While striper fishing in the ocean was spotty today, boats fishing the Raritan Bay area had lots of action with shorts as well as some keepers. Capt. Rob Semkewyc filed the following report from his Sea Hunter out of Atlantic Highlands SEA HUNTER 11-29 STRIPER REPORT Today started like the past couple days, many areas of fish -- but they didn't stay hungry long.
After catching a few shorts casting 5-inch Tsunami Shads to birds in the middle of the bay to get things started, we moved over to the N. Y. side and put the live bunkers to good use before running out of them while releasing keeper bass up to almost 20 pounds on the same drift producing steady action with the shads for small bass which certainly dominated our fishing. At Atlantic Highlands, the Sea Hunter reported a very good first drift with a mix of shorts, slots and keepers.
Hi Flier is sailing open on days when De Gennaro isn't chartered, and those seeking a shot at a 15-to-30-pound or larger bass can call him at 732 330-5674. The Jamaica II from Brielle has been doing very well wreck fishing for sea bass and porgies while a few cod and pollock are mixing in with them.
Vinny D'Anton of Wall was also in on that short burst of action, and went back late in the afternoon to catch four more before it suddenly turned off again, The same sort of thing has been happening all along the Shore, but there have been no reports of bigger bass in the surf. We have also had some good reports from the offshore rocks just inside the Wilmington Canyon The surf remains about the same -- lots of short bass and a few keepers, spiny dogfish, and an occasional speckled trout
Party boats fishing in the ocean today read and saw lots of stripers, but didn't catch very many of the very fussy bass as only trollers seemed to do well. Jim Hutchinson Sr. reports for the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association as follows The magic word right now for the captains of the Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association is stripers.
After striper fishing went dead for most in the Raritan Bay area on Thanksgiving, the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands reported it bounced back today with birds over mixed-size bass up to the 17. Though party boat striper fishing was poor on Thanksgiving, I did hear of some good catches in bunker schools by charter boats that day.
There were lots of boats on the water Thanksgiving morning, but reports were generally poor. I didn't see any great surf reports Thanksgiving morning, but managed to catch a small striper on my first cast for the second day in a row at a southern Monmouth County beach.
The Raritan Bay area striper report was better today after a slow start with lots of birds and good readings, but only a pick of small bass on shads with very few keepers - and some big blues. O'Connor fished South Amboy beach during the week and managed one keeper bass of 30 inches and three shorts on the late Gus Geant's popper that was lost to a fish he never saw.
Miss Belmar Princess got into stripers on the surface that wouldn't hit. The Queen Mary from Point Pleasant had good striper action with the smaller fish.
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