Week in review 3/17 - 3/23/2008

The week in review: 3/17 -- 3/23
Well folks, it has been a week of ups and downs, depending on where you were fishing. Bunker have finally arrived in most of the back bay areas, but migratory bass have not started the usual springtime feast in northern NJ/NY. Schools of bunker and herring are being sighted out front in their northern migration.

Bass fishing is spotty at best, although some keepers are being caught. The most positive news is that schoolies keep us busy while we wait for the bigger fish to arrive.

To add further confusion, the first bluefish have been reported caught in Raritan bay. That's about 2 weeks earlier than they were here last year.

The best chance of geting a keeper is in southern NJ, and the southern bay areas where waters are a little warmer, and bass have started attacking the bunker schools.
Some decent fish are being taken in these areas, and a very nice fish was allegedly taken yesterday near the Atlantic City area.

The flounder season has started with mixed results. Again, water temperatures in the northern bays is fluctuating, and trying to surpass the 50 degree mark. Windy N/NW weather patterns don't help that, but let's have some faith. Flounder are available, though fyke netting in certain areas may have hurt the population a little.

On the freshwater side, shad are being caught in the Delaware river. A small group of dedicated anglers has been catching them for almost 2 weeks, but much effort is required. This had been hampered by higher water and some rain runoff. Shad and herring will probably not be caught with any consistency for at least a week or 2, but they are out there. As soon as the herring are caught with any regularity, the bass will not be far behind.

In the back bays and the rivers, the spring fishery is really tied into the tides. Warmer water dumps out of the rivers and creeks into the bays, so fishing at the top of the outgoing would maximize one's fishing time and productivity.

This is the time of year when a few crazy, dedicated fishermen are catching most of the fish, and others may get discouraged. If you got skunked on your last trip, ask yourself what you would do differently next time to change that. For bass, time the tides in the back bays, and remember that low light conditions produce more fish.

Fishing conditions should improve with warmer weather. A good fisherman will have several alternate plans if his location for the night doesn't work out. A hot spot isn't always hot. Just because a place was loaded with bunker yesterday, there is no guarantee they will be there today. Remember that when reading reports and seeing how others are doing.

Learning to analyze conditions, scout your locations well to maximize productivity, and maintaining flexibility in your game plan will allow you to bring more fish in. Good luck out there, folks.