NJ Fishing report-2018

[SkunkBoat]

Got out Sunday for stripers. Trolled one nice bass on a mojo early then tried snagging bunker & live-lining. Had one bass run off almost immediately but failed to hook it. After that it was all dogfish munching our baits. This was off Spring Lake and later Mantoloking.

Monday we blew off striper fishing and went to Shark River reef in flat seas. On the way out we ran thru a dozen whales (humpbacks and minkes) and a thousand dolphin eating sand eels. National Geographic kind of sight. Tried jigging for tuna but nothing. Moved on...
My brother and I got 25 keeper sea bass. Had an owl sit on a rod tip and stare us down for 5 minutes. Headed in at 2:30.
Ran into gannets diving and fish busting...thought it was tuna... I hooked up right away on a jig...no screaming runoff....it was a 25 pound striper! 8 miles out! jigged & released 3 more in the 20 - 25# range and called it a day.