Fishing Line: January 22

It was a long and slow week, as many trips were lost to the unforgiving conditions.
The situation became stranger considering the warm spring-like temperatures over the weekend. When you walked outside, the warm weather said the fishing possibilities were there for the taking.
After checking the wind, some doubt probably crept into your mind, as it did mine. You may have taken a ride to your local beach, too, as I did. It would have been then that you realized why the weekend trips were called off ahead of time.
The wind blew steadily on the ocean, the waves were building, and there was no end in sight for the next 24 to 36 hours. With that, you could understand why the weekend was gone, even though it was only Saturday.
However, fishing occurred later in the week, but it just wasn’t the amount we’re accustomed to, considering that it’s winter, too.
Let’s check things out.
The Porgy IV got out as soon as possible after the weather cleared. There were positive and negative aspects to this trip though, so let’s check out both.
Bob Brett, of Court House, caught three keepers that all reached the 6-pound mark. With that effort, he also claimed the daily pool. Limits went to Kevin Olbrich, of Pittsgrove, and Bob Key, of Lancaster, Pa.
Unfortunately, it was the final trip of the season for Capt. Paul and his crew, so we want to wish them a pleasant well-deserved break. Enjoy it, and we all hope to see you in April.
The Osprey was out on Wednesday, which was calmer than the previous days. Fishing wasn’t as hot as hoped for, but two notable catches were made.
An angler, Walt, who was fishing with Paul Tomaski, was finally able to lay claim to his first double-digit blackfish. It weighed slightly more than 10 pounds. Paul, and another angler, Denny Mattei, were able to land a couple of keepers each. Not bad, considering numerous anglers took a zero.
Another catch of distinction went to an angler named Jim. He caught the largest blackfish of the season, a 13.2-pounder, and is now the new leader in the biggest fish of the season contest. The winning angler receives a custom rod.
The Osprey is calling it a season, at least for the time being. They cite the weather and slow fishing as the causes. They will take a break, get work done at the boatyard, and be ready to sail April 1. Enjoy your break everyone.
Make sure you keep April 4-5 open. Those are the days of the 4th Annual Wildwood Fishing and Boating Expo. There will be plenty of vendors offering everything that you could need for a fun day and a great season on the water.
Boats, kayaks, apparel, electronics, fishing poles and tackle are some of the items that will be available to check out. Seminars and demonstrations will also happen throughout the show, so make plans to attend now.
Concerning a previous week’s column, about bluefish regulations, I listed a particular link to more information. A better link, concerning details on bluefish recreational measures in 2020, is www.mafmc.org/newsfeed/2019/bluefish-2020-recreational-measures.
The previous link is being developed to update the goals and objectives of the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan, perform a comprehensive review of the bluefish sector allocations, commercial allocations to the states, and transfer processes, and initiate a bluefish rebuilding plan. Also, the council announced that 11 hearings will be held throughout the region in February and March, which are designed to gather public input for this amendment. For additional information about this action and the upcoming hearings, visit www.mafmc.org/newsfeed/2020/supplemental-bluefish-scoping-hearings.
Take care, fish if you can, and I’ll see you around.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.