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Captain's Focus

It's not often that recreational fishermen get upset at sportfishing which is too good, but if it's striped bass that you're interested in the current abundance of bluefish is often a big problem. That was the case today for Tank Matraxia's party from Lyndhurst as we fished in Raritan Bay with Capt. Rick Woerner on his Carnivore from Sewaren. At every stop it was non-stop big blues eating up our bunkers and hooks. It's often possible to pick a few bass through that situation, but there was never any indication that would be the case before Woerner moved up the Hudson River where Pete La Boy did it again. Last week on the same charter he caught all three stripers -- and this time he boated the only two up to about 18 pounds. Capt. Rob Semkewyc has had the same problem finding stripers among the blues on his Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands, but he's happy with the steady action on both bait and jigs with blues averaging 12 pounds. Therefore, he's staying with the hot fishing rather than switching to fluke right away when that season opens on Saturday.  Capt. Stan Zagleski takes the opposite approach as he's had enough of the choppers, and will be starting his opening weekend fluking on Elaine B. II from Bahrs in Highlands at 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday before returning to the normal 7:30 a.m. departures on Monday for the rest of the season. The Golden Eagle from Belmar reported "super crazy" bluefish jigging today for 6-to-15-pounders on Run-Off Crocs and Hammered jigs. At Seaside Park, Betty & Nick's reported 30-pound stripers pushed a school of bunkers onto the beach in town during the morning. There was also lots of bluefish action in the park. Schools of bunkers are building up off the Shore. Tom Scilla weighed a 40-inch, 21.2-pound bass at Grumpy's Tackle after it hit a snagged bunker from a boat.  Paul Haertel of the JCAA had a Monday bluefish weigh-in at Grumpy's of a 37-incher that weighed 16.1 pounds after hitting a popper. Vinnie D'Anton of Shark River Hills tried plugging in Shark River this morning without raising anything, and had the same results in the Ocean Grove surf that was possibly too calm and clear.

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