SALT WATER FISHING REPORT
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2011 Season Wrap-Up

It's always with mixed feelings that we do our season wrap-up. On the one hand, we get to reflect on so many great and fun memories with our clients, and on the other hand it means a few more months before we start fishing again. So many memorable catches come to mind that we can only scratch the surface! Either way, the Mushin is winterized and we have already started plans for winter-time upgrades.

The season started for us by May with the EXCELLENT STRIPED BASS and COD fishing. We had another GREAT Spring livelining bunker to hungry cow-sized STRIPED BASS to 30+ pounds. Even first time anglers often had no problem filling their limit of STRIPERS! Anglers who prefer artificial baits cashed in on the STRIPED BASS bonanza casting a variety of soft-baits and jigs. Bottom fishermen sailed with us to some of the 20-30 mile wrecks and caught tasty COD - oftentimes by the dozens - as this old favorite has really made a great comeback along our coast. While it's nothing glorious, we had lots of "codfathers" on board who bent rods all day pulling 8 to 20 pound cod and filling coolers.

In June, we continued with the great STRIPER fishing with routine limit catches, and started catching BLUEFISH. However, our attention was divided with the start of MAKO SHARK season and OFFSHORE/CANYON TUNA. By the second week of June, there was warm waters in the canyons and we had banner TUNA/MARLIN trolling, including a very memorable "3-bagger" that included two white marlin (a first for each of the two guys) and a 105-pound YELLOWFIN at the same time. Again, we found alot of quality bruiser YELLOWFIN TUNA and WHITE MARLIN in the canyons during June. We also started targeting MAKO's in June, and had 3 MAKO's during our trip for the Mako Mania 2011 tournament, and took 3rd PLACE with a 219# MAKO.

June also gave us opportunities for BLUEFIN TUNA/MAKO combination trips when anglers trolled or baited BLUEFINS in the chicken canyons. This included trips when we driften "scallop guts" under scallop boats - this is incredible fishing with crazed BLUEFINS - we edge up close to the drifting scallop boat, bait up with scallop guts, strip out 50 feet of line and toss in - and HOLD ON! Often within seconds we had 100 pound BLUEFIN crashing on the bait. Other times gave us "good old fashioned" BLUEFIN trolling with lots of bent rods. After catching their limit and being fulfilled with the BLUEFIN, we would set up on drift in the same area for MAKO! These successful anglers had a dilemma when they got home...MAKO or BLUEFIN for dinner?

July through August kept us busy with more STRIPERS, CANYON TUNA/WHITE MARLIN, and MAKO fishing. How about some big BULL DOLPHIN? We boated over a half-dozen BULL MAHI over 30 pounds this season, including one that pushed 50 pounds featured in The Fisherman magazine. We had Joe Rossi out with his friends and film crew in early-August, and filmed an upcoming show for Joe's Wildside Adventure (FSN/Root Sports Network) where the guys landed BLUEFISH, YELLOWFIN, WHITE MARLIN, MAHI, SWORDFISH, and TILEFISH in one trip - how's that for a CANYON SAFARI?! Other trips that were closer to home put the more casual angler into FLUKE, SEABASS, AND BLUES for our clients and guests, many who were down at the Jersey Shore for vacation, including a family who was vacationing from Brazil who had non-stop FLUKE action!

We had undoubtedly the BEST FALL TUNA CHUNKING in several years! Consistent and solid catches of YELLOWFIN came in the different canyons at night, and we added tasty and colorful TILEFISH on these trips. The TILEFISHING was so consistent that guys requested dedicated trips targeting these deep-dwellers! SWORDFISH up to 150# were added consistently during the night bite. Many of these canyon trips were spiced up with MAKO shark and acrobating WHITE MARLIN and MAHI MAHI. We had back-to-back trips with BIGEYE TUNA, including the season best at 225# (which took 6 guys nearly 2 hours to land!). If the YELLOWFIN bite wasn't enough, we had a PHENOMENAL LONGFIN (ALBACORE) TUNA bite of fat fish up to 70#. How about one day troll trip when we went through 5 dozen ballyhoo along with getting our artificials bit? The guys boxed almost 30 longfin, and lost/released probably 45 more, and spent over an hour battling a 250+ pound BIGEYE, in barely 6 hours of fishing time.

We continued the Fall fishing with some GREAT COD trips to the 20-30 mile range, often averaging almost a dozen keepers (and probably releasing 3 times as many) per guy! We mixed in a couple killer SEA BASS trips and BLACKFISH limits trips, and had STRIPER BEATDOWNS with fast and furious STRIPER jigging off IBSP for 3+ straight weeks.

What a 2011 season! We owe some much to our many clients and friends who have fished with us, whether it was for the first time or the 50th time. We get to meet so many new clients every year, and cherish the relationships we build. As we do our season wrap-up, we look forward to a joyous Holiday Season and a very exciting 2012 season! For those looking for a holiday or other gift idea, consider a GIFT CERTIFICATE for an upcoming trip. Booking for 2012 has started, and we look foward to seeing you soon!

Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 12/8/2011 4:33 PM

11/26 - Striper Beatdown - Limits ++

11/26 - We made the run south towards the next inlet to cash in on the bassing bonanza. Getting there early definitely made a difference, with rods bent almost as soon as we got there and about 7 fish hooked in the first 5-10 minutes. The anglers continued to have a steady pick through the morning with fish hooked every few minutes on jigs and softbaits. By 9 am, we were in release mode as we had our 9-angler limit plus the only two bonus tags on board filled. Some of the fish we released were big fish pushing 38-40 inches! A beautiful day on the water with a super bunch!
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 11/26/2011 6:09 PM

11-19 Offshore Bottomfishing

11-19 we had Dennis P's gang on board with a real cool request to run offshore after bottomfish.  We ran past what has been a good striper bite which took a lot of guts by all to stick with a plan.  Well you could have easily thought we were in the true north Atlantic!  The forecast called for 10-15 kts increasing to 20-25 in the afternoon. Well that wasnt the case as the fan was turned on to high when we were 3/4 off.  The guys hung tough through nasty conditions (to say the least) to put together a "fair" catch of seabass, ling, jumbo porgies, and a single cod (though it pushed 15 pounds).  Setting up with anchor on our structure was tough and the guys to stay in constant touch with their baits was just as hard.  We stuck it out longer than normal putting in an extra hour plus in effort to fill the box and endured a tough ride home.  Nice to have a big, tough, heavy boat under you!!!  Fun guys with all kinds of chops getting busted all day, great time despite the conditions, THANKS!
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 11/20/2011 11:42 AM

11/18 - Bass Jigging

11/18 - We had Greg T's striper jigging trip. With high hopes, we set out to the South and stopped acres of sand eels. We picked a couple of stripers early, but had to work hard to add more. There was a good sized fleet of boats with some that did very well, some that did okay, and some that did little. However, the bass migration is going on, and it's time to jig bass!
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 11/18/2011 7:02 PM

11/17 - Tog Limits ++

11/17 - Taking advantage of the "liberal" blackfish season opener, we ran to one of our favorite tog spots. We were rewarded with a good pick of tog for the five anglers. They picked and plucked on tog until lunchtime, but it was hard to put the rod down and miss out on the action. The guys kept their limit up to Lou D's 8 pounder, and released upwards to 70+ tog. Several 4 to 6 pounders mixed in too. Lou D added a striper that grabbed his crab bait on the way up! Time to catch tog!
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 11/18/2011 7:00 PM

11/7 - Bottomfishing Bonanza

11/7 - With the nice forecast we were supposed to have, we shot back out to the cod wrecks to the East today. The time change didn't fool the fish, as they were there snapping shortly after we dropped on them. We had cod flying over the rails up to 15 pounds as we power drifted our pieces. Multiple hook ups around the boat! By 9 am, the seas just got too sloppy, so we dropped the anchor and picked at cod to 16 pounds, seabass to 4 pounds, porgies to 4 pounds, and ling to 5 pounds. By lunchtime the big cooler was filled, and we called it a day. We heard more good reports of striper fishing on jigs and trolling yesterday and today, but we opted to pass on it to cut lots of fish back at the dock. Some select November days still open for bass/blues or cod/bottomfish.
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 11/7/2011 8:09 PM

11/3 - Sea Bass Opens with a BANG!

11/3 - Today was the first day we were able to get out after the re-opening of sea bass on 11/1. We had a bunch of hardcore bottom fish guys who wanted their bottomfish! Well, that's what they got! The first two stops in close gave up only a handful of fish, so we kept looking into the deeper water. That's where we fished two pieces, and the spots gave up lots of quality keeper seabass and filled the big cooler! Plenty of seabass flying over the rails up to 4 pounds. Sloppy seas today, but the guys were rewarded with plenty of tasty seabass fillets! Lots of good seabassing, togging, codding, as well as stripers and blues!
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 11/3/2011 5:55 PM

10/31-Cod Crushing!!!

10/31 - A gentlemen's trip with only Alan and Capts. Jay Andrews and George Lewis on board this morning. A flat calm ride to the spots to the East to target cod with the cooling water temps. After trying two spots with little to show, we landed right on them with the third, fourth, and fifth spots. Lots of cod flying over the rails, with multiple-multiple hookups on the boat for the three guys, and even a double-header cod, boxed 30 cod to 15# for 3 guys in about 3 hours. Threw back about 3 shorts for every keeper! In between, we released about 40 seabass that were in the 2 to 4+ pound range (they would be dinner if it was tomorrow's re-opening day). Also landed huge porgies to 4 pounds and a king-sized ling over 5 pounds along with some blues. Lots of great Fall fishing action with cod, seabass, tog, bass, and blues!!! Some November dates still available!
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 10/31/2011 7:47 PM

10/22-23 - Southern Canyons Produce Limits

10/22-23 - After some great reports from Capt. Jeff Gutman from the party boat Voyager, we steamed to the South to join the hot canyon bite "like old times". Within 15 minutes of setting up, we had already gone 2 for 4 on yellowfin, with equal jig and bait action. However, the bite died out and it was a pretty quiet night except for  a 90# sword and a small mako that took the giant swordfish bait. As dawn approached, we got into a steady bite of yellowfin from 40 to 70 pounds, and the jiggers pulled ahead of the bait fishermen, and added a fat longfin at 65#. Multiple hookups at times! By 8:15, we were ready to take the 100+ mile ride back home. Seas were flat for a beautiful ride. Very promising conditions for more quality canyon fishing. Also, seabassing reopens soon, striper fishing ready to explode in coming weeks, and togging and codding to come.
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 10/25/2011 12:17 PM

10/8-10/9 - More Great CANYON Action

10/8-9 - A quick report from our overnighter last night. Got out to area short of Spencer Canyon to join a few boats trolling. We missed the bite there but it looked promising. We continued out to the Spencer, knowing it would be crowded, and joined about 100+ boats. Set up on the edge and the guys picked away all night with tuna to 50#, and added 2 swords to 100#. Despite the boat traffic, some boats absolutely crushed the tuna with 25 to 30 fish per boat by 10 pm!!! Other boats got their shot with the classic daybreak mad-dog bite between 4 and 6 am, with reports of 16 - 20 fish landed in an hour! Now is the time to get into this old-time Fall Canyon bite!
Posted by Mushin Sportfishing at 10/9/2011 8:58 PM
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