NJ Fishing Reports for March 2013.....www.StripersAndAnglers.com

[DarkSkies]

NJ fishing reports for March 2013. ..www.StripersandAnglers.com (http://www.stripersandanglers.com/)





NJ fishing reports for March 2013...www.stripersandanglers.com (http://www.stripersandanglers.com/)


**Important when registering on our site -- use an active email address so you can activate your account to be able to post.

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:
Out Front (Ocean) OR -- Out Back (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. 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.





IF you are fishing an area that is NOT residential, being vague is less critical. For example, it's acceptable to say (Any)Park, or (Any)Bay, or mention a specific state park that has loads of parking and can handle the crowds.

1. If you are unclear on this concept, ask yourself:
If I name this place on the internet, will it be too crowded for me to enjoy tomorrow when people hear I got 30 fish here today?

2. If the answer is "Yes", then you should probably not be so specific.
More discussion on this:
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...ead.php?t=3763 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=3763)

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. :fishing:












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
GEI - Great Egg Inlet
TI - Townsend's Inlet

RB - Raritan Bay
BB - Barnegat Bay
CB - Chesapeake Bay
DB - Delaware Bay

[DarkSkies]

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.

If you struck out or got skunked, it would be helpful to hear that as well. Anyone who posts a report can win a plug even if they got skunked! :skunk::D


This month we're giving out plugs from Ace Baits, or something similar.
http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/...splay.php?f=83 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/forumdisplay.php?f=83)

Thanks for posting and helping to make this a great site! :clapping:


http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6338&thumb=1&d=1238964999 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6338&d=1238964999)

http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6340&thumb=1&d=1238965622 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6340&d=1238965622)


http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6339&thumb=1&d=1238965319 (http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6339&d=1238965319)

[DarkSkies]

2013 Prologue....


2013 will be a very different year for a lot of fishermen, particularly those who fish the surf.

There is still limited access at many ocean areas.
Bay areas wracked by Sandy's destruction are slowly being rebuilt.
There are still several areas that may take years for them to put them back together...

While it's true that Sandy Hook and Island beach will have some more access by Memorial Day, there are many areas in between that will not.
Please remember that when you are out there fishing....If you see your fellow fishermen behaving badly and littering or causing trouble., please try to speak up, or preferably report them without posing a risk to your personal safety.

We are all responsible for the Access we have as Fishermen out there......
Unfortunately each year we lose access because of the behavior of a selfish few...

Please don't let this happen...
Remember this Spring we will have twice the number of fishermen, fishing in half the number of places because of this limited access. Please try to keep that in mind when posting reports or pictures..

And please remember that the NJ striped bass season does not open up for back bays and rivers, until March 1, 2013.....
If you're catching fish there God Bless, but please keep it to yourself....:learn:
For those who can't wait till then to see fish pics, feel free to look at our Winter Fishing Thread in the Main forum.

Thanks for reading, and Best of Luck this Season....:thumbsup: :HappyWave:

[wish4fish]

fished last nite wit ledhead the tide was good but it was better before midnnight and we didnt want to cheat so we waited. by that time the tide was going out and it was cold water. used clams didn't have time to dig the secret bait we got the skunk. be back hittin it again this weekend come on spring!

[ledhead36]

^^^:skunk: Ditto, fished with w4 and some other buds last night from 12-2am. Not a touch. Water was too cold. Should hopefully find some fish this weekend. Good luck everyone

[storminsteve]

Hey guys at least you were out there trying. I may be out there this weekend. Will report if I am. Good luck to you dudes too.:HappyWave:

[lostatsea]

Yeah I give credit for that. Catch em up!

[ledhead36]

Well thanks fellas thought about fishing tonight. Checked the water temps this morning they were only 36. Later on they only went up to 39 NG for bass maybe by monday we will have some action.

[basshunter]

Fished a cape may beach late saturday afternoon. Clams and worms. One small 12" bass on the worm and that was all she wrote. Think we need some more sunny days

[VSdreams]

Something is better than nothing. You will get them next time. Thanks for the report.

[DarkSkies]

Some SI friends came over to NJ to fish the night of opening day....I think they were done by sunrise...There are some places over on their side that are probably holding a few bass now, but their season doesn't open till April 15, and they wanted to do the right thing by following the law....:thumbsup:

The following courtesy of Brian....best of luck to you and the TCB crew this season....and congrats on losing 65lbs, you will live a much longer life because of that....:clapping:

16638


The report...team TCB....:HappyWave:
"Nice to get out of the house with team TCB but no action on the first trip of the season. It was nice to talk about last season and great to be making plans for the upcoming season. Back on em the end of next week"

[porgy75]

no one is fishing at all? I hate this snow!

[ledhead36]

no one is fishing at all? I hate this snow!

wish4fish and I fished today porgy. It was a ton of work but we got some. We got out at low tide to dig some bait. Cold and nasty in the muck. Then we went to a bar for a few cold ones and waited for the tide to get better. Came back, fished for 2 hours. I got 3 he got 2. He would have had 3 but he went to smoke a tree and missed a hit on his pole. Fish hit closest to the top of the tide. That was probably when the water was warmest. Maybe 45 minutes of catching and a whole lot of waiting. All short fish and safely returned to get bigger.

[storminsteve]

Way to go dudes at least you got some!

[Monty]

wish4fish and I fished today porgy. It was a ton of work but we got some. I got 3 he got 2. All short fish and safely returned to get bigger.

Congrats on the fish guys! Great to hear you are fishing and had some action.

[bababooey]

Cold and nasty in the muck. Then we went to a bar for a few cold ones and waited for the tide to get better.

:plastered:The best part of any trip. I try to wait till after the day is over though before loading up on adult beverages. Congrats. Let me know when the small fish turn into 20 lbers.:)

[VSdreams]

The first cold water raritan keeper was weighed in yesterday. Not me a buddy texted it to me. Supposably on clams. I want to thank you guys for getting out there and fishing. I get tired of reading the internet fishing reports that don't have anything to do at all with fishing. Thanks I will be out sometime next week and will post a report when I do.

16673

[baitstealer]

Awesome congrats to the angler!

[seamonkey]

nice fish way to go

[ledhead36]

cool vs, it's time to fish:fishing:

[surferman]

Fished the delaware this morning before work. It was dirty and nasty from the rain. Still got some fish, one small striper, released, and one catfish. Worms and chicken liver.

[finchaser]

Dark check it out chicken livers you can store a bag of them in your pockets and snack on them when fishing is slow.

[ledhead36]

Good deal surfer man at least you got one. I fished the rb tonight. Last 2 hours of the incoming. It was sunny this afternoon so I was hoping for some action. Would have gotten better action at the gogo rama. Fished clams. No dice. The water temp was 46 this afternoon but its not quite ready yet. Skunk not a touch. May wait a few days before I try again.

[finchaser]

can't catch what's not there yet but nice try

[DarkSkies]

^ Team TCB came over from SI last night and got some small fish. (C&R)
As the OGB said there aren't a lot of signs to bring larger fish in yet....no small forage, creeks (in NNJ, and excluding warmer water areas) are mostly dead water and devoid of life at this time....some small fish are around but IMO there is not enough forage to sustain larger numbers and sizes in any quantity at this moment......this could change with a few days, or a week of sunny/warmer weather.

Pic courtesy of Team TCB......:HappyWave:



16697


16694

[storminsteve]

congrats to tcb!

[plugcrazy]

Nice going. I fished the back of occo last night. Windy and cold. Threw plugs and rubber. :skunk:

[hookset]

Have to be in it to win it. will be out this weekend. Good luck everyone

[rockhopper]

Jealous you guys **** that you can fish this early. We have to wait till april 15. No worries though just kidding. The hudson opens tomorrow on the 15th. Catch em up!

[storminsteve]

Never understood how they make those regulations to let you keep 18" fish up there. Good luck to you as well rockhopper.

[wish4fish]

hey tks for the report dude im telling u they r there its cold as a witches *** so it sucks. they r there will be out this weekend hitting it up and we hope to get em too!

[porgy75]

Thank you for the update that's good to know. At least there are some fish around.

[cowherder]

I was thinking about going fishing this weekend but it looks like the water temperature in the bay is still pretty cold. Ocean hasn't changed much either still around 40 degrees. Looks like slim odds of finding anything out there at the end of your line. congrats to the tcb guys for at least catching something.

[buckethead]

Give it a few days after this cold front moves through. A few sunny days, fish the late afternoon into dusk.

[surferman]

Fished the delaware again this morning. No stripers it was cold and raw. Did get 2 nice catfish though. One about 4 lbs another one was 3.

[Monty]

Fished the delaware again this morning. No stripers it was cold and raw. Did get 2 nice catfish though. One about 4 lbs another one was 3.
Congrats on getting out there and getting some action.
I'm thinking I'm at least two weeks from getting out there and doing some fishing. Looks like another cold week ahead.

[hookedonbass]

Nice going surferman at least you got out there and got something. Monty I agree this is a really slow spring to get started

[ledhead36]

Fished the back from mid morning till noon. It was cold. Sucked. One bass hit, nice, but no hookup. Please God help us out with a few more degrees. I think with the cold weather and snow every time one of us catches a bass within hours the temps drop again. I took the temp where I was it was 39 degees.

[DarkSkies]

A friend got a legal bass yesterday. Clams. Congrats. :HappyWave:

16733

[ledhead36]

Healthy looking fish wtg

[cowherder]

Nice catch!

[hookset]

This up and down weather is the pits. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say between Friday and the full moon on the 27th we should see some nice fish. I think it is a good thing in one regard. I never do that well in a year when the bay heats up quickly. The way thing are now, gradual bay and ocean warming, nothing too extreme, are years when I have done my best. We shall see, gents.

[wish4fish]

ima get me one too this week nice!

[finchaser]

healthy looking fish wtg


was

[bababooey]

Come on now finchaser that is one fish. A 6 pack charter with full crew and capt takes more in one day than one back bay fisherman could ever legally take. Surely you don't begrudge the guy a striped bass meal? If so you wouldn't like me then. :HappyWave:When ever I can take a limit I do. But I don't fish for bass that often so I feel its ok. Honestly I would rather eat seabass or tog I think they taste better,

[finchaser]

I have nothing against people keeping legal fish. I just put it in the proper tense. I'm like you I keep all my legal fluke ,blackfish, seabass,cod, true albacore and wahoo,they were made for eating. Where as IMO bass and bluefish su_k as table fare and were created for C&R.

[DarkSkies]

Someone got another keeper yesterday...sent this pic...
34" and about 13-14#....nice fish.......:HappyWave:

[porgy75]

Good deal, way to go!

[wish4fish]

yeah baby!

[ledhead36]

yeah baby!


"Yeah baby" where were you today you didn't answer my texts.:2flip: Thought you wanted to fish for a while.
I fished from 4:30-6:30. It cleared up and I had some stinky clams left. Tossed them out in raritan bay, not even a tap from a flounder, The water was 36 way too cold but I felt like going anyway. Skunk ola

[7deadlyplugs]

34 inches is a nice size for an early season bass, nice going. ledhead I have to give it to you whether you catch or not you are out there. At least you are trying. Thanks for the report and good luck.

[wish4fish]

"Yeah baby" where were you today you didn't answer my texts.:2flip: Thought you wanted to fish for a while.
I fished from 4:30-6:30. It cleared up and I had some stinky clams left. Tossed them out in raritan bay, not even a tap from a flounder, The water was 36 way too cold but I felt like going anyway. Skunk ola

sorry dude waz gettin a ld in the ggr. had sum extra cheez so it went to the hotty. ill buy the clams next time call me. nice try well get on em by fri!

[storminsteve]

ledhead you are hardcore it must have been cold. thanks for giving us hope. I will be out and about this weekend. Hope our luck is better after the sun heats up all this cold water from the snow. March comes in like a lion out like a lamb. Well I am still waiting for the lamb part lol

[rockhopper]

i'm jealous. 25 more days to go for us

[storminsteve]

rockhopper it really hasn't kicked off yet. Few fish. The cold weather is killing it! Hope you catch some cows this year!:HappyWave:

[ledhead36]

^^^ X2. fished the back from 5-7pm. Had some fresh clams and fished em.:skunk:

[seamonkey]

delaware from 5-6:30 today before work. Nothing for me. Its sunny now hope the sun keeps up. this weekend should be good.

[DarkSkies]

Someone I know sent this in. Fish was caught yesterday in the back. :HappyWave:

16745

[baitstealer]

nice fish dude! I wanted to thank you guys for giving me some incentive. I was looking at another site just to see if guys were catching and in 20 pages of talk there were only 2 reports. Thanks for staying on topic. Its nice to see people actually fishing instead of talking about everything else. I hope to get out on the weekend and will try to add something even if it's a skunk.:fishing:

[ledhead36]

nice fish dude! I wanted to thank you guys for giving me some incentive. I was looking at another site just to see if guys were catching and in 20 pages of talk there were only 2 reports. Thanks for staying on topic. Its nice to see people actually fishing instead of talking about everything else. I hope to get out on the weekend and will try to add something even if it's a skunk.:fishing:

baitstealer I try not to worry about who is catching and who isn't. I have it written down when I catch fish each year. just a simple log but it helps. I have been out a few times and got the skunk only one hit that I missed. The water is a lot colder than last year. I'm out there anyways. I know sooner or later I will get some nice fish, the heck with the lurkers and report chasers. :2flip:Some guys sit on their fat asses and wait till everyone is catching unti they set foot out the door. What happened to the old fashioned way of fishing and going out there and taking your skunks along with the catches? We are at most a week away from seeing some fish. Guys are catching every day someone gets a keeper. Good luck hope to see you out there.

My report fished tonight from 4:30-6:30 caught the skunk and the wind but nothing else. Fresh clams.

[bababooey]

I know sooner or later I will get some nice fish, the heck with the lurkers and report chasers. :2flip:Some guys sit on their fat asses and wait till everyone is catching unti they set foot out the door. .


Hey you talking about me?????:moon:
It's way too cold right now to go out for some scatttered stripers. More power to you ledhead.:clapping:
I'll wait for the finchaser report before I take my fat lazy *** out there.
Much rather stay in the house and drink toasty adult beverages on a night like this.

[cowherder]

Dark all those pics are def a tease. At least some of the guys you know are catching. Must be nuclear fish! Good to see some real fish though thanks for sharing. I checked the long range weather. After this weekend it should be getting a little milder. ledhead kudos to you you are a hardcore SOB! :headbang:

[J Barbosa]

I was out yesterday afternoon and just froze my *** off. I forgot my thick jacket at home.

I also wasn't in the mood by the time I got down to the waters edge I had missed my window of time....2 hours in traffic on the NJ turnpike!!!

Got two taps for my efforts and my brother got the same.

[jigfreak]

baitstealer I try not to worry about who is catching and who isn't. I have it written down when I catch fish each year. just a simple log but it helps. I have been out a few times and got the skunk only one hit that I missed. The water is a lot colder than last year. I'm out there anyways. I know sooner or later I will get some nice fish, the heck with the lurkers and report chasers. :2flip:Some guys sit on their fat asses and wait till everyone is catching unti they set foot out the door. What happened to the old fashioned way of fishing and going out there and taking your skunks along with the catches? We are at most a week away from seeing some fish. Guys are catching every day someone gets a keeper. Good luck hope to see you out there.

My report fished tonight from 4:30-6:30 caught the skunk and the wind but nothing else. Fresh clams.



Those are the same guys who can only catch fish in bunker blitzes. Take bunker away and most of them would have to take up golf for recreation. Nice going dark, ledhead, and johnb. There are fish out there not everywhere just yet. I fished last night. Ledhead and Jbarbosa youre right it is nasty out there. I went out right around sunset yesterday, jigged up a few shorties. Small rubber. All on the bottom. This sucks. Water needs to get at least 5 degrees warmer. Good luck gents.

[surferman]

Great effort guys! I will try to hit the delaware either this afternoon or tomorrow and report back.

[J Barbosa]

Fished 4 hours this afternoon and this stiff west wind is getting old quick. I had my warm clothes on today and was actually sweating at one point. Not even a nibble :don't know why:

hopefully tomorrow, I'm debating if I should give the bay another shot or take the kayak into some sweet water.

[storminsteve]

Keep hope alive gentlemen! Thanks for the reports will give it a try this afternoon in the back. Someone has to catch a fish on a sunny day like this might as well be one of us!

[surferman]

Delaware river from 6-8am. Two short bass on bloods c&r. This is going to be the week I can feel it.

[baitstealer]

nice going surferman at least you saw a striper. I fished the rb this morning 5:30 to 7:30. I think it was around high tide. Was using clams. :skunk: followed me home.

[DarkSkies]

A friend got a 37" bass about 20 lbs on Sat.
Just to put things in perspective, he fished 8 hours for that one fish. :thumbsup::fishing:
Congrats to all who are getting out there and putting in their time. Odds are you won't catch fish like this fishing for an hour at a time. It has been nasty and windy for the last 2 weeks. Anyone who is even out trying, deserves some :clapping: :clapping:. You people are making your own reports instead of chasing them. Whether you catch or not, great effort....well-done. :thumbsup: :HappyWave:




16753

[VSdreams]

Wow awesome catch. Congrats!

[hookedonbass]

:clapping:nice fish she's a fatty!

[storminsteve]

8 hours for 1 fish awesome!

[hookset]

Healthy looking fish dark. I fished from 3-5 back of the bay not a touch.

[seamonkey]

That is a beautiful fish congrats to the lucky angler! I fished the delaware after work yesterday till dark. The action is getting a little better. Got 3 short bass and one catfish on worms. Kept the cat and threw the bass back.

[J Barbosa]

Fished from 6-9pm tonight and got zip zero nada nothing. This stiff west wind is getting annoying.

[DarkSkies]

At least you people are out trying and giving it a shot....can't catch em from home in front of the TV or computer......:thumbsup:

Had a meeting about Drag Island last night....
As I made my way home before work this morning, I was inexplicably drawn to make a few stops.;)
In my haste to make the meeting I forgot to grab my bag. All I had was rubber, slow and low.....
Some of the places I had never fished, either dirty water or wrong tide...others it seemed any fish that were concentrated are now starting to spread out....

Was really looking to take water temps over that broad range of places.
And find places cleaner than a gas station restroom to go to the bathroom and catch a few winks in, as I have done when it's cold and breezy out there......
I did find a real nice clean bathroom, that is being cleaned and serviced every day....I was the first one to use it this morning....it was sparkling and I left it that way as I left.....
Water temps were not so encouraging.....had some trips I was thinking of making in the next 10 days....will probably put them off till water temps rise a little bit more.....

There are so many going back and forth on this about what the temps are, or where the temps should be.....

I think Fin and some of the others have said it best...
The winter 2 years ago was pretty mild. Many of us have gotten spoiled being able to fish for them outside the usual seasonal parameters.
One of the key things driving early season bass, IMO, (in addition to water temps) is bait and forage. Other than the worms starting to stir in the mud everywhere, and some S Jersey areas with warmer temps and more forage, there is not a lot of forage around now, in most areas.

Inlets and areas leading to them are still cold. Northern Back bays heat up for a day or 2 for brief windows, and then shut down again. Key on those warmer areas, spend time out there, and you will probably find some fish......Just remember that even the flounder bite that many look forward to this time of year has not even heated up yet, poor reports almost everywhere...

Overall, I may wait a bit as I have too much on the plate right now.
Still, was good to get out there after almost 2 months of not making a cast...:fishing:

[storminsteve]

Thanks for the report DS. I thought I would mention that in the other thread about your kayak battleship you said you don't get respect. Then in your report here you are talking about sleeping in bathrooms again?:scared: I can't say that I have ever napped in a bathroom. The general idea is to get in and out of them as quickly as possible. Just saying, no offense meant.:ROFLMAO :HappyWave:

[Monty]

Well finally did a little fishing this morning. Went out front and checked out one of my favorite places to fish, fished from 6:00 am to 9:30, really nice morning. Caught one short striper on a Surfstix teaser and dropped another. Was like a lake, will start my regular trips (7+ hours) next week weather permitting, this was like a warm-up (new reel :), no leaky waders:), test swam a bunch of plugs:), loosing a fish:beatin:).
Was like a lake out there, had a fun time, great to get out there.

http://rocksimpson.com/images/2013_3_30_SR2.jpg

[finchaser]

White water good for you :clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping: did you try the Cabo or another VS

[Monty]

White water good for you :clapping::clapping::clapping::clapping: did you try the Cabo or another VS
:HappyWave:
Sold a VS and (and a surfbag or two) bought a ZB, ZX2-20, used the ZB today and I liked it a lot. Its smoother, lays line nicer than the VS. The line roller turns on the ZB very nice. Will see if its as dependable as the VS which was indestructible (even after I slammed it on a rock when I fell in that hole last year).
I have used the Cabo 40 before. They are extremely smooth, very happy you pointed out that the ones we bought were the latest generation. I had problems with the one I had years ago with the anti-reverse (had to send back for a new one) and premature bail closing :wow: . But the Cabo is by far the smoothest reel I have used in the surf.

[DarkSkies]

I gotta say, Monty, with all the internet talk about when the fish will be here, and waiting for better moon cycles, etc, etc....
You disregarded that, went out there, and caught some fish.......

You're already batting much better than you did than last year, damn impressive. I know you were probably :( not to have white water in your face...:kooky:....but you'll get enough of that this season with the weather forecast in the next 2 weeks.....:laugh:....Great report, glad to see ya got some fish..:thumbsup: :HappyWave:...

Which one of surfstix's teasers caught your fish?

[Monty]

You're already batting much better than you did than last year, damn impressive.
Well not really...I was really out there to scout the beach I will be fishing, testing some plugs. I was throwing lots of 2 and 3 oz wood darters, getting the feel of them, seeing them swim some. And for the heck of it I had a Surfstix teaser on. So it really was by accident that I caught a short, if I could catch a fish when I want to then maybe it will be a step in the right direction.....loosing the second fish, well that one puts me in mid-season form :).

http://rocksimpson.com/images/2013_3_30_SB1_first_2013.jpg

[storminsteve]

Nice healthy looking fish monty! Great sunrise pics too. I fished the back bay this morning from 6-8am, the beginning of the incoming. '
Had some clams on a rod. Hoping for anything. Not even flounder nibbles. I did see some birds out far hovering maybe it was some schools of bunker. No life in close to the shoreline by me.