By Captain Vinnie Calabro 

It’s April 10, and nighttime air temperatures are in the low 40s, not so great. This winter’s a throwback to the 60s. 

I moved one boat to Raritan Bay for several reasons. The striped bass usually show up a few weeks before New York and New Jersey are open, whereas we open on April 15. 

Anyway, fishing in Raritan had its highs and lows this past week. On the full moon, the fish chewed their heads off. Boats and surfcasters congregated in the mouth of the Shrewsbury River to Sandy Hook Bay. At times, blitz fishing as bass feasted on bunker schools. 

On Saturday aboard the Karen Ann, a father and son duo had a banner morning, bass fishing for several hours on shad lures. That bite, as I said earlier, had its moments. With heavy winds that slowed down. 

Those fish should move into Raritan and toward Great Kills. Great Kills had a fair amount of bunker move in, so any day, fish should zero in on them.

Jamaica Bay is beginning to swell with bunker, also. Some striped bass are being caught on lures. 

That action hopefully will improve with each day. 

Up in Ossining on the Hudson stripers are being caught in good numbers as they return to their spawning grounds. 

Hopefully, milder days are ahead. 

Until the next tide….