Hungry schools of blues from 5 to 15 pounds are dominating the shoreline. Despite some wet weather, find the birds and jig away. Anglers from Point Pleasant all the way to Long Beach Island are chasing the birds and pounding away at hungry blues and the occasional striped bass. Blues blitzed the beaches for as far as the eye can see early in the week. The full moon and a slight drop in water temperature turned on the blitz and should continue into late December.
With sand eels and rainfish balled up along the shore, boaters and surf anglers jigged away from both sides. The action continues to thrive with both top-water action along the surf and jigging action with hundreds of boats from Sandy Hook to LBI.
Wayne Smith, Craig Dixon and Jimmy Granito scored a few keepers while trolling with yellow shads, and enough blue fish to keep their arms sore for a few days. The crew worked a mile offshore out of Shark River Inlet and worked their way south following the action.
Mike Silva, John Jorgensen and Joe Haffner hit fish from Point Pleasant to the Seaside Heights Pier on Croc lures and jigs. Early in the week, the crew said they fought mostly bluefish continuously from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with just two keeper bass for the dinner table. It is not that the bass are not around, they just cannot keep up with the swarming schools of bluefish, said Capt. Mike Silva. Capt. Mike and crew lost count and time after playing catch and release with dozens of blues the entire day.