The Fishing Line: October winds

Fabulous and frustrating. Good weather and fierce winds. Middle of October fishing is somewhere in-between. Still, some strong hearted fishers are sending in their reports.
Captain Mark Adams and his charter boat Noreaster II, South Jersey Marina, had the a great catch Oct. 9, at Spencer Canyon. Shortly after putting chunks of bait into the crystal clear water, huge schools of yellow-fin tuna swimming all around the boat. Mark said that he hadn’t seen a tuna bite like that in several years and hopes it continues for a few more weeks. By the end of the overnight trip they had landed 18 tuna and some small mahi dolphin.
Captain Ray reported fishing was picking up again with the some of the best fishing around the inlet where he saw the first pods of mullet. Not a lot of mullet but enough to have bluefish in the 15 to 17 inch range along with stripers up to keeper size working it. One 4 hour trip produced 11 stripers to 31 inches, with peanut bunker and chartreuse buck tail deceivers working well. On the nights when there was no bait fish he had to work hard to pick up a fish here and there; all on the smaller size.
The back-bay produced some stripers on popping plugs and popping flies but the action was slower and there was very little signs of bait fish.
Sea Star III’s Captain Chuck had planned to stay at the dock until the stripers came on the scene but changed his mind and the reports fishing along the beach front ‘great.’ Croakers, weakfish, blues, and when that wasn’t enough he stopped on a wreck and caught tog and porgies. Captain Chuck plans to begin striper fishing this week.
NEWS: 27th Annual Fishing Tournament sponsored by the Women’s Surf Fishing Club of New Jersey, Inc., sanctioned by the Association of Surf Angling Clubs, Inc., Oct. 22, registration 6-7 a.m., Brigantine Elks Club, Bayshore and West Shore Drive; 7:30-10 a.m. first position, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. second position. $10 individual, $50 6-member team. Call Christine Pancoast @ 609-264-7754
More than 700 anglers celebrated the 20th Annual Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament on Oct. 2 at Island Beach State Park. Michael Nightingale of East Windsor took the grand prize and Governor’s Cup by catching a 33 3/8-inch striped bass. First place winners included: Kingfish Category- Child, Tiffany Bates, of Jackson, 10 ¾-inches; Teen (Female) Kimberly Mazar, of Brick, 12-inches; Teen (Male), Nathan Hagaman, Egg Harbor City, 11-inches; Adult (Female), Kaitlin Mazar, Brick, 13-inches; Adult (Male), Abel Paroski, Elizabeth, 15-inches. Blackfish Category: Teen (Female), Kaitlyn Bach, Toms River, 14-inches; Teen (Male), Justin Subramanian, Pennington, 17 ¼-inches; Adult (Male), Russ Knapp, Middlesex, 20-inches. Bluefish Category: Teen (Female), Peyton Waters, Robbinsville, 16 ¾-inches; Teen (Male), Vincent Altamari, Tabernacle, 21 ½-inches; Adult (Female), Janet Stone, Succasunna, 20-inches; Adult (Male), Joe Csenteri, Columbus, 23 1/8-inches. Striped Bass Category: Adult (Male), Michael Nightingale, East Windsor: 33 3/8-inches.
Second Annual Striper Tournament sponsored by Mike’s Seafood and Dock Restaurant, The Lobster Loft, Cape Harbor Marine Service, LLC and Key West Skiff Mercury Marine, Nov. 11 (7 a.m.)-Nov. 13 (2 p.m.). Captain’s Meeting Nov. 10, 7 pm at the Lobster Loft. Registration $250, Boat up to 6 people, $40 findividuals. Weigh in at Mike’s Seafood, 4222 Park Road, Sea Isle City 7am to 7pm. Prizes awarded for the top 3 heavies stripers, bluefish and youth under 15 Largest Striper.
The Division of Fish and Wildlife confirms that Fall trout stocking will proceed according to schedule. Trout allocations posted at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/flstk.htm will not be altered. Some stocking modifications may be necessary due to flood damage and those that are known at this point are described on the Web site. Anglers are reminded that even if a location is not stocked, they can be successful targeting trout stocked last spring that held over in these areas.
Send your fishing reports and pictures to cmiller@cmcherald.com. All pictures submitted, if they don’t make it in the print version, can be seen on the Herald’s Web site www.cmcherald.com, click on community, then fishing and boating.