I guess this period would be considered our dog days of winter. Last winter I never hurt for word of a successful fishing excursion. Someone always was out and more important, they always caught fish. What a difference a year, a snowstorm and a period of intense cold can make. Anyway, someone did go fishing this week. We’ll tell you how they did, and we’ll review one angler’s logs of his 2017 striped bass season… and why he feels it ended up the way it did. Well, let’s start with the trip.
The Cape May Lady got out last Tuesday when the weather was more than cooperative. Right now, these trips occur on a short notice basis when “bluebird weather” occurs. To translate, when the forecast shows a day or two of favorable weather, it’s a go. Those on the waiting list are alerted and give their answer, and when 15 are in, the field is set. This recent trip resulted in a “frustrating day.” Still though, a fish “around 10 pounds” took home the pool. Some Bergall’s were also caught, so even if it was slow, the anglers enjoyed the day and went home happy.
I recently received a striper season review from Bucktail Willie. As a tagger for the American Littoral Society, Bill, aka Willie, is on the water multiple times in a week. His record keeping and observations are meticulously kept and very accurate. If you want to know anything about fishing in the backwater, he’s the person to talk to. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how his striper adventures played out. Keep in mind that Bill lost multiple weeks of fishing, from early July into mid-August, due to engine problems.
Bill starts his report by saying, “2017 was my worse year for striped bass in over 15 years.” Let’s see how events played out.
Bill started wetting the line in April and caught 26 bass with lengths ranging from 20 to 31 inches. May proved to be a Jekyll and Hyde type month with the first 10 days producing 29 bass, while the rest of the month had only nine with the biggest maxing out at 26 inches.
The month of June flipped the order of May, as the first half had only eight bass, followed by the second half giving up 27 fish with seven ranging between 28 and 35 inches.
As the summer rolled on, the first 10 days of July, which is generally a very good period due to the largest-sized bass on average, didn’t disappoint. Seventeen bass, from 25 to 30 inches, were caught. The reason for the good bass fishing at that time of the year is paradoxical. Very few people fish for them during that time frame, so your opportunity to catch quality fish increases. Then the fore-mentioned engine problems arose, and fishing ceased till mid-August. Unfortunately, the bass also ceased from the time of Bill’s August return till the last week of September when seven were caught.
The slow action returned as only five fish were caught by Oct. 22, then 11 were caught over the next five days. November was a “real disappointment,” as only 13 fish to 23 inches were caught. Bill pulled his boat prior to a big storm arriving, and the boat stayed on the trailer for the remainder of the season. Others reported decent catches following the storm, so Bill “hooked up with Pat “for two trips on the Great Egg River. Those trips resulted in 17 total fish, 16 of them during the first trip, with the largest fish reaching to a little over 28 inches.
Bill’s conclusion is that fishing behind Corson’s has been affected by the beach replenishment programs. They have resulted in the loss of “healthy habitat” as the beach sand migrates inside the inlet. Productive spots in the past failed, and the fish had to be found elsewhere. A “non-existent” mullet run coupled with a less than stellar showing by peanut bunker also hurt. Peanut bunker was present, “but nothing like years past.”
This year’s campaign for striped bass will begin in less than three weeks. The back waters open up on March 1. Register yourself for the Saltwater Registry, grab some bait and get out there.
Since we’re discussing striped bass and many of us enjoy pursuing them, I thought I would take some time to examine them a little closer. These fish, also known as rock fish, stripers or linesiders, are mainly found along the Atlantic Coast, but do range into the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana. It is an anadromous fish. Simply put, these are a type of fish that moves from the ocean back into freshwater to spawn. Salmon are another example of a fish that does this. This movement occurred during the recent fall migration, as stripers went to the Delaware Bay then up the bay to the Delaware River. Some fish went further south and into the Chesapeake Bay then up into it’s tributaries.
As members of the Moronidae family, their body shape is streamlined with a silvery color. Tints of blue and light green are also visible. This coloring is also distinctive because of the dark, horizontal stripes that start just past the gills and move down to the tail area. The average length runs from 2.25 feet up to 3.25 feet. Maximum length is just short of six feet. The weight of a mature fish can range from eight to 40 pounds. Many fish can exceed 40 pounds, with a 50 pounder being a sought-after goal. Get one that big, and your bucket list will have one less goal. The world record, caught in 2011 in Connecticut, is 81.88 pounds. The previous world record fish was caught in Atlantic City in 1982 and weighed 78.8 pounds.
Striped bass are a managed fishery in that you have bag and size limits to keep in mind. For New Jersey, that’s one fish at 28 to 43 inches, and one other at 43 inches or longer. You may also apply for a bonus tag that will allow one additional fish, regardless of the order caught, that measures between 28 and 43 inches. Bonus fish taken must be reported within 24 hours of harvest. This management program has allowed the striper population to rebound from the stressed levels of the 1970s and 1980s.
Striped bass are an important predator in the food chain of any body of water they inhabit. They are also important economically, and impact our area in the early spring and the late fall. If you haven’t fished for them before, then take the time to learn about them, grab your pole and keep that March 1date in mind.
Take care and I’ll see you out and about.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.