
Tom P.


Last Call For Coastal Quackers
The Coastal Zone (east of the Garden State Parkway) duck season closes January 31st at sunset (5:16 p.m.), which means that there are a mere eight days remaining to hit the bay marshes, sedge islands, tidal creeks, ditches, and salt ponds.

The Winter Bird Is The Word
They always seem to know when the tough times are arriving.
The birds know, that is.

Warm Weather, Hot Perch
This weekend’s forecast of 50 to 60-plus degree temperatures will surely fuel the hot perch bite that was momentarily stalled by Thursday’s cold front.

Pheasant and Quail Stockings Resume
After a break for the muzzleloader and six day firearm deer seasons, the Division of Fish & Wildlife will once again be releasing ringneck pheasants and bobwhite quail on select wildlife management areas (WMA).

Offshore Mumbo For Jumbo Sea Bass
With the black sea bass season-closing 11:59 pm New Year’s Eve, and with the torrid bite occurring as you read this, well, if you want to fill the freezer with luscious fillets that will also include pie plate and hubcap-size porgies, these next 19 days are when to do it.

‘Buck Week’ Runs Monday Through Saturday
The traditional six-day firearms deer season starts Monday, December 9 and runs through Saturday, December 14.

Big Tog Crunch Underway
Well, the “Big Tog” crab crunch is underway, kicking into gear the middle of last week.

Last of the Striped Bass Blast
The general consensus is that there’s two, maybe three weeks remaining for the opportunities to catch ‘n ice keepers, along with the occasional fat cow mama.

Blackfish (Tog) Limit Jumps To Five
With the inevitable arrival of colder water, the bigger blackfish are moving in from the wrecks and structures in deeper water.

Pheasant and Quail Seasons Open Saturday
Ringneck pheasants and bobwhite quail (on two wildlife management areas only) will become legal quarry Saturday, and the “bird” season is eagerly anticipated by the 12,000-plus uplanders who have shelled $40 for the mandatory Pheasant & Quail Stamp.

Whitetail Deer Mating Season Is On
Whitetail deer mating season (aka “rut”) is 95% on, and, to put it mildly, the bucks will be love loco for the next two, maybe three weeks.

New Jersey’s Big Bass Blast Starts Now
It’s a striped bass explosion along the northern and central stretches of the Garden State coast, and these are nuclear detonations for sure, going by the sizes of the linesiders.