As we roll into the third month of 2022, our local fishing scene seems ready to start moving forward. Many days of hopeful winter fishing were lost to the weather, as snow and wind have ruled over the first two months of the year.
The wind has actually created havoc over a longer period than that. As a result, anglers that I have spoken to are ready to get out and wet a line somewhere, anywhere. Let’s examine where we are now, as well as what we are looking forward to down the road.
As the first of March dawned, I thought of how appropriate a line from the Beatles song “Hello, Goodbye” was. As an angler, you say hello to the striped bass, as their season opens, but also goodbye to blackfish, as their winter season closes.
The spring blackfish season opens April 1, so they won’t be gone long before they’ll be gone again. Their short spring season ends at the end of the final day of April. You can enjoy this fishery from the local bridges, rock piles, or the fishing boat of your choice.
Reports of the first keeper striped bass were made by Absecon Bay Sportsman Center.
Lynn Gifford and her husband, Jimmy, checked in and reported a keeper for each of them. Jimmy weighed in a 7.25-pound specimen, while Lynn outdid him by bringing a 10.1-pound striper to the scale.
Beau Bosley checked in, via video report, to verify a keeper that he caught, then released. He’s not a rookie at catching early-season striped bass, as he has won the contest for the first keeper of the year a couple of times. The family tradition grew, as his son won last year’s season-opening contest.
The final results of the contest at Absecon Bay Sportsman Center for the first three keeper striped bass of the season went to the Giffords, who are mentioned above. Lynn took first and Jimmy took third. Second place went to Keith Campbell, who landed a 7.55-pound keeper.
A separate category, the Facebook fan bonus prize, went to Beau Bosley for his legal catch, then release, video. He qualified by being a fan of the store’s page on Facebook.
There is another fishing show coming up that you may be able to check out. The Saltwater Fishing Expo is scheduled to take place from March 18 through March 20 at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison. The show has not been held for the last two years, so everyone, show planners and exhibitors, is eager to get back to New Jersey and see everyone.
Featured speakers include “Crazy” Alberto Knie, Nick Honachefsky, and Jim Hutchinson, plus others. I have heard these three speakers before, and they are very interesting and informative.
In addition to the seminars, plenty of fishing and boating items will be available to check out, as well as purchase. The show opens at noon on Friday and runs to 8 p.m. on opening night, so plan accordingly.
If you’re starting to think about fishing, well, that’s understandable. The local head boats are getting ready and planning their schedules. If you plan on fishing with any of the local charter boats, understand that it is not too early to call and finalize the date that you want.
Striper, flounder, blackfish, and tuna trips are all filling up, so don’t delay. Also, the head boats, which usually operate on a first-come, first-served basis are occasionally available to be chartered out by a business, or large group, for their own personal trip on the water.
Finally, don’t forget to schedule your dates for a party charter. Birthdays, graduations, family reunions, bachelorette parties, outings based around weddings, and even funerals are reasons to rent out a boat for a private get-together. You can come up with any reason to enjoy a quiet, or even a
a raucous, trip on the water.
Take care, good luck if you get out, and I’ll see you around.
Submit fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
