NJ Fishing forecast for Feb 10-17... Note the section about the Striped Bass kill!!

[Destroyer]

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February 10, 2011By Jimmy Fee:

Anglers are going cod crazy in the Garden State. More and more of these groundfish are being caught as the season progresses. A trip aboard the Ocean Explorer this weekend returned to the dock with more than 20 keeper codfish. Along with the cod, plenty of ling are coming over the rails.

When partyboat bottom fishing, it’s always a good idea to give yourself some kind of edge over your rail-mates. One trick that is catching the eye of more and more fishermen is attaching an Esca fish-attracting light to the rig. The Esca blinks in a green or blue light when submerged in saltwater, and this light seems to attract bottom fish. We received an email this week at OTW of an angler who used the Esca on a recent party boat trip and not only had the high hook but caught the pool-winning ling, a whopping 5-pound red hake.

Though the striped bass are a long way from New Jersey right now, there is some information worth sharing. There was yet another fish kill in the waters of North Carolina last week, where the stripers that spend the summer in our waters feed during the winter before entering the Chesapeake Bay to spawn. These fish kills have been the result of irresponsible commercial fishing practices, most notably, ocean trawling. In light of this second massive striped bass kill,the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries will be meeting Friday morning to discuss what actions should be taken. The striped bass are a shared resource, one that travels across many state lines on its migration, and the wasteful practices continuing to be allowed in North Carolina could have a negative impact on our fishing come spring. Contact the NCDMF director, Louis Daniel at this email address ([email protected]) and let him know how you feel.
(You guys in NC should make a special attempt to contact this person and give him a piece of your mind!!)


Ice conditions are becoming suspect on a number of lakes, so before heading onto the hardwater, make extra sure there is enough ice to support you. The generally accepted rule is that 4 inches is sufficient for a fisherman, but I know I feel a heck of a lot better with at least 6 inches underneath my feet. At this point, New Jersey ice fishing is probably winding down. In a couple weeks enough lakes will be open to consider dunking some shiners under a bobber for some ice-out pickerel and bass.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Conditions look borderline for the partyboat fleet this weekend with wind gusting to 25 on Saturday. Put a call into the boat the night before the trip and see if they are still planning on sailing. Provided there is still safe ice nearby (which there should be in the northern and western part of the state) perch and pickerel continue to be the most reliable options. Jigging for the panfish is the most fun, and a small ice-fishing jig tipped with a waxworm or spike will rarely be turned down by bluegills, crappie or perch.

On the Ocean Explorer out of Belmar, Captain Bobby Quinn continues to put his fares on codfish. Shorts are dominating the catches, and many trips are tallying as many as 50 throwback cod. A fair amount of keepers are being boated however, along with some ling, so most anglers are bringing home at least a couple fillets.

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