Capt. Stan Zagleski of Elaine B II at Bahrs in Highlands reported a steady pick of keeper and short blackfish today on just two drops. The high hooks bagged five tog, and whitelegger crabs were most effective. He'll be sailing on Wednesday, but has already cancelled Thursday and Friday.
The Ocean Explorer and Big Mohawk from Belmar will also be sailing for blackfish on Wednesday, but the striper boats there have given up on that fishing.
Capt. Dave De Gennaro looked for stripers today from Barnegat Inlet north without seeing any sign of them with his Hi Flier from Barnegat. Even drifting live spot in Barnegat Inlet didn't result in a hit.
Jay Amberg said fly rod pro Bill Massey fished the Sea Girt surf this morning without any results though it was calm and clean. There were no birds or any signs of fish. Though offshore waters are in the 50s, Amberg noted it's only in the mid-40s at the beach.
Following is a report from the Jersey Coat Anglers Association:
At the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) meeting yesterday in Baltimore, the Council voted to approve Special Management Zone (SMZ) status for our artificial reefs. This is a crucial step in the process to have all fishing pots removed from the 13 New Jersey reefs located in federal waters. Numerous JCAA and New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) representatives, as well as representatives from their affiliated clubs, were in attendance. Special thanks goes to NJOA Chair Pete Grimbilis who spearheaded the Reef Rescue movement and MAFMC members Adam Nowalski and John McMurray for their outspoken support.Thanks also goes to all the recreational anglers and captains who submitted 642 written comments and 4400 signatories on a petition presented to the MAFMC. The next step is that the MAFMC will make a formal recommendation to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for final approval. If all goes well, pots might be prohibited from the reefs by some time in 2018.