The Bay Blues are Back

Posted on May 11, 2018 by VHFC

Headed out a bit late this morning to, once again, troll for the allusive bay blues. Went to the Gulf Point Bay, the area between Gulf Point and the Barnegat Condos. I started the troll in overcast weather with south winds at 10-15 and water temp at 64 degrees. I trolled Tony Accetta # 17 Pet spoons for 3 1/2 hours without a touch. I was marking bait and an occasional larger fish which was the first time in 4 other trips to see any marks at all! Because of the marks I decided to stick with it longer than I normally would have. It paid off! I boated 4 bluefish of the 5 hook-ups, all in the 4 to 5 lbs. range. It was way too windy to cast so I had to stay with the troll to catch, something I would rather not do. If history repeats itself, more and larger fish should follow and can be caught throughout Barnegat and Manahawkin Bays as the water warms.

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Fishing Facts

Of the fifty United States, thirty-eight have a striped-bass record. New Jersey has the largest striped-bass record—a 78-pound 8·ounce whopper that was caught in 1982. The state with the smallest striped-bass record is Iowa. That landlocked striper weighed only 9 pounds 4 ounces and was caught in 1983.

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