FIRST SHOT FLUKE

Jersey’s fluke season just reopened on May 24th with a 3 fish limit and an 18-inch minimum size, and good thing as the back bays are firing right now. As fluke harbor up in the backwaters until the first weeks of June, now’s the time to go to light tackle to wrestle up quality keeper […]

Jersey’s fluke season just reopened on May 24th with a 3 fish limit and an 18-inch minimum size, and good thing as the back bays are firing right now.As fluke harbor up in the backwaters until the first weeks of June, now’s the time to go to light tackle to wrestle up quality keeper class fluke from 2 to 10 pounds.Opening day I fished with Captain Jim Luoro on the Vicki Lynn and we put a beatdown on fluke in the Manasquan River, all with lighter gear. Generally, I’m dropping Andrus bucktails in 3/8 to ½-ounce sizes in yellow/white, white and white/chartreuse hair colorings. A medium action rod with a moderate to fast action works well to effectively flex and feel the bucktail on the bay bottom as well as drag 2 to 4-ounce bank sinkers if necessary during days of high winds and stiff drifts. Go with a 7-foot Shimano Teramar Rod rated 15 to 30-pound, matched with a Shimano Stradic 5000 reel spooled with 20 to 30-pound Power Pro green braid for ultimate sensitivity and hooksetting power. Luoro and I tipped our bucktails with fresh bluefish strips, doused in FinEssence oil to start, and that combo got pounded by the first keeper of the day. As winds picked up and the last of an outgoing tide brought dirtier water, we switched out the strips for easier to see chartreuse Berkeley Gulp! 3-inch Swimmin Minnows that immediately got pounced upon, adding more keepers up to 5 pounds to the cooler.However, the most interesting aspect of all the fish we hooked was that most were in extremely shallow water of 2.5 to 5 foot in depth. We marked water temps from 59 to 64 degrees, and generally speaking, early season fluke in that type of cooler water tend to gravitate up onto the flats to sun themselves up. The key to fluke success in the next three or four weeks is to focus on the shallow waters in bay systems, and look for waters in the 63 to 68 degree range, which are usually elevated on outgoing tides as warmer back bay water spills out due to the fact that depths gets skinnier with less water density for the sun to penetrate. By late June, the focus on fluke will be oceanside, but for now in this first shot of fluke, get into the skinny water, bring plenty of scented baits and go with light tackle to properly work the small bucktails.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6170,6172'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">

SCENTIN’ UP SEA BASS

Black sea bass season just reopened in Jersey with regulations dictating a window from May 15th to June 22ndwith a 10 fish limit and 12-1/2 inch minimum size and you bet, the bite is flat out on. I hopped on the EightBall with Captain Dom Mancuso to ply some of the inshore wrecks in reefs […]

Black sea bass season just reopened in Jersey with regulations dictating a window from May 15th to June 22ndwith a 10 fish limit and 12-1/2 inch minimum size and you bet, the bite is flat out on.I hopped on the EightBall with Captain Dom Mancuso to ply some of the inshore wrecks in reefs in 60 to 80 foot of water and the rough southerly seas at 4 to 5 foot made for some challenging drifts with a paucity of hits to start. Salted clams were deployed as baits, but it was only a hit there and a hit there, nothing crazy. That is until I decided to up the game and introduce some scent into the mix.I grabbed a bottle of FinEssence shedder crab fish oil and doused the salted clam baits in the juice, as well as putting on some Berkeley Gulp! 2-inch minnows on the size 3/0 Gamakatsu hooks. In an instant, those little taps from sea bass became pounding hits, and in a split second we began to load the cooler. The key here is to get the freshest baits as possible. If you don’t have access to in- the- shell clams, soak your salted clams in scented juices that marinate and make otherwise tasteless baits into delectable meals for black sea bass.Immerse any baits you have beforehand so the juices infuse into the offerings and switch out clams after every third drop to refresh the scent if you haven’t had a hit. If you have pre-cut strip baits from bluefish, mackerel or squid, grab a gallon Ziploc bag, put the baits in it, and water the whole kit and caboodle with the FinEssence oil the night before, allowing the baits to simmer in the fridge overnight. Fresh clams already have plenty of scent in them but its always solid to give them a good mix anyway in the juice.When currents are running strong as they were on our day, cut clam tongues in nice, straight strips as they will not whirl and spin around when down on the bottom, but flow naturally with the current. Get on the sea bass now as the wrecks and reefs will get picked off pretty quickly. Try your game in 70 to 100 feet of water and don’t leave home without the special sauce! It can make or break a day.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6164,6162'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">

TARGETING TIDERUNNER WEAKFISH ON SOFT BAITS

If you want a chance at landing a true tiderunner weakfish of 8 pounds and greater, now’s your shot in the NJ/NY area. Weakfish are on the spawn through the month of May, and any large females will be hanging in the back bay waters, patrolling the flats and channels of the ICW, creek outflows […]

If you want a chance at landing a true tiderunner weakfish of 8 pounds and greater, now’s your shot in the NJ/NY area.Weakfish are on the spawn through the month of May, and any large females will be hanging in the back bay waters, patrolling the flats and channels of the ICW, creek outflows and inlets. Tiderunner weakies, as is their namesake, like to feed when the tide is moving as they follow the flow to suck down morsels of worms, crabs and baitfish. You’ve got to get up pretty early to fool the spiketooths as most will feed in the dark hours and pre-dawn before the sun comes up, until about a half hour after sunrise, then the bite pretty much shuts off.Set up with a medium/light type of spinning rod such as the GLoomis IMX Blue Pro series matched with a Shimano Stradic 4000 reel. Spool up with light line such as 10-pound Berkley Trilene or 20-pound Power Pro braid. With a weakfish’s keen eyesight, fluorocarbon leader is a must with little to no terminal tackle. To your running line, uni to uni knot a 5 foot section of 10 to 14-pound fluorocarbon leader, then a loop knot to a wide array of favorite soft rubber baits.Most weakfish hounds opt to use the color pink or a combination of pink/silver fleck from any manufacturers including Zoom super flukes, 4 to 5-3/4 inch Fin-S Fish, Bass Assassins or the new Kettle Creeks.Lures are cast out and simply reeled back in at a slow drag, just enough to keep the bait moving. Contrary to thought, you do not have to jig the bait, but simply reel in slow to moderate pace. Strikes are not bone jarring, but feel like you snagged into a piece of seaweed where some weight just hangs on the line. Keep your drag set loose and plant the hook. Allow the fish to pull off the loose drag and make its run. They aren’t called weakfish for nothing and a stiff drag will rip the hook right through the weak part of the fish’s mouth. Good luck, if you find the weakies, let me know![vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6154,6153,6155'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">

All Signs Point Towards Summer

Ask a group of fishermen in South Florida about their favorite time of year to fish and the majority will say summer. Now, it’s not quite summer yet, but it’s aaallllmoooost heeeerrreee….and I can’t wait. It goes like this, the winds start laying down, schools of bait start to show up and bigger fish show […]

Ask a group of fishermen in South Florida about their favorite time of year to fish and the majority will say summer.Now, it’s not quite summer yet, but it’s aaallllmoooost heeeerrreee....and I can’t wait. It goes like this, the winds start laying down, schools of bait start to show up and bigger fish show up to eat them. Find the bait and you find the fish, pretty basic stuff!! For the inshore guys, snook and tarpon become the main focus. Both species love the heat and humidity and are usually very willing to eat over the next several months with snook being less moody than the tarpon. I do prefer live bait over artificials for both near more populated areas, these are fish that see a lot more anglers and are much more cautious. I will generally use undersized strong hooks 1/0-3/0 circle for snook and 3/0-5/0 circle for the tarpon, along with 30-40lb fluorocarbon leader in the cleaner water near the coast and bump it up a little when fishing darker water further inshore. Mullet and pilchards make up the majority of the live bait used and are usually readily available for those who can throw a cast net. If you are lucky enough to fish some of our more remote areas, then lures, soft plastics, jigs and flies all work well. These would be fish along the southwest coast into Everglades National Park, areas of the Keys and some of the lightly traveled bays and rivers away from suburbia. Remote areas are fun because they are great for surface plugs or soft plastics with much more aggressive fish and very few if any other boaters. If you find yourself fishing these areas without a guide, fish as if you were looking for freshwater bass, snook feeding habits are very similar. They love structure and the edges of current. For you offshore guys/gals, you need not be jealous of the inshore action, the Mahi are ready to roll all along the south east coast and the Keys. Many will just troll until something hits, but I will either free line live baits along the drop offs (150-300 ft of water) or take the “run and gun” approach and look for birds, bait or debris. Once any of these are located, I will troll the immediate area until we get a take down. Tuna and false albacore are very common with both methods of Mahi fishing but I will have one lure further back then all the others, which usually takes the tuna. Once you find Mahi, you tend to catch a lot in a short amount of time, so be mindful of how much meat you actually need and let a bunch go for next time. People tend to stay away from South Florida during the summer, but the locals know it’s the best time to fish. Fish early or late if you don’t want to cook and enjoy the spoils of your labors on the end of the line.Until next time,Capt Mike Haines 305-505-2772[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6144,6145'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">

SWITCH THE RETRIEVE

I just got off the Manasquan riverbanks searching out blues and bass, and an early morning shift had me casting Daiwa SP Minnows to test the waters. Blues have been running through the last few days, and as blues in general tend to like fast paced offerings, I sped the retrieve up just a tad […]

I just got off the Manasquan riverbanks searching out blues and bass, and an early morning shift had me casting Daiwa SP Minnows to test the waters.Blues have been running through the last few days, and as blues in general tend to like fast paced offerings, I sped the retrieve up just a tad to elicit an aggression strike from a chopper. One retrieve back I was pulling a moderate draw, but when I knew I was up on the flat, I reeled in the lure quickly to get another cast into the strike zone, but 10 feet from my legs I saw a black shadow following the plug. A 28-inch striper swooped at the lure three times, I stopped reeling, then accelerated the lure at the last second when the bass hit like a ton of bricks right at my knees.How long was that bass following that plug? The point is that there are many times we may not get a hit on a cast plug, metal or popper. Fish are there eyeing it up, but may not hit due to some unforeseen condition and veer off, but all it takes is a change in the presentation or pace to convince the fish to pounce on the offering. After catching that bass, I made a quick change out to a green-tailed Ava 17 jig, casting out and allowing the lure sink deeper in the water column before reeling back with an ultra-speedy retrieve when a 14-pound bluefish whacked the jig.Try varying speeds for different species - slow it down, speed it up and even snap jig any lure to switch up the presentation. High speed reels like a Shimano Stradic 5000 can accomplish the feat with subtle cranks that gain line super-fast and are prime to use when targeting bluefish or speedsters like false albacore.Slower geared reels like Penn Spinfisher VI 4500 series may work better when targeting bass as they generally spool line up slowly and allow the lure to wobble seductively. A taut line from 30-pound Power Pro braid allows instant connection to the lure to effectively manage the speed and style of the drawback. Next outing when you feel you’ve casted a thousand times, switching up lure colors and profile to no avail, all that may be needed is a sublime adjustment to the speed of the retrieve of the lure to garner a hit.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6136,6137'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">

BLUEFISH BOMBARDMENT BY BOAT

The first wave of spring bluefish has moved into Jersey waters. It still remains to be seen what size class will dominate the rush, whether it be 6 to 8 pound choppers or the 10 to 20-pound gorillas, but you better be prepared when doing battle with the tackle busting yellow eyed demons. The best […]

The first wave of spring bluefish has moved into Jersey waters.It still remains to be seen what size class will dominate the rush, whether it be 6 to 8 pound choppers or the 10 to 20-pound gorillas, but you better be prepared when doing battle with the tackle busting yellow eyed demons. The best way to find the fish is to cover ground via boat.Boat rods should be stout and have enough backbone to muscle in the lobheaded brutes. Generally a 7-foot Penn Rampage spinning rod rated for 30 to 50-pound matched with a Penn 6500 class reel has enough brawn to effectively be able to control a fish. Spool up the reel with 50-pound Power Pro Braid and Albright knot a 6-foot section of 50 to 60-pound TrikFish leader to which a 75-pound TA clip is Palomar knotted to the end. The clip allows for a quick switch out between plugs, poppers and metals.From the perch of the boat deck, many lure offerings can be tossed to the rampaging blues, but whatever lure you choose, be sure to switch out the treble hooks for single hooks to prevent a messy situation of a hooked hand or body part from the thrashing blues once on deck. Top lures in my bag for blues include all Ava jigs from size 007 to A27, Deadly Dicks, Ocean Born Flying Popper, Bomber A-Salt plugs and the ol’ Atom popper.Blue dogs will be running all through the Jersey waters along the coastline, entering the inlets and into the backwaters from May through June. It’s a run and gun affair as schools will blow up on bait pods but understand that when you hook one fish, there’s guaranteed to be dozens more with it. Launch lures out fast and furious and remember to keep the drags relatively tight enough to be able to steer and control the fish but loose enough for them to burn the drag on a ripping run and not snap your lure off. Blues will be blitzing at all times of day, so it doesn’t necessarily require the use of sick days off work. Enjoy the run![vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1485876128429-956a0435a2a0f25f6c84919907eacd12-3' include='6129,6126'][/vc_column]" target="_blank">