OPENING DAY NJ FLUKE 2018

This is it. New Jersey anglers have been waiting for this day since last September. Fluke season officially opens May 25th with a 3 fish bag limit at 18-inch minimum size in coastal waters and 3 fish at 17 inches in Delaware Bay waters. So what’s the game plan? Here’s my take. Though its opening […]

This is it. New Jersey anglers have been waiting for this day since last September. Fluke season officially opens May 25th with a 3 fish bag limit at 18-inch minimum size in coastal waters and 3 fish at 17 inches in Delaware Bay waters. So what’s the game plan?Here’s my take. Though its opening day, fluke have been here sunning and breeding in the backwaters since April, and truth be told, they are already on their way out of the back moving into the ocean waters. Thankfully in respect to fluke fishing, water temperatures have been below normal this year, right now around 59 degrees, and that means the backwaters will be the best place to start your fluke pursuits.Work shallow water bays and river systems, focusing around 4 to 12 feet of water. Go light and use heavy scented baits to get early season fluke to pounce. I employ a 3/8 to ½-ounce Andrus bucktail in white or white/yellow and tip it with a 3 or 4-inch Berkley Gulp! Swimmin’ Mullet or fresh 4-inch strip bait of bluefish or mackerel. For backup bait, bring plenty of spearing and squid to add to your Gulp! arsenal. About 16-inches up from the bucktail is a dropper loop with a size 2/0 Siwash bucktail hair teaser. 25-pound Yo-Zuri Fluorocarbon is used for the rig’s leader material. A proper medium weight rod with a moderate/fast action tip works the flutter of the bucktail best.I use a 7-foot Shimano Terramar rod TMSE70M matched with a Shimano Sustain 5000 reel, spooled with 30-pound Spiderwire braid. Drift over the flats and stitch the channel edges to find where pods of fluke are staging.If you find a few, keep motoring back up and repeating the same drift as where you find one fluke, you’ll find a pack hanging together. Outgoing tides usually produce best in the early season as the waters are warmer than the rushing cooler ocean water of incoming tides. Best shallow water areas to hit would be the Shark River, Manasquan River, Barnegat Bay, Great Egg Harbor and Ludlam’s Bay. Good luck to all on opening day and the Memorial Day weekend ahead, it should be a full on flounda poundin![vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='5435,5436'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Gear Used'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Andrus
Andrus Bucktails
The Andrus Lures Ball Jigs Bucktail is great for fluke fishing and feature quality hair that holds up. Andrus Lures, the makers of premium jigs. Great for targeting fluke, striped bass and weakfish in the bay, surf, inlet and inshore waters.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Berkley
Gulp! Swimming Mullet
Ideal for all saltwater species! Swimming tail action irresistible to fish. Lifelike detail and appearance. Berkley Gulp! Saltwater baits are made from natural ingredients that release 400 times more scent than plastic baits.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Spiderwire
Stealth Braid
SpiderWire Stealth Braid is made from Dyneema, The World’s Strongest Fiber! Each size is uniquely constructed to provide the ultimate strength with the thinnest diameter for smooth and quiet performance.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Yo-Zuri
TopKnot Leader
Yo-Zuri TopKnot Leader stays clear even after extended use, resulting in more bites!View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]" target="_blank">

FISHING A NOR’EAST SURF

A Northeast weather pattern has been sitting on Jersey for the past few days, and with it surf striped bass fishing has gone bananas. Heavy water demands you switch up your tactics a little bit for more effective bait fishing. Start off by bringing larger rods and reels to handle the swashing surf. I employ […]

A Northeast weather pattern has been sitting on Jersey for the past few days, and with it surf striped bass fishing has gone bananas.Heavy water demands you switch up your tactics a little bit for more effective bait fishing. Start off by bringing larger rods and reels to handle the swashing surf. I employ a Shimano Tiralejo 12 foot rod, matched with a Shimano Ultegra 14000 reel, spooled with 50-pound Spiderwire. A bait and wait approach is utilized in churny surf as the roiling waters kick up clams and smash them on the ocean floor, providing plenty of natural forage for stripers. The key is using rigs that will hold their ground in rough waters. Keep your rigs tight and short.Generally, you can go with a hi-lo rig fixed with a 75-pound Spro Barrel Swivel and two droppers spaced 16 inches apart fixed with 40-pound Trikfish leader material and 4/0 Mustad Baitholder hooks. Sinkers are key here and Hatteras, Satellite or Pyramid sinkers hold their ground best, usually anywhere from 4 to 8 ounces. A three-way swivel rig fixed with a size #2 three-way and a short 20—inch 40-pound leader snelled with a size 6/0 Baitholder hook will also do the job. The short leader allows for the bait to stay put rather than flailing all over tangling up the leader and knocking off the clam bait.Clams should be hooked on a minimum of three times and use the ribbons of the clam to lock the big tongue piece in by piercing it over and over 5 or 6 times on the hook after the tongue is hooked on first. This method put my fishing friend Mickey Melchiondo and I into 24 surf stripers yesterday in three hours time.With a Nor’east surf, low tide can be just as effective as high tide hours as the heavy water fills in the cuts and sloughs even on lower tides. Be sure to plant your rods with foot-push metal sandspikes from Anglers Mate so they hold the rod in place without pulling out in the rough waters. Jersey will usually have Nor’easters rumble through up until early June, so get out and hit the suds for some stripers now.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='5420,5418'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Gear Used'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Shimano
Tiralejo Surf Rods
The new Shimano Tiralejo Surf Spinning Rods are made with the all new Shimano C4S blank construction which utilizes high modulus blank and wraps 4 outer layers of 90 degree graphite. The C4S construction is a unique design.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Shimano
Ultegra XTD Surf Reels
Shimano Ultegra XTD Surf Spinning Reels are designed for the serious surf caster. These surf reels provide consistent long-casting performance and Shimano X-Ship for improved durability even under the heaviest loads.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Spiderwire
Stealth Braid
SpiderWire Stealth Braid is made from Dyneema, The World’s Strongest Fiber! Each size is uniquely constructed to provide the ultimate strength with the thinnest diameter for smooth and quiet performance.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
TackleDirect
Sputnik Sinker
Sputnik's may look odd, but the tines attached to the lead sinker serve a very useful purpose. The tines dig into the sand on the bottom and lock the sinker in place. Sputnik sinkers allow surf anglers to use lighter weights to hold bottom in more turbulent surf conditions.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]" target="_blank">

POPPIN BAY BLUES

The first wave of bluefish moved into Jersey’s bay systems and surf zone, and you’re hard pressed to find a more exciting way to score gators than with topwater poppers. Blues have been of mixed size so far from choppers of 5 to 7 pounds to slammers upwards of 15 pounds, but both size classes […]

The first wave of bluefish moved into Jersey’s bay systems and surf zone, and you’re hard pressed to find a more exciting way to score gators than with topwater poppers.Blues have been of mixed size so far from choppers of 5 to 7 pounds to slammers upwards of 15 pounds, but both size classes are eager to strike at a flailing topwater commotion. The key is having a brawny set up to put the boots to larger gators when they reach the 15 to 20-pound mark. I generally set up with a 7 foot Penn Slammer rod rated for 30 to 50-pound matched with a real workhorse reel, a Penn 760 Slammer, spooled with 50-pound Spiderwire braid, then a 100-pound Spro Barrel Swivel, a 26-inch piece of 60-pound Triplefish leader and a 125-pound TA clip to interchange out poppers.This week, the Tsunami Talkin’ Popper, Gibb’s bottle popper, Williamson Popper Pro and Stillwater Smack-It poppers all claimed bruiser blues. As water temps were cold, in the low 50’s, blues were hitting a bit sluggish, so a pop-pause-pop retrieve worked best to get them hooked. Outgoing tides down to the dead low were best times to get strikes as the water is warmest then. Soon as the waters steady out in the high 50s and low 60s, we should have an all out assault on bluefish as they will become more aggressive. That’s the time to really work a popper fast across the surface to get them in an aggro strike mode.One important point to note is to definitely switch out any treble hooks on the poppers and replace them with large single Siwash hooks as thrashing hooked blues have been responsible for many a sunk treble hook into the flesh, and that’s not fun. Always have a pair of long needle nose pliers as well to reach into the maw of the blue to extract the hook. You want to keep your hands as far away as possible from the chomping jigsaws.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='5402,5406'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Gear Used'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Tsunami
XD Talkin' Popper Lures
Floating, top water, Tsunami XD Talkin' Popper Lures deliver popping, skittering, splashing action to draw reactionary strikes from predators. Large weight transfer balls provide longer tumble-free casts and loud, fish attracting rattles.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Williamson
Popper Pro Lures
The Williamson Popper Pro Lures have a versatile design that allows you to fish a wide variety of techniques such as pop on the top, slash and stall and classic walk the dog. These popper lures are precisely weighted for maximum casting distance.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
VMC
Siwash Open Eye 9171PS
VMC Hooks 9171 Siwash Open Eye is a premium hook ideal for swapping out your lures with treble hooks or replacing j hooks on bunker spoons. Made of hi carbon steel and featuring a long cut point, the VMC 9171PS open eye Siwash hook is super strong and sharp.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Tactical Anglers
Power Clip
Tactical Anglers Power / Fast Clips are strong fishing clips that allow for fast and easy changing of lures. Made from a single thick stainless steel wire to provide maximum strength and durability, TA Power Clips have a slip-proof design.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]" target="_blank">

SODBANK STRIPERS

I literally just got off the water with TackleDirect pro staffer Captain Brian Williams of the Badfish, mainly to get out and prove that stripers were loaded in Jersey’s backwaters. Water temps ranged from 53 to 60 degrees while we worked over the backwater sodbanks. We were on the hunt to utilize lighter tackle for […]

I literally just got off the water with TackleDirect pro staffer Captain Brian Williams of the Badfish, mainly to get out and prove that stripers were loaded in Jersey’s backwaters. Water temps ranged from 53 to 60 degrees while we worked over the backwater sodbanks. We were on the hunt to utilize lighter tackle for some sporting fights on smaller bass of 20 to 26 inches.Williams' set up consists of a 7 foot Penn Battalion rod matched with Penn Conflict II 2500 spinning reel spooled with 15-pound Spiderwire and a top shot of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader to which a variety of soft baits can be tied on. Williams opts for a 3 to 4-inch DOA CAL in pearl coloring with a red ½-ounce leadhead, but will also toss Zoom Super Flukes and 4 to 5-3/4 Fin-S fish in Albino White and Bubble Gum color patterns.On our trip out, we did battle with 26 stripers all ranging from 16 to 25 inches, but what the bass lacked in size, they made up for in tenacity and toughness, ripping drag off the reels and providing blow-up type action in shallow waters. The key to fishing sodbanks is to make your casts as close to the bank as possible, and that means inches off it, as many times stripers will be hanging in the shadows of the overhanging bank, waiting to come out and pounce on a bait that happens by. If your cast comes up short even by 5 feet from the bank, chances are you aren’t in the zone and need to recast.These early season stripers will be hanging around throughout the month of May in Jersey’s backwaters and as the month progresses, look for larger model brethren to move on in with some fish pushing the 15 to 20-pound mark. Meantime, hit Jersey’s backwaters along the ICW and creek outflows to target sodbank stripers, you won’t be disappointed.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='5386,5385'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Gear Used'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Penn
Battalion Inshore Rods
Inshore or near shore, the PENN Battalion family offers the actions, balance and durability to get the job done. These rods feature both EVA and cork grips, Fuji® aluminum oxide guides, and a 30 ton graphite blank.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Penn
Conflict II Spinning Reels
The PENN Conflict II features stealthy cosmetics, a Lightweight design (our lightest spinning reel ever), and silky smooth HT-100 drag. The RR30 Rigid Resin body and rotor are extremely lightweight and durable.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Spiderwire
Ultracast Invisi-Braid
Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid Superline represents the best of SpiderWire performance because it is the highest quality, best performing series in the SpiderWire brand. Only the best technology.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Lunker City
Fin-S
If any artificial lure can mimic a baitfish better than the original Slug-Go, it's got to be the Fin-S Fish, with its thinner, deeper-bodied profile and forked tail. The Fin-S Fish has been part of the Lunker City line up since the mid-eighties.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]" target="_blank">

OPENING DAY NJ FLUKE 2018

Andrus

Andrus Bucktails

Berkley

Gulp! Swimming Mullet

Spiderwire

Stealth Braid

Yo-Zuri

TopKnot Leader

FISHING A NOR’EAST SURF

Shimano

Tiralejo Surf Rods

Shimano

Ultegra XTD Surf Reels

Spiderwire

Stealth Braid

TackleDirect

Sputnik Sinker

POPPIN BAY BLUES

Tsunami

XD Talkin' Popper Lures

Williamson

Popper Pro Lures

VMC

Siwash Open Eye 9171PS

Tactical Anglers

Power Clip

SODBANK STRIPERS

Penn

Battalion Inshore Rods

Penn

Conflict II Spinning Reels

Spiderwire

Ultracast Invisi-Braid

Lunker City

Fin-S