The windy weather we continue to experience is providing a give and take scenario. Yes, it took away most of the winter fishing scene and continues to do so, even as spring has arrived, but it is providing an opportunity for boat owners to fine-tune their vessels.
Sanding, painting, and even caulking, at least on any wooden boats, are regular winter chores for any captain and crew working at the local boatyards. The mention of caulking takes me back to a Cape May boatyard when I would help my grandfather work on his boat, The Angler, during winter and spring weekends a long time ago.
After getting their boats ready, these captains can take you fishing for another popular fish that will be legal in a couple of days and I’ll talk about that also. Let’s get to the report.
A couple of charter boats, who are busy lining up clients and trips for the coming season, announced they are ready for the season. First, the Full Ahead splashed, and Capt. Bob is now waiting to get started.
Capt. Skip, of Stalker Fishing Charters, has his back bay skiff in the water and is ready to make some forays into the backwater habitat of the striped bass species. He has plenty of early-season spots that he is ready to check out.
Skip also runs a bigger boat that is available for trips into the Delaware Bay or out front into the ocean. Reach out to him to set up a trip on either, or both, of his boats.
Capt. Irv is finishing up his offseason work on the Miss Avalon, as well as the other boat in his fleet, the Avalon Lady. Irv and his son, Capt. Brandon, have targeted April 6 for their first trip of the spring blackfish season. They will leave at 8 a.m. and will return at 4 p.m. They will be posting their April schedule soon. Check it out to see when they’re sailing and plan to grab a spot at the rail.
Capt. Andrew, from the Sailor’s Delight, has had a busy winter. In addition to doing all his administrative work, like scheduling and pricing, which all captains are doing, he is not only maintaining his current vessel but preparing the Sailor’s Delight II for a season of fishing. This is his new addition to his fleet. More information about plans for the addition will follow as they become available.
Capt. Andrew, Capt. Stan, and their crew plan on starting their season in April by targeting blackfish around the local rock piles. After April, they won’t fish for blackfish until sometime in September. October and November trips for these hard fighters are also on the docket.
As they come into season, other species will be targeted on their trips along the Intracoastal Waterway and into the back bays. In late May, as their season opens, summer flounder will be a main quarry to pursue.
Other fish in the backwaters that are fair game are bluefish and striped bass. Kingfish, croakers, weakfish, and sea robins also may be caught during any trip.
Black drum is another species that they will fish for this season. The dates for these popular trips, as well as when they will run their crabbing trips, will be determined and announced at a later date. History says that most likely the trips for drum fish will start sometime in May when the dogwoods bloom and the mosquitos arrive.
The boats of the Miss Chris Marina, the Miss Chris, and the Sea Star III are preparing for the upcoming season, as well. The Miss Chris has their schedule posted on their Facebook page, which shows that they plan to run a Friday through Monday schedule for blackfish throughout April.
On April 1, the Sea Star III, their marina-mate, will post their schedule for their Prime Time Drumfish trips. You will need to make a reservation for these trips and deposits will be accepted immediately. Boarding the boat for these trips is done by the order of your reservation.
Reservations for these trips cannot be made online. These trips fill up quickly, so don’t delay grabbing the dates that you want. Call 609-884-3421 for reservations or any additional information.
Concerning the upcoming blackfish season, Capt. Chuck is aiming for the middle of April to start running his trips. If everything goes well, though, he may be able to start sooner and is looking towards April 9 as the desired date. He asks that you call for an update as we approach those dates, and everything is finalized.
As mentioned previously, you will be able to fish for blackfish soon, as in two days.
The spring season for these fish will open in two days April 1. A lot of anglers, myself included, look forward to this day. After this winter, I’m sure many others will be chomping at the bit and will be looking forward to getting their line wet. Hopefully, you took my advice from earlier
columns and prepared your gear for opening day. After our lost winter season, we need Mother Nature to shine on us for the entire month. Here’s hoping.
If you want to do some fishing right now, the local sod banks are a good area to visit. A nice bloodworm or a big chunk of clam or bunker has been known to attract a hungry striper. If you don’t mind a short ride, then you can hit the rivers and sod banks there. Stripers and perch are being caught, so the ride may be worth it. Most stripers have been shorts but there is the occasional keeper mixed in. The bottom line is you won’t know until you try.
One thing you want to remember to do is to register for the saltwater registry. Go to the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife site and look for the “Fishing in New Jersey” section. After clicking on that, just follow the links at the top of the page that you are taken to.
Get prepared and get ready to go fishing. Good luck if you get out and I’ll see you around.
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
