Fishing with Dad

Highlight and paste the following link in your browser to register as a New Jersey Saltwater Angler.

www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/register

The following link is for registering for Federal Purposes.  You can also renew your prior license at the same link.

https://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/register/

Christmas has come and gone, and I hope that everyone had a joyous and loving break from the trials and tribulations of our everyday life.

As Father Time leads us to the end of 2011, and we get ready to embark on a new year, this is a great time to take stock of what has been happening as well as looking forward to what might come.

Before sharing some of my resolutions for the New Year, let’s take a look at what 2011 brought us on the fishing scene locally. Rather than start at the beginning of the year, I want to talk about the great December striped bass action we have been enjoying right on up to Christmas.

I have been fishing these waters for close to 60 years, and this is the best run of December fishing that I have been a part of. A combination of warm water temperatures and an abundance of sand eels have kept a large population of stripers right off our beaches. Whereas December bass are usually smaller fish, this year we have been seeing keeper bass a regular happening.

Ironically, our bass bite in the bay waters was nowhere near as good as that in the ocean.

Flashing back to the spring, our run of striped bass was a bit slow in our bay waters, but there were several weeks when anglers were catching really big bass in the bunker schools. The best action this year was just north of Barnegat Inlet, off the sands of Island Beach State Park.

The big tiderunner weakfish, which traditionally show up in the spring to spawn, never showed in any appreciable numbers. I have long said that catching these breeding fish was not doing any good to the stocks.

Now the overall weakfish population is at a very low level, with anglers being permitted to keep one fish per day. The only good news I heard on the weakfish scene was a goodly number of spike weakies that showed up in the ocean in September and October.

Summer flounder fishing was pretty much a repeat of the last several years. The rigid fishing regulations and an 18-inch minimum size make it very difficult to catch keeper fluke. Many anglers continued to talk of catching as many as 50 fluke in a day with only one or two keepers in the entire mix. Our season was a little longer into September this year, but after Hurricane Irene passed through, the fluke seemed to leave the area.

There was a decent bite of blowfish in the spring, and these tasty little critters reappeared in August and September to provide some succulent fish dinners for savvy anglers.

Bluefish arrived on schedule in spring and stayed around into late November. Although these spunky fish provided action all summer, they did not seem to be around in the large numbers of some previous years. The head boats out of Barnegat that fished for bluefish did well on big choppers in both their day and night trips.

The wreck fishing activity was pretty productive most of the year when fishing was allowed. Overly restrictive black sea bass seasons and a one fish per day limit on blackfish knocked many bottom fishermen out of the box for many of the good fishing days.

When anglers were allowed to keep sea bass, the catches were decent. After the daily limits on blackfish increased in November, boats targeted them and limit catches were a regular occasion.

Anglers who enjoy crabbing were frustrated for the most part. I heard of some good action in the northern portion of Barnegat Bay, but the action from Barnegat south to Great Bay never really got going. Those who were willing to put several hours of crabbing in could catch a dozen or two, but full bushel catches were few and far between.

As mentioned earlier, this fall was a good one for striped bass. We never really got into the bigger fish this fall, but most fishermen had few complaints about the number of fish around.

2011 was the first year for the free New Jersey registry for saltwater anglers. The federal government decreed that there must be a registry system and urged the states to do it.

New Jersey took the lead in setting up a free registry system. Once we did it, New York rescinded its fee, and Maine instituted a free system. Although I did hear some grumbling about our registry, I think it went smoothly with little real inconvenience. Just remember that this is a yearly thing, and we must register again for 2012.

Now it is time for my resolutions. I don’t have to resolve to get out on the water more in the future. I get to spend plenty of time there. What I do resolve is to take more of my family and friends out with me.

Fishing is a passion of mine, and I intend to share that passion with more people in 2012. I can’t wait for the weather to break so I can get started.

James Hutch

Courtesy APP.COM

Inshore, the action is mostly with fluke from the beaches out into depths of 70 feet. The presence of sea bass is starting to pick up on pieces of structure but it’s far from drop and reel fishing.

Capt. Ryan Bogan of the Jamaica II, Brielle, reported the good fluke fishing seems to be holding up for most trips locally and off in the distance. Bogan said there seems to be a lot of new fish moving in a number of different areas from the beach out to 70 feet of water.

Barbara Berger, of Hamilton, won a fluke pool aboard the Jamaica II this week and took the early lead in the July monthly with a 7-pound 13-ounce fluke.

Capt. Willy Egerter of the Dauntless reports they have been starting their bottom fishing trips hopping about on the reefs and rock piles inshore trying to put a few sea bass in the buckets.

“The sea bass fishing is fair right now. Anglers are catching about 2 to 6 keeper size sea bass. After we catch what we can we head off into deeper water for ling and cod,” Egerter said.

The schools of bluefish are being found at their usual haunts such as the Barnegat Ridge, the Shrewsbury Rocks, and on the edges of the Mud Hole. The blues have been finicky at times in the Mud Hole and could perhaps be starting their spawn. Little cocktail- size blues are also hitting the surf in Seaside and Island Beach State Park. Anglers are catching them on metal.

Capt. Scott Hilliard of the Prowler 5, Atlantic Highlands, said he’s finding and jigging big blues, 12 to 15 pounds, on the Shrewsbury Rocks during his magic hour trips which depart at 3:30 p.m. and return at 9:30 p.m. Anglers have caught a couple striped bass on the evening trips to the rocks.

Capt. Matt Sosnowski of the Norma K III, Point Beach, reports they had some good nights drifting for blues in the area of the Mud Hole. Sosnowski said they had landings of blues in the 7 to 12 pound range. They are fishing with cut bunker and setting up chum lines to draw the fish in.

Capt. Charlie Eble of the Doris Mae IV said the night blue fishing is excellent on the Barnegat Ridge. Anglers are boating blues up to 15 and 16 pounds fishing with bait. Sean Clayton of Manahawkin won a pool on a night trip this past week with a 15-pound bluefish.

Offshore, the white marlin are starting to give anglers a thrill. Adam LaRosa of the Canyon Runner reports they had five white marlin landings this week out in the canyons while trolling. On one trip to the Lindenkohl Canyon, Captains Phil Dulaine and Koby Treadwell went for 3- for-6 on the elusive billfish on the morning troll.

Courtesy APP.com

New Jersey Senate bill S1122, which would help create a state saltwater registry and allow New Jersey anglers avoid the mandatory $15 fee to sign up for the federal saltwater registry, will be up for discussion this Thursday in the Environment and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen. Robert Smith, D-17th District.

An assembly version of the bill has already been approved and the passage of the Senate bill would clear the way for a state registry that would exempt New Jersey saltwater fishermen from the federal requirement.

The senate bill has been down this road before. Last December, the bill was in the same position, only to become stalled without reaching the full senate for a vote.

One big stumbling block facing the registry is who will foot the bill. The cash-strapped Department of Environmental Protection, which would administer the registry, indicates that there is insufficient money to do the job.

Look for an update on the registry in this Friday’s Hook, Line & Sinker.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of anglers braving the dropping temperatures to drop a line.

Wayne Smith at Hoffman’s Marine, in his final report of the year, said the striper bite is down south and there aren’t a lot of fish being caught. “You really have to work for them,” he said, and most of the bigger fish are hitting bunker spoons.

The blackfishing has been good, he reported, with some days better than others. Last Sunday, the Paddy Wack docked with a nice bunch of blackfish up to 9 pounds. The fish were caught by Skip Boyle and Scott Sansone off Long Branch on white leggers.

Greg Bogan, at Brielle Bait and Tackle, finally had some big bass to report after a lull in the striper action. Bob Van Nostrand of Brielle brought a 27-pounder to the scales, which hit a big rubber Hogy right outside the Manasquan Inlet. Scott and Phil Beesley of Spring Lake Heights landed two bass of 31 and 17 pounds trolling just outside the inlet.

Dave Arbeitman of Reel Seat Bait and Tackle reported that the Second Annual Reel Seat Turkey Weekend Free Striped Bass Surf Tournament was a great success. A total of 17 striped bass were weighed in with first place going to to Angel Velez with a bass weighing 18.6 pounds. Scotty Pullen, of Lex Lures, took second with an 18.15 pound bass and and Jerry Taylor came in third with a 16.55-pounder.

Arbeitman also reported blackfishing remains steady on the offshore reefs and wrecks. Offshore sea bass trips are producing good numbers of sea bass up to 7 pounds, porgies up to 4 pounds, pollock up to 40 pounds and cod up to 50 pounds.

According to Arbeitman, bluefin tuna can still be found in local waters from three to eight miles off the beach. Anglers chasing them have been scoring with poppers such as Strike Pro Tuna Hunters and Yo-Zuri GT Bulls. Tuna are also being caught on Hogy softbaits and stick baits such as Sebile Stick Shads and Gibbs Tuna Candy.

Capt. Howard Bogan of the Big Jamaica sailed to the offshore wrecks over the weekend and had good fishing for giant sea bass, jumbo porgies, cod and pollock.

Capt. Bogan said there here was plenty of life on all of the wrecks they fished and he expects the fishing to be good through December as the offshore migration is just getting underway.

Capt. Ron Eble of the Doris Mae IV, Barnegat Light, reported lots of giant sea bass and jumbo porgies on Saturday’s trip along with some cod, ling and even some small blues. George Mohr, Manahawkin, took the pool with a 7-pound sea bass.

Courtesy of APP.com

If anyone plans on fishing for Striped Bass next year you need to sign up for the saltwater angler registry. DO it before 1/1/11 if done after this date you will have to pay a ridiculous fee of $15 to fish in our ocean.   They try to hide it as a count my fish initiative.  When will they stop charging us for everything we do.  Click on the following link to register….Count my Fish.  I have only been hearing of a few bass being caught lately.  Not much action going on right now in our waters.

LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP — Just south of the last million-dollar home on Long Beach Island, past a parking lot, sits the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, two-and-a-half miles of sand and scrub undisturbed by man but tormented by the ocean.

The undeveloped beaches here offer visitors a glimpse of what this island may have looked like before whalers began settling the island in the late 1600s.

The refuge shares another similarity with the pre-development days: no government-sponsored beach-replenishment projects. While the rest of the 18-mile long island is eligible for sand under a $75 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beachfill project, the refuge here is off-limits to such aid.

Fishermen and local officials worry that all that the refuge in Holgate is slowly being swept away by the Atlantic Ocean.

“It’s slowly eroding. There are only 75 or 100 feet of sand left where there were big dunes,” said Stu Duenkel, 68, of West Avenue in Beach Haven, who visits the area daily.

Duenkel said the erosion became noticeable six or eight years ago and has started to escalate. Last year, a northeaster drove surf high up and over the island, causing a breach near the refuge’s midpoint  as the Atlantic Ocean and  Barnegat Bay met.

The breach was eventually filled, but will likely happen again the next time a powerful storm creates the same conditions. Meanwhile, the erosion continues.

Far from asking for help, refuge managers say the refuge reflects nature’s way — as well as the government’s hands-off approach when it comes to federal lands.

The federal Wilderness Act prohibits any beach-replenishment at the refuge.

“It’s a barrier island and it’s very dynamic and it is moving. We’ll go out there one day in the winter and the sand is taken away and there’s nowhere to walk and then a few days later the sand is back,” said Brian Braudis, deputy refuge manager.

The federal government has designated the refuge as wilderness, which must remain undeveloped and untouched by man. U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials have said it is against the law for the agency to bring any wheeled vehicles onto the refuge or replenish or move sand here, although beach driving is permitted along the oceanfront.

The Holgate portion of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is made up of more than 400 acres of dunes, barrier beach and tidal salt marsh. The area is home to piping plovers, ospreys, black ducks, American oystercatchers, willets, seaside sparrows and more than 50 other bird species.

Duenkel said he doesn’t believe the government will get involved in saving Holgate because not enough people care to make it a political issue.

“There’s nothing here to protect except a spit of land and it’s a bird habitat. Nothing is going to get done — it’s like an ant battling Goliath — it doesn’t really benefit anyone except a few fishermen,” he said.

But local fishermen aren’t going to let the tip of the island disappear without at least trying to save it.

“This is the only area where people can see what LBI once was — when it was completely undeveloped and now it’s going to disappear. What other township in New Jersey is losing two-and-a-quarter miles of its terrain?” fisherman and local newspaper editor Jay Mann said.

Mann, of Ship Bottom, writes Jay Mann Today, a daily fishing and outdoor report/blog, and has been writing about the island’s erosion, his dispatches growing increasingly alarming.

“We’ve seen Holgate break before during the 1920s, but we’ve never seen it just disappear like this. The area is eroding unilaterally. It’s being eaten away from north to south and that’s never happened,” Mann said.

According to Mann, although the entire front beach area of Holgate is being eaten away, the Osprey Nest area is suffering worst from terminal erosion.  The Osprey Nest area serves as a landmark for local fishermen and serves as a midway marker for fishermen. The nest itself is no longer there, a victim of a previous storm.

Mann said he projects that the next really big storm will create an ocean-to-bay gash right in that area.

“It won’t be a 24/7 inlet but, instead, will become a veritable walkway from ocean to bay, possibly holding water during all higher tides,” he said.

According to Mann, seemingly no one, aside from some diehard Holgate residents, realizes that more than 200 hundred yards of uplands at the Osprey Nest have disappeared in the past 15 years.

But that’s not entirely true. U.S. Rep. John Adler said he’s seen photographs of the erosion in the refuge and he’s worried.

“It’s my job as the representative of Holgate and the island to amend the act narrowly so Holgate stays a vital part of LBI,” said Adler, who is running against Republican Jon Runyan in the November election.

Adler said he’s in favor of amending the Federal Wilderness Act to allow the government to replenish the beaches in the refuge.

But until that happens, the area will have to survive as it has in the past.

“The refuge is designated by Congress as a wilderness area and we will follow the wilderness law. If Congress wants to create a special stipulation for that they can, but I don’t think they have a lot of time for that,” said Braudis.

Donna Weaver

Somewhere between 800 to 900 excited anglers are expected to line the beaches of Island Beach State Park this Sunday, October 10th for the 19th Annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament. Most will come away fishless, but practically all will have a great time.

The tournament began 19 years ago as a way to introduce people to the pleasures of surf fishing and it quickly became a Jersey Shore tradition. It was also designed to instill an appreciation of New Jersey’s marines resources and create a day where families can come out and enjoy an activity together.

It has succeeded on all those levels — and then some.

In addition to a good time in the great outdoors, the tournament has also raised more than $120,000 for conservation projects and improved beach access. It also funds the popular weekly surf fishing seminars held at the park during the summer, one of which I had the good fortune to attend.

I’ve also been witness to the last three tournaments and they really are a good reason for a family outing. The entire park on the ocean side is open to anglers so there are plenty of places to set up shop and just enjoy the day. The event takes place rain or shine and the forecast for Sunday is sunny with temperatures in the 60s, perfect fall fishing weather.

“The first couple of years, there were bluefish blitzes all over the beaches,” said Tom Fote of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, one of the sponsors of the annual tournament.

While there were not a lot of fish caught in the last couple of tournaments, this year could be different. The surf is loaded with bait from Sandy Hook on south and the change in weather following Thursday’s storm is expected to break the fishing wide open.

Dennis Palmatier of Murphy’s Hook House in Toms River will stay open until 11 p.m. on Saturday and will open at 4 a.m on Sunday to accommodate those participating in the tournament. He’s stocking up on equipment and bait in anticipation of a large turnout.

“A lot of people make a weekend out of the tournament,” Palmatier said. Entrants come from all over New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Winning fish are determined by length, not weight, and prizes are awarded for the following species: bluefish, weakfish, kingfish, stirped bass, red drum, albacore and blackfish. There are minimum length requirements for each species and may differ from New Jersey saltwater regulations.

Prizes are awared in adult, teen and child categories for males and females.

Registration starts at 5 a.m. at Pavilion No. 1 and fishing begins at 6:30 a.m. and concludes at 1 p.m. Raffle drawings will take place between 1:30 and 2 p.m. with the awards ceremony at 2 p.m. Top of the line rods and reels are awarded for each category and the angler who catches the longest fish, wins the coveted Governor’s Cup. His or her name is inscribed on the cup and it remains on permanent display at the Park.

The fee to enter is $15 for adults, $5 for teens 13 to 17 and children 12 and under are free.

“It always makes me happy to see all the kids out fishing,” Fote said. “There’s are lots of families who have been coming to the tournament for years.” Many of the anglers came as kids and now they are bringing their children, Fote added.

He has also had the opportunity to accompany many of New Jersey’s governors and lieutenant governors who have attended the tournament.

“It (the tournament) always impresses every new governor about how important surf fishing is to the state,” Fote said. Gov. Christie will be out of the state on Sunday, but Lieutenant Gov. Kim Guadagno is expected to attend.

The event is sponsored by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Forestry, the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, the Jersey Coast Anglers Association and the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association.

I have been receiving quite a few positive fishing reports from some of our local experts and fishing captains that I would like to share. They are proof positive that there is some truly good fishing action hereabouts between summer and the arrival of the striped bass.

Andy Tonnesen at Tony’s Bait and Tackle reports a couple of his customers had a good day recently on bluefish and false albacore on the North Barnegat Ridge with blues to 15 pounds and albacore to 5 pounds. Trolling feathers, preferably white or green, worked the best on the albacore while the blues went for anything. Andy also says the action in the bay for panfish is very good right now. Mike and Vinnie Facchino were fishing with their dad off Beach Haven in the bay and ended up with 36 blowfish, along with some kingfish, porgies, bluefish, and sea bass. They were anchored up chumming with clam chum and used clam and shedder crab for baits. Scott Albertson at Scott’s Bait and Tackle in Mystic Island weighed in a 16-pound striped bass that Frank Cavallaro captured on clam at Deep Point at the mouth of the Mullica River last Saturday.

On Sunday, another bass was reported in the same area that was just short of being a keeper. Scott says the crabbing up the Mullica is good with jumbo crabs showing up all the way up the Bass River under the New Gretna Bridge.

Captain Steve Purul of “Reel Fantasea Fishing Charters” out of Barnegat reports his fishing has been a mixed bag, with action on 1-5 pound bluefish and an increase in striped-bass activity. He says the bay waters are loaded with bait fish such as peanut bunker, mullet, spot, spearing, bay anchovies and more. This bait has meant catches in the bay and inlet of big blackfish, triggerfish, spot, blowfish and more.

Jeff Bauer, mate on the Carolyn Ann III out of Barnegat Light reports good bottom fishing for sea bass, porgies, blackfish and triggerfish along with a good showing of fluke over 3-pounds. Many of their recent pool winners have been triggerfish. Robin Dennison took honors one day with a 4.5-pounder while Dave Tomkins had the pool winner last Saturday, also with a 4.5-pound fish.

Captain Dave DeGennaro of “High Flier” Charters reports doing very well on the false albacore offshore. One day he came up empty-handed on bluefin tuna and mahi but had non-stop action on albacore and skipjack. While these fish are not much for table fare, they are great action, especially on light tackle. When he locates a school of these fish, he likes to bait up 10-pound spinning rods with fresh spearing and has a ball.

When fishing in the bay, Dave has scored on weakfish with live grass shrimp and shedder crab. Also coming into his chum slick are big blowfish, kingfish, small bluefish, porgies and small sea bass. He likes fishing from the BB Buoy off Waretown to the 42 Buoy in 7-8 feet of water. He uses lots of clam chum and fresh clams for bait.

If it’s fall in southern Ocean County, there must be striped bass fishing contests coming up. The “Granddaddy” of surf fishing contests is the 56th annual Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Contest sponsored by the local chamber of commerce along with local businesses, especially bait and tackle shops.

This year’s running features the usual array of daily, weekly, session and grand prizes. You even receive prizes for paying the $30 fee to enter the contest. I entered last week at Oceanside Bait and Tackle and got my free hat, button and coupons for a car wash and slice of pizza. The contest runs from Saturday, Oct. 9 through Dec. 5.

Participating bait and tackle shops where you can sign up include Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle, Surf City Bait and Tackle, Fisherman’s Headquarters, Oceanside Bait and Tackle, and Jingles in Beach Haven.

On Oct. 9 there will be a free “Super Surf Casting Seminar” for anyone signed up for the tournament. To register for the seminar, call the Chamber at 609-494-7211, ext. 100.

In conjunction with the tournament, Valerie Zak at Oceanside Bait and Tackle will be holding her second annual LBI Surf Classic Pig Roast. Starting at 3 p.m., this block party is free to all who entered the tournament at her shop. Others are welcome to attend the festivities for a $15 fee. Val promises a good time for all, with live music, food and beverages, raffles and some guest speakers. I went last year and had a great time chowing down on some delicious food.

Then the boaters’ striper tournaments kick off with the Red Men’s annual Striped Bass Tournament based in Tuckerton. Dedicated to the memory of Robert R. Suralik Sr., the tournament will run from Oct. 22-24. There will be a captains’ meeting on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Lodge. The fee is $60 per boat, and there is a bluefish category. Additional information can be obtained by calling the Lodge at 609-296-1956 or going to the website at www.tuckertonredmen.com

Jim Hutchinson

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False albacore finally showed up in force. Reports of little tunny were received from Sandy Hook to Ortley Beach. It appears boat fishermen got the best of it, but some fish were taken from the beach as well.

Bob Matthews of Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the albie action was “just phenomenal” with one charter boat catching up to 18 of the speedsters. One customer was chasing them up and down the beach in Mantoloking, Matthews said, but just couldn’t pin them down.
He also reported good bottom fishing on sea bass and porgies, plus a lot of anglers getting their one blackfish limit. One angler brought in a 13 1/2 pounder to the Den over the weekend. Small stripers are also hitting plugs in the surf, but the bigger fish have yet to show.
Capt. Francis Bogan of the Paramount said his customers are enjoying decent bottom fishing as well with good black sea bass and ling catches. His deepwater ling trips have produced good catches along with some keeper cod coming over the rail.
Greg Bogan of Brielle Bait and Tackle also reported lots of albacore and bluefish, including some skipjacks. He said there were fish along the beach and from the Manasquan Inlet to the Manasquan Ridge, with boaters trolling small feathers and No. 1 and No. 2 squid spoons.
In the surf, Bogan reported that Bob Clayton of Brielle fished the Manasquan beach early and caught a false albacore on a clouser minnow fly. Gregg Oliver of Manasquan landed a 13-pound bluefish in the Sea Girt surf after it hit a 2-ounce piece of metal. Bogan also said the river is loaded with small, fun fish like snappers, porgies, blowfish and cocktail blues.
John Christensen at Scott’s Bait and Tackle in Bradley Beach also weighed in a big blue — a 15.3 pounder caught by Tim Galvin of Spring Lake in the surf on clams.
Wayne Smith at Hoffman’s Marina in Brielle weighed in a 98-pound bluefin but reported the overall offshore fishing was a bit slow. Inshore, he said, things are starting to develop with blues running along the beach and boats trolling up bonito and false albacore in the same areas. There are also stripers at the Shrewsbury Rocks.

This weekend, Hoffman’s will be hosting the Tuna Stakes Invitational. The week-long tournament kicks off at the Captain’s Meeting on Saturday at 6 p.m. For more information, visit tunastakes.com.

Capt. Dave DeGennaro of Hi-Flier Sportfishing, Waretown, reported the weekend fishing as “awesome.” Friday’s fishing produced stripers on light tackle, along with weakfish, blowfish and bluefish in the bay.
On Saturday, he targeted weakfish and found them biting on the west side of the bay. They aren’t big fish, he said, but most are just over the legal size.
On Sunday, Capt. Dave headed out to Barnegat Ridge North and hit plenty of false albacore. He had barely got his rods set when the first albacore of the day hit and the action didn’t stop for three hours. If you’re interested in taking a trip aboard the Hi-Flier, call 732-330-5674.
And there are still fluke to be had. Five boats that fish the Raritan Bay are sailing for fluke under a special research set aside permit. Capt. Tom Buban of the Atlantic Star out of Atlantic Highlands, who has a permit, reported good fishing over the weekend with a nice catch of keepers. The other boats are the Captain John out of Keyport, and The Angler, the Dorothy B and the Sea Tiger II out of Atlantic Highlands.

John Oswald