Plenty of striped bass outside Manasquan Intel, in Shark River; Sea bass limit changed
The striped bass fleet was just outside Manasquan Inlet for most of the week, making it easy pickings for the boats out of that inlet and Shark River.
The fish could be found in 30 feet of water or less for the most part. The air temperatures dipped quite a bit to start the week but the water temp was still holding around the 60 degree mark. The air temps should climb back up into the 60s for the next several days.
There was no shortage of bass or bunker for the anglers, but keepers were not easy to find amongst the big cows out front now. Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle party boat said they had some smaller fish on Halloween and he and other captains as well are optimistic there will be a push of smaller fish coming down within perhaps a week or so.
More: Bunker schools lead the way to another intense striper bite off NJ beaches
If one recalls, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission extended the emergency size limit of 28 to 31 inches for another year. The emergency ruling was set to end on Oct. 28 but in August the ASMFC chose to keep it in place until Oct. 28, 2024. The commission has said it wants to protect the strong year class of fish from 2015 and reach a stock rebuilding goal by 2029.
The emergency rule could be replaced by one of the options on Addendum II, which was opened to public comment on Oct 19. The public has until Dec. 22 to comment. The ASMFC will most likely take a vote on it during its January meeting.
NJ fishing options
Fishermen have five options, one of which is to go back to a status quo of a coastwide 28 to 35-inch size limit with 2017 seasons, or conservation equivalent. The commission said it has little faith in achieving its rebuilding goal.
The rest of the options maintain a narrow slot limit of either 28 to 31 inches or 30 to 33 inches. The difference is there is an option to divide the recreational sector into a for-hire category and a private vessel/shore anglers category. In that scenario, the for-hire fleet would get a bigger 28 to 33-inch size limit while the private boaters would not. The Jersey Coast Anglers Association, though, has already said it would oppose separating the recreational sector in two.
More: What's biting: get the latest fishing reports here
The sea bass bag limit is now 15 fish a day per angler. A couple of the party boats will start offshore runs for sea bass this weekend. However, the inshore catch was still good this week.
The porgies are covering the structures and so more of them are coming up on the hooks than the sea bass. Capt. William Egerter Jr. on the Dauntless said his fares also caught bluefish and winter flounder. Between all four of those species, anglers aren't having too much trouble filling their cooler with fish on the outings.
When Jersey Shore native Dan Radel is not reporting the news, you can find him in a college classroom where he is a history professor. Reach him @danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ fishing: Big cows continue to rule fall bass run
