NJ Fish On - Fishing in New Jersey » Bluefish

Balance of Friday’s column

Al Ristori — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:01:22 +0000

Published: Friday, September 10, 2010, 11:01 AM Updated: Friday, September 10, 2010, 11:08 AM

There’s no more fishing page this year, and most of my column doesn’t make print. Be sure to check the blog daily. The balance of Friday’s column follows:

George Gabuzda of Wall and his son Colin had a ball catching chicken dolphin Monday in Chicken Canyon while fishing with Capt. Hans Kaspersetz and I on Maggie K from Bayville. A report of bluefin tuna in that area the day before didnt pan out, but there was no lack of action at a lobster pot buoy with dolphin that were caught on light spinning tackle with pieces of sardines until we found the 4-inch white Gulp Swimming Mullet worked as well. I released the last dolphin after she was hooked on the Gulp, but pulled the hook on the first run only to turn around and take the Gulp again.

Tony Arcabascio of Bayville took Monday off from the fine blowfishing hes had in Barnegat Bay to run off to Barnegat Ridge. Trolling cedar jigs and Clark Spoons produced the best bonito bite of the season as 26 from 5 to 7 pounds were boated. Arcabascio said the water was beautiful after the storm, and the bonito were loaded with sand eels.

Andrew Sokol reported a great day with Capt. Frank Tenore of Fins on Feathers from Leonardo as six-man limits of porgies were taken Sunday at Sandy Hook Reef along with sea bass, bluefish, and even a 32-inch striper that hit a clam bait intended for porgies. Sokol said the scup averaged 1 1/2pounds, with some in the 2-to-3-pound class.

The Cock Robin from Point Pleasant had a good special trip for little tunny on Wednesday, but bonito were still missing though a dolphin was boated, and limits of bluefish added. A limited trip for those species will be run next Wednesday.

At Brielle, Wayne Smith of Hoffmans Marina said the fluke season closed as it had been all along with lots of shorts, but few keepers. Some boaters did better at the Rattlesnake, but the bite died as soon as the afternoon south wind came up. Post-storm canyon reports were poor, though Singularous brought in a 200-pound bigeye and a 50-pound wahoo last week. Some boaters found bluefins in the Compass Rose area, but they wouldnt bite. Long Island boaters report the Compass Rose area still hasnt been producing though they expect bluefins to return since sand eels and even whiting are still there.

The Jamaica has been into good bluefishing day and night, with lots of little tunny also available during the day. The Jamaica will be running special 6 a.m. trips for tunny, bonito and skipjacks today, and on Sept. 14 and 15

Scott Leadbetter of Haddon Heights saw some positive effects from Earl when he ran his outboard out of Atlantic Highlands and found a few 5-to-6-pound bluefish at West Bank and between the channels.

Capt. Art Hilliard of the Eagle from Atlantic Highlands had the Cake Boss TV crew aboard last week for bluefishing when Chef Buddy took the pool with a 14-pounder. Other recent pool winners included Bob Grant of Boonton with a 15 -pound blue; Bob Regaski from Clayton with a 13 -pounder;Tom Hickey of Denville who topped the Mecca Electric party with a 20-inch fluke; and Evden Bambok of Randolph with a 3-pound sea bass.

Labor Day turned out to be one of the best fluking days of the summer for Mike Obuch of Bridgewater on his Funny Pharm from Highlands with Bruce Vitale of Piscataway, AFTCO rep Lou Truppi, and Tom Dellaventura from Hampton. They fished Scotland in 55 to 60 feet for a steady bite that really improved when the afternoon south wind increased their drift. They had many keepers up to Truppis 6 -pounder among the 55 fluke caught.

Dave Lilly of Hazlet wrapped up his season that day by covering lots of area before his Team Esca crew caught most of their 30 fluke in Ambrose Channel. Ten were legal fluke up to 5 pounds.

Ross Goldberg finished up well with Lady J from Belmar by fluking to the north, where Joel Braun boated a personal best 8.5-pounder.

Don Golabek Sr. and Jr. of Clifton didnt go nearly as far to finish their season. As usual, they fished their small, trailered boat from Atlantic Highlands off the mouth of the Shrewsbury River to catch six keepers up to 24 inches on Gulp and spearing. They also found 13-to-15-inch weakfish that hit Hopkins in the harbor.

That 8 -pound fluke reported in last weeks column as being weighed at Twin Lights Marina in Highlands for a shore angler was caught by Jose Moreira of Newark on his first cast with a live bunker into Shrewsbury River from the end of Jackson Street in Highlands.

Surf striper pro and author D.J. Muller of Manasquan will be running a full day striped bass seminar for both experienced and novice surf fishermen on Oct. 9 at Middletown South High School. For information contact Muller at djmull13@msn.com, or visit www.djmullersurfcaster.com. Muller recently fished the rocks at Cuttyhunk Is., Massachusetts, and released a 45-pound striper after it hit a live eel.

The 19^th Governors Surf Fishing Tournament will be contested at Island Beach State Park on Oct. 3 from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Adult anglers can save $5 by pre-registering for $10 with a postmark no later than tomorrow. Download the registration form at njfishandwildlife.com

Prize winners at that contest may be asked for their National Registry card. Those who still havent registered can do so at no charge in 2010 by visiting www.CountMyFish.noaa.gov and clicking on the angler registry link or by calling 888 674-7411.

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Earl’s stormy seas churn things up: Point Pleasant to Great Bay fishing report

APP.com: Fishing & Boating — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:16:25 +0000

There is not a whole lot to base a fishing prediction on as the area is still recovering from the swells and churned water that Earl dumped. Right after the storm surf casters needed 8 ounces of lead in order to hold bottom, but things are now back to normal. Prior to the storm they weighed in a 10-pound fluke for Joe Barbee that he pulled out of Barnegat Inlet from the North Jetty. The big doormat was probably feeding on spearing in that area. Since the storm, Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park reports that blues on bunker, mullet, fresh peanut bunker, and metal lures were the hot topic among local anglers. They have been hearing of some monsters bluefish “with an attitude.” They were weighing in 9-14 pounders on Saturday. They have been hearing rumors of some striped bass being picked up on the beach at night. Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle reports some good action from the beach on bluefish. The best action appears on fresh bait with some nice bluefish picked up at Gillikin’s Pier. One of their customers bought 4 dozen mullet and had some great action on big blues at Area 7 which is the Fisherman’s Walkway. They reported birds working about 100 yards off the beach. Dock Outfitters in Seaside Heights heard of some morning stripers on Sunday up to 30-inches. They and some small bluefish were feeding on sand eels in Ortley Beach. They report that crabbing was back to its high level by Sunday with a good amount of keepers on their rental boats. Barnegat Bay is loaded with snapper blues all over including the creeks and lagoons. Dock Outfitters says there are blowfish on the west side of the bay but heavy chumming is required to get the fish to the boat.

Time for bluefish to get some respect

BY JIM HUTCHINSON STAFF WRITER — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:16:23 +0000

When considering how many anglers feel about bluefish, a paraphrase from comedian Rodney Dangerfield would be appropriate: “Bluefish don’t get no respect.”

ZONE 5: SEASIDE PARK TO ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK

APP.com: Fishing & Boating — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:16:16 +0000

The surf guys are starting to see some stripers and bluefish in the surf, reports Tom Hansen at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle. Daybreak has seen some good fishing for several days now with blues in a wide range of sizes in a wide variety of places. The fish have not been on top so birds working the surface haven’t been the best indicator of where the blues are. Metals are the number one choice for early morning fishing and bait has been producing the remainder of the day. Weigh-ins at the shop this week were Kyren Dooley with a little 1.3-pound blue caught on an Ava jig, Bill MacIntosh with a 9.75-pound bass on a peanut bunker and Anthony Francisco with a 7.45-pound bluefish on an Ava jig. John Bushell of Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle had plenty of bluefish reports from his customers this week. The reports came in from Seaside south to Island Beach State Park and spoke of bluefish busting on the surface. “One of our regulars was a little north of the bathing beaches in IBSP. He said as soon as the sun came up, it was non-stop small bluefish on swimmers and he also landed two small bass. He said he saw the big bluefish busting water out of casting distance and he left them biting. He was there all by himself,” Bushell said. Bluefish exploded in front of the Atlantic Bar and Grill on 24th Avenue in Seaside Park, Area 7 on IBSP and off the Bathing Beaches on IBSP. The blues are hitting just about anything, metals, mackerel, bunker and mullet. Scott Hoffman weighed in a 12-pound 12-ounce bluefish, Paul Bertero weighed in a 9-pound, 8-ounce bluefish and Carl Koger weighed in a 9-pound striped bass.

Best bets for the weekend

Al Ristori — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:50:42 +0000

Published: Thursday, September 09, 2010, 7:50 PM Updated: Thursday, September 09, 2010, 8:22 PM

Bluefish at Shark River Reef & the Mud Buoy: One of these spots usually pays off for bluefish chummers, day and night. Little tunny are a bonus during the day.

Small blues in the Island Beach surf: They’re not very big, but blues have been providing steady action on metal and small plugs this week in Island Beach State Park. That action spread up to Mantoloking on Thursday. Bigger blues feeding on large bunkers offshore may chase those baits within range of surfcasters at times.

Little tunny in the surf: Those speedy game fish just arrived for surfcasters, but a few were caught Thursday from Sandy Hook to Island Beach — and many others spotted. Boaters will have a much better shot at them. Use small lures, and reel fast!

Porgies at Sandy Hook Reef: Fins on Feathers from Leonardo had a big catch there Sunday, and the porgies were large.Capt. Stan Zagleski will probably fish his Elaine B. from Highlandsin that area on daily trips at 7 a.m. Sea bass and the one blackfish per person currently allowed are also available.

Bonito at Barnegat Ridge: Tony Arcabascio of Bayville trolled up plenty of 5-to-7-pound bonito on the Ridge on cedar plugs and Clark Spoons during Labor Day with his Maja. They’re feeding on sand eels, and should be ready to provide light tackle action for those chumming with fresh spearing.

Fluking on party boats with a research permit: Though the fluke season closed on Labor Day, the commercial seasons continue — and some party boats purchased poundage from the research quota so they can continue fluking until that poundage is caught. Check Friday’s ads for boats still fluking.

False albies, skipjack join big bluefish

BY DAN RADEL | STAFF WRITER — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:34:56 +0000

Storms don’t always mean bad news in the fishing world. After the swell from Hurricane Danielle settled, the bluefish boats out on the Shark River Reef found surprise guests in their slicks skipjacks and false albacore.

ZONE 1: VERRAZANO BRIDGE TO HIGHLANDS BRIDGE

APP.com: Fishing & Boating — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:34:55 +0000

Sam Snyder of Brown’s Point Marina in Keyport said the crabbing hasn’t been this good in years. Anglers are still finding plenty of fluke on the Keyport flats with enough keepers mixed in with the shorts to make it worthwhile. He also reported bluefish up to five pounds are now showing up in the late afternoons. Captain Mike Russo of the Sea Hawk out of Perth Amboy is making the most of the fluking until he switches over to porgies, blackfish and sea bass on Sept. 7. Kasper Pullem, Linden, got a 3 1/2-pound sea bass on last Wednesday’s trip and John Butler, Edison, got a 4-pound fluke on Tuesday. Capt Sal Cursi of the Cathy Sea will fish in the bay until Earl passes by then head back in to the ocean where he’s doing well with fluke and sea bass. Capt. George Bachert of the Angler said the ocean was flat on Thursday, despite all the warnings. Tuesday’s fishing was good in the Ambrose Channel but a tougher on Wednesday. The Angler will continue fishing for fluke after the season closes with a special permit. The Angler is one of five boats in the Raritan Bay area that has the permit. Phil Sciortino of the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported his father and uncle did real well on bluefin tuna, landing a 125 pounder and releasing a bunch more.

ZONE 4: POINT PLEASANT TO SEASIDE HEIGHTS

APP.com: Fishing & Boating — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:34:50 +0000

Ronny Bala at Fisherman’s Supply reported the fluke fishing was good in the Manasquan River this week. Ashley Hawes, 9, of Brielle, had five fluke up to 17 1/2-inches fishing with Gulp! bait. Blowfish have moved into the Upper Barnegat Bay. Anglers are finding them around Dale’s Point. Big bluefish showed up a quarter-mile off the Mantoloking beaches. They were big fish up to 15 pounds. “A lot of bait moved in. We’ll have to wait and see how the fishing shapes up after the hurricane,” Bala said. Capt. Bob Bogan of the Gambler reports the fishing has been changing constantly. “Not just day to day but almost hour by hour.” On a morning trip this week, they caught fluke and sea bass but it wasn’t very good. In the afternoon, the fishing picked up and anglers caught small weakfish, big blues and keeper fluke up to 5 pounds. Tommy Kilgannon at Pell’s Bait and Tackle reports people fishing the Manasquan River are mostly catching fluke. In Barnegat Bay, the snapper blues are getting bigger. “They’re almost bluefish,” he said. People are catching them with spearing. In the bay, blowfish are also beginning to hit hook baits and the crabbing remains good. In the Point Pleasant Canal, nighttime anglers are catching a few stripers on live eels and soft plastic shads. Blackfish are also biting in the canal. Dennis Palmatier at Murphy’s Hook House said the crabbing is still excellent from Island Heights to Good Luck Point in Barnegat Bay. The snapper blues are all over and ranging between 6 to 8 inches. Over by the BB buoy, there is a decent run of blowfish going on. Anglers anchoring up and chumming heavy with clam chum have caught up to 50 of them. Mixed in with them have been small croakers and burr fish.

ZONE 5: SEASIDE PARK TO ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK

APP.com: Fishing & Boating — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:34:49 +0000

Tom Hansen at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle said time is running out for the fluke season and they are just beginning to see the big ones. The spearing are on the move and the bigger fluke are on them. Joe Barbee nailed a 10 pounder in the Barnegat Inlet. The fluke are also in the surf. Unfortunately, Hurricane Earl may cut the season even a few days shorter. Bigger 10- to 12-pound blues are coming close enough to be caught from the beach. They are hitting metals, bunker and mullet. Mike Malek said he got a new shipment of Hercules 748H blanks into the shop. Weigh-ins from the shop this week were Bill Morgan with a 5.5-pound fluke caught with Gulp!, Joe Barbee with a 10.1-pound fluke with spearing and Craig Napolitano with a 12.2-pound bluefish that hit metal. John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle said one of his early morning customers this week found the pocket at the North Barnegat Inlet Jetty loaded with small bluefish. “He had them in the dark all night on Hopkins. These bluefish will provide that action we want until the striper run gets here time around the end of September.” Bushell said. One of their shop regulars already found some stripers. John Bartoli of North Bergen had a nice day this week fishing when he landed a 30-inch striper and a 36-inch bluefish. Some of the bigger blues are slowly making their way to the beach now. Dave Hughes at Grizz’s Bait and Tackle said the fluking is good in the Barnegat Inlet. Triggerfish are also being caught in the inlet on the rocks. He said a lot of people are doing the blowfish thing as their bite really seems to have turned on this week. “Lots of snapper blues, peanut bunker and mullet in the lagoons,” Hughes said.

Earl’s stormy seas churn things up: Point Pleasant to Great Bay fishing report

APP.com: Fishing & Boating — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:31:17 +0000