this year, they always attacked the teaser but now it’s consistently the bucktail. I’m going to try making some different rigs and experiment a bit as it seems some days they want a more plain setup while others a little more flash.

I went old school today as none of my bucktails were holding with the drift so put a sinker with live Killie, ended up fighting a nice stingray.

As for anchoring, are there any rules about doing it in the oyster creek channel? Assume people don’t do it because of the traffic but I found some drop offs from 6ft to 25ft that I want to sit over.

Its been years since I fished behind BI. We used to anchor near the sedge islands in the tin boat and catch weakfish & bluefish at first light. That was before stripers made their comeback so you probably would get them now(short ones). Weakfish are gone except for the one hour a year when some guy catches 15 pounders all by himself.
We caught fluke drifting the wide area that runs north/south just behind the inlet. And the south (shallow) side of the inlet itself if the current isn't crazy.
I wouldn't anchor the Oyster Creek channel but if you do, pick your spot. The channel is steep and when a 50' sporty plows thru it will make curling breakers.
I seem to remember anchoring where DoubleCreek spills into the main channel on outgoing.

I really hate BI. That channel sucks in the dark.... running the bay in the dark requires a Zanax. I had a 20 footer docked in Ocean Gate for two seasons and I went insane. 12.5 miles to the inlet! Now I pay up to dock 1 mile inside of Manasquan Inlet and it is worth every penny.

Get your boat ready and get out along the beach for the stripers in November.
Once you get outside you won't want to fish the bay ever again.

Remember, going out BI stay on north side and slip out around the Red marker to avoid sandbars and breakers. The end of the jetty is submerged at high tide...don't be that guy!.....go around the Red marker. Same coming in!!! Know the limits of your boat. A big swell coming in against an outgoing tide is a good reason to stay in behind the inlet

 

[SkunkBoat]

Got out 100 miles to Toms Canyon overnight. Forecast hottest days of the year, calm seas, light winds.
Left at 3 pm and hit fog at 40 miles...never ending fog...wet, damp, cold fog. With the radar and AIS we we able to get to the canyon by 7:30pm. Trolled until dark. Set up swordfish baits. At 10 pm with got bit on the squid 150ft down in 880ft on a Penn 80 on a 7 ft broomstick of a rod. That rod has caught swords to 250 pounds in Florida. We proceded to nearly get spooled. Chased it in reverse for 2 miles east to the deep(in the dark fog) Never once had any control over it. never gained back 100 ft without then losing 200ft. At 11 pm with about 100 ft left on the spool, it went straight down like it was a submarine. The rod bent in half. Crazy big fish. Last ditch effort my brother tightened the drag. I said "that always fails"....it did. It takes a long time to reel in all of the line on a Penn 80. We got back the noodle float. Knot broke at the swivel.
We told ourselves it was for the best because it would have taken 4 hours to gain back that line and we would have lost it at the boat with our tiny gaffs anyways. Probably a 500# plus swordfish. I don't think we could boat a fish like that.

As a consolation prize, we did get a 45 pound yellowfin in the morning.
Foggy ride all the way in to 12 miles where it opened up into a sunny day with wind honking out of the south.

 

[Blaugrana]

Amazing...How far out were you for that Tuna? 40 miles as well?

Thanks for the feedback...Fixed my VHF and can actually receive and send transmissions, so I am one step closer to getting into the Ocean.

Fished yesterday in the bay from 530 to 9 with a few 17in shorts, sea robin and a stingray (best fight in a long time). Between BB and BI seems to be losing more action as the fluke are migrating out. I'll drift the channel on weekdays moving forward.

The bay was insane yesterday when I took my Dad out for a quick cruise at 11AM. I can only imagine how it got after people were drinking and dehydrating in this ridiculous heat. 1 Mile from the inlet keeps you sane rather than having to weave your way through the madness in the bay

 

[SkunkBoat]

Amazing...How far out were you for that Tuna? 40 miles as well?

Thanks for the feedback...Fixed my VHF and can actually receive and send transmissions, so I am one step closer to getting into the Ocean.

Fished yesterday in the bay from 530 to 9 with a few 17in shorts, sea robin and a stingray (best fight in a long time). Between BB and BI seems to be losing more action as the fluke are migrating out. I'll drift the channel on weekdays moving forward.

The bay was insane yesterday when I took my Dad out for a quick cruise at 11AM. I can only imagine how it got after people were drinking and dehydrating in this ridiculous heat. 1 Mile from the inlet keeps you sane rather than having to weave your way through the madness in the bay

Oh...the fog started at 40 ...we were fishing 97mies out...
That said, Bluefin flooded inshore this week. Guys catching at Barnegat Ridge and Ole's lump, Tolten, Resor...
We passed that right by...We were looking for that elusive Bigeye tuna and maybe a swordfish...just not one that was too big to land....

You say you caught a stingray...probably a cow-nosed ray...they have flooded in as well. You'll see giant schools of them out at the Resor...fish under them for BFT.

 

[leeccoll]

That swordfish hookup would haunt me. Sea monster.

 

[B_Darling]

Crabbing in BB has been HOT!!! picked up 47 keepers in a few hours the other day hand lining with bunker.

 

[Finest Kind]

Oh...the fog started at 40 ...we were fishing 97mies out...
That said, Bluefin flooded inshore this week. Guys catching at Barnegat Ridge and Ole's lump, Tolten, Resor...
We passed that right by...We were looking for that elusive Bigeye tuna and maybe a swordfish...just not one that was too big to land....

You say you caught a stingray...probably a cow-nosed ray...they have flooded in as well. You'll see giant schools of them out at the Resor...fish under them for BFT.

We were out Tuesday 7/21 on my Buddy's 25 Trophy Pro and connected with a 45.22 lb YTF on a green wide tracker at the triple wreck area late in the AM.
The area became congested (even the Golden Eagle party boat from Belmar was there), the trolling bite died and so we came inshore to the Resor, where we trolled a bit then tried jigging on the wreck but only caught Seabass (which hit huge stingo jigs meant for BFT).

We then came further inshore to Oley's lump where we caught a 23# BFT trolling a purple wide tracker.

Those wide trackers really produce! In fact, Sterling Tackle has been so swamped with orders they actually stopped taking new orders online until 7/27!

 

[SkunkBoat]

Those wide trackers really produce! In fact, Sterling Tackle has been so swamped with orders they actually stopped taking new orders online until 7/27!

We caught on a pair of wide trackers last year but they were both trashed by the fight. We're catching with bird/daisy chains. All colors...way back and short off the corners...we don't see any pattern.

 

[Iceman2010]

Just have my new 282 sailfish for one week and would like to explore the closest inshore Tuna this week, I can coming out of Manahawkin so either inlet works for me. Appreciate the advice for sometime this start for first time. Thanks

 

[SkunkBoat]

Just have my new 282 sailfish for one week and would like to explore the closest inshore Tuna this week, I can coming out of Manahawkin so either inlet works for me. Appreciate the advice for sometime this start for first time. Thanks

This week try Barnegat Ridge/Oley's Lump... Thas the closest Bluefin tuna right now...its hot or cold though....

Further out east of Triple Wrecks to the 40 fathom line for Yellowfin & bluefin under whales.

There may be (probably) some good tuna fishing close out of LE inlet..I don't get down there.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Got out thru the fog to a beautiful day. About 12 miles ESE of the Haskell there has been a Yellowfin bite for a few weeks in whales and dolphins feeding on sand eels.
We got a nice yft on a popper on a spinning rod. Could not get them trolling, just skipjacks. Word is that the guys who stuck it out by running and gunning to blowups throwing poppers and jigs did really well. Some guys boated 4 or 5 on a dozen hits. There were some 80# fish caught.

we didn't stick it out...my guys got tired of throwing and jigging so we trolled. We took a detour out to the Hudson Elbow to troll pots for mahi...NO LIFE THERE. Went back in to yft spot they were still picking away very slowly. We gave it an hour trolling and 15 minutes throwing on a promising spot but no luck.

Here's a pic...notice the cooler....my buddy picked up shaved ice from the Fish co-op in his cooler. Said was too hard to shovel it into my fish box so we brought the cooler. Payback because he caught the tuna on a spinning rod and got to trip over that cooler 7 times while tryin to keep it out of the motors...
Then the fish didn't fit in the cooler so he used a bucket to fill my fish box... At the end of the day he said "The ice in your fish box is still frozen hard and my cooler is water"

 

[SkunkBoat]

We overnighted at the Hudson Canyon where we lost a yft at the boat and boated another. On the way in we hit the the hot yellowfin bite near the Haskell wreck. Boated two nice yellowfins there. Chunking butterfish with 40# leader and a tiny circle hook was the ticket.
Nice day turned ugly halfway back to port. I feel sorry for the center consoles....

 

[Iceman2010]

We overnighted at the Hudson Canyon where we lost a yft at the boat and boated another. On the way in we hit the the hot yellowfin bite near the Haskell wreck. Boated two nice yellowfins there. Chunking butterfish with 40# leader and a tiny circle hook was the ticket.
Nice day turned ugly halfway back to port. I feel sorry for the center consoles....

Yellowfin video

Great pics, how do you like the zukes? I am considering a repower on my 282 with 300s