NJ Fishing Report -2020

[SkunkBoat]

Some news for all you flukers out there. The guy who docks next to me was fluking at Shrewsbury Rocks, saw bunker getting busted, threw a popper and landed a 61" bluefin and hour later.

[Giorgio]

WOW a dream come true!!!! Warm water brings in the whole ocean. Tell your friend, nice job.

[SkunkBoat]

We couldn't wait any longer. "Iffy" forecast but it was flat when we left at 5 am.
Plan was to run 78 miles to the hot yellowfin tuna bite out past Triple wrecks, catch some YFT, go out to Hudson if the weather was good and troll pots for Mahi, then hit some wrecks on the way back for black sea bass.

So we reversed things, stopped after sunrise 40 miles at the Resor wreck on the way out, limited out with 20 nice black seabass in 40 minutes, then continued on to tuna.
It got "sportier as we went. Came into a fleet at 70 miles, just past the Haskell. 5 or 6 Humpback whales working bait. Seas jumped up to 3 to 5 just as we got there. We slowed to trolling speed, dropped just one rod back with a blue/white chugger daisy chain and headed to some whale blows. It got bit in 30 seconds. Boated a nice 50 inch YFT. Trolled around for a while but just kept getting little tunny (aka False Albacore aka Bonita). Went to the downwind side of some whales and drifted baits, throwing some dead peanut bunker. YFT exploded on the peanuts at the surface but our baits were down! My brother cranked his bait up and hooked up. Unprepared as always... I quickly rigged a big spinning rod with a circle hook, flipped out a peanut bunker and was on in an explosion. We boated the double, though mine took 40 minutes on that spinning combo. Never again...PAIN!

We had enough tuna. Seas were too big to go out to the Hudson pots for Mahi so we ran in to the Chicken canyon pots and found some small mahi biting. Also caught & released a small Bluefin tuna.

We managed to catch all of our target species...SUCCESS!!!

[phatdaddy]

Nice report, looks sporty in the first picture, slicking off in the last one. I like those sea bass, we only get those in the winter and not very big , a 10 - 12 inch one is a good size one down here.

Our weather forecast have been extremely inaccurate this summer. Best TV weather guy we ever had was an ex charter boat captain, he often wasn t in step with the NOAA, but was usually right.

[Giorgio]

What a way to get beat up!!! Those Sea bass are great eating and RARE Tuna steaks on the BARBIE.

[Blue_Runner]

Ok, so you happened to land two of my favorite fish to catch and eat. Wish I was there!

[SkunkBoat]

Originally Posted by phatdaddy

Nice report, looks sporty in the first picture, slicking off in the last one.

Look at the tilt of the head boat behind me. He was rolling in a trough.
It wasn't slicking off, just the angle going away...Photos never capture the sea state well. It was an honest wind blown 3 to 5 swell. About as rough as you would want to fish in a 26 footer (especially at 70 miles). A V20 would be dangerous in it.

I think we got the long runs out of our blood unless we get a 3 day 2ft or less forecast. We really want a swordfish on deck.

Seabass at the 20 mile reef site should be good and Striper fishing along the beach is about to get going strong. Bluefin tuna will be inside of 10 miles but really hard to catch. Its the fall finale and its all in range of V20s...get out there!

[SkunkBoat]

BIG Thanks to Capt Bob Bogan of the Gambler for this shot of us boating a yellowfin!

[SkunkBoat]

Fall Bass run is ON!!
We got out for the evening bite on reports from our dock buddies of stripers to 50 pounds.
Bite was off Long Branch, busting under birds. All action was on small jigs on the surface. Dropping caught dogfish.

I was using a Deadly Dick.

[Giorgio]

Gotta love the Fall, now were talking!!!
My kinda MEAT!!
Beautiful Stripers!!!!
ENJOY!!!!!