NJ stripers and blackfish

[SWS Regional Reports]

These past two days have produced awesome fishing. Wednesday I had Fred Baker on board for some great light tackle action with stripers and blackfish using live grass shrimp at the inlet jetty. We went three for four on 25 to 26 inch fish along with some 13 to 15 inch tog. Yesterday (Thursday) I had Nate Stein out at the same spot where he found a keeper that just made it in the cooler at 28 1/4" Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhMPoDtnj38 . These fish are here all summer. Later in the trip Nate hooked up with a 30 inch houndfish, a tropical needlefish on steroids that went for his jighead and Gulp in the new cut-through channel from the Dike to the inlet. I dropped those guys off and picked up two high school friends at the dock. We only had a two hour window to fish before land obligations took precedent. I had a bunch of leftover live grass shrimp and a rumor of weakfish.....so, why not? I set the anchor in one of our old weakfish haunts (sorry, can't say where yet) and before I could throw the second handful of chum, Steve Ondrof of Garwood, NJ had a bent rod and a screaming reel. An hour and a half of non stop battle with 2 to 3 pound weakies that were visually eating our shrimp chum alongside the boat. We went from baited hooks to artificials in a hurry. Shad darts and clouser flys were producing violent strikes. Quantity of quality. Sure, you can only keep one per man, but is that why we do it? For the fillet? Wouldn't it be infinitely cheaper to just buy all the fillet, lobster, and shrimp you could eat for the money we spend to boat and fish? Sure, the regs are unfair, but I'm not going to stop fishing for these magnificent fish that fill the bill in every way. Gorgeous colors, awesome fighters, and more often than not, blitz conditions.

I had a full boat to leave this morning (Fri) for bluefin tuna, but I called everyone at 9:00 PM last night to cancel. All the captains I talked to last night said the water at the tuna grounds (Atlantic Princess, Glory Hole) turned green and the bite was off. I didn't want to take everyone for a 50 mile boat ride if there wasn't good water. I don't mind hearing the bite was slow, but I'm not trekking 50 miles plus to fish green water and bluefish. It hurts to lose the trip but this practice has served me well in terms of people coming back.

Pics are: Nate Stein of Beach Haven holding the keeper striper. Nate also holding the houndfish. Closeup of houndfish dentures. Steve Ondrof of Garwood NJ holding a
3 pound weakie.

See you on board.

Capt. Dave DeGennaro
Hi Flier Sportfishing
732.330.5674
www.hiflier.com