A friend of mine grew up in New Jersey and goes back once or twice a year to fish the beaches (Island Beach State Park area). Unfortunately his spring trip this year was just a couple days early. The reports from Memmorial Day weekend are fantastic. Here are two local baitshops that report weigh ins on their websites. Think of how many fish were caught that were not brought to these shops. Many fish in the 30's and some to 50.

I hope they get here soon! Enjoy!

http://www.bettyandnicks.com/framed.shtml
http://grumpystackle.com/fishingreports/

Reports like this make me sick...

me too

me three, but no different than the Providence River last spring/summer... :-(

Just keep in mind that this area of NJ (Island Beach State Park/Seaside Park) probably had at least 10,000 people fishing from Thursday to Monday when the 20s, 30s, a few 40s, and one 50 were caught. Many many people fishing never got a hit! Most of these fish are the result of bunker finally coming close enough to the beach. If you were at that exact spot you scored. Many were not. A few days of bunker hitting the beach in a few spots doesn't make an excellent fishing season.

me three, but no different than the Providence River last spring/summer... :-(


Seriously, The Prov river last spring was disturbing.

fish that have been in the sea for 10-15 years have had a much longer time frame to absorb mercury into their flesh same as
swordfish....

that's why i think it's a bad idea to eat them from a health perspective...

sure you get real big thick fillets and many of them
but at a much higher risk...

keeeee riste mercury is coming from PA and China...
thru the air....

i am a meat fisherman and i plan to only eat shorts
and by that i mean 28 INCH FISH UP TO 34...INCHES
I AM AS SENILE- ALREADY - AS I WANT TO BE...

just my opinion of course....and i don't have any children sadly
but if i did
i wouldn't even think of feeding them OLDer fish
it's bad for them and bad for the fishery
when you can easily take home schoolies instead.

it's not prime time yet down here. The whole month of June is bunker city in north jersey. 2 years ago the best day was July 8th (I was in Cali on a business trip of course). There was a 48 weighed caught in Montauk this weekend as well.

That being said I'm heading to fish the Merrimack with my brother for a week :) Hope to hit Winnisquam one day for smallies.

I hope the fish make it to Massachusetts this year. I'm getting very impatient at this point.

"We were 45 minutes late closing the store due to the pile of bodies on the porch waiting for the scale."

kinda says it all

I hope the fish make it to Massachusetts this year. I'm getting very impatient at this point.

Please.. from what I'm hearing... :smash:

"We were 45 minutes late closing the store due to the pile of bodies on the porch waiting for the scale."

kinda says it all

they must have been republican's

nice

I was fortunate enough to be in the "right place at the right time" Sunday eve last weekend at IBSP.Lots of anglers fishing,very few catching.We just happened to pull up to some nice looking water and 1st cast game on!6 bass between me and my bud 30-40lbs. All on pencils.Kept one to weigh for the cup which was eaten by many, and released the rest.
Were they there for awhile? And just nobody getting to them? Or did they turn on when we arrived? Dunno.
Lasted about 2 hours with 60+ anglers eventually working the blitz.
What was nice was the fact that there were alot of releases of the larger fish,and everyone worked it well together.No mugging,no crossed lines, no BS as is so often associated with Jersey springtime blitz/bunker fishing.At least where I was.
Quite a fun evening :kewl:

Sudsrat, that is refreshing to hear :kewl:
maybe NIB read them all the riot act :hihi:

I have barely fished. NJ is a freeking zoo the mongrel horde is in full effect..
I have zero intrest in dealing withe the all jo's out there..
Thanks for all the seminars..
They are killing em at a record pace, from boats it's worse.Get a weigh, in snap a pic, leave em on the dock to rot.It's pure hell.Giant fish jumping on hooks.It's not fishing..It's a joke..