Fluke Season Opens And BSC Has An Event
First, shop news:
This Saturday, across the street from the shop, will be the Berkeley Striper Club’s Annual Fisherman’s Flea Market. If you are familiar with this event, you know you want to be there. If you are unfamiliar, you will want to go to see all of the custom fishing tackle on display and for sale. It’s not all custom plugs though, as there are good deals on new and used tackle available too. Don’t miss this event. And after you are done there, come across the street to Grumpys and show your wristband for a discount on your purchase at the shop.
Fluke season also starts on Saturday. Are you ready? If not, you can shop our fluke collection on the site. Everything you need to catch a fluke like Jenni’s above.
Speaking of fluke, once of the commonly repeated questions we are asked in the shop through the summers are "Do you have killies?" We have to say no because Ray does not want to have them in the shop. He is afraid some of us will be distracted fishing for them with very tiny hooks and little doughballs. His fears aren't totally unfounded. Well, we now have a solution for you. Get a Tsunami Galvanived Minnow Trap and you can catch your own. Bait them with fish scraps from your previous trip, crushed clams, squid, bunker or even canned cat food, place in a saltwater estuary and after a few hours you should have a fishing trip's worth of bait.
How is the fishing? Pretty darn fantastic! The bass bite in the surf has been very steady on clams. The high tides and mornings have proven to be slightly better, but time hasn’t really mattered. If you have time to go, stop in for some fresh clams and go fishing.
The bay is still lively. The biggest news are the big bluefish. The are taking mullet or cut pieces of frozen bunker. They are also hitting artificial lures. Poppers and spooks are the most fun, but SP Minnows, Yo=Zuri Hydro Minnows and Tsunami Twitch Baits are working too.
The other bay news is it seems the black drum are back. As this whole fishery is unprecedented , we are unsure if it is a new body of fish, or the same fish from two weeks ago. And if the latter, did they take a break because they spawned, or are they just coming back around from a tour of the bay?
Some recent notable catches:
Our cover shot, Al with a nice bluefish off a mullet chunk in the backbay.
@joewhatimeann was on them using clams.
The fog on Tuesday held a lot of anglers back but the bass did not care. They never do. Tom Hynes with a nice bass he caught on Fresh Clams.
@niksalanitro found some nice ones Wednesday.
@zehof helped land this nice one Wednesday evening. After a slow week of Drum fishing, chatter about Black Drum started picking up again Wednesday from the bay side. New wave of fish, or the original wave coming by for another lap?
This Saturday isn’t only the Berkeley Striper Club Fisherman’s Flea Market AND the season opener for New Jersey Fluke. What else can we pack into this Saturday? It is, after all, only one day. But that day is May The Fourth (Be With You)! Star Wars fans big holiday. And no one is as big a Star Wars fan as Ray. He will be in the shop dressed as a Stormtrooper.
Not to be outdone (because Star Wars fans are strangely competitive), Scott will also be dressing up. But he will be putting his own spin on the costume…
