What a Weekend, Barnegat Inlet Bait and Tackle report 5-25 updated with Pics

[jackdaniels]

Barnegat Light B & T -Fishing report-05-25-10-By Bob Misak
The 2010 spring bass season is definitely under way as Friday saw big bass hit the scales all day long. It was the bunker pods moving in a frenzied mass off of Island beach as well as off of Ortley Beach and Bay Head. The beach was actually quiet this weekend, although some guys are starting to take some decent bass off the Loveladies and Barnegat Light surf hotspots. Our old friend from Medford John Stevens came out on Saturday and put together an awesome 17 sea bass day with a couple cod in the mix, although the cod are beginning to thin. John says the bergalls are absolute mayhem out there right now, and they easily went through a bushel of clams, no lie. But the sea bass were of decent size and well worth going off to your favorite wreck to load up on some of those puppies. Saturday the bass fishing wasn’t nearly as good as Friday with the wind making a switch to east and shutting things down a bit. But even though the bunker were hit and miss, guys that persisted did come in with some good bass. With every thing else going on, nobody has even mentioned bluefish, and that’s fine with me until the Berkeley striper club’s tourney starts this weekend. The tournament is surf only and runs for ten days with some pretty awesome prizes for bass and blues, as well as calcuttas. Fisherman’s Headquarters is the weigh station this year on L.B.I.
Out in the bay the bluefish are there for anyone who wants to partake, and they’re at the middle grounds as well as in the channels and over by the sod banks. Jig heads with shiny Finesse baits work pretty well. And the stripers are still around but you have to look around to find fish. Clean water is the ticket to a good spot for anchoring up and sitting with some mega-clam baits. Yea, I like to slide three or four of those clams up the line above the hook to make sure the bass sees that thing. Of course that’s just when those bluefish decide they want clams for lunch. I also talked to a dude who tells me he’s been catching a few blowfish in his crab pots. Now you’re talking my language! It wouldn’t hurt to try a chumming trip for blowfish, but I must say that with fluke season starting on Saturday, the head boats will be plenty busy between fluke trips and sea bass. This weekend is most definitely the time to get out there and catch up some good eatin’ fillets.
So as usual, the shop is open and loaded with fresh bunkers, clams, and more clams as well as killies and squids and spots, I think. By the way, Basil took off on another turkey hunting trip and guess what? He actually harvested a bird! And all by himself at that! Even though his wife don’t like me much, I’m glad I had the opportunity to spend some real successful days out there with him. Congrats ,buddy. So we’ll see you down at Barnegat Light bait and tackle, and good luck and great fishing to everyone who is anyone.