Party boat anglers are gearing up for a rare mild February weekend. The southwest wind that's expected to bring temperatures up over 50 degrees both days, will also result in breezy weather on Saturday -- though the predicted 15-to-20 mph should be fishable before Sunday's near perfect light west winds. Don't shed too many clothes, as the water is cold and it will be colder offshore than on land.
There was good news on Friday as the Ocean Explorer sailed from Belmar and got into a decent blackfish bite along with some cod. The pool winner boated a 12.9-pound tog that took over the seasonal pool -- and he also limited. Some other anglers had two or three blacks -- and some big fish broke off. Unfortunately, Capt. Gary Fagan is recovering from surgery, and won't be sailing his Big Mohawk from Belmar this weekend.
Capt. Howard Bogan has some room left on Saturday's 1 a.m. cod trip aboard the Jamaica from Brielle. Call 732 58-5014 to reserve a $115 ticket.
The N.J. Boat Sale & Expo continues through Sunday at the N.J. Convention Hall in Raritan Center, Edison. For details visit JerseyBoatExpo.com