New York Metro &
New Jersey

November 19th, 2004

One Bass is Enough!

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Do you want to keep two stripers per day??? I sure don’t, and judging by the turnout at the Amendment 6 hearings, I believe most other NY anglers feel the same way. Yea, I know I was supposed to cover the poaching thing this week, but it’s going to have to wait.

If you’re a regular reader of this column, or a member of Stripers Forever, you know that the ASMFC Tech Committee recently came up with some exceptionally high 2003 mortality numbers for larger, older stripers. In fact, the stock assessment showed that mortality for fish in the 7 to 14-year range was well above the threshold for corrective action. And, because these numbers are for 2003, they don’t even take into account the post-Amendment 6 changes (Massachusetts went from one to two fish per person and there was a 40% commercial quota increase). One can only assume that in 2004 the number of big fish killed is considerably higher. So basically we’re overfishing, by a large margin, the very fish that Amendment 6 to the striped bass management plan was supposed to protect. This, of course, is no surprise to those of us who witness the carnage that takes place when those big fish move through.

One would think that the high mortality rate for older larger fish would cause some prudence on behalf of the ASMFC. But, at the ASMFC meeting last week in New Hampshire, the Management Board opted to refrain from making changes that could have ensured that the larger fish aren’t fished down to the point where it becomes impossible to catch one. Instead they disregarded the 2003 stock assessment numbers, and decided to rely on the less reliable tagging data which indicated that we were just a little bit over the mortality target in 2003. Despite the fact that the stock assessment report shows that striped bass 7 years and older along the coast are being heavily overfished, and failing to head early warning signs, the ASMFC choose to stay at status quo.

Unfortunately, this allows states which haven’t already done so to go to a 2-fish bag limit. And guess what… NY was, in fact, given permission at the ASMFC meeting to go to two fish. There will almost certainly be a two-fish proposal put forth in New York for 2005. Thus, I would suspect that unless there is a big turnout against the two fish, New York will go in that direction, and as a result the number of big stripers being killing will skyrocket. It looks like an increase from 10 to 15 bluefish (why on earth anyone would want to keep 15-bluefish?) and 10 weakfish at 14" will be a part of this same regulatory package.

The only way to beat this will be to get enough of a turnout at public hearings, and to get enough emails and faxes out, protesting this irresponsible change to the bag limit. We’re going to have to demonstrate that NY anglers don't support the increase. I suggest that over the winter we all try to stay on top of this. For now, let’s start spreading the word… “ONE STRIPER IS ENOUGH!”

Got an opinion? There is a discussion thread for this report on the RT Forum located here!

On to the reports!

While the wind blew relentlessly over the weekend, the weather during the week was surprisingly good. One can always expect good flyfishing on warm, windless days in November. They’re not as frequent as we’d like them to be, but can’t complain about the last few days. While there was a slow start to the week along the Jersey Coast, by Monday afternoon things had improved dramatically with bass and blues blitzing the shoreline. The backcountry fished quite well during the last several days also. In Northern New Jersey and the New York Metro area there were mostly small fish on the blitz with a few bigger ones underneath all the mayhem. Raritan Bay busted open on Thursday with fish of all sizes right outside of Great Kills. Over on the other side, a body of medium to large stripers moved into Jamaica Bay and are inhabiting the flats as well as some of the deep water holes. There is still some peanut bunker around, but surprisingly, most of the big fish have been on spearing. The western South Shore of Long Island held numerous schoolies all along beach. Some larger fish mixed in, but not many. The North Shore was schoolie heaven this week… Lots of birds = lots of schoolies. The break in the wind this week allowed anglers to finally get to those major clouds of birds off of Montauk, and under them they discovered bass, both big and small, feeding ravenously of peanut bunker. Fish are ranging from 25-pounds to 25-inches.

Wind looks manageable this weekend. I’m expecting it to be a particularly good one… Get out there!

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

Tight Lines!

John McMurray

New Jersey

From Southern New Jersey, Captain Bryan DiLeo from Iowa Fortune Guide Service checks in with this Ocean/Atlantic City report:

11/7/04-11/16/04
 The fall run continues to be running at a blistering pace dishing up very good Striped Bass fishing through out the SJ backcountry. This week never gave us water temperatures higher than 48 degrees and went as low as 42 and this has the Bass on the move and on the feed through the traditional backcountry routes.   The common theme still seems to be all or none rule in most areas with the smaller Bass that we encountered last week now have been replaced with alot of larger migratory fish ranging in size from 28”-33” + but still taken in the usual haunts in the shallows. This is not night time freeze you rear action this is all day time high sun freeze your rear action that just can not be beat. Through out the past week the Bass were just as friendly to the fly fisherman as they were to my light tackle clients, though this week willing to take mostly as sub-surface presentations presented slow on artificials spinning and quick retrieve on the fly. With the water temperatures in back as cold as they are the Bass have been very reluctant to take top water all this past week but will jump on anything a foot below the surface and swung into their face. All week we had good water moving through out the SJ backcountry especially with the approach of the new moon as well as on the waning new and as I have always said, get in front of good moving waters and you will be into Bass.  All the bass over the past few weeks with the cooler water have been very aggressive and feisty no matter what size category they fall into but you certainly can tell when you hook up with a Bass in the 30’s. The cool water temperatures have finally taken effect in the back country releasing all the weed from the sand flats and in turn giving us some crystal clear water but with all the bait staying deeper all our sight fishing has been on select flats and on some of the deeper clean all sand flats with the Bass at times giving only a subtle clue that they are there i.e. slow waking or slight tail swirls but when you do see it and with the right presentation you will catch it.  Prime tides will fall upon us this week and this should keep good water moving through the back country and the bass increasingly on the move as they make their journey to the ocean and southward and with calmer winds predicted for the week it should offer my clients some great opportunities for prime migrating Bass sight fishing.

From the central coast, the guys at Shore Catch Guide Service report a slow start to the week, but consistent fall action from mid week on…  Check it out:

Last week was simply BANNER right up until Friday's Noreaster. Tons of fish and bait everywhere along the Jersey coast. So far this week we have been struggling to put a catch together. Lots of small, and I mean small, bass and some blues -- but not what it should be. We still have the best yet to come here, so we are not too worried. We just need things to shift back from the weeks blow. 

Scratch the report from yesterday.
 
Things busted wide open here today!!  Bass and blues under birds for miles - we had over 50 fish today in the boat with client Ron Crisco - our guides on the beach are catching all day as well. The game is back on!!

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

Hi John,

As I am sure you will report, the wind has been oh so much fun around the Sandy Hook area.  Lots of schoolie bass and blues thru this week as the larger bass are starting to fill in our waters. We can expect the next couple of weeks to be the best of the best. I have some dates available.  Catch em up!  Paul

From the Beach, Steve Sautner checks in with this report:

Wednesday night on the Hook was, in a word, DEAD.  No pops, or slurps -- nothing.  Yesterday Mimi and I returned (I had the day off) in the late afternoon to fish the incoming.  Nothing until around 4:15 when gulls began working about a quarter mile out.  They came closer... and closer... but never got within casting range.  I could see big swirls and peanut bunker scattering -- definitely bass.  Things were setting up for a very good night-time bite on the outgoing, but I couldn't make it...

Also reporting from the beach this week is Michael O’Brien.  Check it out:

Hey John,
Fishing has been slow for me the past few days.  I've seen lots small
blue fish this week but few stripers. Monday and Tuesday the waves were so big that the fly guys had a hell of a time trying to reach fish just on the back side of head-high
waves. Yesterday we had action all morning and early afternoon but the fish
were picky and moving fast. I'm so frustrated that I'm taking the day from fishing today.  Thursday .  I'll be out on a boat and hopefully get into some serious blitzes. Catch Lots of Fish, Michael O'Brien

Lots of schoolies on the outside with the occasional keeper mixed in…  What’s noteworthy is the sheer number of fish out there.  Darn if it isn’t cold, but it’s a good time to get a beginner flyrodder out there.  Inside, Jamaica Bay finally has a run of nice sized stripers.  Dr. Stephen Moss took a 39-incher this morning, and there were some true monsters rolling on small bait on the surface.  Interestingly enough, the peanut bunker seem to be going un-harassed while the small bait is getting thrashed. 

Captain Joe Mattioli from On the Bite Charters checks in with this Raritan Bay report:

The Bluefish are gone and it's all Bass! The Bass have turned on with blitzes lasting for hours with  as many as 30+  fish up to 15 lbs. Clouser Half/Half  and Big Deceivers  were the ticket . This is what  we have been waiting for.   I have choice dates available, don't miss out!

Western Long Island

On the North Shore that action remains solid…  Solid schoolies that is.  They seem to be working from dawn to dusk just about everywhere.  Tough to pull a keeper out, however.  Definitely a quantity rather than a quality game.  Same sort of situation on the South Shore.  Schoolies have been holding up tight to the beach feeding on peanut bunker. 

Eastern Long Island

It’s darn good out there right now.  A solid mix of big bass, small bass and very large blues feeding under massive clouds of gulls and gannets on the south side.   Still a ton of peanut bunker out there.  No particular tide, no particular fly pattern…  Just get out there and throw something under the birds and you’re bound to hook up… 

Reporting from the beach at Montauk, John Papciak checks in with this report:

I fished Montauk for 4 days. Only one day on the sand was good. The rest of the time it was putting miles and miles on the truck over the sand between Montauk and E Hampton.

Friday was the best, just as the Noreaster started. The blues and smaller bass had the peanuts pinned in a bowl behind town. The wind was NE a good 20 with higher gusts. I didnt bring the fly rod out, whodathought, but I should have. The fish were close enough. Literally lost count of fish landed. Bass were generally no bigger than 10 lbs but some of the blues were pushing 15 lbs, or maybe higher. The carnage lasted about an hour before the schools slowly moved west to Gurneys, and then picked up speed as they moved toward Hither Hills and White Sands. By 4pm they were moving so fast you had to stop the truck, make 2-3 casts, and then run another quarter mile. Lotta fun though, and you can really lose track of time during the mayhem.

Sat and Sun it was running the sand and watching flocks of gulls and gannets 1/4 - 1/2 mile out.

On Sat afternoon I saw the most amazing display of gannets and gulls spread between Shagwong Point to Montauk Pt, and then out to Block. The flock was easily in the thousands.

The amount of bait that is still due to push westward is mind boggling. But now the bad news, I'm not hearing of much in the way of quality bass, even from the boats. But catching a high teen blue is still a good possibility, thats for sure.

Farther west, Salty Flyrodder Joel Filner checks in with this report:

The Salty Flyrodders scheduled a trip for Saturday morning to Breezy
Point, therefore knowing the usual weather that settles in for one of
our trips I went fishing on Friday. Reports from Montauk to
Shinnecock, to Moriches on the ocean were so glowing for Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday, I thought that the string might still be
around for Friday but no chance for Saturday. The early part of last
week was a bonanza with bass and blues all mixed in size and
occurrence, coupled with bunker, spearing, and mullet crashing into
the shore. Fortunately I was able to fish on Friday morning, managed
two stripers of 24 inches in three hours of beach driving and
fishing. The wind was manageable, a moderate 10 to 15 knots, but the
bait and fish were extremely sporadic. The air temperature dropped
and the promised Thursday rain did not start until mid afternoon
Friday. The rain turned to snow, the wind turned to 25 to 30 and
Saturday morning was a sit in the jeep day, watch the snow blow
across the beach and the surf crash in on the incoming. Dirty water
as well with all kinds of discoloration, seaweed, and no bait. The
Breezy adventure was truly not fly rod conditions and barely
spin/bait conditions. Sunday was truly a strange morning. Moderate
winds, only 15 to 20 out of the north north west, relatively good
casting on the beach with the wind at your back, and no fish. Nada.
No bait, not even the intrepid bait guys were out of their trucks,
but set up and sitting with the heaters on. The flying squad of
surfcasters rushed out to Shinnecock, fished for about 40 minutes,
packed up and drove off east to go west in a hurry. I hope they
hooked up.  I rode the incoming shore line from the village to the
inlet with not one sport with a positive report. Water was also still
a bit murky and the surf was negligible, with colder water showing
up. Somehow this season is slowly adjusting to a quiet end. Thence
comes the herring.

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