Five Pound Fluke

Fished with Joe and Jason on Sunday morning. We had two nice fluke. One was five pounds and another that was four pounds. We switched gears and anchored up and targeted big sand sharks. We had fast and furious catch and release action with sand sharks to 20 pounds. Pro Tip: Every one wants to catch the glamour species. However, having an open mind can save the day when your initial target species takes the day off.

Sunday Afternoon

Fished with Bruce and friends on Sunday afternoon. Fishing was slow. We had one short flounder. Pro Tip: Water clarity is important to success. Avoid relatively murky or muddy water for best success with flounder.

Joe Hughes

Saturday Afternoon

Fished with Doug, Tom, Tom, and Jason in the bay. Fishing was slow. We had one keeper flounder and a few shorts. Pro Tip: Note the depth when you catch flounder. Similar depths are likely to produce in other parts of the bay.

Slow Saturday

Fished with Peter and friends Saturday morning. We flounder fished in the bay and it was slow. We had a few short flounder and we lost a five plus pounder at the boat before it could be netted. Pro Tip: Use your engine to counter the effects of the wind when drifting for flounder. Flounder bite best when your drift is a little slower than one knot.

Joe Hughes

Fluke!

Fished with Rob, Matt, and Rodger. We were supposed to go on Saturday, opening day of fluke, but the weather forecast made us change our minds and go sooner. Even though we couldn't keep them we decided to have some fun in the sun. We caught and released several fluke with more than half that would have been keepers on Saturday. Pro Tip: If you haven't started using Gulp, you need to start. Gulp catches quite a few fluke and needs to be part of your arsenal. It is especially good in the back bay in lieu of strip baits that can dirty quickly with the muddy bottom. Don't get me wrong, I still use minnows and cut bait all the time, but Gulp needs to be part of your bag of tricks.

Blues and Bass

Fished with Doug in the bay on Tuesday afternoon. We decided to fish despite the rain. It was very calm and we had good conditions overall. We found a pocket of fish and they were in the mood to chew. We caught several blues in the 2-4 pound range and two short stripers on jigs. Pro Tip: I'm not a huge fan of multiple lure changes. If you are not getting bites it's usually a lack of fish not lure selection or color. However, if you are in the presence of feeding fish and not getting bites I worry about presentation/retrieve first before I change lures. Only after I vary my retrieve do I begin to think about changing lure selection.

Windy Day Bluefish

Fished with Rick, Colon, and Joe on Sunday. It was blowing pretty good and got worse as the day protested but it was fishable. We caught three or four blues from six to nine pounds on jigs. We missed a few others. The bite did not turn on like it had the day before. Pro Tip: Windy conditions can limit fishable places. Find areas that are in the lee as much as possible and look for clean water. Murky water will hold less fish most of the time.

Back Bay Blues

Fished with Mike, Mike, and Al in the bay on Saturday. Things started out very slow. We caught and released a few fluke early. The tide changed and so did our fortunes. The blues turned in and we released a bunch up to about 12 pounds. The fish came in bunches and it ended up being a really good day. Pro Tip: Any change in conditions can turn the bite on or off. Tide change, sunrise, sunset, approaching front, and wind change are all example that can change the status quo. The tide change helped us today!

Epic Bluefish

Fished with Louis on Thursday afternoon. We found the big blues right away. We literally had fish every cast for the first ten casts. The blues were up to 14 pounds. We caught them on jigs and Louis had two beauties on the fly as well. Pro Tip: The angle the rod is held at while jigging makes a big difference. Many times jigging with the rod at 45 degrees is best.

New Jersey Saltwater Fishing Regulations 2016

Here are the 2016 New Jersey Saltwater fishing regulations. Note that fluke season begins May 21.

Epic Bluefish Day

Fished with Darryl, Jenna, and Sean on Saturday afternoon. After a slow start, we found the blues and it was game on. We caught and released well over thirty blues up to 15 pounds on jigs. We had lots of doubles, triples, and even a few quadruple headers. The bite has fluctuated between epic and nonexistent over the last week. When it is on, it has been fantastic. Pro Tip: Subtle jig bites frequently require you to reel down on the fish BEFORE you set the hook. Be prepared for bites on the fall when jigging. Never lose contact with your jig.

Fly fishing in the Bay

Fished with Sue Saturday morning in the bay. Sue wanted to try saltwater fly fishing. We had a great time in the bay and we released one striper and pulled the hook on a nice bluefish. Pro Tip: Fast sinking lines are the ticket when fish are taking jigs deep. Casting up current and letting the line sink gives greater depth.

Joe Hughes

Flounder Season

Flounder (Fluke) season opens May 21. They are already here and chewing so it should be good when the season opens in a few weeks. The flounder bite starts out strong in the bay and continues through the summer. The ocean fishing for fluke begins in earnest in mid summer and lasts through the fall. The end of May is usually strong so if you want to catch the flat ones give me a call and book a trip.

Back in Business

After a tough couple of days I had to go back out and prospect. I was glad I did. I found the big blues again. Things have changed and they responded well to top water and jigs. I released several big blues around ten pounds. Pro Tip: When fishing poppers maintain a steady cadence. The fish typically hit on the pause between pops.

Tough Day

Fished with Joe and Joe on Monday afternoon. Despite our best efforts we could not come up with a fish. We had one striper bite that we missed on the fly rod. Pro Tip: Patterns change. They don't last forever so enjoy them while they last and remember to anticipate them when the same conditions arise in the future.

Joe Hughes

Striper

Fished on Saturday with Joe, Joe, and Matt in the bay. Expectations were high given how it been but we were disappointed. We ended up releasing one 26" striper for our efforts. Pro Tip: There is no best tide. Tide tells you where to fish, not whether you should go fishing. Don't be afraid to fish on "bad" tides. You may be surprised!

Joe Hughes