By Al Ristori

May 04, 2010, 7:22PM

Dave Lilly of Hazlet didn’t find Raritan Bay striper trolling up to his recent standard of quick limits, but there was a rare highlight to the morning troll with Stretch plugs when Al Tumolo reeled in a doormat fluke that jumped on the Mann’s plug. The 28 1/4-inch fluke looked to be right around the 10-pound mark, and it broke Tumolo’s heart to have to relrease it — but the summer flounder season doesn’t open until Memorial Day weekend. That was his second doormat in a year, as Lilly put him into his first ever, a 13 1/2-pounder, late last summer. Four legal stripers up to my 23-pounder, were caught on baitcasting rods — along with a short and three blues.  Bob Croker of Old Bridge was in on the action. 

Ocean striper fishing has been tough since Sunday, but Capt. Scotty Hilliard reported limit catches up to a 25-pounder by Mike Nagle of Atlantic Highlands, on his Prowler from Atlantic Highlands. Those bass were jigged under working birds to the east. Capt. Bud McArthur ran north of Manasquan Inlet with his Splinter from Brick, but found no sign of fish for jigging, and did nothing trolling. He said the water temperature was only 49 degrees at Manasquan Inlet, but jumped up to 56 degrees by the time he reached the Spring Lake Hotel.

Capt. Russ Binns found nothing from Manasquan Inlet south with his Mar-Lin from Toms River, but for the second week in a row he bailed out throwing poppers to bluefish in Barnegat Bay.

Binns has added Coast Boating School classes leading to the required state boating certificate as follows:

May 11 & 12 — Green Pond Country Club 7-!0:30 p.m.

May 12 & 13 — Lake Hopatcong Elks Club, Mt. Arlington – 7-10:30 p.m.

May 17 & 18 – West Marine, Lodi – 7-10:30 p.m.

May 19 & 20 – West Marine, Atlantic Highlands – 7-10:30 p.m.

                      Flemington Elks Club – 7-10:30 p.m.

                      Middlesex Elks Club — 7-10:30 p.m.

May 18 & 20- Wayne Fire Co. # 1 — 6:30-10 p.m.

Call 1-877-BOAT SAFE (262-8723) for information and reservations.

By Al Ristori

April 29, 2010, 8:32PM

Party boats running to the east from Atlantic Highlands had great striper jigging Thursday, with lots of large bass among them. Capt. Rob Semkewyc of the Sea Hunter and Capt. Scotty Hilliard of the Prowler reported finding lots of bird action and bass that hit jigs readily.

Capt. Bud McArthur didn’t have such good news further south as he fished from Spring Lake to Lavallette on his Splinter from Brick without any success while hardly marking any fish or bait.

A surfcaster spotted a massive school of dolphins off Manasquan blasting into a school of bunkers during the morning..

Shore fishing wasn’t as good as on Wednesday. There were no surf reports from northern Monmouth County, and I saw only one bluefish caught on a jig late in the afternoon at Manasquan Inlet — where it had been very good the previous evening. Nick Honachefsky of Normandy Beach only picked at blues in Island Beach State Park around noon — in contrast to Wednesday’s red hot surface plugging. He could see schools of blues crossing the outer bar in clear waters, but they didn’t want plugs. He did manage some on bunker chunks, and by working a Deadly Dick slowly over the bottom. John Green of Brick got there at the end of the bite, but reported blues were hitting in the inlet earlier in the morning. He later found out that both blues and bass hit lures in the park during early afternoon.

By Al Ristori

April 27, 2010, 8:32PM

Capt. Russ Binns of Toms River was looking from Manasquan Inlet south for bunkers on the surface or any other sign of fish this morning without seeing a thing from his Mar-Lin before deciding to go back via Barnegat Inlet rather than fighting the north wind back to Manasquan Inlet. That turned out to be a good decision as Binns got into surfacing blues near the BB Buoy, and followed them to the north as three anglers caught at least 70 blues on poppers. Binns noted that they were long and skinny, weighing from 3 to 6 pounds. Finning on the surface and feeding on small bay anchovies, those blues hit readily though there were only a few birds on them.

Capt. Pete Wagner of Hyper Striper at Twin Lights Marina in Highlands reports he’s been limiting out his parties while clamming. The Artie Ascoli party from Seaside Heights had a limit of 30-to-36-inch bass this morning.

 Phil Sciortino weighed quite a few bass at The Tackle Box in Hazlet over the weekend, topped by a 27-pounder by Rich Swisstack of Cliffside at his local beach on a bunker chunk. Kevin Matrheny of Keansburg landed a 21 1/2-pounder on clam at Union Beach. Sciortino said a bunch of kayackers gathered Monday at The Tackle Box and were guided in the Navesink River where they got into lots of 8-to-10-pound blues plus a keeper striper.  

Ross Goldberg and David Sherman trolled Stretch 25s Saturday at Shrewsbury Rocks for three stripers up to 34 inches on Lady J from Belmar.

Capt. Howard Bogan Jr. said striped bass fishing was tough Saturday to the north with his Jamaica from Brielle, so he went south Sunday and did better even though the bass didn’t bite very well. He ‘ll be fishing for bass from Wednesday through Sunday.

Capt. George Bachert will be seeking the “elusive” ling plus blackfish Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. with his Angler from Atlantic Highlands. Bachert has been striper fishing during the day, and did well clamming on Saturday. Night striper clamming trips have been producing two to three dozen keepers.

Small craft warnings are up for northwest winds up to 30 mph on Tuesday.

By Al Ristori

April 26, 2010, 8:02PM

Due to today’s rain there were no reports.

Capt. George Bachert, who is presently striped bass fishing with his Angler out of Atlantic Highlands, will be making special ling trips Thursday and Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

By Al Ristori

April 19, 2010, 6:17PM

Striper fishing continued at a hot pace through the weekend and into Monday. At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Ed Bunting was late coming out of the yard, but his first weekend with the Sea Horse will be hard to beat all year. Everyone limited with stripers both days. Marie Occhipinti of Highlands, daughter of Capt. Joe from the Little Hawk, was a pool winner with a 25-pound bass. Joe Vallaro of Bayonne also was a winner with a 21-pounder. Capt. Ron Santee of the Fishermen got into stripers over 20 pounds today, as he was limited with a good crowd by 10:30.

Capt. Lou Grazioso of Striper Mania from Keyport put Mike Pandori of Saratoga, N.Y. into bass up to 25 pounds on jigs off Sandy Hook.

Phil Sciortino reports from The Tackle Box in Hazlet that Kevin Kuriawa of Belleville trolled a limit to 25 pounds on Stretch plugs off Keyport, and Dave Cox from Wallington used the same method for a limit to 24 pounds off Keansburg. Sydney Schuldt of Fair Lawn caught her first striper, a 13-pounder, while trolling with her farther at Sandy Hook Channel. Sciortino also notes that boaters clamming at Romer Shoals have had limits up to 25 pounds.

Allen Riley said surfcasting at Sandy Hook remained poor Monday morning. He released only one tiny striper on sandworms, while Lou Vargas of Fanwood caught two skates on clams — the first Riley has seen in the surf this spring.

Joe Melillo, at Castaway’s Tackle in Point Pleasant, reports blackfishing has been good in Point Pleasant Canal with clams and worms. Some stripers are being plugged there. There’s been no lure action in the surf so far, but clams are producing some keeper bass from Bay Head to Mantoloking. Tom Di Meco of Jackson had a 14 3/4-pounder, and John Pastore of Brick beached a 13 3/4-pounder. Ed Ganley of Point Pleasant used clams in Manasquan River to catch a 10 1/2-pound bass today.    

By Al Ristori

April 13, 2010, 8:03PM

Capt. Ron Santee has had striper limits on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands four days in a row. The largest was 25 pounds. It’s been the best fishing in years after a terrible spring last  year. Santee says there are bass spread from Romer Shoals to Long Branch, and they’re hitting everything from jigs to clams.

Capt. Lou Grazioso got out there yesterday with Striper Mania from Keyport and saw gannets diving as if it were the fall. He said the bass were feeding on adult bunkers rather than the small bait they’re usually into when jigging is effective.

Gene Graman of Middletown and Harold Smith from Aberdeen fished wirh Carlos Rebelo of Keyport on Monday as they trolled 17 stripers in the back of the bay on Stretch plugs, keeping four up to 32 inches.

Capt. Stan Zagleski reports he’s had no flounder limits on his Elaine B. from Highlands the last three trips, so he’s switching to blackfishing this weekend at 7 a.m.

Capt. Tommy Joseph of Runaway from Belmar says inshore blackfishing has been poor so far as bottom water temperatures remain cold even as the surface waters have warmed. He’s picked a few cod and ling a bit further offshore, and even had 13 cod in 57 feet one day last week. Joseph bailed out yesterday by running north of the Highlands Bridge to put his crew into a few stripers on jigs.   

Anglers fishing the Hudson River Fisherman’s Association $100,000 Striped Bass Derby on Saturday will also be able to take in an in-water boat show at the Haverstraw Marina weigh-in site on the Hudson River in New York. Visit www.boatingonthehudson.com for info.

By Al Ristori

April 06, 2010, 7:54PM

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has extended its recreational fishing closure of sea bass fishing by 39 days, but Capt. Adam Nowalsky of the RFA, NJ Chapter points out that’s not a problem since the May 22 opening corresponds with the opening date already approved by the Mid-Atlantic Council and ASMFC.

There was good bews from the Sandy Hook surf Tuesday morning as Lou Vargas of Fanwood used clams to beach stripers of 33 inches (11.3 pounds) and 35 inches (14 pounds) that were weighed at Julian’s Tackle in Atlantic Highlands. Allen Riley of South Plainfield witnessed those catches as he and his brother, Ed of Edison), fished worms that produced only two “sardine-sized” bass to break the ice for their season. Riley didn’t see any other stripers caught.

Though school stripers are being clammed in the back of Raritan Bay, Chuck Many of Annandale and Capt. Lou Grazioso of Hazlet netted some bunkers Tuesday from Many’s Tyman II out of Highlands and tried for the season’s first big bass. It sure felt like it was “time”, but they weren’t successful. 

By Al Ristori

April 02, 2010, 7:43PM

The RFA is pushing for an additional $2.3 million in funding for the Division of Fish and Wildlife, which has been decimated by retirements of biologists who haven’t been replaced — even as management plan requirements build up. One way to develop that funding may be a dedicated conservation lottery proposed by two Cape May Democrats. Assembly Concurrant Resolution ACR119) by Nelson Albano, and SCR93 by Senator Jeff VanDrew would change the Constitution to provide for such a lottery.

AFTCO rep Lou Truppi had a great offshore wreck trip Thursday with Capt. Jeff Gutman on the Voyager from Point Pleasant. A single wreck produced about a dozen pollock plus cod from 10 to 18 pounds. Truppi won the pool with a 30-pound pollock. Best of all there were few spiny dogfish to interfere with the fishing.

Bruce Vitale of Piscataway and Mike Obuch from Bridgewater fished Friday aboard the Paramount from Brielle, but only bagged six ling. A few cod were caught, but fishing was slow despite several moves by Capt. Francis Bogan.

Tank Matraxia of Lyndhurst fished for stripers aboard Capt. Lou Grazioso’s Striper Mania out of Keyport during Friday morning as five bass (including a keeper) were hooked right away — before the wind changed and killed the clam bite.

Capt. Tom Buban reported a better bite of winter flounder up to 18 1/2 inches Friday morning in Shrewsbury River from his Atlantic Star out of Atlantic Highlands. Only the morning trip will be run on Easter Sunday.

Nick Honachefsky of Normandy Beach flounder fished Thursday morning in Manasquan River to catch six flatties (of which half made the required 12  inches) in two hours. He fished Friday on Revenge with Dave Miglore of Trinidad Yachts as they hooked seven on sandworms. .

Tautog fishing broke open Friday at the Brigantine Bridge. Absecon Bay Sportsman’s Center reports blacks up to 6 pounds on both clams and green crabs. Though the water temperature was only 49 degrees, tog turned on as the water finally cleared. Some blacks are also being hooked from the ocean jetties.

Allen Riley of South Plainfield found the surf at Sandy Hook to be fishable Friday morning, but he had no hits on worms.