Ocean Snappers

[Billfish715]

We picked at some throwback fluke on Sunday just off MI, the ACR, EnRocks, Walsh's, the pipe and Bay Head. We never found the migrating concentrations we were hoping would be there. It was one or two here and everywhere but not a keeper in the bunch. Off Mantoloking, we stumbled on scattered flocks of birds diving on feeding snappers and weakfish. We chased them around while casting 007's, and various small metals. Despite their diminutive size, we had fun catching them on very light tackle. It was a classic jigging experience only on a miniature level. The birds were working the same way as they do when the big choppers are around. The pattern was the same ......blues on top.......weakfish on the bottom, except, the fish were small. Sooner or later, a few little tunny will find those same baitfish as the snappers did. The water actually did clear a little since last week......but only a little. By the way, a gill netter was on those bite-sized blues as we were leaving. These snappers were hardly a pound and the weakfish were just as small. This west wind and falling temps will start the changeover to fall fishing a little each day.

If you don't mind me asking what is EnRocks?

And the answer that was asked a few weeks ago about what has happened to the weakfish is answered in your post. All these spike weakfish we see every fall are absolutely annihilated by gill netters during their fall migration down the coast. It's an absolute shame these fish have no protection and the once great tide runner fishery we enjoyed is destroyed by commercial interests every year. And that's for a fish which quite frankly isn't really great table fare. I remember every year schools of 10 - 12 lb weakfish from Asbury to the rocks gorged themselves on schools of anchovies. All that's left of that great fishery is a fall run of spikes which get obliterated by gill netters.Fish stocks completely rebuilt like sea bass are closed and fish which need protection like weakfish are ignored. Another example of politicians and regulatory agencies with the heads up their ass!

[Billfish715]

Dakota, Check your private messages box.

[Billfish715]

These spike weakfish were really small. Their real danger might more likely come from the big bluefish and stripers in a month or two. I've seen more than one in the stomachs of stripers and bluefish. The question is, where are their parents and where were they spawned?

[shresearchdude]

Good questions Bill. There must be enough spawning fish around to produce the small ones.

Gill net size has to be 3.5 stretched mesh. It's likely the gill netter was just setting with the thought that whatever was looking for the small ones was big enough to get stuck in the net. It's a fish eat fish world.

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

These spike weakfish were really small. Their real danger might more likely come from the big bluefish and stripers in a month or two. I've seen more than one in the stomachs of stripers and bluefish. The question is, where are their parents and where were they spawned?

Most likely the spikes you guys are seeing were spawned in bays in New England down to the peconics or even J bay... I guess there is some spawning in Raritan/Sandy Hook as well, but we sure haven't seen the adults around the last few years.. i would imagine most of the spikes that are around now will get eaten up... We see "sea trout" up here in NY state stores... All bleached out and really small.. I guess as long as people will pay $10 for a week old weakfish 14 inches long with white eyes and gray gills, we'll never see big schools of tiderunners in our lifetime... Too many getting caught and eaten.... bob