Point Pleasant Canal 4/10

[wink_man]

Well, I figuered I'd give the canal a shot today, and see if any of the bigger spawner weakies were starting to move in yet. I felt that the water was still to cold, but my sons friend and his father were fishing flounder there last weekend, and caught a 13 inch weakie.

The water was running pretty good when I got there at 3pm, but was crystal clear, you could see the rock formations against the side of the canal all the way down to the deep water. Almost no weed or cabbage in the water either, and minimal boat traffic. Air temp was 65 degrees, and I didn't have a thermometer, but the water felt to cold to me. No other bank fisherman, so I can't tell you if anyone was getting any flounder, or tog, but it was kinda nice having the place to myself. Low tide for the Coast Guard station was 5:38 PM, and the canal is usually fishable 2 hours before that, but there must be a full moon(didn't check), because the water ripped pretty good till 5PM.

I was strictly targeting weakies, using pink Fin-S. First 2 hours I relaxed a bit, and took a few coffee breaks, because the water was ripping and it was hard to get the jig to the bottom, but I fished from 5PM to 7Pm solid when the water was real fishable. Not a hit in 4 hours. March was to cold, and the water is still cold, even the bay water, we need a good week of 60-65 degree sunny weather. If the weakeies are staging there, to head into the bay to spawn(which I doubt yet), they have lockjaw due to the cold water. Hopefully it will change soon.

All in all, it was still a nice day out. This guy was fishing west of the canal entrance, in the river. Looked like he was flounder fishing, but didn't appear to be having any action.
 

This guy was east in the river, near Channel marker 8, he appeared to be fishing, but was a bit far away.


A couple of Kayakers were enjoying the day, and headed to Treasure Island.


And the old hospital is fast being turned into Condos now.


Then at 5:22PM the Miss Norma K came through the canal from the bay. 12 people on board, including Captain and mate, that I could see. She anchored up east in the river for a bit, between Channel Markers 9 and 11(real good mussel bed there), but didn't appear to do much with the flatties.


Still a pleasant day out for the first time this year, and hopefully the water will warm up and the weakies will be here soon.

 
 

[IrishAyes]

Nice report. Good try on the weakies. Great pics. 

[Luna Sea 5]

 

[ped579]

So it begins.  I will have to meet up with you one day this season.  I was over at the Mantalokin bridge doing some looking around the other day and they were catching winter flounder there in the 15" range.

Plus I heard that small stripers have been caught in the upper part of the bay as well.

Maybe it will be a good season this year for us land lubbers.

Happy Catching

Paul

[wink_man]

So it begins.  I will have to meet up with you one day this season.  I was over at the Mantalokin bridge doing some looking around the other day and they were catching winter flounder there in the 15" range.

Plus I heard that small stripers have been caught in the upper part of the bay as well.

Maybe it will be a good season this year for us land lubbers.

Happy Catching

Paul

Paul,
     I will be in touch with you as soon as I know the weakies are in there. It's just a hit and miss situation. From what I've seen over the years, the bigger breeder fish come in first, and stage there, till they move through the canal into the bay to spawn. By the time spawning is over(and they move out), resident fish are at the canal entrance, and they stay until colder water forces them to migrate south in the fall. They stayed late last year, if I recall correctly, they didn't leave till after October 26th. And once those resident fish come in after the spawners, they are there ALL summer through fall, don't let anyone tell you any different. The resident fish will run anywhere from 1 1/2 to 8 pounds,and average about 3 1/2 pounds. That spot is one of the few places that can be fished more effectively from land than boat. Because the bay is a 4 1/2 hour time difference in tide from the river, there is always moving water there, even through supposed slack tide. Obviously, since the canal drains the whole northern end of the bay, sometimes it's unfishable for weakies, because you can't get to the bottom with a jig. Best time to fish it is 1 hour before dead low tide computed from the manasquan coast guard station, for about 3 hours. Water during that period is slow enough to fish effectively, yet still draining the bay of baitfish(and water, LOL). Weakies, fluke and stripers are pretty much always there, when they're in, and easily caught from land there. Needless to say, tog abound also. And I'm a landlubber by choice, 3 boats in the yard, yet I can catch more weakies there, than any other place I know, with or without a boat.
 
     Kids have been fishing around the Mantaloking bridge, as I mentioned in a previous post, and they've been picking up flounder, nothing to write home about, but a half a dozen fish here and there, up to 16 1/2 inches. Not bad for either fishing off land or putting around over there in a 10 foot johnboat.

     Sons friend tells him his buddy is catching a lot of short stripers over by the railroad bridge, but I'm not sure that I believe it, I'm more inclined to think prolly one here and there, water is just to cold yet. Hopefully, another week or two, and things will start to change.
 
Garry

[IrishAyes]

Great info Garry. 

[mboy]

Nice to see ya again Winkman.

[fishinfool]

 

[TurboDan]

Excellent report, wink.  In my entire fishing life, I've only caught one weakfish, and it was lower in the bay, near the LBI Causeway bridge.  I'm going to do everything I can in the boat this summer to target the hole by Dale's Point in the upper bay this year to catch 'em.  I'm hoping to chum with grass shrimp and use Fin-S on a light/medium action rod.

I've heard another hole for the tiderunners is close to the inlet, near the channel markers just east of the entrance to the Glimmer Glass.  In the river, apparently a few hang out on the Brielle side of Treasure Island where there is a shallow channel that cuts through.

[PeggyLee]

Nice report.Enjoyed those pictures too !