Jersey salt in the fall

[poopdeck]

vcregular wrote:
There are less fish. The body of fish is smaller. lack of cuts. Troughs. Bars. Structure. Does not matter when there is a lack of bass. Even the mega conservative - slow to react/not proactive ASMFC - has acknowledged there is a decline. Hence the 25% reduction afishinado mentioned.

Oh yeah I left out less fish. While there is less fish that does not mean no fish. My salt water fishing has been pretty damn good for the last 4 or 5 years but this is done mostly from a boat. There are some species that need help but overall I have been pretty happy. I have some complaints for sure, mostly in the sea bass and flounder area, but overall I look forward to the fall and try to save as many days off as I can for fishing in cape may.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Is there a decline in flounder numbers? Across the population or locally?

 

[poopdeck]

Plenty of numbers but you have to go through quite a few shorts for every keeper. Last year I started exploring the raritan bay and found the flounder to be better in the size department.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I was intrigued by your thoughts on a decrease. So I asked Mr Google and came up with an article posted today on a new model to estimate fluke numbers being tested in Jersey.

I did find fluke and croaker this past week, but don't fish them consistently enough to have an idea on numbers.

 

[poopdeck]

I have yet to be out for flounder this year but last year I did terrible on the delaware bay keeper ration was around 1 in 30. Tried great egg and caught over 100 with 3 keepers and a murderous hoard of green heads. Went to raritan bay where we caught 30 with 7 keepers up to 9lbs. My buddy went out last week in the raritan and had similar results with an 11lber at the high end. I' ll be going out the end of the month weather permitting.

What's the article it sounds like an interesting read.

 

[BrookieChaser]

http://www.thedailyjournal.com/story/fish-head/2015/07/11/research-key-in-fight-to-save-summer-flounder/30009589/

 

[Duff]

Been fishing the park for 50 years. It's always changing. Stocks are definitely down. But yes - there are still fish and some days can have a lot of fish. Albies will be really tough. Haven't seen any in quite a few years. They are there. The inlets north and Sandy Hook are the best locations. They flash by but haven't been in close in the park. Even with a spinning outfit you have to be lucky and need braid for the best distance 75->+100 yards cast.

I'm semiretired now and a yearly 4X4 pass so I'll try to fish almost every week. Stay away from weekends even in the fall.

 

[poopdeck]

That's an interesting article. A new counting method sounds like a good idea. I have never witnessed a shortage in flounder just a shortage in keeper size flounder. Each year I expect all the previous years shorts to be keeper size yet they always seem to stay shorts.

 

[afishinado]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2014/03/11/podium-bass/ieYsaf8jNzfQhIX9Wz1HnO/story.html

 

[BrookieChaser]

Poopdeck, just by your observations on fluke, that would make me ask if there's an overpopulation, leading to a decimation of food sources causing stunting. Or a lack of a key food source (could be a number of causes for that (pollution, predation, conditions)).

Afish, that article was interesting, and sad.

 

[sandfly]

hey duff, have we met ? I'm from bucks and used to run a tan/brown astro on the beach

 

[SurfCowboyXX]

Afish will tell you. I flyfished every rock and beach and estuary from Cape May to Sandy Hook for about 10 years, and I told him about 3 years ago that I was going to reconcentrate on freshwater fish, because the striper stock was getting ready to crash. And it has. I'll be spending my time chasing trout and smallmouth for the next decade or so. It will take that long for the stock to recover, if it ever does (unlike the 80s-90s, the warming of the water is going to severely impact the spawns this time around, and you can't expect the Chesapeake to do this time what it did last time--it's nearly dead itself). The fisheries management isn't going to do anything until the last of the big ones are caught up in RI and MA. When there's no longer a rod and reel commercial industry (it should become insolvent in another year or two), and the yahoos stop paying $700/day to chunk bunker (because that's a lot of money for a boat ride and casting practice), they will finally issue a moratorium again--they should have done this last year. My guess is declining stocks through 2017, then a moratorium in 2018, then, if we get lucky, by 2025 or so, you'll be able to catch fish from shore with a fly rod again. But that assumes the water stays clean and cold, and that there will be enough herring and bunker to support a rebound. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[poopdeck]

Brookie I wouldn't go that far. I think the problem is once they become keeper size they go into a cooler Or they stay offshore. It could also mean I just suck at big flounder fishing.

 

[Fredrick]

SurfCowboyXX wrote:
Afish will tell you. I flyfished every rock and beach and estuary from Cape May to Sandy Hook for about 10 years, and I told him about 3 years ago that I was going to reconcentrate on freshwater fish, because the striper stock was getting ready to crash. And it has. I'll be spending my time chasing trout and smallmouth for the next decade or so. It will take that long for the stock to recover, if it ever does (unlike the 80s-90s, the warming of the water is going to severely impact the spawns this time around, and you can't expect the Chesapeake to do this time what it did last time--it's nearly dead itself). The fisheries management isn't going to do anything until the last of the big ones are caught up in RI and MA. When there's no longer a rod and reel commercial industry (it should become insolvent in another year or two), and the yahoos stop paying $700/day to chunk bunker (because that's a lot of money for a boat ride and casting practice), they will finally issue a moratorium again--they should have done this last year. My guess is declining stocks through 2017, then a moratorium in 2018, then, if we get lucky, by 2025 or so, you'll be able to catch fish from shore with a fly rod again. But that assumes the water stays clean and cold, and that there will be enough herring and bunker to support a rebound. I'm not holding my breath.

+1^

 

[mkoloch]

One thing I'll tell you, always have your casting rod with you. At minimum in your car. If the fish are around and just out of fly casting range, nothing more frustrating then watching everyone catch fish and your out of the game. Also, often times, you can "tease" fish within fly range. I have two old beat up topwater plugs I found on the beach, rigged hookless for this exact purpose. Blues fall for this trick pretty easily if they are in feeding frenzy mode.

Also, I like to target the rock structures mostly in Monmouth Co. For this I found heavy lines are necessary. 450 grain sinking on a 9-10 weight.

 

[afishinado]

The Striped Bass Bonus Program

Striped bass regulations have changed.
The Striped Bass Bonus Program (SBBP) closed on May 1, 2015 and will reopen September 1, 2015.

Detailed information about new SBBP procedures, including permits and reporting will be provided through various outlets including this webpage as soon as they become available. All current permit holders received notice that the old 2015 permits are no longer valid and will automatically receive a new permit prior to September 1, 2015. Those permits will be issued first before processing new applications. The number of permits issues will be limited, based on the Division's discretion, to ensure the 2015 quota is not exceeded.

On September 1, 2015, the new SBBP regulations will be:
One fish 24" to less than 28"

Please note that the order of fish harvested does not matter.
New Jersey recreational striped bass regulations in all state waters are as follows:
One fish 28" to less than 43" AND one fish 43" or greater
Party/Charter Boat Facet of the SBBP Reinstated For 2015
The Party/Charter Boat (PCBT) facet of the SBBP will resume on September 1, 2015. Data collected from this program has proved invaluable for managing striped bass. Qualified PCBTs will be issued a limited number of permits allowing customers to keep one Bonus Fish from 24" to less than 28". Only one permit may be issued to a customer per day.

PCBTs will be required to submit daily logbooks of their striped bass catch and will also be required to provide weekly reports of striped bass bonus harvest in order to ensure the quota is not exceeded. To apply, download the application and submit to the Division with a copy of a Captain's license.

 

[ebroesicke]

that's a lot of fish.

 

[Daren]

Hey Guys,
Havent seen much chatter about the shore fishing yet. Has anyone been out to the beach yet this fall? Internet reports arent too flattering right now with small blues but i may make a trip the last week in sept and see for myself.
will share my results if i go.

Thx

 

[Fishidiot]

Daren wrote:
Hey Guys,
Havent seen much chatter about the shore fishing yet. Has anyone been out to the beach yet this fall? Internet reports arent too flattering right now with small blues but i may make a trip the last week in sept and see for myself.
will share my results if i go.
Thx

It's still a bit early but the mullet run should be underway soon (if it hasn't started already) and autumnal equinox is just a few days away. We should start to see some chatter here soon. PAFF doesn't have a huge group of salt guys but there are a few of us who will be hitting the beaches soon - mostly NJ. Since I live 4 hrs away I can usually get to the salt only once, or maybe twice, in an autumn - usually in Nov.

Some years we have a PAFF Salt Jam - typically at IBSP or Sandy Hook. Haven't heard about such a get-together this year, but perhaps someone will head this up in the near future.

 

[Fishidiot]

Some bass showing up along the coastline and good numbers of ****tail blues here and there; short fluke are also around (typical for this time of year).

Here's some chatter over at Stripersonline:

NJ Shore Action