What a difference a week makes!
The buzz on the docks in the southern NJ region this past week was all about the almost epic yellowfin bite that has been going on out on the flats between the Spencer and Wilmington Canyons. Mixed in with a very manageable 30- to 60-poundclass of fish are roving schools of bigeye that can dump a reel in about as much time as it has taken you to read this far. These fish are real bruisers with reports ranging from about 150 up to 350 pounds. Battles going three hours and longer and big offshore reels down to the very last of their backing are all part of landing these torpedos. No question they are fish of a lifetime, and they are there now.
I had one of those “why didn’t I bring the camera” days this past Sunday with these monsters rolling on the surface for almost a half of an hour and categorically refusing everything we threw at, or trolled through them. Frustrating does not begin to describe it. Simply using the word “exciting” does not approach the thrill of seeing it either.
Aptly referred to as “wolf packs”, these bigeye will emerge from the depths in schools and attach a trolling spread with such total violence and sheer power that all of the gear rarely survives. We have seen them literally crush every single lure and spreader bar part that is in the water and then even blast the retracted teasers that are barely touching the water from the outriggers. We took a 150-pound eyeball this past week, a moderately sized one by comparison, that cost us 3 spreader bars and three bally rigs. Seven fish of varying sizes on, only one to the boat. Not what you call a great average for above average anglers, but still not a surprise when you are dealing with bigeye.
Is your blood pumping yet? Now you can find out what is happening in your neighborhood. Let’s roll from the guys in the northern part of our network down to Cape May starting with Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant.
Word of the yellowfin bite in the southern canyons is hot in Ron’s shop, but here has plenty to add in the tuna department. The mid-range grounds have been giving up schoolie sized bluefin with anglers picking them up on the troll out near the Atlantic Princess. Makos were taken close to Little Italy and the Sea Girt Reef has been giving up nice sized fluke and lots of sea bass. Surf guys are having it a little tougher with not much more than some hickory shad and taylor blues around. Looks like a good portion of that big body of stripers has pushed further north.
Rich at the Jersey Hooker (I just love the name of that shop!) in Brick has been seeing a big bump up in fluke action up the Manasquan River. Those new Uncle Josh Meat Baits seem to be a big part of the winning equation. Out front the fluking seems to be stronger from Long Branch and North but the Sea Bass action is just dynamite. A couple real nice Threshers were taken about 20 miles off with makos further out in the 35 to 65 range. Still good action on the toothy beasts though. Bluefin action is still all on the troll, with few guys even seeing a good enough concentration to start the jigging. If you want to fill a bushel basket of blue claws fast, take the kids up Beaver Dam creek.
Mike from Reel Life Bait & Tackle in Point Pleasant was dialed into the news from this year’s Mako Mania that ran this past weekend. There were 22 makos weighed in on Saturday with the winner a 286 pound beast. On the “calmer” front the ocean fluking has been picking up in about 30’ of water off of Asbury and there are still plenty of bunker and blues to play with.
Big bass are getting harder to find but Capt. Lenny from Capt. Hippo’s Bait & Tackle has a win from regular customer Val N. She was fishing on her brothers boat the Dancer about a mile and a half off of Shark River and connected with a 25- and a 35-pound striper snagging and dragging bunker. Lenny’s cousin Chuck was in Mako Mania this past weekend and brought a fish to the scales. In the back there is good fluke action near the BB and BI. Oyster Creek area is giving up some nice fluke on squid and killie or spearing combos. There are still some blowfish around if you want to anchor up and chum for them and the crabbing has really been great. 6- to 6½-inch blue claws are making it to the pot in pretty good numbers.
Tom from Jersey Coast Bait & Tackle also reports good fluking in the Bay with lots of shorts to keep you busy and a few nice keepers to 23 inches mixed in. Killies and spearing on small bucktails seem to be the ticket. Ocean fluking has picked up as well with some bigger fish now showing themselves in deeper water. Some small makos have been hooked up in close near Sea Girt Reef and Manasquan Ridge. Weird win of the week was a 6.2# fluke taken by Ed Davis of Toms River. He caught it on a hot dog strip. Wonder if it was all beef? Bluefin are still at the AP and inshore on the edges but nothing of real size. Sea bassing seems to have slowed just a bit.
Scott at Dock Outfitters is also focused in on the pickup in the keeper fluke bite. The Shrewsbury Rocks area seems to be pretty hot as well as the BB south to the inlet. There are lots of cocktail blues around to play with if you feel like popping or tossing small metals.
Best part of my day so far was talking to Julie at Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawken. It is so much more fun than when Andy or Matt answer the phone. Julie has been catching keepers up in the Oyster Creek and Double Creek areas on fresh spearing and on minnows on a jig head with a trailer hook. Other hot target areas are south towards the Middle Grounds. The 136 to 139 area seems to be going strong with the bay out-fishing the nearshore and further offshore areas.
Moving further down the road to Absecon bay Sportsmans Center, our friend Dave is always full of great info on the area. Right now it is all flukin’ all the time with this weekend being truly fantastic, if you were willing to fish around the storms. A good body of fish has moved in to the inlet and nearby back bay on both sides of the Brigantine Bridge. Dave’s cleaning table was busy all weekend with most guys at least catching dinner. He had a charter himself on Friday with the Dave Morris crew and the morning was really kind of slow with only three keepers from 7a-noon. Then they got ahead of the top of the tide and in one hour it lit up. They put 11 more keepers in the box! Underline “top of the tide”, in your planner.
Even thought the fluking has totally taken an upturn, it was all offshore for Team Tackle Direct this past week with two strong runs to the southern canyons. There is plenty of yellowfin to go around after one trip that dropped 12 up to 60 pounds in the box. Rainbow spreader bars were bringing them up and bright jet heads and chuggers with ballys were knocking them down. Sunday’s trip, noted in the opening of this week’s report, was nothing short of mind blowing. We also made a move off the tuna on Sunday to make a little dent in the tilefish population. Put a dozen up to 35# in the box next to those beautiful tuna.
Fin-atics in Oceans City has seen some good catches of kingies off the beaches but the striper bite has most definitely slowed down according to Jake at the shop. The reefs and wrecks are beginning to give up some nice fluke and some sea bass and some of their offshore boats are confirming the yellowfin bite out at the canyons. There are still some nice fluke in the bay as well with some small bluefish to play with if you want to break out the light tackle.
Two Chums down in Sea Isle has the fluke bite pretty well dialed in with the back bay still producing, but the throwback ratio going way up. There were some real nice keepers taken from the T.I. shoreline on both sides of the bridge and the crabbing in the back seems to have bounced back again. A few stripers reported but mostly taken on clam baits.
News from Off the Hook at Hinch’s Marina in Cape May is literally … off the hook! With a big offshore contingent of boats working out of there, the reports for the canyons this past week have been very strong. Lots of Blue Marlin and yellowfin reported from the Wilmington up and through the Spencer with a few whites mixed in for good measure. Good news also for the bluefin crews as it appears that the chunk bite is beginning to develop at Massey’s, the Hotdog & in tight to the Elephant Trunk. Wildwood and Cape May reefs are giving up keeper fluke but there are lots of throwbacks mixed in. The Old Grounds is also starting to move in to it’s summer pattern, which is real good news for guys that like to catch big fluke, and lose lots of rigs.
WOW! That’s one pile of news you can use!
Best bet for the upcoming weekend is to keep a close eye on the short term weather forecast. As of right now (mid-week) it looks like there is no shot whatsoever of getting out to the canyons with 4- to 7-foot seas and gusty winds keeping the most attractive spots out of reach. Inshore is looking way more manageable so I’d have to say at this point an inshore troll or working the wrecks and reefs is your best bet. The back bay is still an option, but my choice is the ocean.
Glad you decided to dial up On The Water for your weekend fishing forecast…. Stay Tuna-ed!
xxx
Wow, hold it out a little further!