captnemo
04-23-2010, 05:27 PM
I didn't start this thread to tell people when to keep or not to keep. That's your choice. However I was reading Al's column and he mentioned that this spring there is an incredible bite as fish move up north to spawn in the Hudson. We had 40 bass yesterday to 25#, there were 4 of us. We could have kept 12, we kept 2. You can keep what you want, after all the law says you can. Please think of what Al says in his column though, many of these fish have not spawned yet.
Veterans impressed with striped bass run
By Al Ristori (http://connect.nj.com/user/ajristor/index.html)
April 22, 2010, 8:28PM
The precedent-setting ocean striped bass run that has been hot for two weeks continues to attract boatloads of anglers in generally beautiful weather, but there have been some slower days, and the arrival of bluefish is making it more difficult to get through to the bass.
Veteran skippers have never seen such an ocean fishery, and most wouldn’t have been aware of the striper abundance if it weren’t for the diving gannets that gave them away.
Normally we’d be using clams to catch lots of undersized schoolies and a few keepers in Raritan Bay and at Romer Shoal this month before hoping to get into a few big bass on bunker toward the end of the month. Though clams are producing, there’s been much more exciting jig fishing (just as if it were November instead of April) available for two weeks, while trollers also score with bunker spoons, Stretch plugs, and shad rigs.
In addition to the time of year, the other unusual aspect has been the fact that most of the bass are keepers in the 30-to-34-inch range, rather than bass just a few inches short. Even party boats have been limiting out on many trips, though there have been some slower days this week. The only negative is that these are pre-spawning bass that should be heading up the Hudson to fuel the stocks within a few weeks.
Anglers should take account of this in terms of taking only what they have an immediate use for — and releasing fat-bellied females that are the future of our fishery.
Even with gusty northwest winds, last weekend’s fishing was unbelievable. That was especially the case considering how poor last year’s spring run played out. While most of the bass are in the teens, there have been shots of some bigger fish.
Veterans impressed with striped bass run
By Al Ristori (http://connect.nj.com/user/ajristor/index.html)
April 22, 2010, 8:28PM
The precedent-setting ocean striped bass run that has been hot for two weeks continues to attract boatloads of anglers in generally beautiful weather, but there have been some slower days, and the arrival of bluefish is making it more difficult to get through to the bass.
Veteran skippers have never seen such an ocean fishery, and most wouldn’t have been aware of the striper abundance if it weren’t for the diving gannets that gave them away.
Normally we’d be using clams to catch lots of undersized schoolies and a few keepers in Raritan Bay and at Romer Shoal this month before hoping to get into a few big bass on bunker toward the end of the month. Though clams are producing, there’s been much more exciting jig fishing (just as if it were November instead of April) available for two weeks, while trollers also score with bunker spoons, Stretch plugs, and shad rigs.
In addition to the time of year, the other unusual aspect has been the fact that most of the bass are keepers in the 30-to-34-inch range, rather than bass just a few inches short. Even party boats have been limiting out on many trips, though there have been some slower days this week. The only negative is that these are pre-spawning bass that should be heading up the Hudson to fuel the stocks within a few weeks.
Anglers should take account of this in terms of taking only what they have an immediate use for — and releasing fat-bellied females that are the future of our fishery.
Even with gusty northwest winds, last weekend’s fishing was unbelievable. That was especially the case considering how poor last year’s spring run played out. While most of the bass are in the teens, there have been shots of some bigger fish.