Fishing with Dad

Ronny Bala at Fisherman’s Supply said tuna fishing for bluefin was real hot in the Chicken Canyon last weekend but cooled off some since. There have been some striped bass at night in the surf on Mambo Minnows and Redfins. The Manasquan River is still a good place for fluke but a lot are shorts. Early in the week was good for fluke in the surf until the south winds slowed it up. The tilefishing has been very good this season reports Capt. Jeff Gutman of the Voyager. Due to some schedule changes the boat has five spots available for their next tile trip leaving at 10 p.m. this Sunday night. Gutman will be open boat ling fishing on Saturday leaving the dock at 7:30 a.m. Capt. John Cole of the Golden Touch put a charter into a nice catch of sea bass this week. Cole started out the day drifting with fish coming over the rail before switching to the anchor in the afternoon when the wind turned on. Adam LaRosa of the Canyon Runner remains hot on the trail of the tuna. They have been fishing between the Hudson and the Toms canyons catching yellowfin on the troll, chunk and jigs. Mixing in the catches have been billfish and mahi-mahi. Inshore of the canyons they also been catching some bluefin tuna. Joe Melillo of Castaways Bait and Tackle reports fluke were caught this week in the Manasquan Inlet with a mix of baits like killies and Gulp! Chris Rodic of Brick weighed in a 6-pound 4-ounce fluke. In the Point Canal blackfish are biting on clams and crabs. Tommy Kilgannon at Pell’s Bait and Tackle reports the snapper fishing is very good in the Barnegat Bay on spearing floats. They’ve had some reports of baby drum hitting sandworms in the Point Canal.

Dan Radel

Ronny Bala at Fisherman’s Supply said tuna fishing for bluefin was real hot in the Chicken Canyon last weekend but cooled off some since. There have been some striped bass at night in the surf on Mambo Minnows and Redfins. The Manasquan River is still a good place for fluke but a lot are shorts. Early in the week was good for fluke in the surf until the south winds slowed it up. The tilefishing has been very good this season reports Capt. Jeff Gutman of the Voyager. Due to some schedule changes the boat has five spots available for their next tile trip leaving at 10 p.m. this Sunday night. Gutman will be open boat ling fishing on Saturday leaving the dock at 7:30 a.m. Capt. John Cole of the Golden Touch put a charter into a nice catch of sea bass this week. Cole started out the day drifting with fish coming over the rail before switching to the anchor in the afternoon when the wind turned on. Adam LaRosa of the Canyon Runner remains hot on the trail of the tuna. They have been fishing between the Hudson and the Toms canyons catching yellowfin on the troll, chunk and jigs. Mixing in the catches have been billfish and mahi-mahi. Inshore of the canyons they also been catching some bluefin tuna. Joe Melillo of Castaways Bait and Tackle reports fluke were caught this week in the Manasquan Inlet with a mix of baits like killies and Gulp! Chris Rodic of Brick weighed in a 6-pound 4-ounce fluke. In the Point Canal blackfish are biting on clams and crabs. Tommy Kilgannon at Pell’s Bait and Tackle reports the snapper fishing is very good in the Barnegat Bay on spearing floats. They’ve had some reports of baby drum hitting sandworms in the Point Canal.

Dan Radel

Capt. Bob Bogan of the Gambler reports the catch on their evening ling trips has been improving. Anglers are averaging 10 to 15 ling on the trips that sail at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. Capt. Willy Egerter of the Dauntless reports the bottom fishing is holding steady. A couple weeks ago, they had an early shot of porgies over some rough bottom but haven’t seen much of the fish since then. They’ve been catching mostly ling out in the Mud Hole. Capt. John Cole of the Golden Touch reports very good sea bass fishing with catches of fluke and blackfish mixed in for his charters.  Capt.Bill Burdge of the Barvic will be running two open boat trips this Sunday for fluke. The boat leaves the dock at 8 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Adam LaRosa of the Canyon Runner said they recorded their fifth blue marlin catch and release since July 7 this week. The fish was estimated between 375-400 pounds and hit a trolled ballyhoo. The blue was brought boat side billed, the hook taken out and off she swam, LaRosa said. Jason Szabo at Pell’s Bait and Tackle said anglers found bigger fluke fishing around the Shrewsbury Rocks this week. Another good area was in the deeper 65-70 feet water around the Sea Girt Reef and right outside the inlet off Jenkinson’s beach. “The bigger California squid and new 6-inch Gulp were catching this week,” Szabo said.
Dennis Palmatier at Murphy’s Hook House said they’re getting a pretty good run of fluke at the Mantoloking Bridge and in the Manasquan River. Three-inch green Gulp! swimming mullet is catching. Out front, the boat fishermen are catching fluke off the bathing beaches of Island Beach State Park. “There have been some nice 5-pound fluke caught off Island Beach,” Palmatier added. The Toms River is also loaded right now with peanut bunker.
Dan Radel

Ronny Bala at Fisherman’s Supply said the Manasquan River has been real hot for fluke. “A lot of people are flying out the inlet but the river is holding a lot of 3- to 6-pound fish,” Bala said. Mike Sullivan of Point Pleasant caught a 6-pound fluke and an 8-pound fluke on the river grounds this week. Outside Bala reported there has been some talk of bluefin catches in the Glory Hole and Chicken Canyon. Capt. Jeff Gutman of the Voyager reported good action with short and keeper fluke on his trips out front. Bill Werking of Toms River had a limit catch of fish up to 3 1/2 pounds and Walt Steward of Toms River had three keepers and won the pool with a 4 1/2-pound fluke. “We have been fishing the local reefs and other rough bottom so we have also been seeing some sea bass mixed in,” Gutman said. Capt. Ron Pry of the Miss Norma K said he has been fishing the Axel Carlson Reef for fluke and pink teasers seem to be working best with squid and spearing. Pool winners this week were Ben Gibbs from Clinton with a 5-pound fluke, Sara Everett from Hamilton with a 4 1/2-pound fluke and Dave Glenny of Marlboro with a 6-pound fluke. Joe Melillo of Castaway’s Bait and Tackle said the reports he has been getting from the Manasquan River have been excellent. “The river is paved with fluke,” he said. The sharpies are still taking stripers along the beach. Savvy striper fishermen are catching fish with plugs and bucktails from Belmar to Bay Head. Joe Santoro of Manchester weighed in an 18 1/2-ounce bass, Nick Grasso of Brick had a 13 pounder and Bill Williams of Normandy had a pair at 11 and 12 pounds. Tommy Kilgannon of Pell’s Bait and Tackle said he had some reports of kingfish and croakers coming up the beaches hitting sandworms and clam strips.

Courtesy of APP.com

Dan Radel