Whats in the bay?

[go fish]

Walking by the Raritan in Keyport yesterday, saw fish breaking the surface, couldn't tell what they were? Bunker?

[bulletbob]

If not bunker, most likely herring or some other herring like species... bob

[Irish Jigger]

It is bunker confirmed by a commercial fishing friend out of Belford and a Ferry Captain. They are all over the place!!!

[bulletbob]

It is bunker confirmed by a commercial fishing friend out of Belford and a Ferry Captain. They are all over the place!!!

Might be an early "run and gun" striper season

[NoLimit]

There's a hundred seals on the tip eating flounder and clammers are seeing stripers

[Chris G]

Bay is alive with gannets and herring and bunker. Whales too. Way early.

I think the pics on my phone are too big to upload but I have pics of football field sized areas of gannets diving on bait near SH 17 & 18. There could be bass under em but no one would know. I remember seeing the same in 2007? 2008? That was a monumental spring.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Bay is alive with gannets and herring and bunker. Whales too. Way early.

I think the pics on my phone are too big to upload but I have pics of football field sized areas of gannets diving on bait near SH 17 & 18. There could be bass under em but no one would know. I remember seeing the same in 2007? 2008? That was a monumental spring.

Thinking we should all show up on the Sea Streak Sat or Sun with our fishing poles....

Who's in ??

[FASTEDDIE29]

It was just the wind.........

[Rocky]

Thinking we should all show up on the Sea Streak Sat or Sun with our fishing poles....

Who's in ??

Don't forget the cast nets. :)

[hh52]

Bunker in the harbor

[Irish Jigger]

Saw quite a few recreational boats fishing the bunker pods today off Belford. Season is a couple days away but there were a few out there!!!

[BugEye Chris]

Little too fast or the mojo rigs

[shbeachbum]

Saw quite a few recreational boats fishing the bunker pods today off Belford. Season is a couple days away but there were a few out there!!!

Where is fish & game ?

[Bass Specialist]

Where is fish & game ?

What are fish and game going to do?

[Captain_nick]

Raritan River full of bunker!!

[shrimpman steve]

Oh man, me and the dirty shrimp miss nj fishing!!! It's a shame but my boat hasn't seen the ocean since I moved😕

[makosnax]

Saturday afternoon there were 100s of seagulls dive bombing like gannets just off of Laurence Harbor.

[Gerry Zagorski]

My bet is herring and Bunker but if this is like every other year, nothing will be actively feeding on them till the temps warm up.

Most years for Stripers, it's clams and sand worms in the shallows early on. This usually happens right around the time you see the Forsythia's bloom. Nice soft baits for cold lethargic fish to pick up and eat....

Water warms up a little more, we switch to bunker chunks since these cold lethargic fish still don't like to expend energy chasing live bunker, but they will eat a dead one.

Once the water warms up more the fish will be more active then it's live lining Bunker, trolling spoons and mojos etc.

Having said all this, who knows with all these crazy temperature swings we've had recently....70 one day and 30 the next.