Anglers are ready for action

FISH ON

RON NUZZOLO

arden State anglers can’t take the cold anymore, and fishing is long overdue. Boat owners are scrambling to get the boat ready and in the water. With reports of bass this week, the race is officially on.

Striped bass have made their way to the Raritan Bay and are showing up in the shallows along the shoreline. Bass are feasting on clams right now before the bunker pods, hopefully, show up in the next few weeks.

Keyport to Old Bridge beach is beginning to produce some steady action of shorts, with a few keepers from 28 to 32 inches mixed in. This is a great sign, and right now it is the incoming or outgoing tides producing all the action, so pick your tides.

Night surf fishing is also picking up good numbers on clam baits as well. Now is a good time to grab the surf rods and some friends and hit the beach after work. Big bass will be mixed in as the baitfish start to move in closer to shore.

To get in on all the action, all you need is fresh clams, the right tide and a little patience. Bring a beach chair, sand spike and enjoy.

Charters and party boats are off to the races as well and working the tides, picking up a few keepers close to shore. As the water temperatures start to heat up, so will the action. The bass are hungry, and the next eight weeks will be nothing but bass on every angler’s mind. Not much to report on the ocean side just yet.

Offshore wrecks are still producing some nice numbers of cod. Capt. Ryan aboard the party boat Jamaica II from Brielle has been working the wrecks and starting to see some bigger fish as

the temperatures start to rise a little.

High hook this week was a regular, Larry Louallen, from the Bronx, N.Y. Larry took high hook and pool honors, landing 11 cod up to 32 pounds and four fish over 20 pounds. Gene Zubrycki of Milltown had six cod; Brewster Wayne of Brooklyn, N.Y., had five cod to 21 pounds; Kellan Paterson of Newark had six cod; and 6-year-old Dennis Yoo of Little Ferry caught two nice cod on his first trip. The Jamaica sails daily so plan a day and get out for some Jersey cod.

If you wish to share a fishing report, email me at nuzzolor@yahoo.com.

Fish On!