Published: Friday, September 03, 2010, 7:33 PM Updated: Friday, September 03, 2010, 8:00 PM

New Jersey didn’t even get a close brush from Hurricane Earl, but we’ll have to wait another day or two to determine the effects of large waves. There was so little wind in the morning that I tried surfcasting at Sea Girt. A couple of pros were coming off when I arrived as they said the approaching storm had the opposite effect expected — drawing water off the beach. I tried anyway, and found acouple of pools that looked like pssibilities, but only got the exercise that was the primary reason for the venture.

The Cock Robin from Point Pleasant won’t be sailing for blues on Saturday, but resumes on Sunday. The northwest winds predicted should knock down the big seas, making Sunday fishable — and setting up a nice Labor Day for the end of the fluke season. Even the small craft warnings for Saturday are based on the gusty west winds that will be calming the sea. Anglers can still fish some protected areas, such as Raritan and Barnegat bays, if they have wind and tide together. The surf will probably take a couple of tide changes to clear up.

There was an error in Friday’s column asI added an “a” to the name of the company making the American Red Cross Clipray hand-cranked emergency flashlight. The company name is Eton , not “Eaton” — and the web site for info is www.etoncorp.com.

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Published: Thursday, September 02, 2010, 8:07 PM Updated: Thursday, September 02, 2010, 11:19 PM

Its all over but the shouting for most recreational fluke fisherman after Labor Day. Commercial fishermen will continue to load up with 14-inch fluke during their open periods, but the only hope for the public will be fishing on party boats that have obtained a permit to take poundage from the research portion of the summer flounder quota.

As if regulations havent created enough economic problems for party boat skippers, the recent warnings about big swells from distant hurricanes have scared some anglers off even when there was no wind and seas were calm with a long swell that was barely noticeable except where they broke on the beaches. Unless theres significant wind involved, those storm swells are of concern only at the inlets on an ebb tide, and not at all in protected waters such as Raritan Bay.

Though N.J. is in a tropical storm warning, the outlook tonight wasnt bad. The ocean was quite fishable, and the period of strong easterly winds is predicted to be brief before a switch to gusty northwest winds that should settle the seas Saturday. Light south winds and modest waves are in the forecast for Sunday and Labor Day.

Unless theres more rain than expected, Raritan and Barnegat bays should be fishable for those seeking that last fluke. The big swells will likely have a negative impact on ocean bottom fishing, but bluefish and school bluefin tuna should shortly resume feeding. The storms could even bring some positives, such as moving those currently distant bluefins into the Mud Hole, improving the canyon tuna bite or providing an influx of little tunny and bonito into inshore waters. Sandy Hook Bay can certainly use a flushing to move out the ugly algae bloom. Keep track of changing conditions on this blog.

Capt. Tom Buban has purchased an allocation of 1,500 pounds of summer flounder from the research portion of the quota and will continue to sail his Atlantic Star twice daily from Atlantic Highlands for that species indefinitely as he has the rest of the year to account for that poundage.

What happened to global warming? Weve been looking forward to catching groupers on nearby wrecks in late August, but instead we get better cod than in mid-winter. Capt. Bud McArthur of Splinter from Brick got tired of poor fluking at the reefs and took a shot at wreck fishing Saturday in the Mud Hole. He fished only one wreck in 225 feet, though it was necessary to re-anchor three times in order to lay right. The crew had 41 of the expected ling but were amazed to add 23 cod over the 21-inch minimum while returning some shorts. The largest cod weighed 18 pounds.

With a hurricane in mind, the new American Red Cross Clipray self-powered hand crank flashlight is a handy item to have at home or on a boat. Without having to worry about batteries, this 4.9-ounce unit can be clipped to a belt loop and provides light by solar power or simply by cranking a built-in handle. Sixty seconds of cranking provides 10 minutes of light, and theres also a USB Cell Phone Charger Port that can make communication possible if that battery discharges. A portion of the $15 sale price from this Eaton Corp. product goes to the Red Cross. For more information visit www.eatoncorp.com.

Anglers seeking bluefin tuna must remember that private boats with Angling category permits are limited to one bluefin from 27 to less than 59 inches per day. Charter and party boats with the appropriate permit may take one from 27 to less than 47 inches plus one from 47 to less than 59 inches. No small mediums from 59 to less than 73 inches may be boated.

MARINE FISHERIES COUNCIL ENDORSES SALTWATER LICENSE

The N.J. Marine Fisheries Council took a bold step today at their monthly meeting in Galloway Township by unanimously passing a motion in favor of establishing a saltwater fishing license in order to fund marine fisheries within the Division of Fish & Wildlife. The N.J. Federation of Sportsmens Clubs and the Cape May Party & Charter Boat Association have taken similar positions.

TOP CATCHES

The 30th annual Manasquan River Marlin & Tuna Club Offshore Open, with 33 boats participating, continues through Sunday. As of Day 5 (Wednesday), Recovery Room had the only blue marlin release plus a tenuous lead in tuna with a 62.7-pounder just ahead of Paddy Whack at 62.60 pounds and Speculator at 61.10 pounds.

Contestants are hoping Hurricane Earl will blow up the mass of white marlin that were in Washington Canyon on April 30, when nine boats fishing a Virginia Beach tournament released an incredible 267 whites. Billfisher released a record 57. Tar Heel had 30 whites, had a blue marlin release and caught three dolphin.

Capt. Len Forsyth of Miss Belmar Princess reports Warren Ide of Long Branch won Tuesdays pool with a 16-pound bluefish, and Ricky Gonzalez from Jersey City took the money Wednesday with a 17-pounder.

At Brielle, Capt. Joe Bogan of Jamaica II said fluking improves on tough bottoms in 60 to 90 feet.
Top catches last week included Dale Isaacs of Manchester with a limit up to 5 pounds; Pete Talevei from Trenton with five to 5 1/2 pounds; and Eric Hanson of Old Bridge five to 5 pounds.

Capt. Howard Bogan Jr. reports pool-winning bluefish this week on his Jamaica included a 15.5-pounder by Shannon Wagner of Hopewell, who also limited.

Wayne Smith reports from Hoffmans Marina that weekend canyon fishing was poor, though Impulse returned with two albacore plus a 50-pound wahoo, and released an 80-pound swordfish.

Some boaters found school bluefins in the area of the Virginia. Joe Vezzosi weighed a 90-pounder. Fluking remained tough, but Capt. Bob Lake took Ron Masseralli up to the Rattlesnake last week on Kimberly Ann, where both had fluke limits with fish up to 8 pounds.

At Point Pleasant, Capt. Bob Pennington reported good bluefish jigging Saturday on the east side of the Mud Hole from his Sea Devil, before the best bluefishing of the season Sunday at Shark River Reef where 10-to-15-pound blues started on jigs before settling into the chum. Ernie Armitage of Rutherford and Jeanne Noonan from Monroe, N.Y. tied for the pool with 15-pounders.

Captains Jimmy Gahm, Sean Carton and Dave Bender took Tom and Tim Cunningham from Colts Neck out Sunday on Jenny Lee from Manasquan to seek school bluefin tuna. They found one 40 miles offshore, and later got into another bite 15 miles to the east where the tuna were hard to interest though a 40-pounder was boated on a Shimano Stella spinning outfit.

Fluke weigh-ins at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant all came from the ocean. Chris Rodek of Brick boated a 5 1/2-pounder; John Letezin of Brick had a 6 3/4-pounder; Fred Blair from Toms River a 6 1/4-pounder; and Mike Graffton of Bergenfield a 6 1/8-pound fluke.

Nick Honachefsky of Normandy Beach fished for fluke on Tuesday with Brian Keating and Mike Warlog on Killer Bea as they released over 40 shorts.

The WICC Greatest Bluefish Tournament on Earth was contested last weekend on Long Island Sound. Eric Hunar of East Setauket, N.Y. was the winner with a 15.94-pounder weighed at Caraftis Tackle in Port Jefferson.

Hans Kaspersetz of Weehawken was fishing Ambrose Channel during Wednesday afternoon with Dennis Nalepa and his son D.J. from Red Bank as the crew on Shaken totaled six keepers in the Buoy 3 area.

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