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About the fish we catch on Reel Fun Sportfishing
Here's a brief description of the great inshore fishing that's available around Sandy Hook, NJ,
Striped
Bass. . . . .
2012 Season: Open all year (Rivers, Bays and 0-3 miles offshore)
Legal size keeper fish: 2 @ 28" or greater per angler per day
Baits of choice: Chunking (Bunker heads and bunker chunks), clamming, eels or
sandworms.
Fishing method: Drifting with Sandworms or Eels, chunking with Bunker heads,
clamming, Trolling Stretch 25's and jigging/Casting with bucktails, shads, spoons
and other various artificials.
The
most sought after inshore gamefish in New Jersey. "Stripers" are one
of the ultimate gamefish that inshore anglers spend numerous hours seeking.
From April through December, Stripers can be found throughout the New York Bight
area. Stripers can range anywhere from "schoolies" to "cows"
in the 50 lb. range. I use St. Croix rods matched with Penn 965 International
reels drifting sandworms or eels or at anchor chunking bunker or clamming. At
times, we also employ the trolling of Stretch 25's, shad rigs and tube and worm
on braid line outfits.
New Jersey State Record Striped Bass: 1982 by Al McReynolds 78 lbs., 8 oz. @ Atlantic City.
Fluke
(Summer Flounder). . . . . .
2012 Season:
Legal size keeper fish:
Bait
of choice: Squid, spearing, sandeels, live snappers, peanut bunker, bluefish
or bunker ribbons.
Fishing method: Drifting bait or jigging and casting Bucktail lures.
One
of, if not, THE most delicious eating fish in the New Jersey waters. Fluke is
one of New Jersey's highly sought after fun fish to catch during the summer
and fall months. Drifting baits such as Squid strips, Spearing, Sand Eels, Bunker
strips, Bluefish strips, Sea Robin belly, peanut bunker and live snapper are
some of the most productive ways to catch Fluke. Once again using light tackle
gives you the ultimate opportunity to try to land the biggest of Fluke "the
Doormat". Fluke usually range in size from 2 lb up to 5,6 & 7 lb'ers
commonly found in New Jersey waters. "Doormat Fluke" of 10 lbs or
greater are quite common.
New Jersey State Record Fluke: 1953 by Walter Lubin 19 lbs., 12 oz. @ Cape May
Bluefish...
2012 Season:
Open all year
Legal size keeper fish: No minimum size, 15 fish bag
Bait
of choice: Chumming bunker, casting & jigging metals.
Fishing method: Chumming, jigging/casting metal lures or trolling.
Pound
for pound, the nastiest fighting fish in the water.......hands-down winner!
Bluefish on light tackle is a fishermens dream come true. Fishing for Bluefish
can be done by chumming with bunkers or other types of bait, casting jigs and
other artificials or trolling shad lures and deep diving plugs. Small Bluefish
in the 2-3 lb. range are great eating, as Bluefish can also come into the 12-14
lb. range.
Weakfish
(Sea
Trout). ....
2012 Season: No closed
season
Legal size keeper fish: 1 fish per angler @ 13"
Bait of choice: Sandworms or Peanut Bunker
Fishing method: Drifting Sandworms or Peanut Bunker or jigging & casting
lures.
Sleek
and beautiful, the weakfish (named so because his jaw is quite soft) is probably
one of the most beautiful fish in the Northeast. Weakfish have a purple-hued
back, bronze and deep green coloring around the head, silvery sides and the
unmistakable yellow fins. Weakfish range in size from 2 lb'ers found in the
back bays to 12 lb'ers found along the coast, with an occasional 14 lb'er thrown
in for good luck. Drifting with Sandworms is my method of choice, although casting
and retrieving soft-tail lures such as the Fin-S in bubblegum catches fish too.
New Jersey State Record Weakfish: 1986 by Karl Jones 18 lbs., 8 oz. in Delaware Bay.
Winter
Flounder...
2012 Season:
Legal size keeper fish per angler:
Bait
of choice: Sandworms, squid and clams
Fishing method: Chum with chum logs and chum pots and/or a mixture of corn,
rice and rabbit food.
One
of the most delicious fish you can eat from the New Jersey waters. Typically
the first
fish of the spring fishing season found in the rivers of the Navesink and the
Shrewsbury. Fish with an anchored boat along the edges of the channels and use
chum logs/chum pots on the bottom. We also use a mixture of rice, corn and rabbit
food tossed overboard to attract the flounder. Biat your hook with small pieces
of sandworms and a flounder rig with small bank or dipsy type sinker. KEEP BOUNCING
THOSE ROD TIPS TO ENTICE A STRIKE!!!!
Black
Sea Bass...
2012 Season:
Legal size keeper fish per angler:
Bait
of choice:
Clams and small cut squid
Fishing method: Bottom fishing at its best from an anchored boat.
Found
around underwater rocks and structure (ex: Sandy Hook Reef, Shrewsbury Rocks,
etc) Will be found along with the Tautog and you'll be fishing the same rigs.
Not a tough a fighter as the Blackfish below, but still stubborn non the less.
Blackfish
(Tautog)...
2012 Season:
1/1-2/28 = 4 fish/man, 3/1-3/31 = CLOSED, 4/1-4/30=4 fish/man, 5/1 - 7/26 =
CLOSED, 7/27 - 8/30 = 1 fish/man, 9/1 - 10/17 = CLOSED, 10/18 - 11/15 = 1 fish/man,
11/16 - 12/31 = 4 fish/man.
Legal size keeper fish: 15"
Bait
of choice: Clams, green crabs or white legger crabs
Fishing method: Bottom fishing at its best from an anchored boat.
One
of New Jersey's greatest eating fish. Found around underwater rocks and structure
(ex: Sandy Hook Reef) Break out your stout and sturdy equipment as these fish
are real brutes to bring to the surface. Fish around rocky underwater structure
such as the Sandy Hook Reef, the Shrewsbury Rocks as well as numerous wrecks
and reefs along the coast of New Jersey.
email me at: captjohn@reelfunsportfishing.com
© 2005 Reel Fun Sportfishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
last revised 11/16/11ng Charters Sandy Hook, NJ