Capt. Jimmy Elliott reported that the Golden Eagle from Belmar had a good catch of mackerel today. Capt. Rich Falcone ended up to the northeast, where they had been fishing, but this time there were plenty of mackerel — and some larger ones. Coolers were filled  by some jiggers. Though freezing rain and snow is forecast for Saturday, it may be fishable offshore — and the Golden Eagle crew will be shaping up to check out the weather.

Joe Melillo, at Castaway’s Tackle in Point PLeasant, had reports today of shore fishermen catching some school stripers on Bombers from jetties in the Deal area.  

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Mackerel: Solid fishing from the east side of the Mud Hole to Ambrose. Mostly mediums so far.

Ling: Very good catches being made on Mud Hole and Shark River Reef wrecks, as well as at 17 Fathoms.

Cod: A pick on wrecks from the Mud Hole out to the east. Should get better when water finally turns much colder.

Striped bass: The boat action has been from Shark River up to Shrewsbury Rocks, but anything could happen after the storm. Joe Mellillo at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant said night fishing had been good before the storm for 24-to-28-inch bass on jetties from Belmar north at night. The surf is very dirty from the storm, but should clean up with a couple of tide changes. Melillo said the water temperature went up with the storm.

Blackfish:There had been good action inshore in 65-foot depths before the storm. The bottom water has been several degrees warmer than the surface. There’s now some action further off at 17 Fathoms.

Bluefin tuna: Unbelievably, there were bluefins surfacing off the Spring Lake Hotel in 65 feet on Wednesday.

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Capt. Jimmy Elliott called from the Golden Eagle out of Belmar this afternoon to report he’s found the concentration of mackerel after just picking in the Mud Hole yesterday. A move to Ambrose produced coolers full of medium mackerel. The Golden Eagle is sailing daily at 7 a.m. for mackerel.

Capt. Mike Copeman of Renegade from Point Pleasant said the hot afternoon striper bite north of Shark River Inlet dropped off the last two days. Another boat got into stripers earlier in the day at Shrewsbury Rocks, and the Renegade caught acouple of bass after the hot bite was over. Copeman will continue to fish the afternoons when those stripers have been hitting. Art Berkman was the angler who jigged the 40-pounder on the Renegade during Friday afternoon’s trip. He used a T-Hex jig.

Joe Blaze of Brielle had already caught and released a striper of about 30 inches on his fly rod after walking on at Island Beach State Park before I even got there after rigging my rod. Blaze said the bass hardly fought, as he was able to strip it in rather than reeling in the clack line to fight it on the fly rod. There were lots of anglers enjoying another great day on the beach, but I saw only one other fish hooked — and it got off.

Bruce Vitale of Piscataway fished aboard the Gambler from Point Pleasant with Mike Obuch from Bridgewater as they had a fine catch of ling after the first few drops weren’t productive. Vitale, who noted that the mates were very helpful when spiny dogfish interfered, also had a 5-pound cod, a conger (silver eel), and an ocean pout. A few sea bass were also caught, but had to be returned as the season is closed.

Capt. Joe Bogan fished a wreck today that was loaded with porgies. The Jamaica II from Brielle also had cod up to a 25 1/2-pounder by Trevor Daniels of Mt. Holly — plus ling. The next 14-hour trip departs at 3 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14. Thursday’s trip produced 30 or more ling per person. Kevin Matysik of Perth Amboy  bagged 81 ling and one cod.  

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Captains Bob and Mike Bogan wish they didn’t decide to make the move from stripers to cod on Saturday after the results of the last two days on the Gambler from Point Pleasant. Mike only fished the Mantoloking pipe on Thursday for a a dozen keepers up to 20 pounds plus 20 shorts — and even a 10-pound cod.  However, it appeared this morning that the south wind had killed that action. I jigged a 31-inch bass on a 6-ounce Run-Off Hammered jig, but the only other keeper was a similar bass jigged by mate Kevin Pavone - and there was just one short. Bogan couldn’t work the pipe properly with the change in wind, and eventually made the run south to the Seaside pipe – where just one short was jigged. Back north at the Mantoloking pipe there was no action at all except for the winter season’s first mackerel on a teaser. It looked like a poor ending to the very extended striper season before the skipper moved north and found some gannets diving just north of Shark River Inlet. The first drift produced instant hook-ups with a variety of sizes, and the second resulted in several 15-to-20-pound bass being boated.  Mike Bogan came down to jig the largest of 25 to 30 pounds, and he reported the Renegade from Point Pleasant (the only other boat out there) had a 40-pounder. Most anglers caught at least one or two keepers, but there were also bass as small as 20 inches. All in all, it was an incredible sight for January 6. Where were all those bass in November?

There should be more mackerel reports Saturday as the Golden Eagle and Miss Belmar Princess run out of Belmar to the Mud Hole to get the winter season started.

Joe Melillo, of Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant surf-fished locally in the afternoon, and only had one hit while plugging — though Kenny Reed of that town released a 30-inch striper when they first arrived.

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Capt. Ron Santee started out in rain with his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands, but everything was just fine for anglers on his first drift that yielded almost 20 keeper stripers. The northwest wind came on hard, and the bite was spotty before a return to the deep in the afternoon produced another flurry that also included bluefish.

Capt. Pete Wagner continues to limit on blackfish most days with his Hyper Striper from Twin Lights Marina in Highlands.  The Pete Wilcox party from Freehold limited today.

There was no repeat of the large bass bite of the day before in the Bay Head surf, though one angler reported hooking a big fish that got off.  Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, said he had reports of scattered shorts from Monmouth Beach and Sea Girt.  

The original weather forecast of an easterly blow could hardly have been more wrong, as it was into the northwest by dawn. That wind is favorable for surfcasting, and should smooth the sea.

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Nothing has changed this week to alter my forecast in last Friday’s column that fishermen will have the opportunity to use their Christmas gifts right away as there’s no sign of the fall fishery coming to a halt in the near future. Though it’s now officially winter, anglers could have fished in shortsleeves Thursday, and stripers bit like it was still November. To top it off, bluefish remain abundant for some boaters, and tuna were spotted again in quantity not far from shore.

Water temperatures had dropped into the upper 40s. Yet Bobby Bogan, captain of Gambler from Point Pleasant, reported it was back up to 50.6 degrees Thursday as he got into stripers by working patches of birds off Spring Lake. It was 75 percent shorts, though some anglers limited on bass. There were only three blues there, but one of his fares jigged a fluke. The Gambler’s offshore wreck trip Saturday produced lots of big sea bass plus some ling and bluefish. Russ Binns also got into some bird action off Spring Lake on Thursday with his Mar-Lin from Toms River, and found a couple of legal bass among shorts and a blue.

At Atlantic Highlands, Rob Semkewyc was able to make a 1.7-mile drift earlier this week, jigging bass and blues all the way on his Sea Hunter, but it was just the first shorter drift that made Thursday a success with bass and blues. After that the birds were on tuna. Ron Santee has had two weeks of good striper jigging with his Fishermen. Thursday’s first drift was very good for 40 minutes, but a lack of current after the tide change slowed the bite.

Joe Massa, of My Three Sons at Morgan Marina, joined ex-Assemblyman Guy Talerico on his Jersea Patriot from Jersey City on Wednesday as they found birds working off Long Branch and picked at bass and blues.

The best of the action was on the way back at Shrewsbury Rocks, when jigs were hit as soon as they touched bottom. Three anglers caught 15 bass over 28 inches in addition to shorts and blues.

TOP CATCHES

Surfcasting showed some signs of life Thursday morning despite the strong south wind the night before. I walked on at Island Beach State Park and released four bass up to a 30 ½-incher. Three hit metal, but the bigger bass ate a Jack Gartside mesh sand eel fly teaser tied by Joe Blaze. Joe Melillo, at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant, said there was a showing of bass up to 20 pounds on Bombers in Bay Head on Thursday morning, plus reports of bass from Spring Lake and Monmouth Beach. Allen Riley of South Plainfield caught a 30-inch striper Tuesday from the Sandy Hook surf on a Brandy’s Minnow from O.B. Fish Co., but settled for a 22-incher on a Deadly Dick on Thursday when Duke Matero from Piscataway nailed a 32-incher on a Big Ed’s 6-inch lipped swimmer.

Blackfishing remains good inshore, and mackerel should start showing in the Mud Hole very shortly. Arthur Stokes was making ice as he ran north Sunday morning, but fishing in just 40 feet off Long Branch produced 20 tog up to an 8-pounder plus twice as many shorts for his party on Fintastic from Point Pleasant. The Fintastic will sail from Clarks Landing all winter. Individual reservations can be made by contacting Stokes at (908) 752-5219.

Following are some ideas for those seeking that perfect gift for an angler.

Fishermen still using star drag conventional reels would surely appreciate an upgrade to a lever drag model. I’ve been using an HS-15 Canyon Reel, which is assembled locally. It features a wide-ranging star drag and a comfortable round handle knob and carries all the braid necessary to handle all inshore species and even small tuna. For details contact Don Parr at (732) 232-0081 or e-mail Don@CanyonReels.com.

I combined that reel with a Tsunami TSMG701XH trigger grip that’s comfortable with relatively small reel, but perfect for fishing live bunkers as well as jigging. Jerry Gomber and Nick Cicero of Tsunami have developed a line of very impressive rods at surprisingly modest cost.

Avet lever drag models have also proven to be reliable, and are widely available. The SX 5.0:1 is ideal for stripers and other inshore fishing.

Lamiglas has added some interesting models for local fishing to its high quality rod line. In spinning, the TFX 6015 and TFX 6615 are bucktail rods perfect for light tackle striper jigging. The increasing popularity of codfishing is complemented by the BL 7640 C.

Tony Maja Products (www.EZOutRodder.com) in Bayville started out with the E-Z OutRodder that makes inshore trolling so much easier and more efficient, but now offers many unique products for that fishery, including bunker spoons, bunker spoon rods and now a reel designed by Tony Arcabasio and manufactured by Canyon Reels. Color-coded braided line to adorn it is produced by FINS.

Shimano has introduced the Sustain FG series. The five reels available — the Sustain (SA) 1000FG, 2500FG, 3000FG, 4000FG and 5000FG — are offered with Shimano’s X-Ship feature, also found in the award-winning Stella FE reels, along with an innovative “kickstand” found opposite the handle side — it can easily be screwed in to either side depending on whether an angler wants a right-hand or left-hand retrieve reel. When the reel lays on a boat deck, the kickstand keeps the reel propped up so that the bail wire won’t get bent, and also protects the reel from scratches.

WaveSpin spinning reels have a unique wave-like spool designed by famed black bass fisherman Doug Hannon to prevent line tangles. I found that it works just fine for casting, while I also put the small reel through a real saltwater ringer in the hands of customers catching big stripers on live bunkers. The latest model is the DH4000Z that takes 290 yards of 30-pound braid, and has a 5.5:1 gear ratio. For information, visit www.WaveSpinReel.com. An angler’s stocking can get heavy quickly with a selection of metal jigs from Capt. Pete Meyers’ Run Off Lure Company. Meyers has a huge assortment of jigs(including hammered models) in many unique colors — and they’re made in the U.S.A. For information visit www.runoffcharters.com, or call 201 906-5077.

The Tsunami Marlin deck boots are an unbeatable value. They’re literally light as a feather, made of closed cell EVA material that’s also used on rod grips, and with an orthopedic foot bed are comfortable to wear in all weather conditions. Also check out Teunami’s Timber Lure relatively inexpensive wooden plugs, including the new 6-inch Holographic Pencil Popper with finishes so realistic that they look like plastic models. Tsunami’s 6-inch Holographic Sand Eel has been one of this fall’s hot surf striper lures.

The Snip, from Boomerang Tool Company, is a great tool for both boaters and surfcasters. It can be attached to a belt or waders via a retractable cable, and has stainless steel jaws at the end which work by compressing the sides of the unit to cut both mono and braid lines. There’s even an LED light for low light conditions. For information visit boomerangtool.com.

Shore fishermen can trade in their overturned bucket for the comfort of the Sport-Brella Chair, a portable fold-up sport chair. Unlike other fold-out sport chairs, it has an attached 360 degree swivel umbrella which can be moved from one side of the chair to the other and can be swiveled at 3 different points at the push of a button to offer complete coverage from the sun and wind at any conceivable angle. The umbrella opens out to 46 inches wide and has a UPF 50+ lining for maximum sun protection. The Sport-Brella Chair also has a built-in cup holder, bottle opener and item pouch. It folds down instantly and fits into a compact carry bag. The list is $39.99.

Captain Knoll’s Triple Play is a gift box including his Fisherman’s Soap, 60 SPF No Mess SunBlock, and 30 SPF LipGard, all in tackle box size containers. It’s made in the U.S., and available from Captain Knoll’s in Point Pleasant (201-680-8282). Visit CaptainKnolls.com.

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Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

The hot striper bite for boaters continues. At Atlantic Highlands, Capt. Rob Semkewyc said he had a 1.7-mile drift today on his Sea Hunter — and Capt. Ron Santee of the Fishermen notes he’s had 10 days in a row of solid jigging. In addition to short and keeper stripers, the Shrewsbury Rocks area also continues to produce lots of very unseasonable bluefish.

Capt. Bobby Bogan says his Gambler from Point Pleasant is still into stripers only minutes out of Manasquan Inlet, though no bluefish have been hooked there the last few trips.  

The Ocean County surf has been slow, though some bass are still being caught in Island Beach State Park.

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Capt. Rob Semkewyc said fishing keeps getting better. He ran his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands down the beach for plenty of big stripers along with shorts and even bluefish. All sorts of jigs worked, and the bite lasted all day. To top it off, Semkewyc spotted tuna. He saw birds between the channels on the way out, but continued south to get into bigger bass.

Capt. Ron Santee had his second straight day of great jigging action on his Fishermen from Atlantic Highlands

Surfcasting in northern Ocean County was poor this morning. I fished at Brick and never had a hit in very fishable surf, though Bob Correll of Bay Head lost a fish while casting next to me.

The only positive report came from an angler at Castaways Tackle in Point Pleasant who said he hit three bass in Mantoloking.

Bobby Natthews of Fishermen’s Den in Belmar Marina said blackfish results Friday on party boats there were generally good. Many anglers are buying white-legger crabs to take aboard party boats for better results.     

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There wasn’t much going on during this rainy day except for the continuation of hot striper fishing in the Island Beach surf. Betty & Nick’s in Seaside Park reported anglers were catching plenty of bass on the south end of the park by barely reeling in lures along the bottom.

Unfortunately, there were no such reports from the surf further north, though Bobby Matthews of Fishermen’s Den in Belmar landed a 27-pound striper Monday on a Tsunami eel at Mantoloking.

There were no party boat reports today, but Capt. Bobby Bogan of the Gambler from Point Pleasant said he found a mixture of some short and keeper stripers plus bluefish on Monday a couple of miles offshore near the Axel Carlsen Reef. He’ll continue shaping up daily for stripers. Bogan also saw tuna in that area.

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