.sports

outdoors with tou Rodia

Herald & Lantern 26 September '83

What Will Chilly Water Bring Anglers?

There is a decided nip in the air and it ^rill be interesting to see whaf the ^brupt change in the weather has done to the fish and to the fishermen Weather more reminiscent of duck and small game hunting greeted us .for several days and with some of the most fantastic fishing in many years at hand it will take some time for things to settle down It is. too soon to really tell Our guess is that as the waters chill, fluke win move out of the area and be replaced for a while by schools of weakfish and bluefish. Sea bass, blacklist) and ling will move onto the wrecks. Some cod and pollock will start to show in depper water The tuna*, the alba cores and bom to will leave and again, bluefish will reign supreme for the offshore (rollers and the night chummers Bluefish in'big schools wiU be in closer to shore and on. occasion they will

even invade the surf. Surf fishing will pick up for weakfish, blues and occasional spotted weakfish Mullet will leave the back bays and migrate along the coast as will other bait such as menhaden (bunkers) and silversides (shiners). With plenty to feed on the fish will move in on the shore WEAKFISH WILL also school up and migrate down along the beach. Working birds will reveal the presence of feeding fish schools and often the weaks are on or near the surface. Other times they are feeding somewhere between the surface and the bottom, often under' surface-feeding bluefish schools. But they will be closer to the beach and as a result, surf and jetty fishing will also pick up. For the back bay fisherman, fluke will disappear will colder water, but weaks and blues will remain around for some time yet. We’ll see back bay ac-

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tivity well into November, perhaps as late as Thanksgiving Bridge and pier fishermen who like ni&ht action under the lights will also get late faB action Some herring you also be caught and there will be straggler Ftriped bass. Delaware Bay will start to empty out as the fluke 'and weakfish start to move toward the ocean. Again, southern Cape jetty fisher man will enjoy a bonaza as r . the fish in the "bay make their move toward the ocean. THERE IS PLENTY of good fishing ahead. Some of it will be cold water and cold weather fishing, which will require insulated underwear, down jackets, and boots to keep your feet warm. Fingers-will stiffen and ears will nearly fall off, but the fishing will be there for those who want it. And, every year, the number of oold water fishermen is determined on one hand by the numbers Of fish around and or. the other by how many new die-hards are developed from the year before In all of our fishing, 1 .years, we have fished at some pbint in every one of the 12 months of the Jersey Cape. Not always in spit water, however, but there is actually 12-months-a-yesr fishing. For those of ►you who have never tried it, limited though it might be, there is a fresh water fishery- in and near the Jersey Cape. South Jersey boasts excellent largemouth bass, pickerel and catfish populations. There are big carp around as well as scads of sunfish. White'and yellow perch abound. While it is -a transition from the boat rod,-50 lb. line and six Ounces of sinker approach, there u fresh water fishing to be had. Search it out as a season s extender. SOME OF our fondest memories are in the trips we took in January to Learning’s Mill outside of Millville to fish for pickerel with the kids and our fishing buddies of those years. How many fish we caught or how good the fishing was is obscured by

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the memories of the picnics in the snow, the scow cooes we made for the kids with grape juice, and in making the elaborate preparations for a day out of doors in the winter. We can also recall with teas enthusiasm, but just as vividly, the day we filleg our hip boots three times with icy water trying to wade out just a little farther to get to where the fish were. So much for that for now. More on fresh water, fishing later. Now that we’ve made our fall predictions, we’ll make one more and quit. Fishing .will continue well past the available fishermen Most will give up well before the fish are gone. ■ Prior to the cold snap of last week, there were fish all over the place. Weakfish were already in the 20 to 40 ft. depths just off the beach. There was a big supply of fluke and infact there may still be. Bluefish were plentiful all along Five Fathom Bank and on the inshore shoals. There were lots of booito and alba core Tuna were being caught. The jetties had started to produce weakfish and blues. Seabass, black fish and even some porgies were being caught. Delaware.Bav wks alive with fish. What will be there by the tiifte you read this is a guess, but we’ll be trying to find out. Keep fishing. BLUEFISH: SNAPPER blues are, merely bluefish that have not yet grown up. Many anglers got their start catching little handsized snappers on a cane pole and bobber in the back bays. Because they are so plentiful at times they are a great fish to start kids into fishing. We classify snappers in the back bay as bluefish up to about a pound. After that, we graduate them to bluefish category. Oceanfront blues stay snappers in our mind until they hit the four to

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five pound class and they graduate to bluefish Schools of snappers invade the back bays and the surf and they are ideal fish to catch on light tackle and lures. They will hit everything from a surface to a buck tail, but the action seems to come on flashing metal. Hopkins hires with their stainless steel hammered bodies give an action and a flash that the blues cannot seem to resist. While you are checking out the jetties take along a second rod — one much lighter than you normally would use. We like a light rod rigged with six-pound line. Lure selection should include some 1/4 to 3/8 oz. buck tails and some flashy metal one in the same weight classes.. Even lighter ones will work well but are a little harder to cast. Light tackle such as this turns snapper blues into slammers and often makes your fishing day. THE SAME LIGHT tackle will work in a boat, especially in -the sounds and back bays. A float rig with a small book (no 6 or no. 8), fished on light gear, will also catch snappers. A small split shot helps get the bait down to the level the fish are feeding. While small fish should be returned to the water, snappers are the best eating of all of the bluefish.

Once they get to about a foot long or longer, we like to filet them and broil them, To really enhance the flavor, sprinkle the snappers with sold Old Bay crab seasoning and a little mayonnaise before you slip them under the broiler. A few minutes of heat, usually until the meat turns white and flakes easily, is sufficient. Hie mayonnaise helps keep the bluefish from drying out and the Old Bay seasoning provides everything you need for some fine eating. Fall fishing is freezer filling time. Pvt fish away for. the winter and you have a big plus for your late - season angling. Fly Rod Fishing: We get asked at times if fly rods can be used in salt water > Yes, they can. In fact, so much so that at one time there was a Salt Water Fly Rodders of America organization which kept records on scores of salt water fish. That role is now in the hands of the International Game Fish Association, which has become the salt water fly record keeper. While fly rods do not belong .on party boats, you can fish them from your own boat or from shore where you have casting room. You can also wade flats and use fly rods. Weakfish, bluefish and stripers are there prime fly rod targets in salt water.

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Hunting Tip

TRENTON — Persons who wish to hunt the canvasbacx duck this year will be required to purchase a special permit costing $2 as part of the regulations which have established a canvasback season in portions of the New Jersey coastal zone. The application form for the permit will not be available until midOctober' and applicants should not Send in money for a permit until they have, received an application.

Application forms will be available from all offices of

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the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife and from the main office. They can be obtained in person or by writing to the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, CN 400, Trenton .08625 and including a stamped self-

addressed envelope

The special canvasback duck season opens Dec. 24. and runs through Jar). 3. Consult the migratory bird regualtion supplement for

permit hunting areas

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