Current Waters: Sea Herring Invade The Harbor
Captain Carl Bois, Topspin Fishing •
Striped bass are strong, but they are a little more picky right now. We’ve had pretty stable weather and a lot of boat traffic, which means a little more effort is needed to land them. The ones that you have to work harder for are more rewarding anyway.
The bluefish are slowly gaining in numbers, but not at the pace we are used to. Some have been caught off the beach, especially at Great Point, but it isn’t holding them as we expect for this time of year. This week we’ve caught double what we have all season, but it’s still not what we would expect for this time of year just yet.
Fluke is a slow pick up, but there is some.
Normally, our fish report would include tuna at this point. We don’t have anything to report right now.
There is a full moon late in June this year, and we certainly hope that this full moon will ignite a fire in a lot of these fisheries. It’ll be great to diversify and make a little more room for everybody. Please find your own spot and not crowd other boaters. There is plenty of room – it’s a big ocean.
This week, we’ve been seeing tons of bait in the harbor. From the town pier to the mouth of the harbor, the bait was so thick the water looked black. We dipped a net in to see what it was and it turned out to be small Atlantic herring. Also known as sea herring, these small baitfish are important to our fishery.
These are not to be confused with the highly migratory river herring. Sea herring (Clupea harengus) live entirely in marine environments, while river herring are anadromous – meaning they live in the ocean but migrate into freshwater rivers and lakes to spawn.
As adults, Atlantic herring average 10 to 12 inches in length and weigh about half a pound. The ones we saw were just a few inches long, but with the telltale silvery scales, with a dark back and a big eye. They are also skinny with a large mouth and lower jaw. Atlantic herring feed on zooplankton, krill, and copepods – basically, the tiny microorganisms in the water. Seeing a bunch of herring in the harbor means that the harbor ecosystem is thriving. This heavy concentration will quickly draw larger predators into the area.
Atlantic herring are a popular snack for many species. A number of fish, sharks, skates, marine mammals, and seabirds prey on herring. Juvenile herring are heavily preyed upon due to their abundance and small size. They are also a popular food fish for us. This is the herring which is traditionally fried, smoked, salted, and pickled.
The ones I saw weren’t big enough for that kind of haul. But lots of small bait around means lots of bigger fish coming in, and that is always a good thing.
Don’t forget that the awards ceremony for the Spring Sea Run Opener is tonight (Friday) at 5:30 Ladies Beach. The final results will be announced at the awards ceremony. The junior division still has prize spots available and will run until all 10 slots have been filled. So get out there and take a kid fishing!
This weekend is another great charity tournament that gives us all a good excuse to go out fishing – supporting a good cause. It’s the 3rd Annual Jamie Topham Scholarship Fund Fishing Tournament. The registration meeting is today (Friday) 5-7pm at Fairgrounds Restaurant. Follow @jtscholarship for registration and tournament rule info. Hosted by the Maddequet Admiralty Association, the tournament runs from Friday, June 26th at 8pm to Sunday June 28th at noon. The tournament is made up of 2-person teams with points per inch given for fluke, bluefish, scup, tautog, sea robin, bonita, false albacore, striped bass, and black seabass. The tournament celebrates the life of Jamie Topham by doing something he loved; fishing! The weekend ends with a cookout at the Maddequet Admiralty Association for anglers and non-anglers alike! There is a fantastic list of prizes from Starrfish Charters, Arrowhead Nursery, Bartlett’s Farm, the Black Earl and Town Pool. You can even buy a chance for a custom rod made by Fishstix with a reel from Bill Fisher Tackle.
Good luck to all the anglers!
Until next tide…