Weakfish?

[SI Osprey]

I will admit it publicly...I've never caught a weakfish. Not for want of trying mind you, but I always come up short when looking for them either surf or kayak.

Bait, rig, lure, and tactic suggestions would be appreciated.

I have a few hours tomorrow AM to burn and I want to chase weakies. My idea was to launch from GK and search around the harbor. I know Matt got into them good out front...but what about the NJ bays? Any suggestions? I'd love to get out front but I just don't think I have the time. It would be an on the water at sunrise off by 930 or so. I don't want to spend more time paddling than fishing.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[perch1]

i get them down in the chesapeake with sting silvers, vertical jigging. I know guys throw soft plastics too, like zoom flukes (pink), on a jig head. Never caught one up here, but I bet they would hit those too.

[FishFood]

I've caught alot of them...mainly a dusk bite through the night til false dawn. Not that you can't catch them during the day, but they are typically very small during this time of the year.
I use 3/4 oz owner bullet head jigs with a 5"-7" FinS, pink or white...and work it slow, in current.
September through October has been particularly good to me in the past, always at night, current/moving water near structure where the fish can ambush prey caught in the current and work the jig slow...painfully slow at times and don't, I repeat don't set the hook like you would with a striper. Just lift and apply pressure. You can easily tear the hook out, especially if you dont' let the fish take in the jig.
It's the kind of fishing that requires a bit of guidance. I got Billdude hooked up with a 24"er his first day out weakie fishing in the sedges a couple years back. I just demonstrated and he did what I told him to do...proof is in the pic. This one took a 7" bubblegum FinS dead drifted in the current until it touched bottom and slowly retrieved on the swing...just after false dawn. We landed 2 @ 24" and one @ 28". Since the decline in the larger fish, I haven't targeted them for the last 2 years.

[NJ Dave]

Years ago (10+) we fished them off the IBSP wall and around and in the sod grasses. They loved pink fin-s on a small red lead head and I have had luck with the rainbow trout color as well.
Some guys say live sand worms.
I think that is another fish that was killed off by over fishing.
They used to get the big tide runner breeders in the spring in SH bay but I have not herd of them in a while.
Last big one I saw was at J-Bay a few years ago when KFS was still hosting the event.
I did hear of them popping up in the ocean around the Reach and someone just said small ones were in the surf but expect them to be around 10-13 inches.

[StangLeader]

September 2005 was the last time I had them in any size and numbers. These tasty boys were on peanuts near Belford.



Hope they reappear

[NJ Dave]

FYI, If you do get into them and they are good size to keep they must be eaten fresh. DONT freeze them as they will turn to mush. Kind of like eating a rotten apple.
I sure hope they return.
Gut, gill and scale them. Salt, Pepper, garlic, fresh parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil and put them on the grill.
Wash down with a cold beer.

[FarrellX]

i feel the best way to find them when you know their in the area, but not sure where..is to chum and fish with grass shrimp. or drift sandworms.

[FishPedaller]

I caught this little guy 1 month after getting my first kayak in 2008. Caught on a tube and worm. I vacuum sealed some of him and ate him this year and was as delicious as the first piece I had back then.

[FishFood]

Originally Posted by NJ Dave

FYI, If you do get into them and they are good size to keep they must be eaten fresh. DONT freeze them as they will turn to mush. Kind of like eating a rotten apple.
I sure hope they return.
Gut, gill and scale them. Salt, Pepper, garlic, fresh parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil and put them on the grill.
Wash down with a cold beer.

Yep, you're reading my mind... That's how I do them too. And I wouldn't freeze them either...they're a bit mushy to begin with for my liking.