What was I looking at??

[Xfire2149]

I went through the Point Pleasant Canal yesterday and out through the Manasquan Inlet. I won't say it was a mistake but it wasn't very comfortable for anyone so about an hour was all anyone could take. We came back in and fished for fluke along the rocks. We caught several shorts and a couple blackfish. Went back up into the shallows across from the pipeline and anchored up in about 2' of water. I put a paddle board in the water and started paddling around in about 3-4' of nice warm water. I soon saw a small school of very large silver whitish looking fish swimming in about 3' water. I would estimate them at about 10+ lbs even accounting refraction. What was I seeing? Are these Drum? Weakfish?

[Bucktail]

Hmmm...  10 pounds would rule out hickory shad or herring or croakers.  I suppose it's possible they could have been weakies.  Although I would kill to come across a whole school of 10 lb. weakfish!

Did you get a clear look at them?  Are you sure they weren't bluefish or stripers?

[Xfire2149]

You know.......

I didnt even think about stripers. now that you mention it that's what they looked like although being new to this side of the country I've never seen them first hand. Only pics. Stripers are in the bays and shallow water now? They spooked when I approached with the paddle board.

[carloliveira]

school of blues?

[LIL BOAT NO FUEL BILL]

 

[Bucktail]

There really aren't usually a lot of bigger blues and stripers in the bays right now.  Normally it's too warm for their comfort.  However, with the mild summer, it's possible.  Also possible they chased some baitfish in from the inlet.

[Xfire2149]

I googled up images of stripers in shallow water. I'm nearly positve this is what I saw. Pretty exciting stuff. Nice sized fish.

[Hunter 2]

Tuesday evening my buddy Mike was at the gas dock at Arnold's Marina in Brielle.  He was weighing fish for a tourney.  He saw a school of Nice sized Stripers around 30" in the water under the dock lights.  They were by the pilings facing the current.

[Xfire2149]

Arnolds Marina is pretty close to where I was. Fish were (as you mentioned) facing into the current. Exciting to see fish of that size. I'm really looking forward to doing some striper fishing this season.

[blynch]

Tuesday evening my buddy Mike was at the gas dock at Arnold's Marina in Brielle.  He was weighing fish for a tourney.  He saw a school of Nice sized Stripers around 30" in the water under the dock lights.  They were by the pilings facing the current.

See em all the time at hoffmans 

[Reefsquatter]

Those school sized stripers are in the river there year round, you can catch them in a certain spot on a certain tide using sandworms, they are usually around 18-20 inches.

[Treebeard]

Would'nt be hard to to believe they where stripers.. but fwiw.. back in the day, when I used to fish the Manasquan frequently in my tin boat, that area was one of my favorites for Weakfish.. used to catch them pretty good on 1/2oz rat-l-traps in the channel off the island..  maybe they are back from extinction?