April Blackfishing

[bulletbob]

In all my years of fishing for tog, i never really thought of April as a good month for them.. Just like I never thought of dec as a good month, but thats the way things have gone since regulation.. Today they are considered a "cold weather species", but historically they weren't.. They were most active and most available to anglers from say May 1 to Dec 1.. I was just wondering how most guys do these days in April.. is April typically a reasonably decent fishing month for them?.. Are they active in shallow rocky areas say between, 20-50 feet, or is it more deep water reef areas, and wrecks?..

Sorry for asking, I suppose I should know, but I haven't been targeting many salt water fish in spring these days, since the flounder and whiting have collapsed, and spring tog are relegated to April only, unless i want to drive down for 1 fish in the summer.. All I know is that years ago, with all the other stuff available we just didn't fish for much Tog in April. That was reserved for May and early June..

So is April typically a good black fishing month these days, or is it kind of picky the way late dec into january is??... Trying to think out my trips for the spring.. bob

[Riverbassfishing]

April is a good month depending on the weather. Last april it was very good. They are inshore tight to the beach on the rocks. If it gets really cold it might not get good until the last week of April.

[CubasFinest12]

It all depends on what kind of winter we have. If it's a cold winter and we get a ton of snow, typically when April comes around the water temps are still really low. When the temps are low, these fish tend to be sluggish, and the best bite is way out deep in 80+ feet. Last year, we had a mild winter, and on April 11th, the tog were inshore (45ft) biting well. We had a 4 man limit in less than an 2 hours. Water temp definitely plays the biggest role

[bulletbob]

Very good answers, and about what I figured. Kind of like a lot of other species I suppose.. Depends on the weather and water temps.. i will simply keep a close eye on the reports and water temps when the season opens... bob

[Gerry Zagorski]

Long time ago Blackfishing Easter Weekend is what kicked off the spring fishing season....

[tautog]

Ditto, generally second week in April it is good on the North Coast for a warm winter and April 1st AC and south. Add a week and half to two weeks if we get some big snow melt storms in Feb and March.

[Joey Dah Fish]

Totally about water temp. Rule of thumb if we have a mild winter the whole month can be good. If we have a wicked cold winter April might not produce any real bite. Last April was awesome for me . For the most part you use sofa bait

[Taxman]

Long time ago Blackfishing Easter Weekend is what kicked off the spring fishing season....

Lmao Easter is a floating date holiday and can vary by 6 weeks

[frugalfisherman]

Only one way to find out.

[bulletbob]

Only one way to find out.

Understood, but thats easy for guys that live close.. For me, its at least a 10 hour round trip, usually closer to 11..Need all the info I can get.

I will keep a close eye on reports and water temps as April approaches,,, bob

[dales529]

Book a trip with Capt Jerry on the Monger. Nuff said

[bigal427]

Like most said depends on the how cold the winter was and the water temp. I had some great fishing in April and my pb at 13.7. But most years the bite is on fresh clams

[Blackfish Doug]

Last year April was awesome I hope it's the same this year. All weather related like everybody else posted I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's the same as last year.

[jlrotary]

All about the Water temp.
Past couple April have been good
But I recall a few that weren't so great too

[bulletbob]

Finding fresh clams should be no problem that time of year, but I would not feel right taking just clams as "soft bait".. Are white leggers available in spring?.. Are shrimp worthwhile? Years ago i used to catch a lot of blackfish in shallow water on sandworms in spring, but that would get pricey real fast.. I would like to have fresh clams and white leggers if i can find them, just not not sure you can get whites in spring... Also, do you guys see many ling on the near inshore rough stuff while fishing clams in april? Reason for the many questions is I plan on using my own boat more this coming year...
Just too many fishless or near fishless trips this past year on crowded head boats, and I want to see if I can do better on my own... bob

[Tunarun]

It's all about water temp. If the water temp drops slowly down to 39-41degrees slowlllly they will chew right through April etc from my experience. But if we have a major snow storm then a fast thaw that will change the water temp and salinity and shutdown the bite until April. My 2 biggest tog of my life so far( haven't given up on catching a bigger one ), one was caught off of Delaware in March and one was caught off of NJ in April. Dennis

[bigal427]

I also have green crabs with me in the spring. But out of the last 10 years only one year would the take crabs and that was when we had a mild winter and if the water is slow to warm up they might not start chewing till the end of the month.

[Blackfish Doug]

Last year I did 4 trips there was Whiteleggers,Greens & Asians if we wanted to use them those who chose to go the crabs route watched us catch fish it didn't take long for them to switch & start catching fish

[Joey Dah Fish]

Finding fresh clams should be no problem that time of year, but I would not feel right taking just clams as "soft bait".. Are white leggers available in spring?.. Are shrimp worthwhile? Years ago i used to catch a lot of blackfish in shallow water on sandworms in spring, but that would get pricey real fast.. I would like to have fresh clams and white leggers if i can find them, just not not sure you can get whites in spring... Also, do you guys see many ling on the near inshore rough stuff while fishing clams in april? Reason for the many questions is I plan on using my own boat more this coming year...
Just too many fishless or near fishless trips this past year on crowded head boats, and I want to see if I can do better on my own... bob

As Dales said book a spot with Fish Monger or the like. They will have the appropriate bait.

[bulletbob]

As Dales said book a spot with Fish Monger or the like. They will have the appropriate bait.

I plan on using my own boat this coming season... Its an 18 footer with 100 HP, a very good color FF, and is certainly capable of fishing inshore at the rocky areas between Asbury Park and Sea Bright..

Its actually cheaper these days to trailer my own boat down than to pay for a spot on a 6 pack or even a party boat...

I am rusty, but not inexperienced.. I lived much of my life in NJ, and used my own boats for many years for bottom fishing inshore, and I did well.. Those days we fished the rock bottom areas off of Deal and Elberon, from quite shallow, out to about 50 feet or so.. In those years I didn't even use a "wreck anchor", just some cheap clothesline and a couple cinder blocks . Caught lots of big blackfish, sea bass, etc in those days..

Crude methods by todays standards, small boat, look for rubble piles on the FF, throw over a marker with about 100 ft. of line when you find a good looking pile, and then anchor up and settle back near the marker line.. I did it for years, and it worked well then, I am hoping it still will in todays more challenging fishing environment..

This past year was just a disaster for me bottom fishing on head boats.. 2 Sea Bass trips-a total of 3 Sea Bass ...
2 Blackfish trips- 1 keeper Blackfish.. Those 4 fish cost me over $500!

And that was a typical score for a lot of the fares.. Packed boats, poor fishing my last 4 times out.

Nothing against paying a good capt for his knowledge, but I am starting to think i can do better on my own boat, as I did years ago when I lived in NJ.

I might even buy another center console more designed for salt water, as opposed to my 18 ft.Starcraft, which I had out in some nasty weather off of Sea Bright twice this past year while flukeing, and the boat performed very well actually. Dry as a bone, nice high gunnels, and more stable in a nasty chop then I would have thought.. Its use it up here on the Finger Lakes which get nasty as hell on a daily basis. I would not go out to the Mudhole with it of course, but I can certainly take it to the rock piles off of Elberon and Deal. It flies with that 100 on the back.. Its just not my idea of a rough water/ ocean fishing hull.

At least going to give it a try this year,, If it goes well, I might get something more suitable for salt water fishing, and even consider leaving it down the shore on its trailer.... bob