Steppin’ it up”- Fishing report-08-23-10-By Bob Misak

[Fishing Report]

“Steppin’ it up”- Fishing report-08-23-10-By Bob Misak
This past weekend there was some good fishing going on as the Forked River Tuna Club started their one week fluke and bluefish tournament. Fred Imhoff fished outside with Billy Wong and they took two nice fluke off the bottom in 35 or 40 ft. of water at 5 lbs. 12 oz. and 4 lbs. 8 oz. The fish have been congregating off of Seaside and some bigger fish are starting to hit the scales, as expected in the last hurrah of the 2010 fluke season. I’m hearing talk that they’re going to “consider” loosening the noose on the fluke regs next season, but I guess we’ll just have to see. The sea bass are getting healthy out there and Fred and Bill also caught a 4.8 lb. humpback to supplement those flatties. The head boats out of Belmar and down here are pulling up some triggers off the wrecks, but I haven’t heard of too many inshore yet, and the spear fishing guys have told me that they’re thin out on the jetty. I hit the jetty on Saturday and the togs were very cooperative as usual, and I had a 16 inch fish right off. I kept it, and then got a nice surprise when I got blasted by a 10 lb. sheepshead. I’ll tell you, of all the sheepsheads I fought on that rock pile, this one was a valiant fighter. I had my drag cranked tight for tog fishing and this puppy ripped out some line. And, I had snapped off a big fish moments before, so I was a-scared. But I was lucky enough to have Chris Norris from Maple Shade there and he handed me my net. Like I said, without your net you ain’t nothin’! So, with a keeper tog, a keeper fluke, and what became a 30 lb. sheepshead by the time I got to the truck, it turned out to be a pretty good day out there, and it’s going to get better as fall slowly rolls in. The blowfish are slowly thickening in the bay and my taxidermist, Sander Schneider and his son went out and had a great day with 25 or 30 perfect eating size puffers at about 8 to10 inches. Sander loves to eat fish, and he knows where the goodies are. He is one of the few great skin mount taxidermists left, and if you want you’re actual fish on your wall instead of a fiberglass, call him at 732-330-0275. You won’t be disappointed at all. He’ll do a fiberglass too if you desire, but he prides himself on skin mounting, and he’s good at it. The crabbing is off the hook in the bay, and I saw little Ben Redman and his dad Ben and little sister with a nice bucket of crabs filling up quick in very shallow water off Waretown, so you can do well on the crabbing just about anywhere right now. Anyway, Basil has some chum and some little hooks and stuff if you want to get in on the blowfish and kingfish cum-a thons, and he’s holding plenty of green crabs for the tog chasers. The surf is also giving up some kingfish on the finger jetties at high tide, and those dudes are using fresh clams, cut up of course. The old sharpsters are using the guts as chum and doing quite well with that. So we’ll you at Barnegat Light B & T, and the fishing is getting better and better, and the sheepsheads are definitely here! Don’t forget your Korkers because I saw three guys take a header on Saturday alone. No injuries, thank God. Good luck and great fishing to everyone, and be safe.

Barnegat Light Bait and Tackle
1501 Bayview Ave.
Barnegat Light, NJ
(609) 494-4566
Website www.barnegatlightbaitandtackle.com
Email info@barnegatlightbaitandtackle.com

[eppefour]

http://www.sportfishermen.com/2010/0...-by-bob-misak/