quick look back

[Pebbles]

A quick look back at 2010


Dan Radel • Staff Writer • December 31, 2010

We’re not exactly feeling the heat as we end the year with a blizzard but one thing I will remember about the 2010 fishing season is that it was hot.


One of my favorite stories we did was a survey of the July ocean temperatures over 16 years from 1994 to 2010 as recorded in the log book of Capt. Bob Bogan of the Gambler.

While it wasn’t exactly a conclusive scientific report, the survey did tell us what we suspected: July water temperatures were warmer than any of the previous years he had information on.


According to his books the average mean temperature for the ocean in July was 77 degrees and there were three days when the temps climbed over 80 degrees.

While the water temps were hot, so was some of the fishing, especially the spring run of stripers. One of the best weeks of fishing was May 14-21, so keep that date on your calendar for next spring.


The bass exploded that week on the beaches and had area tackle shops calling it one for the ages. Some of the spots where anglers found the fish were Mantoloking, Lavallette and Ortley Beach. The peak of the action was Saturday, May 15. On that day stripers had the bunker corralled.


“Every rod went down. I talked to people who have decades of surf fishing experience who said they never saw fishing as good,” Ronny Bala at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Beach said.


In the midst of the action an eight-foot pygmy whale was stranded in the shallow water in the Mantoloking surf and had to be rescued by staff from Brigantine’s Marine Mammal Stranding Center. The whale unfortunately did not survive the transport to the Forked River facilities.


Overall, we did a lot of fishing from the big money tournaments to calico crab raking, to bonito fishing on the Barnegat Ridge and seine netting in the Manasquan River. I even got a chance to make my first underwater dives.

It was a fun year. But it’s always fun when your fishing and I’m already looking forward to the 2011 season.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...=2010101231063

[gjb1969]

well it was not that hot for me a many of my friends!!!

[fishinmission78]

[While the water temps were hot, so was some of the fishing, especially the spring run of stripers. One of the best weeks of fishing was May 14-21, so keep that date on your calendar for next spring.


The bass exploded that week on the beaches and had area tackle shops calling it one for the ages. Some of the spots where anglers found the fish were Mantoloking, Lavallette and Ortley Beach. The peak of the action was Saturday, May 15. On that day stripers had the bunker corralled.


“Every rod went down. I talked to people who have decades of surf fishing experience who said they never saw fishing as good,” Ronny Bala at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Beach said.

No offense Pebbles, but the fishing, on the whole, sucked this year. I was fishing that week, and lost one nice bass in the 40's, got a few more. Ronny at FS tends to exxagerate things a bit. He's not at bad as John from B&N, but you still have to hype it up if you want people to get out to the shop and buy tackle. Again, no offence meant to you, I just don't agree with the article.

[storminsteve]

I have to agree, I got some decent fish but if any of you guys were out there setting records consistently, maybe you could show me the tricks this spring. We had about a month and 1/2 of good fishing, it petered out in the summer, and the fall, if you count the area from MB to SH, was nothing to brag about. We didn't even get the onslaught of late fall litttle fish we normally get. I am definitely hoping for a better year in 2011.

[gjb1969]

well for the boat guys it was good i guessbut it all in how u look at it!!

[rip316]

I have to agree, I got some decent fish but if any of you guys were out there setting records consistently, maybe you could show me the tricks this spring. We had about a month and 1/2 of good fishing, it petered out in the summer, and the fall, if you count the area from MB to SH, was nothing to brag about. We didn't even get the onslaught of late fall litttle fish we normally get. I am definitely hoping for a better year in 2011.

Steve. Do you see where you posted about the onslaught of little fish. Well that is what Finchaser is getting at when he gets pissed that all the yahoos in the Spring take the big breeders out of the water. A 40 lb fish is about 17,18 yrs old and will hold 40 million eggs. IF people insist on taking all of the big breeders than we won't have any fish in the future. Just as a lot of guys have been bitching about not finding anymore resident bass all year round and the fact that I have heard the stories of past Novembers and Decembers of how you could go out there and catch all the runts and schoolies you wanted. There aren't any small fish around because the mothers have been caught and have not laid eggs. I hope everyone understands what I am saying here because I can't say it any clearer. SOON THERE WON'T BE ANY BASS LEFT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOU PEOPLE GET IT.

[DarkSkies]

Right on point you are, Rip. I'm not trying to argue with anyone here. Everyone is entitled to their perspective. I know Ronny, he's a good guy. He will tend to hype it up a bit to get people out there. I understand that.

IMO there is a real lack of numbers in certain striped bass year classes out there. You may not notice this in a boat because you can go the the middle of the "M&M bowl". Old timers have been grumbling for a few years now. There are a few selfish people who still think it's all BS. It's sad to think that the only thing that may convince some there are less bass is a complete moratorium. I have some friends who are hoping for that day as well, because they have given up "preaching" tp apathetic listeners.

How this will unfold is up to all of us. I still believe in fighthing to get the truth out there, and trying to educate people. Sometimes I also get discouraged. We need more people to consider what Rip and others are saying.

The sheer number of people who fish for striped bass today is higher than it has been at any point in history. Collectively, we are making a negative impact on the biomass, just by the amount of fishermen out there fishing. Many statistical models don't take this into account.

And as Finchaser and others have said, last time it could be blamed on the commercials. This time, the fault rests squarely on the shoulders of recreational fishermen.

The surf guys? Not so much...
Members have posted statistics in threads here showing that approx 5-10% of all striped bass are caught by surf and land-based fishermen. Even if you accept the possibility that the research is flawed, the surf and land-based fishermen are still in the minority when it comes to aggregate mass weight of all fish caught. Do your own searching if you doubt this.

I always prompt people to do their own research, If, after having done that, you can statistically prove the biomass is not shrinking, I would love to see those figures. As always, these are opinions here, and I would like to continue to encourage both sides of the discussion.

[BassBuddah]

2010 was the worst year for the surf for me in the last 5 years. Montauk brought some nice days of fishing, true. A lot of you young pups would not remember the glorydays of Montauk 20 years ago or more. The blitzes would last for days, not hours. The quality of surf-caught large has been declining at Montauk as well for the last 10 years. Sure the tourney winners get hyped up every year. And every year, Vito Orlando, Willy Young, Bill Wetzel, and a few other well known guys put large bass down on the scales. I haven't seen Willy land a 50 this year, though. I believe his last 50 was 2 years ago. The new "big fish" of the spring and fall surf runs on the south shore are mid to high 30's. That's a big difference.

I realize the above article may have been written from a Jersey perspective. I heard about the good action you guys had. However, I submit that the article writer was delusional. A week or so of great fishing does not make a fantastic season. Even with the end-of-year action we had at RM this year, that was basically "it" for the whole south shore. No great action at Shinnecock (that was sustained), little activity at Jones, Rockaways, or the Hampton beaches. Highly concentrated. That doesn't make a fantastic surf run at all. Just my 2 cents.

[finchaser]

Steve. Do you see where you posted about the onslaught of little fish. Well that is what Finchaser is getting at when he gets pissed that all the yahoos in the Spring take the big breeders out of the water. A 40 lb fish is about 17,18 yrs old and will hold 40 million eggs. IF people insist on taking all of the big breeders than we won't have any fish in the future. Just as a lot of guys have been bitching about not finding anymore resident bass all year round and the fact that I have heard the stories of past Novembers and Decembers of how you could go out there and catch all the runts and schoolies you wanted. There aren't any small fish around because the mothers have been caught and have not laid eggs. I hope everyone understands what I am saying here because I can't say it any clearer. SOON THERE WON'T BE ANY BASS LEFT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO YOU PEOPLE GET IT.

[cardoc765]

It's all a matter of perspective. This past year we did good. Working on the boats, I got to see that the fish after a while didn't come in close enough for surfcasters to get them. Both spring and fall, they seemed to be out of reach from the surf and further. Yes, when the bunker boats came in the action stopped. Even the blues disappeared. But I'm not gonna say the year was a total wash. Also, there have been better years than this one, I agree. But it's fishing, not catching. I know guys that if they are not killing fish all day long they think it sucked. Then there are people like me who are happy to just be out there. Even if i'm only playing C&R. We do need to conserve. It would be nice to know that everyone felt that way, including other states. A lot of guys want that trophy fish and I understand that. But take measurements and pics and let it go, especially in the spring. I do keep bass when I fish because my wife and I love to eat them as does my family. But, i do enjoy C&R as well. We have to think about what we are doing when fishing. It kills me to see guys out there catching fish after fish and letting the die and then they dont want them. On the charters, we get guys who will load up with blues and want to keep them. At the end of the trip, they decide they want us to give them away. I hate it. If you dont like to eat bluefish, let the demons go. Same with bass, fluke, or any other fish you fish for.

But all in all, this was IMO a decent year. The ones who say it wasn't are the guys who didn't get fish this year. I know that sucks, been there. We don't have to kill a million fish to make it a good year. Just my opinion. I do tell the guys on the charters, if they are not going to keep the fish at the end of the day to eat I'm letting them go. And I do exactly that. I'll risk having a line break so i can leader a blue and not gaff it, if they are not going to keep it.