Current Fishing Report:
Well, now that Covid is behind us hopefully 2023 will be a much better year for all of us.…Fishing has been good, but regulations are making it tougher to enjoy taking home some great tasting fish. Striped Bass had a slot limit of 28 -35” last year, and it was supposed to be status quo this year, but they enacted an emergency slot limit of 28-31” now. This was caused by the Fly Fishermen Associations and Catch and Release Fishermen. They believe that we should not kill and eat any striped bass, but it is ok to just catch and release them. They just want to play with their fish, but statistics prove that their fishing methods of using fly rods and light tackle really is raising the mortality on these bass. They cannot be played with till exhaustion and then released. They swim away and float up to the top or sink to the bottom dead. What I and all the charter and party boat fleet up and down the entire East Coast don’t understand is why penalize all the public recreational fishermen that want to eat their one fish. If the Fly rodders and Catch & Release anglers don’t want to eat a Bass, FINE, but don’t stop everyone else from enjoying the resource that is due for everyone to enjoy. There have been plenty of short fish and even more fish over the slot limit. Hopefully the fishery managers know what they are doing. Having all of us letting the over 31” fish go to protect the breeding stock, but then allowing the Commercial fishermen to only harvest fish over 34” seems like it is not going to work and the logic is ass backwards. I personally feel that it is not working to save those big breeding fish, but it is the law right now. Sea Bass is another species that I feel they are overprotecting at a cost to young lobsters and other species. The Sea Bass stock is very abundant, yet we can’t keep Sea bass until the 18th of June, and only take 2 per person till September when it goes up to 6. Other states have more lenient regs and time frames. Right now, we can catch Striped Bass, Bluefish, Fluke, Sea Bass, Scup (Porgies), Tautog (Blackfish) and Cod. Offshore fishing with the Sharks, Tuna, Mahi-Mahi and Bonito is good, but the new regulations on Mako Sharks almost guarantee a catch and release fishery. They have to be HUGE in order to keep a Mako.
Unfortunately there might be a fuel surcharge again this year on diesel fuel, unless the powers to be, figure it out and end this nonsence. Diesel is what runs this country and the trickle down effect on food & other goods is crazy.
There are still plenty of choice dates available. Give me a call and we can discuss your fishing trip. Don't forget we have gift certificates for birthdays, anniversaries, or any celebration you want. We also do Ash Burials for your loved ones, and Sunset or Harbor Cruises. This year I plan to do some Lighthouse and Wind Farm Tours too. All you have to do is ask or tell me what kind of trip you are thinking of doing and we will see if we can make your wish possible. We also have shirts and hats, which make great gifts. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to send me an email, text or give me a call. I do take credit cards and Paypal, as well as checks for your deposits, and you can do them on my web site if you desire.
