Well, it was a slow week. Between the weather, with the combination of wind and rain that was followed by foggy conditions, then the short break between sea bass seasons, not much occurred. The captains and crews that were targeting sea bass took a few days off to rest, recover and prepare for the final push through the end of their boating seasons. A little bit of fishing was squeezed in on Wednesday, which was the final day of the third segment of the 2022 sea bass season, so we’ll see what that day, and a few more days after the weekend, provided. Let’s get started.
From now (the season actually re-opened on November 1st) through December 31st you can fish for those good eating sea bass. The length of a legal fish is still 13-inches and the bag limit will increase to 15 fish. You can also catch porgies, blue fish and blackfish (their bag-limit increases on November 16th) so you’ll have a good chance to finish each trip with a nice mixed bag.
The Sea Star III, with Captain Chuck checking in, sailed only once during the recent week. The weather and the closure between sea bass seasons were the main causes. The calm, foggy day of Wednesday though was easily pushed aside and a group of anglers was able to go fishing. For the day, the pool-winner was George Dailey of Cape May Court House. He claimed the prize by weighing in a 2.25-pound blackfish.
Also doing well that day was Paul Bodkin who caught some nice sea bass. A job well done to those anglers. Captain Irv, from the Miss Avalon, reported a nice trip which occurred before the break. The foggy weather didn’t hinder the fishing as sea bass, blue fish and plenty of porgies kept the anglers aboard active and happy. This trip was one of the deep water, 10-hour trips that Captains Irv, Brandon and Sam have been running. More are planned for, but the weather always has a say in what happens this time of year.
Also, I’m sure they and all the boats in the area will be running a special trip on November 16th for the opening of the fall blackfish season. As with these types of trips, reservations will be needed so make sure you call ahead to grab a seat and don’t get left at the dock. The Sailor’s Delight is busy hitting rock piles for blackfish. They’ve had plenty of luck during their trips that have also produced some keeper sea bass.
Linda Gilmartin has taken over the lead of the Progressive Togzilla contest which has the anglers competing to catch the largest keeper blackfish of the season. The Starfish had a good opening day as November dawned. The anglers aboard caught plenty of big sea bass, porgies and bluefish. The Starfish sails from Sea Isle City. Hands Too Bait and Tackle reported that Nate caught a very impressive 12-poundSheepshead and also had plenty of Blackfish action.
The Starlight Fleet has announced that Captain Paul will return to the wheelhouse to run some blackfish trips. The first scheduled trip for Captain Paul will be on opening day, November 16th. Check out their schedule at starlightfleetnj.com/offshore to book online either a Blackfish Trip, 10-hour Sea Bass, 18-hour Giant Sea Bass or a Deep Water Tilefish Trip.
Other information is also available. A quick check on the freshwater scene produced word of a new state record in the hybrid state bass category. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife reported that on October 9th, angler John Vayda was enjoying a day of fishing with some friends at the Monksville Reservoir in West Milford, New Jersey.
He was targeting walleye, but his day ended with something more to remember. The catch that made this a memorable day was a 16-pound, 10-ounce Hybrid Striped Bass which broke the previous record by 6-ounces.
That record was set in 1999. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection noted that a hybrid bass is a mix between a white bass and a striped bass. It was believed that this fish was part of a stocking performed by the N.J Fish and Wildlife in the spring of 2017. It wasn’t a bad week of action but one that left any autumn loving angler wanting more. Sea bass are back, porgies and bluefish are also present, and stripers and blackfish are on the horizon. Enjoy the days you get to fish and use the off-days to prepare for when you get backout on the water. Good luck, take care and I’ll see you around.
