Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

Sal

I agree with you... I am going with my 2007 2008 2009 log formulas vs 2010 2011 and 2012...

Spanning my logs from previous years, thus calling it the midpoint.. The kind of ocean fishing we are talking about can start as early as May 15th and end July 31st.

We still have different bodies of fish on different moon phases yet to reveal themselves... I just hope the weather and bait cooperate....

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

Yup... What this gentleman and clearly superb scholar said ^^^^!
Temps are always arguable vs migration time, I feel I could be locked up in solitary , just give me wind and water temp, and ill ask for my release date accordingly...

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

Don't fish stocks naturally cycle up and down ? How can you judge any run when only fishing from the beach to 3 miles out ?

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

Sal while some truth in that statement its still not based on whats actually happening oceanside. Guys fishing the bay have had great fishing until mid june so they didnt have to leave the bay and even try and fish oceanside.
Made no sense to drive pass thousands of bass in the bay to go to the ocean.

There def is a big difference this year with those fish oceanside. weather has had a harsh impact. the temps in the Chesapeke were ideal early. when those fish came off the spawn they were greeted here with very cold water temps.
I feel many of those fish have passed us by, as well as alot of the bait.
Temps were only good for a few days down here early and the fishing was good. Then the south winds came on for weeks chilling the inshore waters to Blackfish fishing temps.

Since we got a few days of west and North winds the water temps went up quick, there has been alot of bunker inshore with nothing on them, both morning and night.

were catching resident fish on structure, but seeing very little of the migratory fish we should be seeing heavy on the feed.
Usually by mid June there are GIANT schools of bunker just inshore of 17, where we go to catch brown sharks on. They are not there either. I believe this spring oceanside may see one more push of bass, but its not going to have the month long blitz's we are used to having

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

Back then the bass did not show as early.The Hudson fish would be caught for a day or so then migrate to Raritan Bay then the Hudson River to spawn.Were you catching big bass in May and June every day in 1998 -2002?I agree some bass passed us by because they are catching them North of us.Still more to come and I would make book on it!A few nites ago Al Ristori did an afternoon trip and had 38 bass to 42lbs! They were not resident fish.When it goes west again they will bite but it could be an afternoon thing like a couple years ago.

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

Landings are down by far on big bass in ocean

Everyone quickly forgot there wasn't an April jig bite in Ocean too.

I had my best season on big fish but it was limited to 2 spots, LBI to Deal was dead water for weeks that should not happen. The past 12 years when they popped up in mon co they popped up in ocean county same days, until now.

Many Charters were saying they were spawning about 3 weeks after the spawn should be over then they quietly switched to Sea Bass fishing.

The Bass are thick as thieves offshore talk is also going on yet you dont hear of any accidental catches with all those clams going down for ling and sea bass.

I know someone else said cape cod was hot but I know 2 guys who spent about 12 days on 2 trips up there and only had bass on 2 or 3 days total.

Social media cell phones and advances and a very visible and warm happy hour bite has increased the amount of anglers from all backgrounds for the May June bite by a large amount.

It is time for the ones who care about the future to take measures and spread the word.

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

I don't know the scientific reasons, but to put it bluntly, striper fishing sucked this spring.

I have to laugh at some of the reports I've read on here, from captains I fished with who said they had a "steady pick" of striped bass on full day trips.:rolleyes:

Here is what I experienced:

Early May/off Asbury Park- 4 guys fished, 3 stripers caught

Mid-May-Raritan Bay- 6 guys fished, 4 stripers caught

Mid-May- Raritan Bay- 2 guys fished, 3 stripers caught, 1 short

Late May- Raritan Bay- 5 guys fished, no stripers caught

Last Saturday-Raritan Bay (afternoon trip)- 11 guys fished, 1 striper caught

I realize this is "fishing", not "catching". Hopefully, the fall run will be better.:rolleyes:

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

not an expert here but I am a scientist. Lol. In my opinion it has more to do with the water temperature than anything. Then factor in the bad weather in rough seas with less boats being out to report any catches. All the bait i I have seen has been scattered and not balled up. I have seen a ton of bunker. haven't seen much bird play either. That's telling me that the Blues aren't even in chopping up the fish. the fish are not feeding and balling the bait up like the past 2 years. I have marked many big fish I just can't get them to bite. I've tried everything. Trolling, live lining, chunking, clam, and jigging. Its fishing. Ill just keep at it with a back up plan. Last year we hooked good numbers every trip out from mid april til the 3rd week of june. If I remember correctly the temps are now ehere they were in early to mid may.

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

Love the tone of this thread, great insight details and information... Happy to see it that way..

Great points from everyone.. as we are all not genies, Im interested to see how the next 30 days will play out.....

Re: Ocean Fishing / Striped Bass Report Card
 

What you have to remember is there are two classes of fish

the 3 to 18 lb class generally come first- Then the big fish in late may. Both seem affected.

I have heard a lot of guys say they water has been too cold, yet i was catching fish in Jan.

Caught my first Weakfish 3rd week of April which is right on time and there was a good run of Weakies then, a fish which usually prefers temps about 3 to 8 degrees higher then a bass.

In the past these fish would share water in April/May, most of those spots this season were generally barren of bass but holding weakies. I can't see how temps could be ok for one species but not another?

I had my first top water Bass 3rd week of May, also indicitive that the temps were on time.

Ive heard a lot of guys say there is no bunker, while it does appear to be down in qty, alot of the days I was out they were down deep but thick and not visible to the eye, sometimes that is quickly written off as "no bait"