More fish –more fun

Father Victor Franchini and son Victor Charles Franchini (5 years) with a nice catch:

Blackfin tuna (33 lbs) &swordfish (120lbs)

Here is Bill and Laura Boot from Pittsburg PA with their first stripers ever . Esca made it easy!

By Al Ristori
Dave Lilly of Hazlet didn’t find Raritan Bay striper trolling up to his recent standard of quick limits,but there was a rare highlight to the morning troll with Stretch plugs when Al Tumolo reeled in a doormat fluke that jumped on the Mann’s plug. The 28 1/4-inch fluke looked to be right around the 10-pound mark,and it broke Tumolo’s heart to have to relrease it —but the summer flounder season doesn’t open until Memorial Day weekend. That was his second doormat in a year,as Lilly put him into his first ever,a 13 1/2-pounder,late last summer. Four legal stripers up to my 23-pounder,were caught on baitcasting rods —along with a short and three blues.  Bob Croker of Old Bridge was in on the action.

Ocean striper fishing has been tough since Sunday,but Capt. Scotty Hilliard reported limit catches up to a 25-pounder by Mike Nagle of Atlantic Highlands,on his Prowler from Atlantic Highlands. Those bass were jigged under working birds to the east. Capt. Bud McArthur ran north of Manasquan Inlet with his Splinter from Brick,but found no sign of fish for jigging,and did nothing trolling. He said the water temperature was only 49 degrees at Manasquan Inlet,but jumped up to 56 degrees by the time he reached the Spring Lake Hotel.
Capt. Russ Binns found nothing from Manasquan Inlet south with his Mar-Lin from Toms River,but for the second week in a row he bailed out throwing poppers to bluefish in Barnegat Bay.