There is a huge Gulf Stream finger moving up the Atlantic Coast’s 100-fathom line from Cape Hatteras all the way to Hudson Canyon. Such a major finger of hot, tropical water will affect spring weather. Such warm water provides a temperature break of more than 30 degrees. Huge temperature breaks always provides good tuna fishing.

The first calm day was April 10, and several boats from NJ, MD and NY took a look. They all caught one bluefin tuna. A Beach Haven boat weighed in a 76.5-pound bluefin. This is the earliest anyone can remember a bluefin tuna being landed in NJ.

Normally eddies from the Gulf Stream are modest in size from 5 to 50 miles in diameter. They always form offshore of Nantucket and move down the 100-fathom edge to Cape Hatteras, where they are reabsorbed into the main stem of the Gulf Stream. But this Gulf Stream finger is something totally new. Will it stay around? It will surely change the migration of HMS fish species if it stays.

The JCAA's newsletter also reported this about Jersey's bays this spring:

The local bays have experienced a major warm up. Reported temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees are normal. These are record warm numbers for our bays at this time of year. Most shore boat yards are not yet busy.

There have been good reports of stripers in the surf a few weeks back, but recent storms seem to have moved them. Other fishing seems to be yet to develop, but such warmth will cause fish species to show up earlier than normal.

Editor's Note: Although that news says the warm waters will cause migrating fish to show up earlier than usual, many people believe that the time of year or factors like the angle of the sun in the sky and length of days play a more important role. Still, the warm waters can certainly affect fishing, and that's interesting.

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