The beginning of March finds a quietness that indicates a continued hibernation, when actually by the time this article goes to print we would have entered into the opening of the back bay striper season.
Anglers are getting their gear primed and ready. Shop owners have started to get out word of the arrival of bloodworms, a favorite early season bait.
I also received word of some late offshore action focusing on blackfish and seabass. The mention of an unusual catch during one of these trips also arrived which made me think of the strange creatures that live among the wrecks we fish. Let’s get started.
Word arrived from Capt. Al Crudele on the Bayhound out of Sea Isle City of one of the trips on the final weekend of January-February season for blackfish, and the success it had.
The charter had a number of nice tog, with some over 10 pounds. They also had some “funky looking fish” known as cusks, which are also called tusks.
They are a cod-like fish from the ling family. It is a bottom-dweller that is described as sluggish. Strangely, it is a weak swimmer. That just sounds funny that a fish isn’t a very good swimmer. It makes excellent table fare. Caught commercially, it is sold fresh, frozen or smoked. When added in with the blackfish, it contributed to a nice total for the day.
Late word about one final trip on the last day, resulted in a limit of tog for anglers. They also caught a share of bergalls, which provided some nice, white-meat fillets.
I received word of a couple of non-local catches worth mentioning.
First was a 22-pound, 13-ounce blackfish caught on Sunday, the final day of the current blackfish season. This fish was caught up north on a boat out of Neptune Township.
The other catch was a new world record for a shore-caught codfish. That fish weighed 66 pounds, 8 ounces and was 57 inches long. The fish took 20 minutes to land. It was caught in northern Norway.
Out and about: A little closer to home, on March 3 at Galloway Township Public Library the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council met to determine the outcome of the 2016 summer flounder and sea bass options. Previously, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council (ASMFC) approved regional measures for managing flounder and sea bass fisheries.
As reported in a previous column, New Jersey was put into a group with New York and Connecticut and will have the same set of regulations. It also included an adjustment that hopefully will allow more opportunities for New Jersey anglers this summer in Delaware Bay.
This region (for the bay), will allow the Department of Environmental Protection to have a 17-inch minimum, a four-bag limit, and a 128-day season. This area will be west of the COLREGS line in the bay.
Public input will be accepted for setting the season on the east side of the COLREGS line, as well as north along New Jersey’s coast. The state would like to have the same measures this year as were in place in 2015 which were the 128-day season, five fish limit, and an 18-inch minimum.
Anglers are encouraged to attend, and voice their opinions as this has proven to be an important aspect of these meetings.
Concerning the sea bass situation, as I recently reported, the harvest must be reduced by 23 percent this year. That meeting addressed options that would allow that reduction to occur. That may be accomplished by decreasing bag limits and lessening the number of days in the fishing season.
If the results of this meeting become available before I put the column to bed, I will get them in. If not, I will update next week.
It’s Thursday evening, my deadline nears, and news of the results from the meeting at Galloway have started to come in.
Here they are: Summer flounder will have a bag limit of five-fish at 18-inches for the coast from south to north.
Delaware Bay will have its own set of rules which will be four fish at 17 inches.
Island Beach State Park will maintain two fish limit at 16 inches. The season will start on May 21 and end Sept. 25. This season is one week earlier than last year. With Memorial Day, May 30, this earlier opening will allow for a quieter Monday through Thursday of fishing between the opening weekend, and the longer holiday weekend. Try to get out and take advantage of it.
I like to welcome two new vessels to our fishing family. Capt. Skip Jastremski from Stalker Fishing Charters and Capt. Mark Elliott from Bayhawk Charters Fishing. Both boats are based out of Cape May.
Thanks for coming aboard, and we look forward to hearing from them soon as the fishing season gets underway.
It’s not fishing but still an outdoor activity, and I know a lot of anglers also hunt so I’ll relay this news. N.J. Fish and Wildlife is hosting a free seminar on wild turkeys at Pequest in Oxford March 12 at 1 p.m.
Focus will be on the Wild Turkey Restoration Project, and providing hunting tips. This seminar is focusing on youths 10-18, but is open to all interested individuals. Registration is needed, (908)-637-4125 x0.
For details visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/budding.htm#turkey.
Submit your fishing news and photos to mrobbins@cmcherald.com.
