Rack n Fin

This Sunday, June 19th, is the final day for the 10 fish at a 13-inch minimum limit.

North of Barnegat Inlet, they’re killies. South of the Ocean County tempestuous ingress, they are minnies (or minnows). By either moniker, this fave flounder bait is in short supply.

The turtle trio, namely the box, northern diamondback terrapin, and snapper are on the move and these harbingers of the summer season need a bit of care as they traverse roads and trails.

The black sea bass is perhaps the most popular inshore gamefish along the Garden State’s inshore, and during November and December, mid-range and offshore, waters.

The eagerly anticipated Striped Bass Bonus Tag program gets underway this Sunday and runs through December 31.

Some drum, as in black drum, beating has been going on in sections of Great Bay for the past couple of weeks and it’s great to see this annual mid-April through mid-May run get rolling.

The new regs include a whopping 149-day season that extends through September 27, pretty much three weeks longer than during previous years.

Make no mistake though: the month of May is notorious for producing not only minimum length keepers but also fish in the 4-8 lb. class, with more than a few attaining doormat (10 lbs.-plus) weights.

Sixteen days remaining in the 30-day April tog season and wouldn’t you know it: a shortage of green crabs is happening as the chew is getting fierce.

For the first time in New Jersey fluke fishing history, there will be a slot limit.