NJ fishing reports for April 2011...www.StripersandAnglers.com

[storminsteve]

Are all the stripers between 12 and 20lbs so far this year? Haven't caught any smaller fish and I am not complaining, but wondering if there is a decline in juvenile bass.

Hey nice going c4charlie, last night was slow for us, only one bass on bunker 15lbs. The wind like others said was pretty steady and I feel it would have been better if it wasn't. As for the decline in juvenile bass, I believe there are a lot of threads on that on this site, by dark and others, just do a search. I don't know how long you have been fishing. I only have 20 years so far, and don't remember the moratorium that dark and the other guiys talk about. I can say that the last 5 years I have seen a decline in bass, both in bigger fish from the surf and the schoolies. Remember all the schoolies that used to be around in the spring and fall? Well the real small bass are no longer there. I don't know where they went but they are not in NJ. As for the bass sizes, it now seems to me the bass are similar in size. There are nights when we run into lots of keepers but they are all cookie cutter size, 29-33". That doesn't look good for the future.

I hope with the ASMFC findings they really come down hard on striped bass limits and make it only one 28-32" bass allowed for ALL ANGLERS and do away with the bonus tag, As it is, where I fish people are keeping short fish and no one cares about conservation, so we need the federal gov't to do the things that guys are not willing to do themselves. jmo

[hookset]

Nomoco beach from 6:30 to 10:30a, 2 stripers to 30", clams.

[finchaser]

Are all the stripers between 12 and 20lbs so far this year? Haven't caught any smaller fish and I am not complaining, but wondering if there is a decline in juvenile bass.[/QUOTE]

Yes it is the beginning of the end just like last time but only faster,the most prolific breeders are being wiped out now the 32 to 40 inch fish.
. There will be less and less small and large fish each year the hay day is over. But sadly the egotistical slaughter will continue

[captnemo]

We had a nice morning trolling green spoons near the channels on the first half of the ebb tide today in Raritan Bay. Kept 3 fish to 16#, released 10 others to 28#. 20-30 feet of water.

[cowherder]

Got 2 bass fishing moco oceanside for the incoming. That's strange because according to some of the reports the bite has been on the outgoing. I guess bass decide when they want to eat, and listen to their bellies. Kept my first fish a skinny 28". The next one I'm glad I was holding my rod, because she was fat! 35" and a quick weigh of 16lbs, fresh clams, and I threw a dozen cracked clams into the ocean for good measure.

[bababooey]

After I woke up I was talkin to SharkHart, who earlier I had advised that the night would probably be a bust, and it would be smart to cut the losses and call it quits early. Lo and behold, he managed to pull a few fish on artificials where he was.

I was a lttle embarassed at that, the NJ guys napping on the job, and the Philly guys coming into our state and getting the job done by fishin hard.

Darkskies you have to quit napping on the job or those Phila guys will eat your lunch!
You know the Iggles suck, and we only tolerate Phila for their great cheesesteaks, none better on the East Coast.

[c4charlie]

Thanks to the replies. I catch always keeping conversation in mind. We were catching these bigger fish and I wanted to take one last night. I keep maybe 6-8 fish a year for eating. Wife only allows the kids to eat stripers once a month due to mercury concerns. Anyway, I thought if we happen to catch one that it a little smaller, I am going to keep it. Sure enough, I got one that was 10lb which was the perfect size for a nice meal for my family and to share with my parents.

I am fishing the identical spot as last year in the same time period where I had plenty of shorts mixed in last year, where there have been 0 shorts this year and 95% in the 12-20lb range. So I think something is up.I have only been striper fishing for 5 years so I am not familiar with the cycles that have happened.

[surfwalker]

Plugged out front 5am-10am, not a tap for me. Threw a salted clam for 15 minutes and picked up a short, went back to plugging. In the vicinity that I was in, the clam guys were into Bass sporadically, and, as said in previous posts, most were above keeper size.

[stripermania]

I went out this morning and tried to plug. One guy on the beach caught a 28" using clams but there was nothing for me.

[dogfish]

I have stepped back from participation on other internet sites where I thought members were unfairly ridiculed and Admins did nothing about it. I have also been the guy to stick up for people who had been banned, when there was no one around to speak up for them. I say this so you will know that behavior is cowardly to me, and it will not go on here. We will not slam or criticize someone if they aren't here to defend themselves.

Just got a chance to read this. Dark you went overboard too much to the other side now, there is such a thing as being too nice or diplomatic. If someone doesn't want to be here, you should tell him not to let the door hit him in the azz when he leaves.
I remember on the other site when you stuck up for Patrick. That guy had been banned and reinstated like 5x. Then you started a "Who misses Patrick" thread, and shortly thereafter he was reinstated for the 6th time. Soon after that he was in a battle with the mods and got the boot again! Classic stuff.
Then you went to the aid of another internet misfit, Mikey Johnston. He threatened to sue some people, and you stuck up for him anyway. My opinion, anyone who threatens a lawsuit over internet BS is a piece of trailer trash and should be treated like the dog he is. As it was, Johnston burned a lot of people with those "patented" bucktails. . You stuck up for him, anyway, why, just because he had no one else sticking up for him?
I don't know why you do these thing do, maybe you are too kind on your sense of fairness. I really do miss the old Darkskies. You should bring him back sometime. As for now, based on your record of defending these guys, if you were betting in a horse race I would definitely be betting against you.
Tight lines and good luck fishing. Whining only serves to alienate people, though it does provide some good popcorn moments.