Beach fishing beginning to show signs of great fall run

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 09/28/07
BY JOHN GEISER
CORRESPONDENT

Surf fishermen get the feeling that the pieces are falling together. This could be a great surf fishing fall.

Brian Pasch of Betty and Nick's Bait and Tackle, Seaside Park, said bluefish are the best bet for this weekend, but anything could happen.

"The surf is clean, there is lots of bait — rainfish, bay anchovies, spearing, mullet, peanut bunkers, it's all there — you can expect a bluefish blitz at any time," he said.

The blues have been in and out of the surf from Sandy Hook to Holgate, and they range in size from tailors to gators. Some stripers have been with them.

Pasch reminds that albacore — the best-fighting fish for its size on the Jersey coast — are hovering inshore. He saw them in Barnegat Inlet over the weekend, and Mike Paras, Lakewood, said he was able to catch a couple from breaking schools a mile off the beach Tuesday morning.

Fluke are thick in the Ocean County surf, but the season closed at midnight Sept. 10, and the fish all have to be released.

Scarce in the surf this year were cow-nosed rays and there have not been a lot of croakers. Pasch said a few of the rays were caught from boats for about a week in the summer, but not in the vast numbers of a few years ago. A couple of beach fishermen were spooled, presumably by rays — cow-nosed or sting.

"There have been no croakers listed in the book (Betty and Nick's daily log) since Aug. 12," Pasch said. "We've got some stripers and blues."

Andy Nicholson and friends, Pennington, caught six blues on mullet and a 28-inch bass on a plug. Joe Gilmore, Forked River, came in with a 10-pound blue and a bass.

Chuck Fergie, Kearny, had two blues — 9 1/2 and 10 pounds — on mullet. Bruce Tioch, Beach Haaven, had a pair of blues — 9 and 14 pounds — on fresh bunker and mullet.

Bob Matthews of the Fisherman's Den, Belmar, said the movement of mullet and baby bunkers in the surf has stirred interest and provided some action.

George Pappas, Point Pleasant, brought in an 18-pound striper that he caught in the Sea Girt surf while fishing with a wooden swimmer. Tom Riggs, Neptune City, had five stripers in the Belmar surf while fishing with a small swimming plug and a fly rod.

John Christensen of Scott's Bait and Tackle, Bradley Beach, said a bluefish blitz developed near Shark River Inlet Tuesday, but was not repeated Wednesday morning. Some bass were taken in the same area.

Tawana Starks, Kendall Park, caught a 12.6-pound bass in the Belmar surf Sunday, and came back to Scott's with a 22.1-pound bass Tuesday. Both were caught on bunker. Juan Ruyalcaba weighed in a 3.8-poun bonito caught in the surf.

Allen D. Riley, outdoor writer from South Plainfield, fished Sandy Hook's southern beaches Wednesday morning and reported lots of bait, but no game fish.

He had been scoring regularly with medium to big bluefish, but the fish stayed out of range Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The boats had a field day.

"My friend George Levins of Edison fished Sunday, and he said there was a little flurry of 8- to 10-pound blues in the morning, but it didn't last.

"There's lots of bait, though," he continued. "This is the best mullet run that I've seen in years — tons of mullet."

Dave Arbeitman, owner of The Reel Seat, Brielle, said he heard of no outstanding surf action in Manasquan Monday or Tuesday, but he has the surf gear ready.

"It's been quiet in the shop since the fluke season closed," he said. "That really hurt."

Arbeitman said the only fishing report he had Wednesday was from Lud Bohler, owner of the Moondancer, who made an overnighter to the Hudson Canyon with Capt. Mike Petrole and mate Steven Van Bergen.

They caught 19 longfin tuna and five yellowfins. Half of these fish were caught on Shimano Butterfly Jigs used with Shimano Trevala rods, Torsa reels and Stella spinning reels.

Capt. Rob Semkewyc, skipper of the Sea Hunter from Atlantic Highlands, said he has switched to striped bass fishing on a daily basis, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

"So far it has been more blues than bass, but the action is excellent," he said.