It may be chilly, but the fishin' is still good!

This seems to happen at least once a year. I dissappear for a few months, normally I chalk it up to the busy season at work, but lately it's been much busier at home. In May, my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world. It's been an amazing 6 months since, but due to my obvious preferential treatment of my wife and daughter, my contributions to Fish Head have suffered. Things have calmed down at home and at work so hopefully I'll have some more fun fishing stuff to talk about in the coming weeks and months.

There is big news on the horizon, and I thought I'd share it here because this is the hub of all important fishing info in the great state of NJ and beyond.

You all are gonna want to get in line for this one:

Introducing:

THE BASS UNIVERSITY

When:  December 5th & 6th
Where: Holiday Inn & Suites in Runnemede NJ
Register Now @ TheBassUniversity.com

This 2 day event marks the beginning of a nationwide tour of professional bass anglers on a quest to make you a better angler.  The University was founded earlier this year by professional bass anglers Mike Iaconelli (2003 Bassmaster Classic winner) and Pete Gluszek (tournament winner on the Bassmaster and FLW tours).  Their idea was to grab a handful of pros and put together an event where anglers of all levels could learn the tips and tricks that help make these guys successful year after year.

Pete Gluszek, a friend of Fish Head, asked me to help get the word out about this amazing opportunity.  It will be 2 days of intensive training all to make you a more productive angler.  Check out TheBassUniversity.com for more info...

The Phenix Vibrator Jig in Black and Blue

Colors: 6 recommend  black/blue and white

The Phenix Vibrator Jig looks like just another knockoff of the popular RadLures Chatterbait. Initial looks can be very deceiving. The  Phenix Vibrator Jig boasts back to back FLW tour wins by Bret Hite. Bret used this lure paired with a Gary Yamamoto Swiming Senko as a trailer for both wins. This was more than enough to peak my interest. The brilliance of this lure is the design. The blade is attached directly to the hook eye which makes the bait clatter and kick each time it wobbles. The hook itself is a custom design, extra long, extra wide, and super sharp. The hook quality is a major drawback to the original Chatterbait. I've been throwing the Phenix Vibe for a full season now and tossed the rest of my chatter style lures. The trailer it comes with is garbage and goes directly in the trash can after opening the package. I usually pair the lure with an Alluringbaits offering like the full sized Duperfluke, Chunk-T trailer, or Skrub body. In doing so I can also thread a 1/0 treble hook as a trailer to the main hook and bury the bottom point in the soft plastic trailer bait. This lure is a definite big fish bait. It tends to get bit on days when other reaction baits are passed up. The paint and skirt are fairly durable as is the hardware but the price is a little painful. At $6.95 a bait it makes you think twice about casting into that laydown. Overall I'd say the lure is a 3.5 out of 5. It's vastly improved over the originals in this lure category but the crummy trailer and high price make me slightly upset.

A solid chunk on a Phenix Vibe with Superhog trailer.

Fish Sense Lures "Binsky"

Sizes: 1/2oz, NEW 1/4oz, and  3/4oz coming soon

Colors: Silver and Gold

Out of my home state of New Jersey was born a small tackle company called Fish Sense Lures. Their main offering currently is a blade lure called the Binsky. There are many blade type lures on the market today but none have been designed as nicely as the Binsky. The shape, finish, and design seem to command the attention of the angler. I particularly like the addition of a large red eye which will give predatory fish a focus point. The Binsky is marketed as a cold water bait but can be fished in a variety of retrieves and conditions.

JACKPOT! Silver and Gold!

 

Smallies love it!

Even Stripers and Wipers can't resist.

BPS Shallow Nitro Crank

 Sizes: Wake, Shallow, Medium, and Deep Divers

Colors: 27 (wow!) Recommend Pearl Splatterback, Fire Crawdad, and Texas Shad

The Bass Pro Shops Nitro series sure is ugly. The way this crank looks with it's bulbous googley eyes and protruding lips is quite outlandish. My initial reaction to this crank was to let it rust in its tacklebox slot. A fishing buddy asked to borrow a crank one day so I handed him the shallow diving model Nitro with thoughts of sabotage in mind. Boy was I wrong. A 3lb 14oz pig on the third cast and I was sold. Since that day I've caught many more fish on this crank series. I prefer the shallow diver when possible but the medium and deep divers are also effective in their own applications. The shallow diver is a good choice for rock, wood, and weeds with a  relatively snagless square lip design. The shallow crank is good to about 5ft, medium to 8ft, and the deep diver goes down to 10ft. The deepest version is nice because it's got a small body with a large diving lip. The small profile is something fish don't typically see in deeper diving cranks.  Inside the bait are some unique sounding rattles that give fish a new sound to key on. The outside of the bait has a scale and gill pattern with a nice feeling texture. Paintjobs are super tough but the hooks are just mediocre. At $3.99 this is a good crank to stock up on and use in the gnarliest cover. If you lose them it won't break the bank to replace. For overall value and fish catching appeal the Nitro Crank series gets a 4 out of 5. Just goes to show you don't need a pretty crankbait to catch fish.

I cannot tell you how many anglers come to me at various points in the Fall and say "fishing is over for the year." They're packing their gear away and backing down their drags in preparation for next spring. Some choose to sit in a tree all day long instead. To me this is just ludicrous.  My love for the sport goes 365 days a year and I will be on the water as much as I possibly can.

That being said what could possibly be biting as Fall winds down into Winter? My answer, just about everything that swims!

Right now many NJ lakes have been stocked with trout. BIG BRUISER TROUT.  Check out the NJ DFW site for locations. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/flstk.htm Tactics can be found in an earlier Fish Head article here. http://blogs.courierpostonline.com/fishhead/2009/09/10/tactics-for-fall-trout/

Bass fishermen can delight in what's called Rat-L-Trap and Jerkbait weather. Lipless lures like Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps and the Red Eye Shad are great producers for vicious reaction strikes. Throw them and throw them until you get a bite. If the action slows down and your local water is cold throw a jerkbait. Lures like the Rapala X-Rap and Husky Jerk will have your Extreme Net Man working hard. I recommend "Hockey." http://www.extremenetmen.com/ For the tournament fisherman you can even participate in one of the 3 Winter League trails through Southern and Central NJ. Check our Fish Head Forums for a listing of tournaments and contacts!

 

A December fish. Note the ice on the lake behind the boat!

Pickerel fishing is about to explode. Just about any cedar water lake in the Eastern part of the state is loaded with toothy, angry, and hungry picks. Inline spinners, floating Rapalas, and Zara Puppies provoke explosive strikes. It's so much fun to watch them follow the bait and then attack!

Perch and crappie fishermen better get out the little jigheads and tubes. The colder it gets the better the fishing will be. As Winter approaches these panfish pack tightly in schools. Where you find one you'll find a whole school and it's easy to get 20-30 fish in a short time.

Stay in school!

And if none of that excites you check out the blogs by our saltwater writers. Nick Honachefsky has all the tips you need to bag stripers, sharks, bluefish, croakers, and weakies.

Don't pack the tackle away yet. This season is a great time to get out and fish.

3:16 Baby Wake in Chartreuse Shad color.

 Size: 6 inches

Colors: 8 recommend all

Typically I don't delve into the enthusiast tackle scene here. Some baits are considered a bit too expensive and exotic for the every-fisherman. I find the 3:16 Baby Wake to be an exception. Weighing in at $45 per bait this is one of the most expensive lures I own. Why so much? Throw it one time and you will understand. The Baby Wake is built with a hidden joint and loose plastic tail fin with ultimate realism as the goal. The body is shaped like a crunched up trout and the lip extends straight down giving it a real fish swimming action on the surface. On a straight retrieve the tail fin leaves a noticable V-shaped wake in it's path. Pausing the lure sometimes gives a couple more tail kicks on it's own to look like a struggling fish. Snap your rod tip downward and the bait walks the dog sharply. Harder twitches can even get the tail fin to make a special clack on the water. It's not just bass that think the Baby Wake is real but birds and non-fishermen too! I've had many seagulls and herons try to swoop down on the bait thinking it was a real dying baitfish on the surface. I've had people walking by who did not know I was using a lure exclaiming,"Look! Look! A fish!" The hardware on the Baby Wake is extra tough and the finish is excellent. Even if your lure breaks 3:16 has been happy to repair it quickly and without issue. Just send the lure back with a note and it will return good as new. For tackle I recommend some heavier gear than normal. At least 20lb test, a stout rod, and strong reel for throwing this big bait.

 

Tim Fairlie of Bordentown, NJ with a solid Baby Wake fish.

Right now the best place to get a Baby Wake is through 3:16 directly. http://www.316lurecompany.com/baits/babywake.html All in all I give the Baby Wake a 4 out of 5. The price and fact that it's almost exclusively topwater are the only drawbacks. Big fish eat big baits and this lure is a producer. Keep an eye out for an exclusive interview with one of 3:16's pro staff,  John Valdez, in a future Fish Head blog. Until then get out there and fish!

Pluggers should be throwing out yellow or white colored Bombers in the discolored water.

It's surf striper time. If you're feeling lazy, bring the bunker chunks and clams to the beaches, bait up with a three-way swivel rig, 30-inch, 40-pound fluorocarbon leader and a size 8/0 to 10/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hook and hold on tight. Pluggers should be throwing out yellow or white colored Bombers in the discolored water, or casting Deadly Dicks or Ava 007 jigs with white colorings. Be sure to use 3/0 chartreuse or white bucktail teasers as well when plugging.

DiCecco weighed in dozens of linesiders, six of which were over the 35-inch mark, including Mike Tee's 38“ incher and Walt Cahill's big girl of 32 pounds.

Fresh bunker and clams have both been working to put bass on the beach, but fresh bunker heads are taking the larger model linesiders that are prowling around.

Valerie Zak, Oceanside Bait and Tackle, Brighton Beach, said more bass are showing up by the day. Bill Long landed a 33-incher on a herring head, Dante Sorriente scored big time with a 31-pound bass taken on a plug and Steve Sopot bested a 33-incher on a pearl Redfin plug.

Holgate and Beach Haven beaches have been the top spots of the week. Zak said she has the new After Hours plugs and Super Strikes as well, perfect lures for the fall run.

"Right before the storm, Poverty Beach was giving up nice catches of bass and bluefish to 5 pounds,'' according to Matt Slobodjian, Jim's Bait and Tackle, Cape May. "Topwater poppers got whacked both off the beaches and off the Coast Guard jetty where more keeper bass were found.''

Slobodjian said water temperatures dropped down to the high 50's in some areas, which is good news for striper hounds.

The Megabait Charlie, an inexpensive swimbait.

Sizes: 3.5in , 4in , 5in, 6.5in, and 8in

Colors: 8 recommend Dark Green, white, and Ayu

The Megabait Charlie hit the scene a few years ago with great accolades. The lure is an award winner taking home an ICAST trophy for best soft lure of the year. The reason behind the award is the innovative construction of the lure. It's half hardbait and half soft bait. The head portion is a hard plastic like a conventional lure but the body and tail are soft and ribbed for incredible action. Inside are Tungsten balls for weight and fish attracting noise. Furthermore, the lure suspends in fresh water and floats as a wake bait in saltwater. This is a double duty bait! Fishing the Charlie is pretty enjoyable. The smaller sizes can be thrown on conventional tackle and have a wide side to side S-pattern action. When a fish blasts this lure there's no doubt about it. They're looking to make a KILL. Try cranking with hard handle turns and quick pauses down to about 3 feet. While the Charlie has some great fish catching attributes it does have it's downfalls too. The rounded lip on the bait sometimes gets overpowered and causes the lure to roll uncontrollably. Shaving some of the lip on the sides may aid to end this issue or ruin the bait so proceed with caution. The color patterns are cartoony in the water as is the action of the bait itself. The single hook is a problemif the fish doesn't engulf the lure but they typically do.  I've found the 3.5" to be the most consistent fish producer and the 5" to be better for triggering a bigger bite. I haven't found a situation for the 4" or 6.5" that has been effective as of yet. The 6.5" is also a bit harder to throw at 2 ounces.  At the prices these swimbaits are offered it's hard to go wrong. These lures are almost exclusively found at ExtremeLures.com. This has been a great shop for me in general with quick shipping and some rare products. Overall I give the Charlie a 3 out of 5. I wish it didn't have so many quirks but the price is right!

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The passing double shot of Nor'Easters really tore up the beaches, with 6-foot drops straight down from the dunes in many spots along the coast, but the extended Nor'Easter also brought in the bass.

Stripers really began to show both in the backwaters and out front, and the Fall Run may just be kicking off in full effect this week.

"It's time. The bass are here,'' said Ray Slemmer Jr. of the Absecon Bay Sportsman, Absecon. "We checked in plenty of keeper fish this week … including three over 20 pounds, topping out with Sean Fox's 27-pounder. Live spot livelined in the deep holes in the back bays are producing the most and biggest fish.''

Jimmy Wynn dunked a few clams in the back to come up with a 32-incher plus a few "almost keepers.''

Broad Creek and Meadowcut have been two hot spots for linesiders. Kingfish have also been a steady source of fun from Brigantine Beach down to Longport and the Ventnor Pier, said Slemmer.

For anglers looking to fill up the bucket with fillets, white perch fishing is off the hook up in the Mullica River and Egg Harbor River. Simple bloodworms or minnies floated out will get you into the whiteys.

"More bass are moving in every day,'' said Bill Nickerson of Fin-Atics, Ocean City. "They are literally everywhere right now, off the beaches, in the back bays, around the bridges. Most are shorts, but there are a few decent keepers in the 32- to 35-inch range.''

The Great Egg Inlet has been holding larger linesiders that are eagerly eating up live spot and live eels. The Corson's Inlet beachfront has been hosting a red hot night bite for bass as 26- to 28-inch fish and larger have been gobbling down mullet chunks in the darkness.