Giving Thanks.
Before we get rolling, I do want to mention that many of our Central and Northern NJ stores and their owners are still displaced and suffering the aftermath of Sandy. Not just in their businesses, but in their homes as well. Please take a moment over this holiday weekend to make whatever kind of gesture you can see clear to do, to help those hit hardest by the storm. Time is not healing their wounds, but those of us fortunate enough to be spared the full devastation can make a difference. Please give what you can.
On to fishing.
Well it finally looks like the fans are going to at least slow down for Thursday and Friday and let those of us that can sneak away from family obligations to wet a line take a shot. The blowers are back on for the weekend with big seas.
Throughout the southern region there have been some encouraging highlights over the last week for both surf and boat fisherman, but without question this has been a tough nut to crack from a strategy standpoint. Sandy did a great job of screwing us up on all levels and fishing pattern is not an exception.
Take for example, bird play. In all fairness, I have not gotten out close to as much as I usually do in November, but one would think that at least one or two screaming clouds of feather would have popped up on the hundred miles or so of ocean I have covered in the FmTuna. Not the case.
My commute to the office in the morning (don’t get jealous City dwellers) is a drive on about a mile and a half of Margate/Ventnor beach which almost always requires at least one or two stops to either toss at some bait that pops up, or some nearshore bird play to examine through the binoculars. Again, not the case.
So the bad news is that we are going to have to work a little harder. The good news is that there has been some good news! I was taught sharing in kindergarten, so here is a little contribution to your upcoming holiday weekend.
First of all, you can stay close to home. The inlets themselves up and down the Southern region have been without question some of the most productive water according to shop reports (and we will get to them in a minute). You do have to take into consideration that unless your ride is a 60-foot Sportfisherman, venturing much beyond the inlets in the last 10 to 15 days would have been a little nutty, unless you want to get bounced around like a pinball. Inlet rips, edges of shoals, and good old fashioned bridge abutments and icebreakers should give you plenty of targets. Barnegat, Little Egg, Absecon, GE, Corsons, TI, Hereford, plenty of options. Go, go, go!
Next, since we have been looking at 4- to 7-foot chocolate-milk-colored surf for what seems like forever, bait is crushing and plugging is proving to be nothing more than exercise from the beach. I fished Brigantine Beach on Monday throwing bunker chunks and clam on the big rods. It took 10 ounces to hold, and even then we really were not holding (left the sputniks at home-not too bright). We hit Brigantine because the day before Capt. Andy at Riptide Bait and Tackle had a parade of keepers come into the shop for weigh-in. You gotta love a shop that meets you with bloody sidewalks from the day before.
If you are not bound by where your boat is or constrained by time, please pay close attention. The Delaware Bay is on FIRE! Grab you phone, call your favorite charter boat, like Capt. Mark from Bayhawk Charters, and get your aft out there. Big fish are being caught on fresh chunk at the 20, the 60, and the CandB. Rips fishing can get sketchy and the fish in them are smaller but still worth the shot. Dial up Capt. Chuck or Mary at Off the Hook Bait and Tackle in Cape May for hot off the presses info. While you are on the phone with them, be sure to thank them for the remarkable efforts they have been making to feed and cloth displaced victims of the storm in Central and Northern NJ. They really are wonderful people.
Moving a little further North up to Sea Isle, our buddies at Two Chums are getting lots of phone calls for bait for the upcoming holiday weekend. Not a bad idea to call ahead this time of year. Joe reports a couple bass and blues being taken from the beach but, as you know, the beaches are tough to drive and not many guys have been out. It has been a 60/40 success rate on clams vs bunker chunk down there, but something with a stink in the murky water is the plan for sure.
Mike over at Sea Isle Bait and Tackle, right up the street, echos the situation. He has both slimy fresh bunker and clams coming in. Once again, having some put on the side for you is not a bad idea as the combination of a mid-week holiday and really snotty seas for a couple weeks can damper the bait supply available to the entire coast.
Ed and Bill at Fin-Atics in Ocean City got through the blow OK, and are stocked up for the holiday. At the top of the column we spoke about working the inlets, and that is the same advice Ed had this morning. Lures are usually king this time of year in Great Egg and Corsons inlets, but with the murky water it makes sense to fish with bait. Ed is a hardcore plugger and if he is telling you to sling a clam or bunker chunk, pay attention. He has bunker that was swimming a few hours ago and clam coming in Wednesday afternoon.
Tackle Direct is one place not to call ahead for bait, they don’t sell it! But if you are planning on making a run down the Parkway for any reason this holiday week, stopping in at the monster, new showroom is a fine idea. TD has great gift card programs and all sorts of Holiday retail specials they are running. You can even send your wife next door to Produce Junction to pick up some provisions for Thanksgiving Dinner while you power shop the showroom. How’s that for topical strategy?
Still no good news about what is going on in the IBSP region as far as our network of shops. I did manage to get through to one of the crew at Dock Outfitters and they are nowhere near open. It is still residents only in that area. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of our guys that we have been unable to track down. Clearly one of the most devastated regions. Betty and Nicks, Fisherman’s Supply, Oceanside Bait and Tackle, Scott’s in Mystic… heartbreaking.
Had a few moments with the guys from Jersey Hooker Outfitters in Brick. They will be closing this afternoon and will be staying closed through the weekend. There is little fishing activity in their immediate area, due to the storm damage, with the exception of some hit and miss stripers and a few blackfish.
Fishing activity also pretty slow up in Point Pleasant where the boys from Reel Life Bait and Tackle check in. There have been some good blackfish catches in the canal on green crabs, which they are stocked up with, but fishing the beach in that area is simply not happening. Reel Life is running their big 20% off sale through the Holiday on lures, jigs, apparel and hunting accessories. Spending a couple buck in this zone is a real good way to support our community. They are open Thanksgiving from 6 am to noon and then 6 am to 6 pm throughout the weekend.
Best Bet for this weekend is to sling something with a stink on it in the inlets! Big chunk o’ bunker or a tightly wrapped clam. If driving you truck works better than driving your boat, I’d head to Cape May and jump on. With the wind backing off for Thursday and Friday at least, call ahead for bait or reservations as it may turn out to be a crazy couple of days on both fronts. The weekend itself, big seas, big winds.
Stay Tuna-ed!
Good site