The Wonderful World of Weakfish
by Frank Ruczynski


Dave's Weakfish This was the only weakfish landed during a mid-May trip to the Northern portion of New Jersey last season. Hoards of bluefish made getting a lure to any nearby weakfish almost impossible.

World-class weakfish are heading towards our coastal waters right now! Over the next few weeks, our back bays, tidal rivers, and inlets will offer anglers a chance to tangle with trophy tiderunners approaching record-sized proportions. The current all-tackle record of 19 pounds 2 ounces is shared by two anglers; Dennis Rooney with a fish caught from Jones Beach on Long Island in 1984, and William Thomas with a fish caught in Delaware Bay in 1989. More than a few seasoned weakfish veterans believe that this record could fall within the next two years. Could we see a 20-pound weakfish?

Life as a Weakfish

Weakfish start life in shallow backwater estuaries. These nursery waters tender a perfect environment for young weakfish, as they offer protection and an abundance of food. Young-of-the-year weakfish will remain in these waters until they reach sexual maturity. It is believed that 90% of weakfish reach sexual maturity by age 1, and 100% are able to reproduce by the age of 2.

During the summer months, juvenile weakfish grow rapidly and take up residence in the deeper portions of our back bays and sounds. The first signs of autumn bring cooler water and trigger a migration towards our inlets. As each day grows shorter, weakfish move southward and offshore to their wintering grounds. Many believe that weakfish spend their winters along the continental shelf from Chesapeake Bay to North Carolina. After a long cold winter, the first signs of warming initiates their migration back to our coastal waters, where a new generation of weakfish will begin.

Soon after their spring migration, weakfish are ready to spawn. Spawning can occur as early as March or as late as May, depending on a variety of conditions. It is believed that water temperature and moon stage influence spawning more so than any other factor. Spawning females move into quiet sounds where mature males will fertilize their eggs. The act of spawning usually lasts a few days, as female weakfish release their eggs over a period of time, rather than all on one occasion. Once the eggs hatch the life cycle starts all over again.

Window of Opportunity

Big weakfish can be caught throughout the warm-water months. In New Jersey waters, mid-April through June is the optimal time to target the largest of the species. During a mild winter, rod-bending action will start as early as mid- April and last well into May. If we experience below average temperatures, the best action may not occur until the first week of May and continue through the end of June. As we head into July, smaller weakfish will filter into our waters and your chances at a trophy weakfish will diminish greatly.

After years of experience, I've found the largest weakfish of the season are usually the first to visit our waters. A quick look through my logbook shows that my largest weakfish of the season are always taken during a time period of two weeks, April 26th through May 10th.

During the early part of the run, concentrating fishing efforts around late afternoon or evening outgoing tides often yields great dividends, as the warmest water temperatures will often trigger weakfish to feed. As the season continues on, look for the best action to occur during low-light conditions.

It is my belief that the amount of daylight, or lack thereof, triggers the migration of weakfish. While weakfish may be present in our waters now, water temperatures dictate when these fish will become active. Tiderunner weakfish have been taken in water temperatures as low as 54, but I've found 58 degrees to be the magic number. Once our waters hit 58 to 60 degrees, the weakfish bite becomes much more predictable.