The cooler water spurred more weakfish activity in Little Sheepshead Creek again last night. Some anglers are fishing for herring off of the bridge then cutting them up for fresh bait and catching both stripers and weakfish along the banks. Gnats are bad; really bad! Gnat hats, or hooded sweat shirts are required to be able to stick it out. The bug sprays are helping a little, but the gnats are thick.
E-mail
Reports:
5/15:" I fished the back bays of Absecon looking for flatties. While passing through Meadow Cut I observed bait fish being chased along the banks. After throwing my favorite lure in the mix I managed to boat 6 Stripers! I kept one 27" slot fish, threw back 3 shorts and 2 additional slot fish. Even though I struggled cathing flatties, the blitz @ Meadow Cut made the day! " ~Thomas Caterina
5/12:"
Hi SCOTT...fished the area around the fish factory. Had 8 stripers between
myself and Mike. Fish were caught on clam with boat anchored. Fished the
incoming tide till 11am...kept just 2 fish. Released all others to fight
another day !!...angler friends can see pics on your friends linkspage
under EDWILLFISH " ~CYA ED
Monday, May 14, 2001 /\/\/\ 6:21pm
Anglers are still
catching the weakies off of Great Bay Blvd, but the activity has slowed
a little. Every once in a while a good blitz happens and that is what is
keeping those anglers coming back night after night.
Sea Ya
Sunday, May 13, 2001
/\/\/\ 6:40pm
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
I am receiving more
and more favorable reports from the Inland Waterway area from 131 to 139
markers in the Great Bay. Anglers did catch fluke on the opening day of
the fluke season. Very few claim a limit catch, but others say that they
got close and quite a few say that if the limit was 15 1/2" they would
have almost had a limit catch too.
Anglers continue
to pound weakfish off of Great Bay Blvd. Persistence is the key I suppose.
Top of the high tide and dusk are still the best times to be fishing there.
The bubble gum ice pink Fin-s lures continue to fly off of the wall.
Beware the gnats!
It's worth writing again and again. Gnat hats with fine mesh are a last
ditch effort for anglers who want to stick out the bank fishing. We still
have a few in stock and ordered a bunch more this evening.
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
Friday, May 11, 2001
/\/\/\ 7:35pm
Acres and acres
of two pound bluefish continue to work the 139 marker area in the mornings.
Throwing metals is catching just fine. If you don't mind sacrificing lures,
bucktails, jigs with worms will pull weakfish from under the blues. Clean
out that tackle box, throw stuff at the bluefish you don't mind loosing,
'cause they are chopping stuff up!
E-mail Reports:
5/11:" I went out to Black Point in Absecon Bay to fish for Blue's. I anchored up in about 8' of water and started catching lots of Blues between 2-4 lbs. I fished 1/2 ounce Rat-L-Trap's with light spinning gear. Suddenly I get a monster strike! At first I think it's a large Bluefish. After a lengthy battle I boat a beautiful striper. " ~Thomas Caterina
5/10:" Fished
the fourth bridge on seven bridges road at night the tide was just about
peak high fished until about mid low. What a night had 14 weakies from
4-8lbs and 7 striped bass measuring 24-36inches. What's funny about this
is I was going to the fifth bridge that night thanks to your daily reports.
Upon arrival there must a been over 100 guys fishing. Not being much for
crowds i tried the fourth bridge and boy did I stumble in doo. Just want
to share the info because others were so kind in sharing theirs. Let the
gang know so they can fish down at the fourth bridge also. Also all my
fish were caught on plugs the hottest being the all white yozuri mag tx
minnow. Thanks again " ~The Stargazer
Thursday, May 10,
2001 /\/\/\ 7:52pm
It was another gorgeous
day to be fishing. Summer type weather is here and folks are enjoying it.
E-mail Reports:
5/9:" Fished Little Sheepshead Creek from 7pm till 8:30pm with a buddy. I caught zero. My buddy caught one weakfish. Saw two other weaks that were caught before we got there. Beautiful night. " ~Ed
5-9-01:" Fished the 5th bridge until about 9:30pm. Someone dropped his wallet from the bridge and went in after it. This fool almost didn't make it. Hypothermia started to set in, had to be helped out by fishing line. Man in boat retrieved wallet. It takes all kinds! Slow night otherwise. " ~Kev.Brun.
5/7-5/8:" Fished
up there at night and caught some monster weakies both nights. Biggest
fish were a pair of 32 inchers weighing 9.06 and 8.85, fishing is best
on the outgoing tide. Also got a 3 1/2 ft. pup shark don't know what kind
but it had teeth. Got a slot striper too, and then the blues came in and
ripped up everything. Should be back up there this weekend, hope the big
boys hang around. " ~Frank
The weakfish action
continues along Great Bay Blvd AKA:Seven Bridges Road. Some evenings are
better then others. Thursday night last week was the hot night and Saturday
was the slowest. Go figure? Fin-s lures on lead head weights are still
the most popular item along the bank. Angers are catching weakfish on ratl
traps and bucktails too. Each day we are hearing more reports of stripers
both in Little Sheepshead creek and all the way out at the sedges in front
of the Coast Guard Station. Clams have become a very popular bait for the
bass and plenty of bloodworms are selling to catch both bass and weakfish
too. The bluefish are still doing fine at Graveling Point. Action is better
near the mouth of the Mullica River due to a little warmer water.
Boaters continue
to find weakfish in the area of 139 marker and along the West bank of Great
Bay all the way back to the mouth of the Mullica River. Pink plastics have
still been working best.
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
5/9:" We went out on Tues. You were closed had to use frozen shrimp. We fished the middle grounds for 3 hours and did zero. Moved to the brick pile and did the same great weather no fish. See ya down there. " ~John Currey on the Helen 3
05/08/01:" Hello, Fished last night with my good friend Frank and his cousin Jeff in the back bay behind the casino's and had a good night. We landed had a few bluefish and had 1 short bass. Most fish were caught on plugs, also used soft bodied baits until the blues showed up. Also had multiple strikes on the plugs but the bass must be closing there eyes when they go to eat it. A good night overall. All fish were released. C-ya! " ~Nick C.
5/7/01:" No drum to be had down out of Cape May. Hopped aboard the Miss Chris and they went across the bay to Slaughter Beach, Delaware- nothing but skates and doggies. Didn't even hear them booming; might still be too cold for them. " ~Brian Lennen
5/4:" I just had
to tell you that Thursday was one great day for fishing in the Great Bay
at marker 139. The 2 to 3 lb. blues at your beckon as well as the laughter
throughout the other 12 to 15 other boats that were out there. The blues
that I caught and released were on a diamond jig with yellow tails. " ~Joe
Smith
Monday, May 7, 2001
/\/\/\ 6:58pm
Great Bay anglers
still continue to pound the bluefish. Plugs and lures provide the most
fun with a little casting and retrieving the lures through the water. Lower
light levels of the day have provided better catching, but in some areas
of the bay the action has been continuing all day long. Look along the
West bank around the area of Oyster Creek to the mouth of the Mullica River
and you can usually find the bluefish wandering in that area.
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
5/3/01:" I took a ride out to the 139 area right around 6am.The tide at that time was just about to turn at the top so nothing happened for about an hour till it was running out fairly hard. The blues started slowly but picked rapidly and were not too fussy on what they bit on. They responded nicely to rattle traps, stick baits, gotcha plugs and mackerel strips floated out on a hook with no weight. Had a nice time and limited out easily. " ~chuck bittner
5/6/01:" Only fished
about an hour to windy and cold. Should have been here yesterday. Not many
boats out. No fish. " ~John Szczytkowski
Sunday, May 6, 2001
/\/\/\ 5:51pm
The fluke fishing
countdown continues...only 5 more non-fluke fishing days 'till fluke season.
Saturday, May 12, is the big day. Quite a few anglers wisely bought minnows
and squid to ready themselves for the big day next Saturday. Minnows are
scarce. Yikes!
Gnats are here.
Cough, gasp! If the wind ever stops blowing, be prepared with some bug
spray.
BLUEFISH BONANZA!!!
Great Bay fishing for bluefish is ON!
A good surf report
came from couple of anglers who stopped in the shop around noon to buy
mackerel. They had purchased bloodworms earlier in the morning in anticipation
of catching bass and went fishing at Pebble Beach. After watching another
angler fill a stringer with bluefish, they just needed mackerels to get
in on the fishing action.
Boaters are very
happy with the quantity of blues in the Great Bay too. One angler reported
more then a 50% catch to cast ratio while popping the blues this morning.
Now, that is thick blues. Quite a few other boating reported similar stories
too.
One hour after the
top of the falling tide, weakfish are being found in the mouths of the
Big Creek, Oyster Creek, and Motts creek. Jigs with worms, and bucktails
are producing hits. A little squirt of shedder oil on the lures is helping
some anglers out fish their buddies.
Sea Ya
Saturday, May 5,
2001 /\/\/\ 7:05pm
We are out of bloodworms;
plan accordingly. Next batch of worms is due around noontime tomorrow.
Fishing continues
to be very good in the Great Bay. Weakfish and bluefish are what we are
hearing most of the stories about.
Quite a few weakfish
made it to the catch page the last couple of days; it's worth a look. Sheepshead
creek area is where the hot spot is. It has been very busy over there the
past few days, and that is effecting the fishing. Boating and people noise
does not help the fishing, but even with all the congestion, anglers are
catching awesome size weakfish.
Bluefish fishing
was right on again this morning. The blues have been found anywhere along
the West bank of Great Bay. Trolling, bait fishing and casting and retrieving
methods of fishing are all working equally well. Late this afternoon, the
action was not as good, due to high winds.
Sea Ya
5/5/01:"
EVERYONE HAS BEEN ASKING WHY THERE ARE A POD OF BOATS BY THE FISH FACTORY
AND THE COAST GUARD STATION, WELL I'LL SPILL THE BEANS. WE HAVE BEEN CATCHING
BLOWFISH UN THE 1/2 LB TO 1 1/2 LB RANGE ON CLAMS. THEY MUST BE MIGRATING
THROUGH THE AREA BECAUSE THE LARGEST ONE I CAUGHT WAS 1LB 8.5OZ., JUST
ABOUT 5 OZ SHORT OF THE STATE RECORD FOR THIS FISH. I HAVEN'T SEEN BLOWFISH,
N.PUFFERS THIS SIZE SINCE I WAS A KID BACK IN THE 60'S. THEY ARE SO BIG,
THEY REMIND ME OF THE SIZE THAT MANY CHINESE RESTAURANTS USE TO MAKE INTO
LAMPS. I HAVE BEEN TARGETING THESE FISH BECAUSE THEY ARE MY WIVES FAVORITE
TO EAT. AFTER CLEANING 7 FISH, I HAD ABOUT 2-3 LBS OF EDIBLE MEAT. BEATS
CATCHING THOSE SMALL ONES WHERE YOU NEED A 100 TO MAKE A GOOD MEAL. MY
WIFE MADE ME PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER UNTIL WE GET SOME MORE FOR A GOOD
FISH FRY. JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THE ACTION HAS BEEN THAT
EVERYONE IS KEEPING HUSH HUSH ABOUT. HAVE A GREAT DAY. " ~VERN BREITEL
- CAPT OF THE MISS CORINNA
Friday, May 4, 2001
/\/\/\ 6:55pm
Another fantastic
early morning bluefishing day. Some anglers limited out in forty five minutes.
The bag limit for blues is ten, but they do not have any size restriction.
Bait fishing in the mouth of the Mullica River has been productive and
lure action in the area from Oyster Creek to 139 has been hot! (number
3 clarke spoons and 16 series bombers)
How about over sixty
anglers working the weakfish at Little Sheepshead Creek at sundown. The
bubble gum ice Fin-S fish lures and the jig heads flew out of here again
this afternoon. It's a gotta see--gotta be there fishery. Largest weakfish
are around 30 inches and weigh 8 pounds while there are many 23 to 26 inch
fish which weigh 4 to 7 pounds.
Fluke season is
closed 'till May 12, which is only 7 more non-fishing days away! Whoot!!!
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
05/03/01:" Hello, Fished the north end of LBI from 5pm -7pm. I got 1 bass(21") and 4 blues(18-24") not bad at all. Bass was caught on clam and the blues were caught on mackerel. Windy but still a productive day. C-ya! " ~Nick C.
5/4/01:" The blues are the hot ticket in the early evening just before the crest of the high tide. This is two days running now with the birds as thick as gnats. We used diamond jigs but grandma's old earrings would work just as well. A fish on every cast if you move with the flock. We limited out in 45 minutes. It seems they're working the spearing and are keeping them schooled halfway across the bay. Lets see if the same pattern holds true tonight.
P.S. Thanks to the guys for the tow the other day after we smoked our coil, gotta remember to turn that key off. " ~Polecat
:" Hi Scott,
Yesterday my party
just about froze off shore. So I brought them into great bay trolling for
blues at 11:30. Quit fishing at 1pm with our limit 60 fish and went home
happy. Have a good day " ~ Capt. Joel http://www.evelynanncharters.com/
Thursday, May 3,
2001 /\/\/\ 6:45pm
We are sold out
of bloodworms. Next batch will be delivered sometime around noon tomorrow
and there will be no jumbos. Plastic lures and jig heads flew out of the
store again this afternoon. Largest weakfish of the day was weighed in
by Mike Morrin, 8 pounds 13 ounces, and 31 inches. Little Sheepshead creek
area continues to be the hot spot. A few weakies were also caught under
schools of bluefish in the 139 marker buy area. Morning fishing activity
is best from 5:30 'till 7:00.
A few anglers have
tried to catch blackfish in Great Bay, but I haven't heard a good report
yet. Best to stick with the weakfish and the bluefish while the catchin'
is good.
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
05/03/01:" Hi Scott,
Went out this morning at turn of the tide near Somers Point parkway bridge.
There was 3 of us fishing, caught 9 stripers: two 31", two 27", and 1 25",
3 slot fish and 2 over 28. Kept 5 fish. Caught 4 shorts: two 20", two 21"
throw backs. Not a bad morning 9 stripers, 5 keepers. All the fish were
caught on clam. Good luck everyone, keep a tight line. " ~Kookieman
Wednesday, May 2,
2001 /\/\/\ 6:35pm
Anglers are packing
the banks at Little Sheepshead Creek during the evenings. Some nights are
better then others. The weakfish are mostly in the 3-6 pound range with
an occasional whopper that I bet would push the scale over ten pounds.
Fin-s fish lures are the ticket and every angler has the BEST COLOR EVER
and they are all different. Even so, the pink(bubble gum ice) and the white
(pearl) are the most dependable colors for action. Any newspaper writers
that want to get a scoop, bring your pole and camera to Little Sheepshead
Creek some evening. Folks, when the bite is on, it just doesn't get any
better then this. Whoot!!!
The below e-mail
reports tell of bluefish action better then I could put it myself. Bank
anglers are catching bluefish at Pebble Beach and Graveling Point on strips
of mackerel bait in the low light of the morning and after sunset in the
evening. The most frequent size bluefish is about 2 pounds.
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
5-1-01:" Fished 139 area for blues. Got 2-5 pounders for 2 hours straight on spitten image, it is awesome watching them chase it and miss and hit again. It was the most fun I have ever had with blues, we caught and released about 70 fish in 2 hours. Biggest fish was just over 5 pounds. " ~jesse bloomquist
5/1:" Great fishing
on the color Russ recommended on monday. Casey Evans finnessed her first
tiderunner weakfish, a 32" estimated 10+ lb. beauty!!!!!thanks again to
Russ & Scotty!
Tight lines, " ~Pat
E.
APRIL 30
It's the last post for April, and I have
to think fishing has gone out with a bang. Great Bay fishing is ON! There
are bluefish in large quantities, 2 pounders. There are weakfish smaller
numbers, but large in size 3-6 pounds, some rumors larger, but those 9
pounders shrink to 6 when they get on a scale. Stripers, mostly schoolies
and slot fish, but throw a 34" striper caught off the banks at the Old
Coast Guard Station at 12 pounds ain't half bad =).
I know that anglers are catching
weakies from the bank in Little Sheepshead Creek at dusk, which is right
around the corner from that area.
Remember to dress warm, the wind tends
to make a warm day cold when exposed along the banks -- Especially, after
the sun sets.
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
4/29:" Caught a buncha 1 to 3 lb. weakies
in the mouth of the Mullica on squid strips and tiny killies. " ~"Fishiesue"
Sunday, April 29, 2001 /\/\/\ 3:40pm
Land based anglers will be glad to know that the dusk weakfish fishery at the fifth bridge off of Great Bay Blvd has started up with some regularity again this Spring. Fin-s fish lures are the ticket, but I can't say what the magic color is at the moment.
4/28/01:" The Blues were there yesterday in the Great Bay. We caught 9 late in the day at low tide by the old stink house. The largest weighing in at 6 pounds.It was a nice way to start off the season. Thanks for the report Walt. " ~Bill Renner
Saturday, April 28, 2001 /\/\/\ 5:55pm
I really am not sure how to write this
report. Fishing in Great Bay is on. We have fluke, weakfish, bluefish and
stripers. Sometimes anglers catch a whole lot of fish while others just
can't seem to locate a fish. I guess it is all about being in the right
place at the right time. The mouth of the Mullica River area including
in front of the Mystic Island beach turns out to be the best overall location
for weakfish, bluefish and stripers. Best action has been occuring just
after dark.
while stripers and weakies love bloodworms.
E-mail Reports:
04/27/01:" I caught the first flatty of the year about 21"er on herring, a throw back till May 12th!!! Real nice fish he would have made a good meal. My friend hooked a striper 6lbs. 26"er, then I caught a 22" though back, then finish the day with a 27"er 71/2lbs. Not bad for a couple of hours. We were out by the parkway bridge in Somers Point. Good luck and good fishing " ~Kookieman
Friday, April 27, 2001 /\/\/\ 7:10pm
There are plenty of stripers still in
the Great Bay. Graveling Point and Pebble beach seem to produce stripers
in the morning and after 9:00 at night. At least that is the way it was
this week. The fish size range has shrunk a little from the earlier season
bass and are now mostly in the 18 to 26" range. Wednesday evening was action
that was so good that it could be considered a blitz; again, mostly shorts
though, but some real fun fishing.
Wednesday, April 25, 2001 /\/\/\ 6:42pm
Striper fishing remains active at Graveling
Point as the water temperature hangs around the 55 degree mark. This morning,
most of the stripers caught were from 16 to 22" with one bass at 29 1/2".
It seems to be an incoming tide fishery this week. Anglers who fish with
mackerel are picking up bluefish too. Most of the blues reported have been
1 1/2 pounds to an occasional 5 to 6 pounder. So far, no one has reported
a land based catch of weakfish. A few were caught by boaters in the
area in the past couple of days.
E-mail Reports:
4/24:" I almost turned around, the wind was brutal. Against my better judgement I proceeded out to Absecon Bay with a half dozen live herring (Striper candy) I got from Dave over at Absecon Marina. I fished the sod banks trying to hide from the wind. My patients paid off with a 29" on the very last herring.
Monday, April 23, 2001 /\/\/\ 6:56pm
I am spreading the first RUMOR of weakfish being caught around the 139 marker this morning. It is only chatter on the VHF radio that I am basing this conclusion on, but it didn't sound like the couple of anglers were catching bluefish. They weren't telling enough info to be bluefish they were catching. Ninety eight percent of anglers are willing to share specific information about bluefish fishing, but when anglers clam up about what they are doing where, it is likely they are catching the "pretty ones"!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barn
The bass are finally getting thick behind
OCNJ. I got a 23" bass on Monday and a 21" and 26" fish yesterday on clams
on Hi-Lo Rigs.
IP: Logged
afranch
Member posted 04-11-2001 12:14
PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are they catching any in Rainbow Channel?
I hope to try there friday.
IP: Logged
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
afranch,
I was fishing by the Elbow Thorofare which
is right near Rainbow, so yes they must be catching some bass in Rainbow
by now also..
Bass,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sniper,
So you were fishing off of the 9th Street
causeway, or is your boat in the water? I've gotten nothing but the skunk
off of the causeway, including elbow thorofare, so far this year (but I
haven't fished it in over a week).
7:30 is a bit early but I'll be around
the area Friday, and I might even sneak out tonight.
IP: Logged
Striper Sniper
Moderator posted 04-11-2001
03:26 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bass,
I fished from the sod bank at the Elbow
Thorofare. The boat doesn't go in for 2 weeks yet.
posted 04-12-2001 09:28 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just got back from OC again. There was
a pretty strong SE Breeze. I had lots of hits, but the thing is, I got
EVERY hit while I was changing the bait on the other rod, and I always
grab the rod too late and miss them. So therefore I missed 5 bass. The
Good news is I landed a 29" bass just before I left. I will be there tomorrow
again and I'll let ya know how I did.
posted 04-12-2001 04:07 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOMERS POINT BAY
ALOT AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT THE NAME FOR THE POINT OUT IN FRONT OF THE
PARKWAY BRIDGE IS CALLED(ON THE BEESELYS PT SIDE). THERE IS ONLY ABOUT
5-6 FOOT OF WATER THERE AT HIGH TIDE. THAT IS A VERY GOOD SPOT THIS TIME
OF YEAR. DO YOU KNOW WHERE I MEAN?
THANKS YOU GUYS, GOLDERS POINT MAY BE RIGHT.
IVE HEARD IT CALLED GARNEY'S PT BEFORE
BUT THE SOURCE WASN'T TO RELIABLE.
SNIPER, HAVE YOU BEEN THERE YET? I HAD
15 THERE LAST FRIDAY ON THE INCOMING WITH TOP-BOTTOM RIGS AND BLOODS. BIGGEST
WAS 29"
FROM 2000 Scotts
This fishing stuff is kinda hard to figure out. We know that there is a bay full of weakfish, bluefish and stripers. However, anglers had a difficult time at catching anything during the middle of the day. Maybe it was too much sunshine or the wind howling which didn't allow for reasonal fishing conditions where one would be able to detect a light bite. Action for weakfish and bluefish was good for a short while right around day break then the action halted for both boaters and surf anglers. With the nicer weather, angers are anticipating a good blitz of fishing action this evening. Sea Ya
4/29/00:" Where Fished:
Brigintine Bridge
Weather: Partly
Sunny
Wind: less than
10 kts.
Sea Conditions:
less than 2 ft.
Report: Increased
boat traffic & several more fisherman at the bridge today. Fished an
hour before and after high tide with herring chunk, no success. However,
a friend of mine caught & released his first 27" striper. " ~Thomas
Caterina
4-29-00:" There are
some real nice fluke out there. Broke my heart throwing them back. But
then I didn't feel so guilty about keeping two 4 lb. weakies we caught.
" ~Reuben
Sunday, April 30,
2000 /\/\/\ 9:49pm
Bloodworms are here.
There early, there isn't many, but we probably have enough to get through
the day. If your traveling long distance tomorrow, you might want to check
the status or give us a call before you make the trip.
Weighed in weakfish
already this morning. Boy, I sure hope this activity continues. It is shaping
up to be a real good Spring.
Sea Ya
Saturday, April 29,
2000 /\/\/\ 6:55pm
We will be out of
bloodworms until at least 11:30am tomorrow! We will post as soon as they
arrive.
Excellent reports
of bluefish running at Graveling Point, as well as scattered boat reports
from several different areas of the Great Bay.
Weakfish were caught
in decent numbers from what we heard on the marine radio. Land based fishing
in Little Sheepshead Creek was productive yesterday as well as today, with
reports of short stripers, large weakfish, blues and even fluke. Use of
fin-s fish lures on 1/2 ounce jig heads produced nice sized weakfish the
best.
According to the
following e-mail reports, fluke are around in good numbers; anglers are
definitely getting anxious for May 6th, opening day of fluke season to
arrive!
Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
4/29/00:" Went flounder fishing to find hot spots for next weekend, we caught 43 flounder in four hours. Many were keepers with 4 or 5 over 3lbs. Fishing in Stone Harbor by inlet with bucktails and squid strips, also picked up a stray bluefish. Can't wait until next weekend! Season needs to open earlier. Good luck guys! " ~Frank Ruczynski
4-29-00:" Hey Scott, fished two and half hours this morning. Did ok for the water temp been so cold. Caught 8 fluke all which would of been keepers. Hope the water gets a little warmer by next Sat. See ya" ~Buck
4/28/00:" Fished with Killer Kane last night at a few of his hot spots in Stone Harbor last night, started at 11 pm till 5 am nice night ,brisk not to windy or cold. Saw 5 weekfish caught, Killer Kane had 2 of them and 5 shad. Saw also 4 to 5 nice 18 to 20 inch fluke caught and released, only o ne short striper, I even tried to strip up a shad and put it onto a fishfinder rig but no luck. I missed probaly 5 or 6 fish, all of the fish where caught on lead heads with either pink or smokin shad fin-s fish, not to bad for my first trip of the year, I guess I really better get the yard work done so the little lady wont have such a big "honey do list". " ~Steve F.
4/28/00:" Headed out Fri afternoon with Capt. Carl on the ss.Skully. He caught 2 keepers on live herring but I was skunked. I'd give the location but I think he would kill my dog or something. " ~Murf2703
4/27/00:" Hey Scott,
finally got out Thursday once the wind let up. Howard and I did manage
to boat 8 bass from 18 to 23" in the bay. Missed quite a few as well. They
were all caught on white bucktails. We marked fish all day, but they were
pretty inactive due to the water temp{49-51 degrees}. Oh yeah, Howard did
get a 17" fluke which was released. C-ya " ~Cliff
Friday, April 28,
2000 /\/\/\ 6:58pm
The weather improved
this afternoon. It never really got sunny and there was an occasional sprinkle,
but at least the wind didn't blow too hard. Anglers reported a few short
stripers from Graveling Point during the past couple of days. There should
be better bluefish action then there is, but the cooler water temperature
slowed the good blue fishing action down.
We will run out
of bloodworms tomorrow morning, because we were shorted on our order. Be
prepared; purchase bloodworms on your way. The worm diggers said that there
was lousy weather; I guess that's believable.
Wreck fishing proved
productive again this afternoon. If you can get out on the ocean and wreck
fishing is your thing, then it's well worth the trip. Thanks Dave and Capt.
Mick, Maureen and I will enjoy the fresh sea bass dinner. Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
4/28/00:" 2:00PM: Just wanted to let everyone know. The fish are still there, but I wanted to warm those who don't like to fish in the cold weather. " ~JBJ, Betty and Nicks
4/27/00:"Hi Scott/Mo, Fished the Bay/Grassy/Inlet & River for 5 hours today. Trolled for blues from Inland Waterway out to E Buoy but no strikes. Drifted in Grassy and for our efforts caught 1 Sea Robin, 1 Skate and, to our surprise, 1 21" Fluke. Hope to see more fluke beginning 5/6 when we can keep them. All in all, a cold day with few fish. " ~Referee
4/27/00:" Where Fished:
Brigintine Bridge
Weather: Rain
Wind: less than
10 kts.
Sea Conditions:
less than 2 ft.
Report: Third time
a charm? No chance! Fished for stripers during the incomming tide for three
hours with clam & chunk herring, not a bite. Seem to be more successful
during dead low tide, I'll try again then. Tight lines... " ~Thomas Caterina
April 24, 2000:"
My grandfather and I took a trip on the Doris Mae 4 out of Barnegat Light.
The fishing was amazing. We caught a ton of sea bass, as did all other
anglers onboard. I caught a 5 lb. sea bass, along with other nice sized
ones. A few cod were also mixed in the catch. Well, that's all for now.
" ~-Mykal
Thursday, April 27,
2000 /\/\/\ 6:32pm
The weather hasn't
improved much, but maybe the fishing has a little. One boater who made
a shake down cruse around Graveling Point this afternoon reported an angler
anchored around the point who caught three short bass in about a fifteen
minute period. Surf anglers report a light activity, but a much better
ratio of keepers to shorts then earlier in the season. Also, a few reports
came in from anglers who fished yesterday. One reported "...slow activity,
but that's ok cause the fish I caught was a keeper."
Some anglers are
anticipating a calmer sea tomorrow and are going to try some ocean wreck
fishing. The sea bass have become active this past week, so go armed with
both green crabs and clams if a wreck trip is in the plans.
I have heard the
phrase "The birds are working" quite a bit the past few days. There was
a real good flurry of bluefish in the Great Bay two Mondays ago, so it's
likely that the blues are back in the bay and are feeding. It's still too
early to troll these Spring blues, so if they are your target fish, it
is still mackerel bait that is going to catch them. Sea Ya
Wednesday, April
26, 2000 /\/\/\ 6:00pm
It was a bearable
day weather wise, but anglers are frustrated and pretty much stayed home
anyway. A lot of fresh water from all of the rain and cooler water temperatures
have slowed the fishing. Several anglers report a bay water temperature
of only 49 degrees down from it's high of 56 degrees. That kind of drop
will surely put a damper on the fishing for awhile. A little clearing and
some warmer water and the bluefish action is sure to break loose.
Boating has not
been an issue due to high winds. Plenty of anglers want to run outside
to get a little wreck fishing in for tog, but rough conditions are holding
everyone back.
UPDATE: Sure, right
after I post that lousy report, Mark comes in with a 7 pound 12 ounce bluefish.
Mark and his buddy had a good fishing day in the mouth of the Mullica River,
9 bluefish, 1 32" striper and an 18" fluke that was surely released. Like
I mentioned, it could break loose at any time! Sea Ya
E-mail Reports:
4/25/00:" Hi guys, went to Stone Harbor last night we caught 12 stripers 3 keepers rest were close. We decided to hang around during daylight hours and we caught 17 flounder, can't wait until May 6. See ya, good luck. " ~Frank Ruczynski
4/24/00:" Deck Hand Dick and I fished the Golden Eagle out of Belmar and loaded up on all the Mackerel we wanted. Many were on the big side. Since they went by Little Egg we needed to go north and meet them there. The Capt and crew on the Golden Eagle are first rate. " ~Gene
04/24/2000:" Hey
to all the fellow die-hards who take fishing to the next level. I'm a first
time reporter, but it's important!!! I am writing to confirm the tiderunner
action at local hotspots. If you know how, when and where to catch 'em,
I promise you will, but please remember to limit your catch before you
catch your limit, these beauties are big and fat for a reason! Good luck
and fish with a conscience. " ~Saltmeat
E-mail Reports:
4/24:"Went to the
point Easter and fished for about 5 hours-not one nibble except I caught
one 2-pound blue. Ken and I are doing well on bass elsewhere," ~ Janet
4-24:"Reuben Tried for weakfish in Grassy. not tonite. Did catch my first fluke of the year both around 18 in. We'll try later on this week. " ~Reuben
4-21-00:" You know there are a lot of honest fishing boats out there trying to make an honest living. If Captain Pete of White star portrayed the trip on 4-21-00 to be a "plenty of fish to be caught out here" then he had really taken us for a ride. My nephew was out on that boat on 4-21-00 and he caught nothing but a cold. There were many others who came home empty handed. Only the lucky few had a fish. It's ok if you caught no fish but don't try to deceive us by saying there were lots of fish. " ~Howard Jenkins
4/15to23rd/00:" HI
Guys,After purchasing 15 dozen of your super worms and the two Shimano
6500 baitrunners Kev and I have been hitting the Delaware daily. I'm happy
to report it looks like the best striper run in memory. We have caught
too many stripers to count. The largest was a 39 inch heavy. We caught
a pair of 36 inchers and a 35. Dozens of them around 29 to 30 inches. only
a handful of shorts. It seems like 29 to 30 inches is the standard. The
15th was opening day of trout here in PA. but you would have thought it
was opening day for stripers as we were shoulder to shoulder along the
river.
4/21/00:" Well Friday a day off, nothing better to do than fish. So I did. We went to Brig. beach and caught my first two stripers this year. A17, and a 251/2in. Time to go back and try for more. " ~ Bob D., S.J. Squid Hounds
4/22/00:" Where Fished:
Brigantine Bridge
Weather: Cloudy
Wind: less than
10 kts.
Sea Conditions:
less than 2 ft.
Report: Went back
to the bridge today to see if lightning could strike twice, and it did!
Another two keepers between 10 & 12 lbs each. Conditions were almost
identical. Used fresh cut herring this time instead of clam. Tight lines
everyone..." ~Thomas Caterina
Friday, April 21,
2000 /\/\/\ 7:10pm
Hey...what can you
say about a day like today. Wet and windy. Still didn't stop the anglers.
Those hard core guys were down there for way to many hours for very slow
fishing. One reported weakfish and one short bass were the catch of the
day. The weather was right for striper fishing with the wind blowing right
against the bank, but the water temperature dropped back to 50 degrees
and the fish got lockjaw. Think spring harder, 'cause it still feels like
March out there. Weather is supposed to be a little bit friendlier tomorrow,
but the wind is still gonna blow. At least there are no gnats! Beware,
any day now the wind will stop and we will be complaining that there isn't
a breeze to keep the bugs away. Get used to it, we just can't win. Stay
warm, stay dry.....Sea Ya
