Posted on May 21st, 2023
Check out the new Van Staal spinning reel at Atlantic Tackle!
It was a little windy today at times, but otherwise it was a great day to be out on the water. I hit the south jetty with the Big Thing A Ma Jig this evening and found a couple of rockfish that I released….look for a YouTube video tomorrow.
Captain Chase Eberle of Chasin’ Tides had a very good day of sea bass fishing today with a boat limit for his crew and some nice, big fish in the mix.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had a good day of sea bass fishing today with both calm and rough weather to deal with.Forecasts couldn’t agree this morning.
Some said “Go at your own peril!” Others? “Enjoy picnic-like conditions at sea today..” So we went. The boys dropped blocks at Sue Foster’s Block Drop before we paddled on off. Day began flat calm. Then it blew harder than even doomsday forecasts called for. Steady 23.5 knots NNW.. Man, I kept thinking it was going to get seriously nautical.Never did, really. I suppose the wind had a sloooowwww steady shift to the N then NE. Owing change in direction, winds didn’t build much of a set. Had one brace of waves all day – tall and tight together – that almost dipped my bow. Supremely rare event that; wish I had it on film. Fishing for sea bass today continued to be challenging. Caught em everywhere we went ..but at no time in numbers we’re accustomed to during the spring run. As I’ve written several times of late and in 2014/15 also – I believe we’ve so thinned the male population of sea bass that the bruisers are unconcerned with securing their spawning locations. They’ll take their sweet time coming inshore. When I’ve seen it before, cbassing in June is better than May! This ‘thinning of males’ is not from fishing, but from regulation. . . I’ve explained it over and over but to no avail. I haven’t even convinced NOAA that our temperate reefs are important. It will be harder still to get them to buy something that flies in the face of all fisheries theory – small males, not huge females – are what drive spawning production in a protogynous hermaphrodite.. (yes, some sea bass change sex from female to male… Oh indeed a world of interesting science awaits!) Above Cape Hatteras we have oysters in our estuaries and ‘cold water/deep water corals out over 100 fathoms. In between? Nothing to see here – lt’s all sand and mud with some shipwrecks – now move along!Truly vital marine fisheries productions are taking place on temperate reef habitats all across our shelf waters. If ‘discovered’ it would be a giant pain in the neck for NOAA – all kinds of new work. Or maybe its all the new regulation that would befall stern towed gears were it discovered that Essential Fish Habitat could be troubled by fishing.. At least the Army Corps allows us to build some. Cheers, Monty
Rich Daiker, Stacey Schindler and Reece Schindler fished the south jetty this afternoon and everyone caught a keeper rockfish on Roy Rigs. The fish were 29.5″, 30″ and 31″ and lucky to fall into the new 28″ to 31″ slot.
Captain Marc Spagnola of Dusk to Dawn Bowfishing is back on the river and the catfish and snakeheads aren’t real happy about it. Captain Marc’s shooters are seeing good action with both invasive species.
