February 2020 Archives - The Fisherman

Ponderlodge Pond

The cliché “Good things come in small packages” is never more apropos than describing the angling opportunities available at Ponderlodge Pond located in the Villas in Lower Township, Cape May County.

The Jersey Shore surf in the post-replenishment era offers new challenges for anglers of all ages; know your beach conditions at all tidal stages and always make safety your first priority.

Mission Possible: Surfcasting for Life

Fish smarter, safer, and more successfully as you become a more seasoned surfcaster.

The only thing stopping hardcore anglers from hitting the ice this month, could be the ice itself. Be prepared for a deep freeze so you’re ready to target the monsters beneath the ice.

Ice Monsters! NJ Northerns & Muskies

Hardwater anglers hope for a beastly February and a return to the ice.

Cape May county waters hold plenty of historic secrets, which occasionally become visible to the naked eye, as was the case in 2018 when what was believed to be the wreck of the DH Ingraham appeared along the beach at Wildwood.

Ghost of Nuphar: A Townsend Inlet Riddle

Is this a big reveal in NOAA’s Bathymetric Data Viewer, and will it mean better fishing?

For those who play their weather windows properly on the offshore grounds, big seas often mean big fish.

2020 Forecast: Be Your Own Weather Man

Rely on your own weather research as the blow-dry TV guy focuses on the urban observations.

Bittersweet Pill

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) will meet from February 4-6 in Arlington, VA where 2020 striped bass measures should finally get hammered out.

It had been several years since I last set foot on the fabled beaches of Cape Cod, but I immediately felt at home with the backdrop of the pounding surf and expansive Atlantic Ocean to one side, tall sand dunes eroded by years of harsh weather to the other.

This good-sized perch was duped by pounding a small jig in the mud, pulling the fish in from a distance as it was attracted by both sight and sound.

Late Ice: Pressured Panfish

Extend the hot bite of early ice by altering your presentation and location to adapt to specific panfish preferences.

Untapped Opportunities: Winter Experiments

Here are some forgotten long shots that could still be there waiting to bend a rod; you just have to go looking.

Now is a good time to visualize how you would snake a large striped bass through that boulder-filled minefield come next fall.

Mental Fortitude: Zen and the Art of Landing Big Fish

When it comes to landing your personal best, you can never start too early.

Open-water Options: Hunting Winter Trout

Where open water can be found, winter trout options abound in Southern New England.

Proposed Change in Striped Bass Enforcement

I recently came across the January 2020 edition of Wildlife Highlights issued by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Tomorrow, Yesterday and Today

When my two sons were grown up enough to go saltwater fishing, my primary concern as their mentor was to make sure that they caught fish. I wanted their first fishing experiences to be ones that they would want to repeat.

The Hylton Castle

On January 11, 1886, while bound from New York to Rouen with a cargo of 57,880 bushels of corn, the 251-foot-long Hylton Castle got caught in a heavy gale.

Fishing should be fun and every angler should know their limits.

Food for Thought: Expectation vs. Reality

Fishing has always served as a great escape from our technology filled world and I think we shouldn’t lose focus of that.

Party Boating: Learning the Ropes

There is nothing like the anticipation you feel heading out in the morning on a calm sea aboard a party boat.

New England

Long Island

NJ & Delaware Bay

February 2020