Nice Weekend But...

 It could be all over. Most boats are hauling out for the season ahead of the storm. The word got out at the beach, as anglers lined the surf like a picket fence. Yesterday and today things were back to normal, as the few guys out there picked away, I spoke to the skipper on the blackfish boat and it sounded bad. The J II came in with the best catch of the weekend with full coolers of big ling. Some lucky fishermen got their Christmas fish.

Winter Fishing

 It's getting cold and you have to do your fishing between the storms. I have heard of some good catches of big unit blackfish, like the old days. The striped bass bite remains strong. No need to go on a boat this time of year, the crowds on the beach have thinned out and some times they bite all day long.

Happy Thanksgiving

We awoke to the sound of the duck hunters down on the bay the past few mornings. We also hear that a lot of boaters are out, enjoying the weather and the striped bass run. Happy Thanksgiving.

Fishing Report

 Got a couple of first hand reports. Striped bass fishing is very good and blackfishing is a struggle. Porgies are offshore and sea bass are on the winter grounds. Dog fish are solid from the surf to the canyon. Striped bass on the grill today.

Indian Summer

 Warm days and calm seas for six days in a row are making people happy. There are plenty of fish around, but catching them is another thing, I have heard the surf fishing described as the worst ever and boaters complain of stripers not biting. There are lots of bait fish for the bass to eat and they don't seem interested with hooks. I think a change in the weather will shake them up and get them biting, but what do I know.

Weather and Fishing

Last week hurricane Epsilon blocked all weather from moving and sucked all the energy out of the atmosphere. We had thick fog for a few days and a calm ocean with a long, low swell churning up the surf. Guys fishing from the sand have been crying for a couple weeks now. If anyone is catching, they are keeping it secret. Boat fisherman have been finding some big bass ( 40 lb  plus) but it is hit or miss. Inshore bottom fishing suffered but the bite out in the deep has been very good. The blackfish crew has been heading to Rhode Island to catch the jumbos, they don't even blink at a 7 lber up there. Another hurricane, Zeta, is heading this way via the inland route for the weekend.

Fall Migrations

 The storm seems to have pushed the sea bass offshore. Some nice catches of jumbos are being made 20 to 35 miles offshore. That's big boat country. The blackfish bite good inshore. Most guys fishing from the beach are complaining, but that fishing should get good next month. I still see reports of stripers coming from Maine and the Long Island boats are starting to catch the big ones. It all depends on the weather, but it should be a good fall run.

Hurricanes, Sea Bass and Tuna

 We just had another hurricane pass the Jersey shore but not in the traditional way. The storm came from inland after devastating the gulf, and brought rough seas and lots of rain. It passed quickly and the ocean has already calmed down. Sea bass opened last week with mixed results. It wasn't the lights out fishing of spring as you had to cull through all the small ones, but most did well. Lots of big porgies, triggers and blues in the mix as the big boats are already fishing 15 to 30 miles off. Friday was a nice day and all boats sailed. "Candy Bar Mike" shared some of his limit catch with us for a nice fish fry. There have been bluefin tuna feeding on bunkers around the three mile mark all summer and now some of the 100 to 200 lbers are hitting the decks of boats looking for stripers.

Time Flies

 A year has gone by since I have returned from various medical institutions. I am still confined to a wheel chair, but I do get outside to enjoy nature on nice days. I miss fishing, but keep on fighting so I can get back out there. As we used to say on the boat, "Better days are coming,"

Fall Fishing

 Had a nice visit and seafood donation from Capt Tim the other day. Striped bass on the grill, Greek style with garlic and lemon. The tuna bite continues offshore, the best it has been in many years. I also hear reports of fluke and bluefish in the surf. Sea bass opens this week.

Just Like That

 All the storms moved away and the ocean got calm. Not much going on inshore other then porgies, but it sounds like the tuna are still biting offshore. Wish I could be there.

That Time of Year

 Summer is winding down and the persistent east wind of September is blowing. There are seven tropical systems on the map. There is also a lot of fish around and you can't get to them, The back bays are the best choice now. Better days are coming.

Old Time Fishing

Eugene and the crew from NY were down for some chunking on the inshore lumps. While they did not raise any tuna, they had plenty of bonito and albacore. They also had sharks. mackeral, mahi and other exotics in the slick. Lots of fun like the old days.

Crab Cakes and Clam Chowder

 This area is known for the bounty of the bay. Blowfish are biting and anglers usually top of their trips with some clams and blue claw crabs. I would be out looking for them if I could, but was happy to accept some tasty donations.

Tropical Storms

Tropical storm Fay passed by with some wind and rain, but the cool part was the eye passing right over us. For about twenty minuets the sun came out, the sky turned blue and it was calm until the rain and wind returned for the rest of the day. The next storm, Iasias was a wind storm. It came up the Chesapeake bay and Delaware river and dumped loads of rain inland. At the coast, we had all the wind you could handle, 109 mph out on the island. When the fourth tornado warning came on the tv, the power went out. We were lucky, as it came back after twelve hours. Many people are still waiting and I wish them all the best as you don't realize how much you rely on it.

Fishing News

I can't report much because I can't catch anything looking out into the woods. If it is nice I will sit out front in the evenings trying to catch a breeze. One local angler had some fluke and a weakfish off his jet ski. We'll just call him "Capt Candy bar". Hot summer days and typical fishing.

What Happened to Our Weather?

For the past ten days or so, we have been in a Florida weather pattern. The days have been hot and calm., followed by afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Some of the squalls have been on the severe side. What a strange year.

Fluke in the Rivers

Seems like a few nice fluke are being caught in the ocean, but the better fishing is in the backwaters. Capt Tim had another limit today fishing from his skiff and we are having Capt Andy's Portugeuse style fluke for dinner.

Ocean County Zoo

Well, there is no such place, but the backyard has been busy this spring. The deer have fawns now and they move them around. I have seen some tiny deer but they grow fast. The mom's have been trying to keep them away from the coyotes. We had a small herd of deer that contained two piebald deer. This is a genetic mutation that makes them turn white. Pretty rare and cool to see. Then there is the little garter snakes, I watched one eat a frog on the patio. A week ago, a bear was on rt. 72, the highway out to Long Beach Island. I may not get around too well, but there's plenty going on in the woods.

Good Fishing

The spring sea bass season has been excellent. Even this old captain managed a few donations of sea bass and fluke. And man, did they taste good after a year without fresh fish. We had fish every day for a week and still had to put some away. Sea bass and ling in the sauce over spaghetti made me happy happy. Only a few weeks to go before the limits go down but there are some fluke around.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, enjoy the day, stay home and stay safe.

Spring

It was a winter with no snow and a handful of boats kept sailing. Usually in late winter the water is so cold nothing bites, but this year you could still catch a fish or two. Now that spring is here, we have to deal with the Chinese virus. Some boats delayed their starting dates. State parks remain open, but who knows for how long. Stripers are starting to bite in the usual places. get them while you can. Stay safe.

Super Bowl

It was a good fun game and show. We partied with fresh hot dogs from the butcher and Stewart's root beer. Now that football is finished, baseball season begins.

All Quiet at the Jersey Shore

Nothing going on down here, but it looks like some codfish are biting out on Long Island. It snowed for about fifteen minuets yesterday, and if you tried real hard, you could almost make a snowball. I had a doctor's appointment the other day and it felt good to get outside.

Seasons Greetings

I was a little under the weather over the holidays, but feel better now. I spoke to a local skipper recently who said blackfishing is not what it used to be, but we all know that. Congratulations to Randy for winning the Blackfish Triple Challenge tournament. Good luck and best fishes to everyone in the New Year.