NJ Fishing Reports for the week of 4-7 to 4-13-2008

[bunkerjoe4]

Please post fishing reports here.......as little or as much detail as you want to give.

Please note: NO SPOT BURNING! Posts burning spots will be Edited or DELETED!
Some veteran fishermen have put in years developing and learning about certain spots.Some of these spots can only handle a few guys at a time. We are losing enough access as it is, due to the unfortunate behavior of a few selfish people. No sense in making it worse.

For some areas, it would be wiser to say:
OutFront (Ocean) OR -- OutBack (Bay) -- if you feel too many people will figure out what you are talking about. "Spot burning" also could involve mentioning something specific only to that area. If you do this, your post may be edited, or deleted. Remember that thousands of people could potentially read these posts. You don't want to be fishing next to ALL of them at the same time!

We post these reports so our community will have a sense of what is working, what is not. We want to show people how to catch fish, rather than where.Even if you struck out or got skunked, it would be helpful to hear that as well.

If you have any additional details you would like to share - weather conditions, tide (incoming, outgoing, ebb, flood) water temps, bait present, or other mention of techniques or plugs used - feel free, as long as you are not overly specific about location.

Some acronyms -

SH - Sandy Hook
NoMoCo - Northern Monmouth County (below the hook to Shark River Inlet SRI)
SoMoCo - Southern Monmouth County (below SRI to Manasquan Inlet)

OC - Ocean County
IBSP - Island Beach State Park
LBI - Long Beach Island

AC - Atlantic County
CISP - Corson's Inlet State Park
CMC - Cape May County
CMR - Cape May Rips


RB - Raritan Bay
BB - Barnegat Bay
CB - Chesapeake Bay
CBBT - Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
DB - Delaware Bay

http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/misc/progress.gif

[bunkerjoe4]

The week in review:


This has been the first week where more people are starting to catch keepers with regularity. The bite has turned on, but some bad weather has accompanied it as well. Those catching fish have been fishing in adverse conditions which can sometimes be dangerous.

This is a good time to talk about safety, being aware of your surroundings, and any escape/rescue routes if things turn bad. Some fishermen drowned in NJ's Delaware River. What started out as a fishing trip with high hopes turned into a tragedy when an anchor line allegedly got caught in the prop, capsizing the boat. The water is still very cold this time of year. Even with temps in the low 50's, your ability to survive is minimized when the air is cold.

Wearing a PFD does not make you a sissy. Even if you are a great swimmer, your chances of surviving an accident become greater if you are wearing one.

For those wading the shorelines in the back bays, there are ways to ensure a safer trip. Try to fish with a friend who can help if something happens. Have dry clothes available in your vehicle. Scout the area at low tide so you will know if there are any drops or sloughs. If you are wading out any distance from shore, try to have at least a long pvc sand spike, or a sturdy wading stick, to stabilize your progress, especially if fishing at night. If you are fishing during a noreast weather pattern, remember that one high wave can make all the difference between a wet and dry fishing trip. There are also these handwarmer packs called "Hot hands". Great invention for the cold weather fisherman.

These tips may be second nature to some, and that's great. But please don't underestimate safety procedures this time of year, folks. If a tragedy does happen while you are fishing, think how your family and friends would be impacted if you were no longer around for them.

For freshwater fishing, the Delaware River has still not consistently reached the 50's, which is usually the switch that turns on the shad and herring. People are still catching, but it's spotty. Hydroacoustical reports show the fish are passing by, but they seem to have lockjaw for now.

As for the salt, action is now being reported in more places. Flounder up to 2 1/2 lbs have been caught by those who chum heavily. Mussels seem to be a productive bait.

For bass, the popular hot spots are great, but a hot bite today does not guarantee it will be the same tomorrow. It's good to know what others are catching and when, but sometimes more productive to place emphasis on fishing the right tides/time for your trip. In the back bay areas, unless the fish are really on the feed, your best bet still is the 2 hour window at the top of the outgoing.

Guys who fished the Northeast weather patterns have been doing well, especially at night. More shorts, and some keepers, are being caught in the ocean. Now is a good time of year to have alternate plans for the night. If you set up in a spot, good time tide/time combo, and you don't even get a tap in a half hour, it's time to move to another location. This is a pain when you are bait fishing, but the guys who catch are the ones who are very mobile.

On Sunday morning, I had a short window to fish, and was out in the wind fishing a new spot. The spot, which had shown some promise, was dead when I was there. Meanwhile, guys had a great bite 10 miles (and a river away) from where I was. Stay mobile, try to be flexible in your thinking, and your chances will increase.

If you can find schools of bunker, all the better, particularly if you snag and drop. Always have a snag rig or 2 with you. Sometimes, it seems like the seals have the bunker schools all to themselves, as bass tend to shy away when there are seals feeding. I think there will be many happy fishermen when the seals finally decide to start migrating north.

These are still good times to fish for bass, though. Many places are not crowded if the weather is bad. Bundling up will allow you to take advantage of this. The big bass will be here in numbers before you know it. Good luck, and remember safety comes first. -- bunkerjoe

[fishinmission78]

RB in the back, 3 bass up to 28", clams, they're feedin.

[wish4fish]

man last night was a bass bonanza! 8 bass up to 29" out back sod banks, all put back. like they were lined up to commmit suicide by clam lol. Woo hoo there here!

[clamchucker]

Fished flounder from a boat today RB flats. We did ok, but it wasn't great, SE wind seemed to slow things down a little. 10 flatties for 2 guys, mussels.

[fishinmission78]

Fished out back RB this morning early. Saw only one short caught where I was, not by me.http://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

Wish4, you caught 8 keepers last night, put 'em all back? You're a better man than me, I woulda kept 2 for the grill.

[wish4fish]

fm, man I wish! only 2 keepers, but the bite was fast and furious, kept thinking I would get a 20, so I didn't keep any, then it stopped, dead cold, tide halfweay out.

gettin ready to go out again, outgoin rules, should be hot at 12 tonight, wish me luck.

[fishlipper]

Fished last night rb, bite didn't really turn on till late. 2 bass to 26", very light taps.

[fishinmission78]

I couldn't do anything last night. Found some bunker in a river, snag and drop got no hits.

[clamchucker]

I fished a small beach in RB today, mostly outgoing near the top, little before the flood also. Foggy, and the se wind kicked up a little, my favorite bass weather. 4 bass, 3 tiny 18", but one was 31", nice fillets. :drool:

These fish were barely hitting, don't know how some guys can fish 3 or 4 poles. Should be a good weekend if you can avoid the crowds.

[wish4fish]

nuttin for me last night, should kept one of those keepers the other night. :don't know why:

[fishlipper]

Just wanted to let the local guys know that Keansburg fishing pier will be having their first all night marathon tonight Saturday April 12 from 7pm - 7am.

Cost is $10, and a great woman named Kathy runs it. She is always helpful to fishermen, and is honest when they are catching, and not catching. :thumbsup: Fish are starting to spread out throughout the bay now, and other spots besides the most publicized ones are turning on.

If enough people show up, she may consider running some more of these things. Here's a link to her site.

http://www.keansburgamusementpark.com/Fishing-Pier-NJ.asp

Here's a picture of the Keansburg pier, the thing juts out like a freakin half mile into the bay! :dribble:

[clamchucker]

RB today inside 2 hours top of the ebb, fresh clams delivered goose eggs.

[wish4fish]

jigged some paddles in current, back of rb, only one small bass.

[clamchucker]

Hopped on a boat backside of the bay today for flounder, slow pick, got 2, mussels. Wind against tide made it a little tough, flounder fishing is not what it used to be.

[fishlipper]

Just wanted to let you guys know they allegedly busted some people for short fish at one of the hotspots last night. Got them carrying trash bags on the way out. You guys can figure out where they were from.

[wish4fish]

invasion from south of the borderhttp://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/icons/icon8.gif

[hookedonbass]

I wouldn't say south of the border, where I fish it's mostly south asia, many plastic bags being hid in the bushes or buried in the sand. then when the ranger comes they say not mine! :bonk:

[fishinmission78]

There was a decent clam bite out front IBSP today, about an hour and half early morning, I got 5 up to 24". Lots of small bait past the surfline, birds going crazy.

[FinnsnGrinns]

Fished western RB in several spots yesturday from 2-6pm with plugs no luck

[bunkerjoe4]

Just wanted to let you guys know they allegedly busted some people for short fish at one of the hotspots last night. Got them carrying trash bags on the way out. You guys can figure out where they were from.


invasion from south of the borderhttp://www.stripersandanglers.com/images/icons/icon8.gif


I wouldn't say south of the border, where I fish it's mostly south asia, many plastic bags being hid in the bushes or buried in the sand. then when the ranger comes they say not mine! :bonk:

I just wanted to intervene here and say I don't disagree with some of the experiences some of you may have had. I can believe they went down as the above people quoted them.

But when we start pointing the finger at a particular ethnic group as the bad guy for all the poaching, that's just wrong. I have seen many instances of people doing things they weren't supposed to be doing when out fishing.

I don't think there is any race or ethnic group I have witnessed who does NOT violate the law at one time or another. Therefore, it seems to me to be more an instance when someone has the opportunity to get away with it, or just doesn't care about the law, that violations are committed.

For those who feel strongly about laws being violated, I have posted the hotline #s for poaching. I'll post them again if anyone needs them. If you see something that's not right, you don't have to risk a confrontation.

Just pick up your phone, and make the call. We are all collectively responsible for the shape of our fishing resources.

In my mind, reporting it shows that you care, and want the rules to be fair for everyone. If anyone is so inclined, sometimes people (especially beginners), may be unaware of the laws. You can try to educate them if you want. But some people feign ignorance as an excuse.

Most of you folks are intelligent enough to know the difference.

If there is any doubt, please make the call. Let's not try to load it all on one ethnic group, but try to work together to police ourselves. :idea: One of the biggest dangers to fishing as we know it is apathy, or the belief that "someone else will take care of it".

In these modern times, more people seem to have that attitude, and it's our own fault. If you care passionately about something, then try to do the right thing, and always try to set an example yourself for others to follow.


Here are the numbers:


Operation Game Thief - 800-222-0456

South Jersey Warden - 609-292-7172
(877)-927-6337 609-748-2050

Sandy Hook Fishing Violations - 732-872-5970

US Coast Guard/OOD - 732-872-3428



2008 Commercial Regulations
http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/2008/comregs08.pdf (http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/pdf/2008/comregs08.pdf)



For any suspected Dumping or Environmental violations, DEP:
1-877-927-6337