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

February 11, 2010, 7:25PM

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued an emergency order on Tuesday that accepts recommendations for black sea bass increases by the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee.

As a result, the TAC (Total Allowable Catch) is increased from 2.71 million pounds to 4.5 million pounds. After deducting discards, the TAL (Total Allowable Landings) increases from 2.3 million pounds to 3.7 million pounds. Sea bass regulations approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) provide a season from May 22 to Sept. 12, with a 12½-inch minimum and a bag limit of 25. It’s likely that those regulations will apply in all waters.

The NMFS release notes this is being done on an emergency basis (upon publication that day in the Federal Register, and without a prior comment period) in order to reduce the social and economic disruption. Yet, the agency already wiped out the winter recreational sea bass season with their October emergency order closure of recreational sea bass fishing in federal waters, and offers no relief during the balance of the winter. Since the assessment indicates sea bass are a recovered species, there was never a good justification for closing last year. Furthermore, this year’s season is ridiculously short — and those dependent on the fall and winter seasons will once again be shortchanged.

The ASMFC recently approved New Jersey’s fluke options. Two options maintain the 18-inch minimum, with six fish and a May 29 to Sept. 6 season — or four fluke from May 23 to Sept. 6. The other four options use an 18½-inch minimum with six fish for seasons of May 13 to Sept. 13; May 29 to Sept. 26; May 21 to Sept. 12; or May 29 to Sept. 17. The Marine Fisheries Council will make a decision next month.

NEWS AND NOTES

• Hi-Mar Striper Club’s Flea Market opens at 8 a.m. tomorrow, and continues through 3 p.m. in the Middletown VFW on Route 36 in Port Monmouth. Admission is $5, with kids under 12 admitted free. A series of free seminars by Hi-Mar skippers starts at 9. For information call Capt. Jerry Beaver at (732) 671-1442.

• Fishing has been a dead issue lately as anglers shoveled tons of “global warming.’’ Ironically, I engaged in a National Wildlife Federation teleconference last month on “Oddball winter weather; global warming’s wakeup call for the northern United States” in which the speakers were only concerned with the economic and social effects of a lack of snow and cold weather. At least they must be happy with our second straight winter with more than most people ever want to see again of both.

• Capt. Jimmy Elliott sails Friday night with Miss Belmar Princess for cod off Block Island. That trip is sold out, and there are only a few spots left for next Friday night. Call him at (732) 284-9709. Elliott looked for mackerel on Tuesday, and got some good readings though only a few were jigged.

The Jamaica from Brielle and Voyager from Point Pleasant have also scheduled Block Island trips as well as weekend runs to far offshore wrecks for jumbo porgies plus cod and pollock.

• New Jersey is out of compliance with the Shark Management Plan, and shark anglers ware eagerly awaiting Gov. Christie’s signature on the 2007 regulatory package that included the required changes and will permit sharking in time for the tournaments. The state finds itself in this position because ex-Governor Jon Corzine inexplicably sat on that package of regulations from the Marine Fisheries Council for years.

• The seventh season of Rack & Fin Radio on 97.3 ESPN with host Tom Pagliaroli kicks off Saturday morning from 9-10. The 50K watt signal reaches through central and southern New Jersey. Rack & Fin Radio also streams live on the web at www.973espnfm.com.

• The World Fishing and Outdoor Exhibit will run in Rockland Community College, Suffern, N.Y., from March 4-7. The American Sportfishing Association also runs the Saltwater Fishing Expo that will be presented in the Garden State Exhibit Center at Somerset from March 19-21.

• The N.J. IGFA representatives present the 13th annual IGFA Banquet and Auction on Friday, March 26 in Mike Doolan’s Restaurant, Spring Lake Heights. That event has raised about $170,000 over the course of 12 years for the IGFA’s Junior Angler and Conservation programs. For information call Jeff Merrill at (908) 451-1110.

Visit Al Ristori’s blog at nj.com/shore/blogs/fishing for the more fishing news plus best bets for the weekend.

By Al Ristori

February 09, 2010, 7:02PM

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) inserted an emergency action notice in the Federal Register today to announce acceptance of the regulations passed recently by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).

That involves a season from May 22 to Sept. 12 with a minimum of 12 1/2 inches and a bag limit of 25.

Unfortunately, the previous emergency action last fall by NMFS closed recreational sea bass fishing in federal waters, thus eliminating the traditional winter fishery for jumbo sea bass on far offshore wrecks.

Today’s action was done on an emergency basis to prevent further economic damage by allowing skippers to plan trips during the season, but does nothing to help those who were damaged by the closure that wasn’t necessary in a rebuilt fishery.

It wasn’t untill the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee called for a big increase in quotas that NMFS made a move. As a result, The TAC (Total Allowable Catch) for 2010 is raised from 2.71 million pounds to 4.5 million pounds. Deducting discards, the TAL (Total Allowable Landings) is raised from 2.3 million pounds to 3.7 million pounds.

By Al Ristori

October 10, 2009, 11:44PM

Capt. John Brackett of the Queen Mary from Point Pleasant reported poor bluefishing Saturday morning while working close to shore to stay out of the northwest wind. He’s looking forward to fishing to the east on Sunday with lighter winds. However, Bill Klimas of Scotch Plains found big blues just inside Raritan Bay while fishing with Bruce Schwartz of West Long Branch on his CinSan. They ran down the beach and found only fussy little tunny before returning to the bay and running into unlimited 8-to-10-pound blues feeding on peanut bunkers.

Capt. Frank Tenore told me he had excellent sea bass fishing Saturday between the channels despite the rough seas. His party on Fins on Feathers from Leonardo also each had their one legal tautog up to 6 pounds. Tenore noted that large porgies have moved into deeper waters, though small ones remain inshore.

Surf fishing looked dull when I first went to Bay Head in the morning, but a short move south put me into lots of small fish acrtion with hickory shad, snappers and fluke plus a single weakfish. John Green of Brick reported a few short stripers were caught early at Ocean Beach.

A report from New York stated that lots of tuna were up behind draggers working in the Glory Hole.

By Al Ristori

October 06, 2009, 7:14PM

Having to stay within state waters didn’t bother Capt. Ed Bunting of the Sea Horse from Atlantic Highlands. He said some fares limited on sea bass, and also had 15 to 20 porgies at Sandy Hook Reef, where he was well inside the three-mile limit. A State Marine Police boat was out there to make sure everyone was aware of the need to stay within the state limit.

Capt. John Brackett said little tunny didn’t cooperate on today’s trip for that species and bonito. He noted that another boat fishing further offshore also wasn’t into the tunny. Some bluefish were jigged everywhere they stopped. That was Brackett’s last little tunny trip of the year. He’ll be concentrating daily on bluefish.

The Cock Robin from Point Pleasant hasn’t been able to sail this week, but will be back to bluefishing Thursday.

Capt. Joe Bogan had another outstanding ling trip to the Mud Hole on Monday with his Jamaica II from Brielle. Cod were also caught, and a big pollock took the pool.

 Just as occured last week, the day after good surf fishing following a northwest wind turned out to be very slow even though there was no change in conditions. Bay Head was pretty dead this morning except for one angler who caught three small fluke on metal — and another who made very long casts with a sand eel imitation to beach three big blues. Nick Honachefsky of Normany Beach said it was also dead at Point Pleasant, where he’d caught great quantities of hickory shad the day before. As far as I could determine there was no repeat of the big bluefish blitz in the Ocean County surf during the afternoon, though John Green of Brick said some blues were in and out early in the morning at Ocean Beach.

Allen Riley of South Plainfield released a 25-inch striper that hit a Tsunami Talkin popper at Sandy Hook before sun-up, but hooked a stray 35-inch blue after the sun shined. He said John Mazzeo of South Plainfield released two short bass on poppers, but there was no sign of little tunny nor any heavy concentration of working birds offshore. 

Gale warnings are posted for tomorrow, but the northwester predicted to follow the storms could set up good inshore fishing Thursday and Friday.