Fishing Friday: Sleet, Rain and a Humpback Whale in the Inlet

Local anglers are a hardy breed, but it's tough to imagine anyone enduring what I saw a few unlucky fishermen dealing with on Thanksgiving morning.

Just around 11:00 am, I happened to be crossing the Route 88 bridge over the Point Pleasant Canal when the sleet started hitting the windshield of my car. As the ice pellets were falling, a few local captains in open, center console boats were traversing the canal, heading back to Barnegat Bay after a morning of fishing, presumably in the ocean.

Ouch. If you've ever been caught in a rain storm, you know even soft rain droplets can feel like needles with a stiff wind and the forward motion of a boat factored in. To deal with solid objects hitting you, well, let's just assume these folks really appreciated their turkey, stuffing and a few cold beers when they got back home!

As for the fishing, we're officially into blackfish season at this point and the word is that the bite is on pretty strong. I haven't heard of any specific hot spots, but captains have been hooking keepers in the usual areas – the reefs and wrecks, and up by the Shrewsbury Rocks. The period from late fall into early winter is prime blackfishing season, and it appears that this season will be one of the good ones! from Jersey Hooker Outfitters said that the blackfish are still hanging around the Point Pleasant Canal as well, so for those of us whose boats have been hauled for season, this is a great (and somewhat rare) opportunity to hook up with some blackfishing action from shore.

As for those stripers, the action just off Manasquan Inlet has been excellent the past several days, with plenty of bird play indicating the presence of bait in the area. Jigging has been the ticket, according to a number of local captains with whom I've spoken, and there are a decent number of blues mixed in the with the bass for those who like a fight.

Surf action has been on and off. I haven't heard any stories of striper-based amazement, but those who put their time in should hook up eventually. No one spot has been particularly better than another, though many of the weigh-ins at the local shops were nabbed in one of the two Seasides. The casino pier is a personal favorite of mine.

And how's this for one final fish – or should I say, mammal – report? The crew of the Cock Robin, on the way back from their Thanksgiving morning outing, spotted a humpback whale feeding at the mouth of Manasquan Inlet. A customer on board captured the action and has shared the very, very cool video he shot with everyone. To borrow someone's line from the Facebook comments on the boat's page, "he must've smelled all the turkey" and came in close to shore.