Daily Fishing and Outdoor Report

Jaymann's Blog – May 2008 Archive (22)

May 31, 08 -- Bass and blue madness just off the beach

Saturday, May 31, 2008: The near-insane gathering of boats mid-island, near-beach, is an un-missable indicator of where there is a decent biomass of bass, including some fish to 30 pounds – though most fish much smaller. The same snag-and-drop bunker-based action is occurring around Barnegat Inlet and northward – where even larger top-bass are coming to light. In general, the bunker showing yesterday was approaching last year’s level, however today’s brisk souhtr winds are going to make it much… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 31, 2008 at 5:11am — No Comments

Friday May 30, 08 -- New leader in Simply Bassin' -- when Bluefish attack

Friday, May 30, 2008: Big news on the bass front was a new leader in the 2008 Simply Bassin’.

After going 2 years without a bass over 20 pounds, hard-core caster Gene Slaughter doubled that 20 – and add a pound. Gene bested a 41-pound hyper-long striper while fishing his home surf using bunker. Kurt Horensky, who just edged onto the leaderboard yesterday with a 23-3 was on-hand to see Gene land his catch. Here’s the current Leaderboard. The smallest bass needed to get on the board must be… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 30, 2008 at 5:12am — No Comments

Weekly blog for May 28, 08 -- Tuesday update on seperate blog -- tons to read

Dollar-logged Decoys and Shrimp at War

A DUCK WORTH HOW MUCH!?: Hanging out with some of da boys, I’ve been getting a crash course on decoys -- and the insane hobby surrounding these near-perfect examples of folk art.

The art of collecting and marketing decoys has become a significant discipline -- and anything but a quick learn. It’s made trickier by the fact that even the hobby’s prime proponents aren’t sure what’s going on in this hyper-hot market, which deals in… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 27, 2008 at 8:41pm — No Comments

Tuesday May 27, 08 -- A ton of angling stuff below -- read away

Tuesday, May 27, 2008: Testy winds combined with the departure of one of the larger Memorial Day crowds in years made this a somewhat subdued fishing day, though plenty of angler were still out there seeking stripers and foraging for fluke.

Below the e-reports is my weekly rundown:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^.

Jay,

Didn't have too much action in the surf over the weekend. Fished through the night on Sunday. Only caught a bunch of huge dog fish and skates. Monday night as the wind… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 27, 2008 at 8:34pm — No Comments

Simply Bassin update May 27 --

Rob Vallone of the Barnegat Light Heavers used bunker to attract the new Number 2 fish in the tourney, a 28-0 taken on the North End, Monday.

The bite is slow to very slow but there are obviously a few better bass out there, as evidenced by a steady flow of new fish onto the board.

NOTE: As of this Leaderboard, a bass must be at least 20-12 (and over 39 inches) to qualify in this contest.

Shops: Please write-in the shop name when faxing in weigh-in slips. Thanks.

Fax… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 27, 2008 at 7:57pm — No Comments

Sunday May 25, 08 -- Snag-and-drop off to slowish start

Sunday, May 25, 2008: There were anglers every whichaway out there. Success stories centered on seabass and bunker-based stripers. Fluking was so-so – with some above so-so drifts.

I chatted with a few snag-and-drop anglers who have been finding amazing action below the balled up bunker, not far off the beach. That slowed a lot today but the potential is fairly high. This is just the snag-scenario we have been waiting for but the bunker pods are not even close to what we had… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 25, 2008 at 10:20pm — No Comments

Updated Simply Bassin' -- Bigger bass are coming to win us

Two new names move into the top 8, as a familiar leaderboard name, Bill Montrey, pushed into first place with a sweet 30-2, while Dante S. moves up the ranks and Matt Christensen takes over third – by inches. Things are starting to fire up.

Shops: Please write-in the shop name when faxing in weigh-in slips. Thanks.

Fax weigh-in slips to 609-494-1437 – the sooner the better

Entrant Date Weight Length Site Bait Date Shop

Standing Time lbs/oz Girth… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 23, 2008 at 1:05pm — No Comments

Thursday May 22, 08 -- Weekend looking potential-plus ... Simply Bassin' update

Thursday, May 22, 2008: Well, the stars are aligning for this week end – better make that the skies are aligning. As last-minute frenzies go on at boat storage facilities – fuel has surely slowed the put-in for many captains – it could well be an insane weekend as bass, blues and weaks are scattered but highly reachable for anglers around both inlets (and particularly over in west Barnegat Bay.)

Unfortunately, surfcasters are being tested by dirty waters. In fact, this has been a very… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 22, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

May 20 -- Weekly Blubbering --

Flying Blubber and Aggressive EVPs

THAT WHALEY STINKS: Up in Prince Edwards Island, Canada’s smallest province, a whale of a recovery effort is being made. And it’s making a high-heavens stink.

Those always-zany folks who call themselves scientists are exhuming an enormous blue whale that was buried beneath the island’s northern beaches nearly 20 years ago.

These edu-diggers want to place the skeleton of this monstrous marine mammal in a new museum in British… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 20, 2008 at 9:25pm — No Comments

SIMPLY BASSIN' 2008 -- UPDATED AS NEW LEADERS SHOW

SIMPLY BASSIN' 2008

The 2008 Simply Bassin’ Tournament took off this past weekend. It was mainly due to a huge number of guys fishing the beaches and banks. Those who clicked with larger fish often had to wade through some long lulls in the action. Perseverance pays.

Minimum size is 32 inches. Only one fish per entrant on Leader Board.

Entrant Date Weight Length Site Bait Date Shop

Standing Time lbs/oz Girth Weighed

(Of… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 19, 2008 at 11:11am — No Comments

Sunday May 18 -- Still slow and then some

Sunday May 18 -- Still slow and then some

Sunday, May 18, 2008: Well there’s good, bad an in-between news on the bassing front.

The bad is forwarded by a load of guys who hit the beach and got squat plus nothing. Not just that, more than a few beach sudsers were actively trying for the grand slam of trash: dogfish, skate, sea robin and stargazer.

An indicative email (one of half a dozen similar ones): “Hi Jay. Cindy and I fished the PM incoming tide today. We… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 18, 2008 at 10:48pm — No Comments

Saturday May 17 -- Fishing aborted by downed aircraft

Saturday, May 17, 2008: It was an odd day for me. I had plans to do late-day stripering on the beach. To pass time, I went over to my antique shop hang-out, Norm C.’s Two Shore Birds in Eagleswood. After a long chat – with talks of fine striper and weakfish action near the spans – it was getting toward time to go back to LBI. That’s when one of the sitters – a forest fire service member -- at the shop got a Plectron alert. A small plane had gone down within a half mile of the shop, near the… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 17, 2008 at 11:56pm — No Comments

Friday May 16 -- So slow but things may be warming up

(Some of my recent blades -- vintage bakelite scales (handles) -- relates to final email in today's update) Friday, May 16, 2008: Weather is again a factor but not a major one whatsoever. In fact, some light east winds should bring in the warmest ocean water of the year. This warmth could spur the stir lacking striper bite. The bassing has been near dreadful. Per usual, a few schoolies are showing along the beachfront, near the inlets and inside… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 16, 2008 at 10:45am — No Comments

Wednesday May 14, 08 -- Wild and windy weekly blog

Stimulating Dimes and Rollicking Winds

STIMULATE ME: At least a portion of the now famed – and increasingly anticipated – economic stimulus payment checks may be bound for fun fishing stuff. That’s an official read on my part, gleaned after I carried out an exhaustive questioning of a highly-indicative cross-section of society – namely a couple dozen anglers I bumped into around Wawa or 7-11. Using the in-passing voice, I asked anglers if they intended aiming any of their $600… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 15, 2008 at 11:46am — No Comments

Monday May 12 -- Nasty-ass out there

Monday, May 12, 2008:

At risk of stating the obvious, this is frickin’ nasty-ass nor-easter.

At midday, civil defense authorities have closed the Causeway to all traffic. It was first closed when a furniture truck was blown over but the crossing over got so hairy for all traffic that LBI was left on its own until 4 pm. I think they’ll have to open it prior to that but as of this blog nothing comes or goes Causeway-wise.

The winds on my equipment were flirting with 60… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 13, 2008 at 2:14pm — No Comments

Sunday May 11 -- Happy days to all you Moms ... you're not missing much by not fishing today

Sunday, May 11, 2008: Weather has been wrecking ball. It has eroded the beaches of many Island areas, chilled the water to the low 50s, and mucked up the clarity – throwing in some nasty weed.

Pertinent email: “Fished Brant beach from 2:30-5:30 pm. One 24 inch bass on fresh clam, and a 22 inch blue on frozen bunker. Strong current. Tough to hold bottom, and there was some seaweed around.”

The up side of things centers of sparklers.

The tiderunner weakfish are dispersing… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 11, 2008 at 12:07pm — No Comments

Friday May 9, 08: Weather or not -- remains to be seen

I like it when the shrubberies returns ... Friday, May 09, 2008: As expected, the weather took a turn for ugly. Moderate onshore winds and a fairly steady rain have taken down the angling potential. It should recover somewhat by tomorrow. The rain might be the more problematic sky thing since numerous ocean reports have a couple huge biomasses (schools) of weakfish just off the beach (likely inside the bay by now). There are loads of sparklers 10… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 9, 2008 at 8:51pm — 3 Comments

For immediate release -- Friday May 9, 08:

For immediate release -- Friday May 9, 08:

Slumping bunkers a threat to gamefish; moratorium should be on table

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A congressional hearing was held Thursday on a bill written by Congressman Jim Saxton that would impose a moratorium on commercial Atlantic menhaden fishing to shore up the populations of one of the most important fish in the sea.

The House Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee, of which Saxton is a senior member,… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 9, 2008 at 1:42pm — No Comments

Thursday May 8, 08 -- WEEKLY BLOG BELOW DAILY UPDATE ......................

WEEKLY COLUMN BELOW THIS UPDATE:

Thursday, May 08, 2008: I have two weigh-ins for the Simply bsssin’ but haven’t gotten the forms in hand.

Trying to report on fishing is totally insane so far this year. It literally comes down to one guys doing super and a couple others doing squat. I stand by the certainty that the weather is a huge player – as a lead-in to the next couple days when the skies could get tricky.

I had a hugely upbeat report at 7-11 (SB) today by an angler… Continue

Added by jaymann on May 8, 2008 at 1:57pm — No Comments

Correction alert:

The minimum size of a weigh-worthy bass for the 2008 Simply Bassin' tourney is 32 inches -- not 34 as I incorrectly wrote. Sorry. That means we have a weigh-in. I'll get that on-line tomorrow first thing.

Added by jaymann on May 7, 2008 at 8:21pm — No Comments