New York Metro &
New Jersey

June 18th, 2004

You Want Accurate Fisheries Data?

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This week I read a press release from one of the recreational fishing advocacy groups about how the inadequate Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) data collection program is “hurting this country socially and economically.” Of course this stems from New York’s direct challenge to the ASMFC and its choice to be out of compliance with the managing agency’s recommendations regarding fluke. New York believes that the 2003 MRFSS data overstated recreational fishing effort, and fluke harvest, and that anglers shouldn’t be forced to suffer further season, size and bag limits. Granted, those fluke numbers are probably somewhat off the mark, and the angling quota on bluefin usually gets met before anyone even starts catching them. But hey, what do you expect? The numbers are at best “good guesses” from statisticians working with an inadequate cross section. Have you ever been interviewed by one of these guys? I know I haven’t, and I can’t say I know anyone who has. It’s certainly not the fault of those making the management decisions, because they are using the “best available data,” which quite frankly isn’t so good.

While a saltwater angling license remains an unpopular notion in Northeast states, the current system of data collection is grossly incomplete without one. In almost all coastal states a commercial fishing license is required and therefore managers know exactly how many commercial fishermen there are. They are able to gather extremely accurate commercial harvest statistics. Similar data doesn’t exit for recreational fishermen in states where there is no licensing requirement. Knowing the total number of anglers is a vital component to properly managing recreational fisheries. Once managers get a solid number, they can get a better idea of the amount of fish being harvested. Reliable statistics from recreational fishermen are essential to determine the impact of recreational fishing on fish stocks.

With statistics gathered through the number of licensed anglers, agencies can better understand the impact anglers have on the resource and the economic significance of the sport. When managers don’t have complete data it can result in overly restrictive measures like we’re seeing with fluke right now, or much worse, it can result in continued overfishing. In either case, anglers are the big losers. It is undeniable that with a licensing system fishery management plans will be greatly enhanced. Not to mention, the influx of new money generated by license fees would allow more folks to work on data collection and to devise better and more reliable methods. Without swallowing the license pill, you can’t really complain about the quality of the data.

Bottom line is that, for the sake of the resource, we have to go by the best available data, even if we know it might not be entirely accurate. If we don’t then it opens the door for any user group, commercial or recreational, to challenge the rules based on “bad data” when they feel like they are entitled to kill more fish. But if you want better data you’re going to have to pay for it.

Just my two cents… Now let’s get on to the reports.

In Southern New Jersey bass and bluefish have been tracking well up in the skinny water, but the big news is from Central New Jersey where there were some monsters taken on a fly this week dragging large flies under the bunker schools. Live-liners have been regularly getting fish in the 40-pound range and there was even a 58-pound fish taken with Shore Catch’s Gene Quigley. If you can get out there early enough these hogs will take a fly. Farther North, the area from Sandy Hook to Breezy Point has been experiencing sporadic bass blitzes. One day they’re there, the next they’re not. Inside Raritan Bay there were some bass but mostly bluefish feeding on the bunker schools and rain bait. Jamaica Bay really came to a standstill this week. There doesn’t seem to be much going on except for cocktail bluefish and the occasional schoolie taking a popper on the flats. But speaking of flats, towards the mouth of the bay, some of the sand flats are offering good sight-fishing conditions and some anglers are scoring with well placed crab flies. Up on the North Shore a good number of fish are reported to be tracking well on the flats and the western portion of the South Shore saw some big bass taken this week. Out east the sight-fishing was described by one East Hampton guide as excellent. If the weather is good and the sun is high odds are you will most certainly see plenty of bass. Getting them to eat is a different story. Some days they’re on, others they’re not. The south-side is red hot as well and is producing some real hogs on the fly.

Looks like another good weekend weather-wise. So get out there and fish.

And don’t forget to email me your own reports. Tight lines all.

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

New Jersey

Captain Bryan DiLeo from Iowa Fortune Guide Service reports good flats action this week in the Atlantic City/Ocean City area…  Check it out:

 We had great action again all week which turned out to be a carbon copy as the week prior. Throughout the week we still had big water temperature ranges between 73 and 61 and the Bass were on the move in the cooler water and not at all in the warmer as is always the case especially in the spring. Each day last week we had a good Bass action with groups of fish tracking predictably as they pined bait up in the skinny water. Depth was not a concern for the bass or my skiff as we got in front of fish in as little as 8" and nowhere to hide. Last Friday was the best day of the week when the storms past by it left us with calm winds, cloudy skies, no boats and Bass blowing up ready and willing. The bass all seemed to range in size from 26"-32" all taken on top water flies and lures and again this week got onto them tailing up in the grass foraging on smaller bait always a sight to see. Bluefish in the 3-6. LB range are still on the prowl willing to take artificial or fly worked just below the surface or on top. It looks like the stage is set for good action upcoming with good tides for both day and night sessions that in combination with the approach of the new moon things should remain active

Spoke with Captain Gene Quigley from Shore Catch Guide Service this week and he reported continued craziness along the central New Jersey coast.  Lots of bunker schools have attracted big fat bass which are taking flies fishing slowly under the school. 

From Northern New Jersey Captain Paul Eidman from Reel Therapy checks in with this report:

Things have been dawn and dusk for successful striper fishing on the fly. .Large deceivers and topwaters have been producing bass from 22-27 inches in the bay and rivers. Sinking lines with clousers intended for bass and weaks continue to dredge up fluke. The push of enormous bass above Shark River inlet last week created quite a stir and if you were able to get out and drown a dead bunker you had an unprecedented opportunity to hook a cow of a lifetime. But we aren't supposed to talk about the dark side on this site(smile). During the daytime, you can have a blast with the Taylor blues under the birds and an occasional alligator in the shallows right now. We have some dates available, especially during the week. Catch em up!

As previously mentioned, Jamaica Bay isn’t much good unless you like cocktail bluefish.  Nonetheless, there has been some schoolie action on poppers in the morning.  Outside it has been off and on with fish under birds one day and nothing the next.  However, Captain Brendan McCarthy from Urban Fly Guides reports fish up in the flats towards the mouth of the bay.  They have been difficult but have been taking crab flies.  Raritan Bay is on the slow side, but bass are taking flies fished in the early morning hours or at night.

Western Long Island

From the South Shore Captain Barry Kanavy from Natural Anglers checks in with this report:

It's been a cool spring so far. But I think things are heating up now.
Brother Jack Combs connected with this beauty. Now some guys hold their
fish way out in front of them to make it look big. But its hard for any
fish to look big when Jack is holding it, mostly because Jack goes 6'7"
and 300 pounds. Big fish look like bait in his hands. We can only
imagine how big this one was , Jack released him before we could weigh
it. Large Cows like this one have moved in from their spawning grounds
in May. I believe this year is going to produce some very large fish.
Wanna big fish gotta use a BIG fly.
And remember...check your backing you never know.
Captain Barry Kanavy

From the North Shore Reel-Timer Bob Giordano check in with this report:

Hey John,
 
Things up here in the North Shore are starting to pick up. I am seeing more Egrets along with Kingfishers picking up bait throughout the area. To my eye it looks like small spearing fry in the waters. 
 
On Sunday's early morning incoming picked up a half a dozen bass including the season's first keeper at 33" 13lbs even on the boga. All fish hit sparsely dressed Clousers in Chartreuse over Yellow. All were taken in 4'-6' of water on the 8wt. Intermediate. I was fortunate enough that the larger fish decided to go back in towards the mud flat as oppose to the deeper water choked full of boat moorings were sometimes I loose them.
 
Will try the early morning wee hours of the outgoing this weekend looking for the season's first worm hatch. Good Luck and I'll catch up next week.
 

Eastern Long Island

Spoke to Captain David Blinken from North Flats Guiding Service this week and he reported excellent sight fishing when the sun was out.  According to David there are loads and loads of sandeels in the bay and lots of bass eating them.  Client John Wolfstator took at 36-inch fish in the flats this week.  David reports that there were few blues around, but the ones he did see were in the 15-pound range and were daisy-chaining.  David said that there were more schools of bass in shallow water than he has seen in many years.  He reported seeing a a school of 100-fish in the flat this week.  Although he wanted to remind readers that we still need to fight for a lower bag limit and a larger size limit despite this.

Brendan McCarthy from Urban Fly Guides reported more of the same.  Great weather has been allowing for wonderful sight-fishing in Gardiners Bay. 

From the South Side Captain Jim Hull from Light Tackle Challenge checks in with this report:

 Hi John, Bass fishing remains excellent with quality and quantity of fish coming boatside. Neal landed a 48" hog then had one about 60" take his offering 15' from the boat. It was a runaway train that spooled him and broke off. Bill landed a 47" fish that took the fly under a searobin(again!). Ken had the same situation with three hogs under a mugged robin but could not make the cast into the wind. Dr. Desanctis had a great day with about 20 happy bass to 15lbs. Mike Loriz had 8 large fish to 42". Hawk buggywhipped about 10 fish to 15lbs. Larry and Scott braved a real snotty day but were rewarded with over 2 dozen beautiful fish to 20lbs. Get that big one on the reel quick then pump up and reel down.

Reel-Timer John Papciak checks in this week with a shore report from Montauk.  Check it out:

I did the Montauk thing Friday night. Got into the wetsuit and was fishing by around 1am. Wind out of the N, and a very gentle roll of waves at 2-3 feet. There was quite a lot of fire in the water. I swam to a rock and despite the fact that the moon was still a couple hrs under the horizon, and the tide was already up some, I couldn't miss the rock. It looked like a comet the way the current rolled past it.

I started with a 10" eel type fly - made out of black magnum rabbit strips - this usually has a way with the better fish. But in this case, I had a few bumps for the first handful of casts but no solid hook-ups. I thought maybe I was getting hit by shad. After about 20 minutes I decided to see if I could catch a shad. I switched to a smaller fly of about 4 inches, a larger sand eel type pattern. First cast I had a solid take, but within 5 seconds I figured it just could not be a shad. It turned out to be a bass of about 20 pounds (38 inches +/-). For the next half hour, not a touch, though there were swirls every now and then. I decided to switch back to a larger pattern - this time a black deceiver of about 8 inches. Sure enough, first cast and a very strong take. I thought this would be my best fish of the night - fought like a champ
- but it turned out to be a bass of about 15 pounds (34 inches +/-). Once again, that was it.

It wasn't too much longer that the tide came up forcing me off my perch. A good set of waves came in and finshed me. The moon was coming up now anyway. I tell you, you fish in the dark, and when the moon comes up, even a crecent, the difference is so great - even as seen through the eyes of a human. I can only wonder how this impacts the bass - it has to be dramatic.

As I swam in, I thought of another strategy. I have seen cases where the only way you get a solid strike is to constantly change flies. In the day, I have watched bass hit the fly on the first cast, but then only follow it on successive casts. I wondered if that was what was happening out there. Either change flies or alter your strip dramatically.

Did a little kayak fishing on Sunday morning in and around the same rocks on the south side. 3 hits but no solid hook-ups. I'll admit it, I'm just not comfortable fishing in the daylight, not there, and not now, anyway.

There is a fair amount of bait now congregating around Gin Beach and the sand of Shagwong. There are terns diving in the late afternoon, tight to the beach. I would guess there will be schoolies there soon, if not already, with perhaps a few better ones mixed in. This might mean sand eels, though I didn't ID them.

Salty Flyrodder Joel Filner also checks in with a report this week:

Blue skies, somewhere above, kept avoiding us on Friday. As far as we
traveled, it was Joe Blyxfyx in the sky with the cloud cover never
blowing off and the wind out of the north, northeast keeping the
visibility to 5ft from the boat.  Another day with Amanda on the bay
and one of serious work for both of us. A full day of casting and
casting and casting, improving my back cast, my gurgler presentation,
my accuracy, and casting and casting. We did catch fish and spook
fish and caught on wind sheltered flats  smaller bass for our efforts
and the one or two casts to big fish. Even lost a fish or two. A
great day on the water.  Saturday morning was beautiful, clear,
slight winds, and fish in the surf. Fished the ocean at first light
on a tip from Amanda and found shad running from stripers with
success only for my mate, and a few bumps for me. Sunday was windy
from the west and southwest, clear skies, no fish. Successful flies
were the gurgler, sandeel epoxy, small crab/shrimp imitation, large
deceiver white with pink and peacock hurl. Water was still on the
cool side, the ocean at 50 degrees and the bay at a balmy 57.  Next
week will be better.

That’s all for this week…  See you on the water…