Boat fishing for Weakfish
Author: SWalker
Written: 2/14/18
Written for: NJ Extreme Fishing
Written: 2/14/18
Written for: NJ Extreme Fishing
Welcome back to NJ Extreme Fishing Articles. Today we will be talking about how to catch weakies from a boat. To begin I would like to mention that in the NJ waters weakfish populations have dwindled considerably. Often attributed to over fishing, but if you spend time in the Delaware Bay, then you have seen your share of fishing boats netting at the inlet and sadly as far as the mouth of the river. Just one of these boats will catch more weakies then all the Jersey Anglers combined in a year. So when fishing for weakies we ask that you catch and release them. If you are unsure on how to best capture and release fish we have a article on that too.
Location:
A good strong area that still produce weakfish is ship johns light house in the Delaware Bay. Located just shy of the river and plenty of rocks, it is still one of the better fishing spots for them. Another good spot is the concrete ship at sunset beach Cape May. Dispite where you fish, what you are looking for is structres on the bottom. Rocks, ship wrecks, artificial reefs are all good starting points. Pull out your chart and just look for a nice underwater structure of any kind. If you don't have a chart, head over to our chart section to dowload a free copy.
Method:
The best method that I have found for weakfish is to cut some crabs or mullet on a bottom rig. Drop it straight down from your boat and slowly bounce the bait off the bottom just a foot or less. Bounce the bait maybe every 30 seconds and maybe 2 or 3 times each cycle.
An alternative method is using live minnows with no sinkers. Most species of minnows have a black spot near their backs or tails, place the hook through the black spot and keep a eye on the minnow, when he starts to run then you are about to get a bite.
Fishing for weakfish can be fun but you need a bit of patience. When they are biting, you are gonna catch a lot since they travel in large schools, but when they aren't biting then it will be a slow day. Go out and have fun and happy fishing!!!
Location:
A good strong area that still produce weakfish is ship johns light house in the Delaware Bay. Located just shy of the river and plenty of rocks, it is still one of the better fishing spots for them. Another good spot is the concrete ship at sunset beach Cape May. Dispite where you fish, what you are looking for is structres on the bottom. Rocks, ship wrecks, artificial reefs are all good starting points. Pull out your chart and just look for a nice underwater structure of any kind. If you don't have a chart, head over to our chart section to dowload a free copy.
Method:
The best method that I have found for weakfish is to cut some crabs or mullet on a bottom rig. Drop it straight down from your boat and slowly bounce the bait off the bottom just a foot or less. Bounce the bait maybe every 30 seconds and maybe 2 or 3 times each cycle.
An alternative method is using live minnows with no sinkers. Most species of minnows have a black spot near their backs or tails, place the hook through the black spot and keep a eye on the minnow, when he starts to run then you are about to get a bite.
Fishing for weakfish can be fun but you need a bit of patience. When they are biting, you are gonna catch a lot since they travel in large schools, but when they aren't biting then it will be a slow day. Go out and have fun and happy fishing!!!
