NJ Fishing Report 2022
 

Launched the Grady on Tuesday. Didn't get to the gas dock til 2pm. Walking back to the boat from paying nearly got blown off the dock in the west wind.

It was opening day black sea bass so we tried anyway. The morning boats loaded up and were back. Crazy bite. Guys at Shark River Reef had big sea bass and some cod and pollack

Got to Sea Girt reef 5 miles and it was ugly tight 3 -4 whitecaps, wind howling at 30+

Did not even attempt anchoring. Found a big rockpile and a 100' barge and tried to hold over them.

Steady bites, swinging doubles but they were small. Managed 3 keepers, biggest 16". Ran in toward beach to get out of the mess. Tried the Rocks at the Red Church near Long Branch. No life. Caught a spiny dogfish and that put the nail in it. back at dock by 4 pm

I give you a lot of credit for heading out, me, I don't think so, but at least you did manage a few keepers. Nice going and be safe.

Yikes. Kudos to you and glad you got back safe.

Much better trip this time. Limit catches of Black Sea Bass at Shark River Reef.
Then loaded up on Ling (red hake) at the Arundo. We quit just as the fog started rolling in. 14 miles in the fog. Good thing I have radar and AIS.

Here you go again, showing off, but you do know,

WE ALL LUV SHOW OFFS!!!



Nice catch and those Ling are delicious eating.


:nice:



Tough fog this morning, when I got up at 05:30, I could just about see the house across the street. Anyone heading out, be careful and be safe.

Shark River reef still hot for seabass. Got two more boat limits over the weekend.

I hear of big stripers from dock buddies just off Sea Girt beach on out to 60ft....EARLY AM thing.

No Bluefin tuna reports except Hudson canyon.

Finally a fishing report. I was wondering how come no one went out for a while. Sea bass, good eating and nice going. The bass are still hot, especially in Jamaica Bay, trolling Mojo's. Those Yellow eyed demons showed up, but I'm not hearing to much about them, YET.
Well Done
G

Nice knot heads Skunk

Skunk what is your preferred bait for the bsb? I realize that when they are swarming about anything will work, just curious what you like to use.

CLAM is ALWAYS good. We use salted clam or frozen salted clam.
However, around here were have Bergalls aka Cunner which is a small wrasse fish related to Blackfish aka Tautog. They can put a hurting on a gallon of clam.

When they are a problem stealing clam they become the bait. Excellent bait. Tough and FREE. Fillet both sides, cut that in half and you have 4 great baits.

When seabass are keyed on sandeels you can jig them pretty well.

Seabass are always puking up crabs and lobsters so thats an expensive option.

Catching dock stripers in Manasquan river.
There is a V20 at the dock in the background. Anybody here?
You are in a hot slip for stripers at night on a running tide. 1/4 oz jig w/finesse body, get it under the dock.

https://i.imgur.com/LkVuJyEl.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/5GCJIu9l.jpg?1


Got skunked on tuna trip. Did a stupid long 270 mile roundtrip overnight to multiple canyons and only two nice bull dolphin to show for it.:cen:
https://i.imgur.com/uDswFCxl.jpg?1

I think I'm going to start fluking at the Axel reef....:nut:

AWWWW you poor thing, no Tuna, :embarsed: but you did catch, lets see, 1 Striper at the freaking' dock and two great Mahi Mahi, so you tell me who's better than you? :sun: No wait, I'll tell you NOBODY!!!! :clap: Well done and nice looking fish. :beer: Good luck with the those flatties.

Be careful and be safe.
G

:clap:

did an easy fluking trip this morning with my sisiter and her grandson.
My sister always schools me on how to catch fluke. She didn't disappoint.
She got three slot fish (17 to 18") and one 23".
I got some throwbacks and a ling.
We were at south end of Sea Girt reef.

https://i.imgur.com/RBXxLLEl.jpg

Skunk, another day of catching some nice fish and of course with the family, nothing better than that. I saw where New Jersey changed your regs, that's great. New York changed ours too, we are allowed 4 fish of 18 1/2" and over. Last year they changed our Blue fish regs, 3 fish any size and that includes Snappers, the most ridiculous reg I think I've ever seen. Snapper are such good eating and it was how my father got me into fishing, fishing for Flounder on St. Patty's Day, back then that was the unofficial opening day for Flounder and Snapper fishing when I was a small brat. I had a bamboo pole or cane, with the line tied at the tip, hook, a float and of course no reel.

I know Giorgio is waiting on updates so...

We got out fluking at the Axel Carlson reef a couple times over the 4th weekend. Got three keepers one day and 4 keepers another. Nothing worth taking a picture but they were delicious.

The bluefin and yellowfin bite has finally started at the midrange grounds. Just need some flat weather. Going Friday.

Skunk, thanks for thinking of me!!!:happy: Four keepers, now we are talking about catching and eating, well done. :clap: Now you say the Tuna bite is on, now those will be some nice pictures. :news:
Check this out from back when. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYRgHlIWOZ4 :nice:
G

Well, conditions were certainly not what was forecast but it was fishable.

Atlantic Princess area had lots of whales, dolphins and bait...and bluefish. Nobody Caught Tuna.
Chicken canyon pots no life. GH pots no life.
Guys at Bacardi/TexasTower did the same.

Finished the day on a wreck in 110ft getting our 6 black seabass and a couple dozen ling. Lost a 3 pound fluke at the gunnel.

At least you are out there trying. :clap: It seems you are the only out there, even my friends are just sitting around. Gas prices or there aren't

any fish??

There are bluefin and yellowfin tuna showing up in the area of the Mud Hole called "Little Italy" or Humpty Dumpty. This is 16 miles east of Manasquan Inlet and easily in range for V20s.
There are 90 ft humps surrounded by 120+.. There are very big schools of cow-nosed rays and the tuna have been caught throwing poppers on top of them or jigging below them. It has been very random but these are nice fish 30# to 70#s

We are currently still in the tuna skunk phase of the season but we have watched other boats score v1

We have been catching a few 3-5 pound mahi on the mudhole lobster pots

The water temp yesterday at the pots was 78 degrees

Skunk, nice report and Mahi Mahi, hmmmm GOOOOOD, nice.:happy:
:news:Keep plugging those Tuna will find you.
G

3 seabass out at manasquan ridge and 4 nice fluke and some ling at Axel Reef. Easy day. nice...

https://i.imgur.com/FQWQRujl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/BdUppHPl.jpg

Nice report Skunk. Looks like fun times. Thanks for the report and pics. Good eating there!

Skunk, nicely done. Good to see some Fluke being caught.:nice:
G

We were pot hopping for dolphin at the Mud Hole lobster pots on Friday. Mud Hole pots are well within range of V20s. I used to fish them in mine. they start at the Shark River reef and run southeast for 20 miles and then you reach the Glory pots that run another 20 miles east. The pots run along the west edge in 180 ft, with another line out in 220ft. Its like a 20 mile weed line. This fishing lasts until the nights start getting cool in September.

Most were on trolled ballyhoo and strip baits. Did get one and lost another on lite spinning gear throwing chunks at a pot that we had trolled a fish and two knockdowns. If its calm its a good idea to go back and chunk pots that had life. Sometimes you can hit the mother lode.
Decent size. The cutting table is 24" for reference. Didn't catch any tiny ones.

The three biggest fish got away. One 10# was gaffed in the head then fell off and swam away, one broke off a bird teaser and ballyhoo rig and we watched that 15#er greyhounding away towing a bird, another 10# did three somersaults and waved goodbye. We suck fishing team... :rolleyes:

https://i.imgur.com/49wcf8vl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jtaFdoWm.jpg

Now your showing off!!! :happy: But as you know, we all love SHOWOFFS!!! :nice: Those are some real nice Mahi Mahi. :clap:
G

Very Nice! Thats my dream, to catch a Mahi off my old V. My son in law was a good fisherman, mated of charter boats heading out of Oregon inlet. Worked at Whalebone bait shop for years. Lost him in 2019. Haven't had my boat out since he passed away.

Ran out in flat calm after 1 pm today. Hit the lobster pots again, mostly trolling but we chunked a few off of two pots.
https://i.imgur.com/OUTnStRl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Hr3iE5hl.jpg

Nice job skunk, glad somebody is going out. We have been in the monsoon season for two weeks, school started back and I have been daycare for a new granddaughter because daughter and wife work for school system.

Scallop season opens next week, maybe get out then

Keep up the good work

Another day of fishing and more fish well done. Enjoy!!

Had some fishing buddies up from Pompano Beach. We fished couple days. Some Sea bass, fluke, dolphin, tilefish and yellowfin tuna.
Finally broke the tuna skunk. had to go to the Hudson Canyon to do it

Tuna were small but legal and tasty:drool:

https://i.imgur.com/MGitreal.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/Wm4jeSUl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oPqkoWfl.jpg

Look at that, you had to have friends come up from Pompano Beach to catch a tuna fish! That is a nice day of fishing, well done.

Nice catching Skunk!

5 bass over 40" and a bunch of misses this morning on Mantoloking beach ...snagging live bunker

https://i.imgur.com/z0wo4ROl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Jjt30CEl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Zq6tLtVl.png

One of my favorite fish to go for, Stripers and the 2nd is Black Fish. :love: Nicely done!!! :clap::love: You do know, that Whale won't fit in your cooler, right?? :nice:
G

Another beautiful morning at Mantoloking. Stripers and a Humpback gorging on bunker
This time I got some GoPro video

https://youtu.be/1CgQwIZQn0k

Skunk, great video!!!!!! :pic: :beer:
G

Bass are still around but the bite is not as crazy. Guess you gotta be there when they are all hungry at the same time. My sister got this 45" fish Sunday morning off Mantoloking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmQ7W8ouM50&t=4s

https://i.imgur.com/7DwkhvLl.jpg

Skunk, good video and a well done to your sister for that nice fish. :clap:

Great videos, Skunk! Nice catches, and I've never seen a humpback in person. Music choices were great, too. How cool. :clap: