Got this from another site I belong to
Bass fishing off to incredible start
By JOHN OSWALD • STAFF WRITER • April 19, 2010
Seasoned captains who have fished local waters for decades are calling this the best spring striper fishing they've ever seen.
"The school of fish is nine miles long," said Captain Sal Cursi of the Cathy Sea out of Seawaren.
Cursi has been fishing the ocean with live bunker and bunker chunks and his customers are limiting out early every trip. From then on, it's catch and release. The fish, which are up to 20 pounds, are much bigger than normal spring stripers, he said. The bass are also hitting jigs, 5-ounce crocs and crippled herring.
The Cathy Sea fishes the western side of Raritan Bay as well with equal success. Cursi believes the bass are pre-spawn Hudson River fish.
Captain Ed Bunting of the Sea Horse, who just got his season underway, is off to a great start. He had 16 customers on his boat Monday and everybody limited out early with all the bass caught jigging. The fish could be found, he said, from Scotland Grounds to Shrewsbury Rocks. Jay Sandfort of Woodland Park landed the big one at 31 pounds.
The ravenous bass have been keeping Captain Ron Santee of the Fishermen busy for over a week.
"The amazing bite continues on jigs, crocs, crippled herring, shads, and jigs with tails," Santee reported.
On Monday, the Fishermen's first drift produced a good number of keeper bass and the second drift lasted an hour and a half with non-stop action on fish up to 24 pounds.
"Never in my 32 years have I experienced anything like the past week and a half," Santee said, "with keepers far outnumbering shorts.
Not wanting to miss out on the action, Captain Howard Bogan of the Big Jamaica switched from bottom fishing to stripers and was rewarded with excellent fishing over the weekend.
"Fishing was very good Saturday. Everyone on board caught their limit and released more," he reported. "On our last drift of the day, almost everyone was hooked up at one time. The fish were mostly all keepers up to 22 pounds."
"No one has ever seen fishing like this, not at this time of year," said Bob Matthews at Fisherman's Den. "It's just amazing."
Matthews just wishes the guys on the beach were getting some of these stripers.
"But don't worry, they're coming," he added.
Bass fishing off to incredible start
By JOHN OSWALD • STAFF WRITER • April 19, 2010
Seasoned captains who have fished local waters for decades are calling this the best spring striper fishing they've ever seen.
"The school of fish is nine miles long," said Captain Sal Cursi of the Cathy Sea out of Seawaren.
Cursi has been fishing the ocean with live bunker and bunker chunks and his customers are limiting out early every trip. From then on, it's catch and release. The fish, which are up to 20 pounds, are much bigger than normal spring stripers, he said. The bass are also hitting jigs, 5-ounce crocs and crippled herring.
The Cathy Sea fishes the western side of Raritan Bay as well with equal success. Cursi believes the bass are pre-spawn Hudson River fish.
Captain Ed Bunting of the Sea Horse, who just got his season underway, is off to a great start. He had 16 customers on his boat Monday and everybody limited out early with all the bass caught jigging. The fish could be found, he said, from Scotland Grounds to Shrewsbury Rocks. Jay Sandfort of Woodland Park landed the big one at 31 pounds.
The ravenous bass have been keeping Captain Ron Santee of the Fishermen busy for over a week.
"The amazing bite continues on jigs, crocs, crippled herring, shads, and jigs with tails," Santee reported.
On Monday, the Fishermen's first drift produced a good number of keeper bass and the second drift lasted an hour and a half with non-stop action on fish up to 24 pounds.
"Never in my 32 years have I experienced anything like the past week and a half," Santee said, "with keepers far outnumbering shorts.
Not wanting to miss out on the action, Captain Howard Bogan of the Big Jamaica switched from bottom fishing to stripers and was rewarded with excellent fishing over the weekend.
"Fishing was very good Saturday. Everyone on board caught their limit and released more," he reported. "On our last drift of the day, almost everyone was hooked up at one time. The fish were mostly all keepers up to 22 pounds."
"No one has ever seen fishing like this, not at this time of year," said Bob Matthews at Fisherman's Den. "It's just amazing."
Matthews just wishes the guys on the beach were getting some of these stripers.
"But don't worry, they're coming," he added.
The breachways around Westerly have a ton of Stripers moving into them. I'm sure the reefs are loaded as well.
Well that's good news! I chickened out today with the thunderstorms, but am heading down tomorrow. Will launch from Barn Island as soon as I pick up the boys from their mom.