NJ fishing reports

[SkunkBoat]

Decent forecast for Sat thru Monday, at least inshore/midrange. Unfortunately I can't do a full day except maybe Monday.

Charter guys at my dock are crushing YFT "40 to 60miles east(out of Manaquan inlet)- across Mud hole"... "you gotta find the whales" . Popping and jigging.
40 is a gamble on a late day run. Done it many times. Hero or Zero....

Might get out Sat afternoon. The squid/BFT thing is still happening off Seaside Heights, but its a pick. But its a short run....easy, lazy trip....

Fingers crossed I can do a full trip Monday.

 

[SkunkBoat]

We were out Monday at the spot off Seaside Heights. Jigging squid and putting them out live. We got about a 60 pound bluefin to the boat and broke off the leader.
Quite a few fish were caught. One boat fought and boated a 67 incher after 2+ hours on the wrong rod...

We had him on the the heaviest rod. Penn two speed 80w on a bent butt in a swivel rodholder. Cranked him in fast after two runs. With the swivel near the rod tip, I told my buddy, "pick up the rod and walk it back so I can gaff him". He said " I'll just leader him" and I said "we always lose when we do that".
So he takes up the leader, taking tension off the main line and the main line and swivel immediately flip over the rod tip.The fish dives and 'click'... leader breaks...

We stopped at a wreck on the way home and got our seabass limit and a keeper fluke to add to a gallon of fresh squid.
__________________

 

[SkunkBoat]

Went looking for yellowfins out near Texas Tower. Nothing.

Passing through Glory pots on the way out at first light. I had to try one pot... got this bull & cow while holding two rods as we passed the first pot!
Ended up becoming a canyon Mahi/Tilefish trip...as many of our tuna dreams become....

 

[Saltyone]

Doesn't look like they'll be much fishing on the east coast this next week. Hopefully Lee doesn't come close.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Doesn't look like they'll be much fishing on the east coast this next week. Hopefully Lee doesn't come close.

yep weather is crap. Fingers crossed Lee takes a hard right...

 

[SkunkBoat]

Got out Tuesday to the Triple Wrecks area. The fleet was 10 miles past the Haskell. We got there late 8 am. Chunked one nice yellowfin quick and then we sucked the rest of the day. Many boats had 3,5,10....

The mahi pots in the Chicken were barren. The Glory pots were not very good but we did get a few small ones and one nice cow.

Fantastic weather. Long 13 sec swell. Thats all going to crap the rest of the week.

 

[SkunkBoat]

So after 3 weeks of wind, waves, and rain, I got out solo Tuesday morning for look for some seabass. Got 9 keepers, nothing really big.
Disappointed with the size. I thought they would be jumbos. Going to have to look farther off.
Also lots of chub mackeral and bonito and 10" bluefish on the wreck.

 

[SkunkBoat]

My brother went overnight to Hudson canyon Tuesday to Wed on a dock neighbor's boat. they got 5 YFT, 20 mahi, tilefish and a 350 blue marlin release

 

[SkunkBoat]

There has been a striper blitz on bunker outside Manasquan Inlet yesterday and today.

We passed right by it and went seabassing Thursday. Got some nice ones but 5 of us could not limit out.

 

[Father's Day]

There has been a striper blitz on bunker outside Manasquan Inlet yesterday and today.

We passed right by it and went seabassing Thursday. Got some nice ones but 5 of us could not limit out.

Stripers are everywhere, the Raritan is on fire

 

[SkunkBoat]

Monster bass just outside Manasquan Inlet this morning.

Solo fishing...got four bass 45" or greater. All releases. One was probably the biggest bass I've ever caught, probably 48". Only measured the first one. Missed 2 more runnoffs. All on bottom rod in 25-30 ft. Flat line never got touched.

Snag bunker, put on circle hook, 3 ft leader, with a 1 oz egg sinker above the swivel.

Grabbed a screenshot of my Grady 265 on the Surfer's View webcam...

 

[SkunkBoat]

We got nine bass over 40" before 9 am yesterday. Just north of the Manasquan Inlet, off the radio tower in 30 ft.
All bites were on the bottom. All of these bass are too big to keep.
I see A LOT of guys still fishing their snagged bunker instead of putting them on circle hooks(ITS THE LAW NOW!). They are gut hooking bass with trebles and throwing them back floating.

 

[SkunkBoat]

Got skunked this afternoon outside Manasquan Inlet

 

[SkunkBoat]

Got out yesterday. Plan was to try a last Seabass trip. Early morning there was a large fleet off the beach in Bay Head. Giant schools of bunker. Humpback feasting on them.
So we stopped in there and snagged a couple bunker and sent them out. No striper bites, nobody near us catching. So we moved on out to seabass spots.
( word at dock later was there was a good bite down in Seaside Park)

Tried a few spots out near Manasquan Ridge. Tiny seabass and plenty of spiny dogfish. Moved out to the Dave Moran wreck near Humpty...same.
Moved to Shark River reef. Three party boats were all on wrecks not rockpiles. So we anchored on the Martin. A slow pick of tiny seabass, nice porgies, bluefish, and spiny and smooth dogfish.
Looks like the big seabass are all far offshore already.
Tried the Arundo hoping to find Ling...nope!

I'm done. Maybe try stripers along beach Sunday morning and then get boat ready for the haulout next week.

 

[Peter A]

Got out yesterday. Plan was to try a last Seabass trip. Early morning there was a large fleet off the beach in Bay Head. Giant schools of bunker. Humpback feasting on them.
So we stopped in there and snagged a couple bunker and sent them out. No striper bites, nobody near us catching. So we moved on out to seabass spots.
( word at dock later was there was a good bite down in Seaside Park)

Tried a few spots out near Manasquan Ridge. Tiny seabass and plenty of spiny dogfish. Moved out to the Dave Moran wreck near Humpty...same.
Moved to Shark River reef. Three party boats were all on wrecks not rockpiles. So we anchored on the Martin. A slow pick of tiny seabass, nice porgies, bluefish, and spiny and smooth dogfish.
Looks like the big seabass are all far offshore already.
Tried the Arundo hoping to find Ling...nope!

I'm done. Maybe try stripers along beach Sunday morning and then get boat ready for the haulout next week.

Thanks for all the cool reports this year!

 

[SkunkBoat]

That’s a wrap!

 

[SkunkBoat]

Launched on Tuesday. Friday opening day Black Sea Bass was blown out for us. We fished Manasquan river for fluke (summer flounder). Got 4 fish over 18" and a bunch of throwbacks. Burned one gallon of gas. Nice day inside the river not crowded until about 1 30 when Fish Monger charter showed up next to us and then the entire river fleet piled in. But we already had our keepers and the bite was dead anyways so we left. I say "WE" but my buddy Rob got all 4 keepers.....




After cleaning fish I was working on boat putting on riggers and wind died at 5 pm. In the younger days I would have run 18 miles for a couple hours of sea bassing.....

 

[SkunkBoat]

Got out solo on Sunday afternoon for some sea bass fishing on Shark River reef.
Fish had been pounded by the party boats in the morning but I got a 10 fish limit by 5 pm.
Turned out to be a beautiful day. Good shakedown. I got some projects....

 

[SkunkBoat]

We got out Sunday for seabass. Stopped at Klondike on way to shark river reef. Some seabass but a lot of small fish. Got to SR reef anchored on top of first hill we found without a boat on it already. Caught quality fish in spurts. 5 man limit before 2pm. Home in the fog. Glad I have a good radar.

 

[Peter A]

That fog was very reminiscent of west coat summer conditions. It even drifted into Barnegat Bay for spells. Glad you had the radar.