By Bridget Wentworth/The Star-Ledger

March 18, 2010, 7:30PM

The Saltwater Fishing Expo opens Friday (noon to 8 p.m.) and continues through Sunday at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset. This is the only strictly saltwater show in the area, and features most national tackle manufacturers plus travel exhibits and free seminars.

Some local tackle manufacturers will also be on hand, including Tony Arcabascio with his E-Z Out-Rodders and Maja custom bunker spoons and Capt. Frank Crescitelli with his recently developed line of Guide’s Choice plugs.

My slide presentation of Big Bunkers = Big Bass at 11:30 a.m. Saturday will detail bunker techniques from both boats and shore. Radio ads for the Expo are referring to me as “The Godfather of New Jersey saltwater fishing.” I’m not sure if that refers to my considerable experience — or just to my considerable age.

Saturday’s hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the Expo concludes Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults, and $3 for children, except those 11 and under who are admitted free with a paying adult. For a complete seminar schedule and other information visit www.sportshows.com.

Thursday’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Outdoor Writer’s Workshop at Assunpink WMA produced some good news from director Dave Chanda relative to the prospective shark moratorium.

Chanda said they’ve asked the federal Department of Commerce to delay implementation of a moratorium until the new administration can work through the requirements of state regulations in order to get into compliance and permit a shark season in time for the tournaments.

Check my blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing for more information about the this and other developments at the Workshop plus the Expo and current fishing reports.

With the weather finally straightening out, anglers should enjoy a really fishable weekend. Cod are in the picture on offshore wrecks, and striped bass have been reported by shore fishermen in both Raritan and Barnegat bays. Winter flounder should be stirring out of the mud prior to spawning, but that’s presently a catch-and-release fishery before the brief season opens Tuesday and runs through May 21.

Flounder have been very scarce the last couple of years but limits may be fairly common this spring as only two per man are allowed at the same 12-inch minimum as last year. Flounder stocks are in such bad shape (about 9 percent of the target figure) that a moratorium was proposed. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) instead virtually shut down the directed recreational fishery, merely leaving a by-catch allocation. The directed summer commercial fishery for winter flounder in offshore waters is also closed. Should the fishery rebound in the future it will be possible to expand it without too much paperwork.

Shark River may be the best bet for early flounder by boaters chumming off the tennis courts, and for shore fishermen from the easily-accessible bulkheads. Shrewsbury River has been a traditional early season hot spot for flounder, especially off The Quay, but only during the brief periods around slack water. Further south, boaters anchor where the Point Pleasant Canal empties into Barnegat Bay. The back of Raritan Bay should open up during the next couple of weeks.  In all cases it’s important to chum heavily and be patient.

The Salt Water Anglers of Bergen County held their annual Past Presidents Dinner on Tuesday at Mountainside Inn in Clifton. That very active club was founded in 1936 and it’s first president was the late outdoor writer Bill Backus. John Toth stepped down as president this year after serving seven terms, (including the last four), and was succeeded by Chuck Santoro. JCAA President Mark Taylor provided the good news during his speech that the 16th annual JCAA Fluke Tournament , set for June 12, will be bringing back Jersey City as one of the ports with a full range of prizes from Berkley and Penn.

Tom Siciliano won two individual species prizes in last year’s club tournament.

His huge 19 1/2-pound bluefish was caught while jigging a Krocodile from Suzie Girl out of Belmar on Shrewsbury Rocks, and he also took the flounder award at 21/8 pounds. Bob Cameron had the big fish with a 41 1/2-pound striped bass, and added the winning 10 1/2-pound blackfish. Norman Meckler topped the fluke category with a 9 1/8-pounder, and John Toth led in sea bass at 3 5/16 pounds. Dennis Niedadka ran away with the points championship at 12,164  followed by Cameron with 1318, and Meckler at 844.

Capt. Rich Swisstack of Cliffwood got the Raritan Bay Shoreline striper fishery off to an early start again just before last weekend’s storm., but the first weigh-in at The Tackle Box in Hazlet was made by that shop’s Anthony Altobelli of Hazlet. He clammed a 11 1/2-pounder on clams at Union Beach, where Swisstack had bass of 14 and 17 pounds on sandworms at night in rain and wind. T

The Jamaica from Brielle is codfishing on a special trip to the NE wrecks Friday, but will be turning around this evening for another such trip to 50-to-90-mile wrecks at 11:30 p.m. A Sunday 4 a.m. departure to 20-to-50-mile wrecks is also scheduled. Call (732) 528-5014 to reserve spots on these sailings.

Capt. Bobby Bogan will be sailing open for cod at 7 a.m. with his Gambler from Point Pleasant.
 
The Cape May Fishing Flea Market will be held on March 28 at Cape May Elementary School, 921 Lafayette Street. Eight-foot spaces are available for $40. Contact Dave DeGennaro at (732) 330-5674.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has closed the Hudson River and Marine District to both commercial and recreational shad fishing due to the poor state of the stocks.

In the New York portion of Delaware River there will be no commercial shad fishing, while the recreational limit will be dropped from six to three.

By Bridget Wentworth/The Star-Ledger

January 28, 2010, 7:08PM

Ernie Wuesthoff, owner of The Bait ’n’ Tackle Shop in Normandy Beach, passed away Monday at the age of 84. Wuesthoff became a legend among surf fishermen along the Central Jersey coast after opening the shop in 1962. Everyone immediately knew he was being referred to when anyone asked “How’s Ernie doing?”

Wuesthoff grew up in Union City, and learned to fish along the shores of the Hudson River while earning money by delivering seaworms to tackle shops on his bicycle. A wounded Navy veteran of WW II, he loved to fish his local surf for stripers with a light spinning rod and small plugs before opening the store each morning.

All of those bass were released except for a very occasional keeper retained for his daughter, Holly, who has been running the business along with his wife Charlene (Charlie) during the last few years. Charlie noted that Ernie always ran the shop as if it were his living room, with anglers dropping in all day to share fishing experiences.

Wuesthoff opened Cliffside Rod & Gun in 1946 before moving to the Shore. I met him years later while working as a sales rep for Garcia. We fished for winter flounder and drifted pencil eels in Point Pleasant Canal for stripers from his small boat before subsequently enjoying many hours in his beach buggy. Few anglers could “read the water” like Ernie, who could spot the right bar along a seemingly featureless beach to blind cast for stripers.

Unlike most tackle shop owners who find themselves trapped in their shops when the bite is on, Ernie didn’t hesitate to hang the “Closed” sign on the door when word of a surf blitz came in. In addition to the joy of getting kids started in fishing, Ernie sold seashells from all over the world, and regularly had school groups come in to his shop to learn about them.

Viewing hours are from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Friday, with a prayer service at 8 p.m. in Weatherhead Young Funeral Home, 885 Mantoloking Road, Brick.
 
Capt. Jimmy Elliott had a big crowd aboard Miss Belmar Princess on Saturday, but mackerel jigging was poor that day in rough seas and after factory pair-trawlers had left only scattered schools in the Mud Hole. Yet, he ended up with half-cooler catches Sunday in better weather when mackerel were located high in the water column along the west side of the Hole.

That fishing exploded Wednesday with anglers catching all they wanted on the east side. He got off to a good start Thursday, and then picked away to end up with good catches. Elliott is looking forward to the Friday night trips he’ll be making in February to the Montauk grounds for cod. Since those trips sail at 10 p.m. anglers will be able to take a two-day limit instead of the federal waters 10 per day restriction. For information call Elliott at 732 284-9709.
 
Giant blackfish have been more common in northern N.J. waters this winter than during any other time during the over quarter-century I’ve been writing this column. Though there’s been nothing to challenge the huge 20-pound, 6-ouncer boated by Capt. Pete Meyers from his Run-Off over a wreck off Manasquan Inlet on Jan. 1, Capt. Joe Bogan guided anglers to tautog of a lifetime recently when Ken Marvulli of Brick boated a 14-pound, 1-ounce tog, and Ray Bryant from South Orange bagged a 15-pounder on Jamaica II out of Brielle.

Bogan has been fishing wrecks in 120 to 160 feet for fair results when winds and currents aren’t too strong. Other recent catches include Zach Dietrich of Point Pleasant with two cod and two pollock plus 12 ling; Denny Pryzochic of Trenton with 24 ling; and Lester Janczuk fromTrenton with two cod, 14 ling, and a 10 1/2-pound blackfish. Offshore wreck trips are run from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday plus Feb. 15. Special cod trips are scheduled for Jan. 30 plus Feb. 19 and 26.

The Voyager from Point Pleasant will run weekend overnight trips to Montauk starting on Feb. 5.
Capt. Bud McArthur of Brick saw his possible world record mullet snapper being filleted by the mate while returning from bottom fishing during a recent trip to Pesca Panama. McArthur boated one of those copper-hued, large-scaled game fish, which somewhat resemble striped bass in shape, that weighed 45 pounds on the boat’s hand scale. The IGFA all-tackle world record is 45 3/4 pounds, and all of the line class records are considerably smaller.

McArthur said his group enjoyed the normal calm seas in that area after unusual north winds had interfered with fishing the week before. The group released three black marlin in the 400-pound class off Isla Mountousa, and some large sailfish also reappeared. Other N.J. anglers included John Messina and Scott Croker of East Hanover, Mark Roy from Warren, and Phil Vitello of Brick.

Capt. Pete Wagner writes from Costa Rica: “I have been down in Los Suenos since I pulled the Hyper Striper the first week of January. Fishing here has been good this month. Lots of big dorado between 20-45 lbs have been around this month. They are a terrific bonus to the day’s catch, as well as providing great eating for everyone. On the Dream Girl we have been averaging 6-10 sailfish releases a day, along with 4-8 big dorado to round out the days. We’ve seen some blue and striped marlin as well some trips, but the sails and dorado have been keeping the rods bent and people happy. Bottom fishing has also been good. Some days we finish the day by dropping baits in 300 feet for cabrilla ( groupers) and pargo (snappers). Some amberjack have been grabbing jigs on the drop.
 
“We got a nice surprise the other day when we landed 2 wahoo in the 60 lb. class. We got lucky because we are fishing naked ballys on 80 lb leader. It’s a miracle we got them both with the circle hook.”

Wagner, who sails out of Twin Lights Marina in Highlands during the season, can arrange everything for anglers in Costa Rica — including lodging in his three-bedroom condo in Los Suenos resort. Call him at 732 688 1933, or visit www.dreamgirlfishing.com or www.hyperstripercharters.com.

Capt. Howard Bogan Jr. reports good results from Saturday’s far offshore wreck trip on his Jamaica as about 20 cod were boated along with some pollock and ling plus limits (10) of jumbo porgies. Gilbert Sharp from East Hampton won the pool with a 12-pound cod, while Mike Vastola from Lavallette had three cod up to 9 pounds – and Kyle O’Connor from Spring Lake boated a 14-pound cod. Bogan noted there was plenty of life on all of the wrecks he fished. The big Jamaica is scheduled to fish the offshore wrecks every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through February, and will also sail offshore in March. For further information call the office at 732-528-5014 or go to the website www.bigjamaica.com.

Bogan also offers the NJ Safe Boating Course for the required boater’s certificate. A one-day course will be offered on January 31. For additional dates and info visit www.njboatschool.com.

Capt. Russ Binns has added a Coast Boating School safe boating course for Feb. 22 and 23 at West Marine in Lodi from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Call 1-877-BOAT SAFE for information.

Capt. Frank Dudis of Midland Park will be holding a boating certificate course on Feb. 15 and 16 at the Hackensack Yacht Club, located right off of Rt. 80, starting at 7 p.m. Call 201 716-2883, or visit njboatingcollege.com.

The Atlantic City Boat Show runs from Wednesday to Sunday next week at the Convention Center. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. the first three days, 10 to 8 Saturday, and 10 to 5 Sunday. Adult admission is $15, while those 15 and under are admitted free. In addition to all the boats and accessories, The Fisherman magazine presents some free seminars.

The United We Fish Rally will be held in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 14 in support of legislation permitting flexibility in fisheries management. Buses will be leaving from several ports. For information visit www.ssfff.net, www.unitedboatmen.com, or www.joinrfa.org.

Hi-Mar striper club will be holding its 9th annual fishing flea market on Sat., Feb. 19 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. A fishing seminar series will be included with the $5 admission cost at the Middletown VFW Post 2179 Route 36 Port Monmouth, NJ (behind Dunkin Donuts). There will be over 100 tables of new and used fishing equipment. Door prizes will be drawn throughout the day. For directions, seminar topics and information about the Hi-Mar club you can visit www.Hi-Mar.com.

The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series returns to N.J. on Saturday, Feb. 27 in the Performing Arts Theater at Monmouth Regional High School, 1 Norman J. Field Way, Tinton Falls. Headlining the 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. event will be George Poveromo, host of George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing on ESPN2, and a senior editor for Salt Water Sportsman, and Gary Caputi, offshore editor for Salt Water Sportsman, along with captains Trey Rhyne, Adam Nowalsky, Stew Hitchner, Jimmy Price, Jim Freda, Ralph Leyrer, and Terry Sullivan.

A ticket to the Seminar Series costs $55, and includes a one-year subscription or extension to Salt Water Sportsman, a comprehensive course textbook, a Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecast Analysis, a bottle of OrPine Wash & Wax, a spool of Sufix Fishing line, and a  $20 discount card at Capt. Harry’s Fishing Supply (based on a $150 purchase).

In addition, thousands of dollars worth of door prizes will be awarded at the Jersey Shore seminar. The names of all attendees from the Jersey Shore seminar will be entered into the Grand Prize drawing to win an incredible bonefishing excursion to the Bimini Sands Resort and Marina. The drawing will be held at the conclusion of the seminar that day, and one lucky person will win the trip for two! In addition, the names of all attendees from the 2010 Seminar Series Tour will be entered into the drawing for the Super Grand Prize – a brand new Mako 18 LTS (Light Tackle Skiff)! The drawing for the boat will take place one week after the completion of the final seminar on the tour, and one lucky winner will take home the boat.

To order tickets by phone with a major credit card, call 1-800-448-7360, or visit nationalseminarseries.com.

Pete Barrett’s Fishing Soft Baits in Saltwater is good winter reading. Barrett’s soft cover is published by Burford Books in Short Hills at $16.95.

By Al Ristori

December 17, 2009, 10:44PM

All those dedicated to clean waters lost a very special individual Tuesday when Derry Bennett of Fair Haven passed away at the age of 79. Bennett was executive director of the American Littoral Society from 1968-2003, devoting his life to the cause of clean waters as well as building the ALS into an important conservation organization.

He edited the ALS monthly publication, Underwater Naturalist, and promoted the ALS fish tagging program created by the late Graham MacMillen — since carried on by recently retired Pam Carlsen and Jeff Dement. That tagging information proved to be very valuable when striped bass finally achieved some protection from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) after the virtual collapse of the fishery.

Bennett, a surf fisherman, was a dedicated advocate of open beaches. Surfcasters owe him a debt of gratitude for his persistence in assuring access even in oceanfront communities that did their best to deny parking and access points to outsiders. He wrote The Seaside Reader, and New Jersey Coast Walks, as well as numerous articles. Bennett, also a founder of Clean Ocean Action, will be memorialized Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St. in Red Bank.

Recreational regulations for summer flounder, scup and black sea bass were approved at the Dec. 8-10 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Wilmington, Delaware.
 
Though staff had recommended a coastwise fluke regulation that would have allowed only two at 19 1/2 inches from May 1 to Sept. 30, that ended up being the non-preferred alternative as conservation equivalency prevailed once again. Thus, the Division of Fish and Wildlife will be able to set 2010 regulations based on New Jersey’s share of the 8.59-million pound recreational quota less our overage from this year. It’s likely that regulations will be little changed from this year’s.

The scup recreational quota is 3.01 million pounds, with coastwise regulations in the EEZ (federal waters) of 10 porgies at an 11-inch minimum from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, and June 12 to Sept. 26. The sea bass quota is 1.14 million pounds, with EEZ regulations of 25 at a 12 1/2-inch minimum during seasons of June 1-30 and Sept. 1-30. In the cases of both scup and sea bass, states will determine regulations in their waters in accordance with their quota and any overages.
 
The Council and ASMFC also voted to convene a joint meeting of the Scientific and Statistical Committee and the Black Sea Bass Monitoring Committee to review data that may allow the NMFS Regional Administrator to consider an adjustment that would allow more fishing for a species that’s restored, with overfishing not occurring.
 
Striped bass surfcasting was generally good Tuesday and Wednesday at several locations from Island Beach State Park to Sandy Hook, but Thursday was a bust in beautiful calm conditions. The gale-force northwester finally flattened the swell, but also seemed to turn off the bite all along the Shore in clear waters.

A very unseasonable 19-inch fluke surprised me Wednesday morning at Brick Beach while Capt. Gene Quigley and John Green of Brick, among others, were hooking into flurries of school stripers. I released hat fat fluke (the only “keeper” I caught from the surf this year) along with three 26-to-27-inch stripers and eight sand dabs — all of which hit a Vision Rainfish teaser.

Quigley was using the new Tsunami Pro Holographic 6-inch Sand Eel, and had a doubleheader of schoolies among his bass. Those sand eels have been the hot bait this fall, and would make a perfect stocking stuffer for anglers along with such standards as the Vision Surf Eel and Rainfish, Bomber plugs, and Yo-Zuri pencil poppers and Surface Bulls for big bass.

In order to ensure those lures aren’t lost due to a defective snap, add the new Sea Striker Fast Snap that looks like a paper clip and won’t open up as so often happens with standard snaps – especially when doubleheaders are hooked. The nickel black snaps come in medium and large size 10-packs

TOP CATCHES

Joe Mellillo of Castaways Tackle on Bridge Ave. in Point Pleasant released seven bass Wednesday morning at the end of his street, but there wasn’t a fish caught there Thursday morning – just as was the case at Brick despite beautiful conditions with much less wind than predicted which moderated the extreme cold.

Capt. Bobby Bogan didn’t have any customers at his Gambler in Point Pleasant Thursday morning, but decided to check the striper fishing with his crew. Some gannets were diving off Mantoloking, and big bass were under them. He caught three keepers and the deckhands also jigged a few. Bogan figured they could have limited by staying a bit longer. Almost all the bass were legal fish up to 20 pounds, and they hit the largest Krocodiles that imitate herring.

He noted that the Norma K also reported seeing stripers on the way back from blackfishing.

That was a huge improvement from Tuesday when I joined Capt. Russ Binns on his Mar-Lin from Toms River as we found no sign of life while running 17 miles south of Manasquan Inlet to the park and then eight miles north of the inlet. It was a desert out there with no bird life, fish marks, or bait readings.

Nineteen-year-old Greg Nunn of Hillsborough won the title of American Striped Bass Association Angler of the Year at Saturday’s last event of the ASA season in Virginia Beach while fishing aboard the family boat, Hapi Daze.

His father, Rick, was Angler of the Year two years ago. Nunn was only 10th at Virginia Beach with a 33-pounder caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, but that was enough to overcome the 6.05-pound lead that Capt. Bryne Pieros of Lebanon held coming in before his Michael’s Bait and Tackle team was shut out. Pieros had a great season, beating out New Englanders on their home grounds to win the North Division. He came into the final event having won three of the last four ASA tournaments.
 
Capt. Ken Zwirko of Union won at Virginia Beach by a half-pound on Bunker Down with a 40-pound striper plus an extra pound for a live release. Other N.J. skippers that did well were Matt Unsworth on Mod Squad in fourth with a 35.30-pounder plus the bonus pound to win the 26-foot boat and under division, and Harry Svenson on Cheap Shot in 13th with a 30.55-pounder.

The Jamaica from Brielle has set Blackfish Marathon open trips for 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 20, 23, 26, 28, 29 and 30. Call 732 528-5014 for information.

Capt. Jimmy Elliott will be seeking mackerel with Miss Belmar Princess starting this weekend.

The Tackle Box in Hazlet weight a 13 1/4-pound blackfish caught Tuesday on Sandy Hook Reef by Mike Rusin of Scotch Plains.
 
Capt. Bob Kita of Manville joined Paul Bowes of Manville on Green Machine, owned by Kai Meckeler of Annandale, as they limited with blackfish up to 8 pounds on that reef after launching at Atlantic Highlands.
 
Carlos Londano of Murray Hill and his group caught 20 dolphin up to 45 pounds one day last week at Golfito, Costa Rica. Greg Thummel of SportfishingGolfito.com reported that a 100-pound yellowfin tuna was caught that week.