Hillyer's Tackle

Ed at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle told me the rough weather and wind had tamped down local effort late in the week but he said we’re getting to the point of the month where blackfish and schoolie action should become much more reliable. He’d been selling plenty of crabs to diehards headed out in search of some local tog and from the reports he heard the action had ticked up this week over last. There were a few fish taken from a couple of different areas by both boat and shore. Ed said traditionally the last two weeks of April are when the bite picks up and with some decent temperatures forecast for the week ahead it could go off any day. The shop has plenty of crabs sandworms and bloodworms as well as rigs and jigs if you’re looking to get in on the early season tog fishing. Schoolie stripers are on the move in the rivers and other local tributaries and have ranged from fussy to somewhat cooperative depending on day and tide. Sandworms and soft plastics fished on jig heads are still the best bet until the water gets a bit warmer. Again this week, a few brave souls went out in search of winter flounder and a few of them were successful in their effort. Chum logs and sandworms were the ticket for the elusive flatfish.

Ed at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle said the up and down weather of the last week led to some challenging conditions for anglers looking to get their first blackfish of the season. They’d sold plenty of crabs sandworms and bloodworms over the week but had yet to hear of any catches when we talked. He said some steady weather should lead to more boats and anglers getting out and expects to hear some better reports once that happens. A few optimists headed out in search of winter flounder in the bay this week but nobody had heard back from them since. The resident bass have been moving around a bit more and while striper fishing hasn’t been exactly easy, there are fish to be had for those willing to put in a little time. Best bets for bass have been soft plastics on the smaller side, say in the five to seven inch range and the store is stocked with a large selection.