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Posted on March 27, 2020March 27, 2020 Stripers best bet for weekend Striped bass in Raritan Bay are the best bet at present, if you can find a way to get at them. Relatively few anglers have boats in the water so far, and getting launched may be a problem as marinas aren’t considered to be an essential business. To top it off, there are no party boats sailing in the bay, and some charter skippers aren’t sailing until the legality of doing so is settled. Joe Massa went out himself with his My Three Sons from Morgan Marina today and had steady action casting a large shad. He then netted some bunkers and found that the bass responded to them as well. The stripers were mostly 15-20-pounders, but he also released a 40-incher. Fisherman’s Den in Belmar Marina can supply bait, and reported a pick of flounder from the docks.  One angler told them that he had done well with stripers at Union Beach. A few small stripers have been taken on lures in the local surf. At Seaside Park, Betty & Nick’s  is open for food take-outs, and the rest of the store is accessible for bait and tackle purchases. John Bushell continues to report a strong smell of bluefish blowing in from the surf, though it’s very early for blues. Grumpy’s Tackle is closed, but the mail order business continues for those using Pay Pal. Bill Hoblitzell has been raking worms and fishing for flounder, but only catching shorts lately. Yet, he did get a surprise in Point Pleasant Canal when a very early 18-inch blackfish put up a spirited battle on light tackle before the release. Lots of N.J. anglers are still in Florida. Ric Gross of Point Pleasant said he had a fine offshore trip Wednesday with a boat  out of Hillsboro Inlet which trolled lots of blackfin tuna plus little tunny. Tommy Cox bought a kayak, and has been doing very well in Lemon Bay on the west coast with seatrout, redfish and snook –including a 30-incher yesterday. Vinny D’Anton is still wading in the Sarasota area, and finding good action as the waters have warmed to 80 degrees. Snook have been hitting the Zara Spook, though it’s been hard to get hooks in them. Seatrout and ladyfish have also been abundant. Bob Corell of Bay Head and his wife Mary Agnes hosted his brother Todd and wife Karen on his Sea Vee out of Marathon yesterday as they finally got a calm day which produced a good catch of dolphin and blackfin tuna trolling out at the Hump. Capt. Sal Cursi, who ran the Cathy Sea from Seawaren for many years,  took advantage of the good weather a couple of days ago to get out in his small boat at Palm Bay for a limit of mangrove snappers while releasing a few puppy black drum.  

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Latest NJ Tuna Reports

  • 2020-05-17 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on May 17, 2020 Giant tuna season underway The last thing I expected to see when I turned on the TV this morning was the photo of a 400-pound bluefin tuna on a sportfishing boat. Chris Di Stefano, who described something I ve never heard of before in May giant tuna in 50-foot depths both to the north and south.
  • 2020-05-08 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on May 8, 2020May 8, 2020 Winds increasing Small craft warnings go up at 6 p. m., before a switch to northwest winds gusting to 35 knots tomorrow and a gale watch. John Bushell Jr. had sad news at Betty Nick s as his uncle George has passed away.
  • 2020-04-30 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on April 30, 2020April 30, 2020 Good news for bluefin tuna anglers NOAA Fisheries has provided good news for boaters seeking school bluefin tuna this year. Starting May 2, those holding HMS Angling category permits will be able to retain two school bluefins of 27 to less than 47 inches plus one large school or small medium from 47 to less than 73 inches.
  • 2020-04-29 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on April 29, 2020 N. J. state parks open Saturday New Jersey governor Phil Murphy reversed his closure of state and county parks this afternoon. State parks will open Saturday morning, and he s leaving it up to county officials to make a decision on their parks.
  • 2020-04-18 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on April 18, 2020 July ICAST fishing tackle show cancelled Conditions are slowly improving with the pandemic, but there are still few fishing reports, and the annual fishing tackle show which introduces new tackle to the fishing trade has been cancelled. The annual ICAST event of the American Sportfishing Association was to be held July 14-17 in Orlando, Fl., but with no assurance that social distancing regulations will be down by then a decision had to be made before exhibits were shipped in from all over the world.
  • 2020-04-16 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on April 16, 2020 N. J. limited to 737 cobia this year New Jersey is on the northern fringe of cobia migrations, and as a result is included with other states seeing few cobia in de minimus status. Those states share a mere 1 of the cobia quota, which results in a recreational allocation for New Jersey of 737 cobia this year.
  • 2020-04-07 Ristori Bay Head

    Since Wildlife Management Areas are lands administered by the DEP. Last updated by Office of Sustainable Fisheries on April 02, 2020 Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna
  • 2020-04-04 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on April 4, 2020April 4, 2020 HRFA Striper Derby still on The Hudson River Fisherman s Association Catch, Tag and Release Derby is still on as scheduled from April 17 to May 15. That all-release contest is limited to the Hudson River and associated waterways but excludes Raritan Bay and ocean waters.
  • 2020-04-02 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on April 2, 2020April 2, 2020 The big one that got away again! However, I did know that the IGFA world record on 30-pound was vacant and it would surely be a world record if the line tested out at 30-pounds or less.
  • 2020-03-27 Ristori Bay Head

    Posted on March 27, 2020March 27, 2020 Stripers best bet for weekend Striped bass in Raritan Bay are the best bet at present, if you can find a way to get at them. Relatively few anglers have boats in the water so far, and getting launched may be a problem as marinas aren t considered to be an essential business.

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