Bad weather made it tough on New Jersey fishermen this week. Rough water and high winds kept a lot of fishermen at the dock. But some anglers did manage to get out, and it looks like we have the beginnings of a promising fall run—at least in regards to the amount of baitfish around.
Atlantic Highlands
The Sea Tiger II had a decent pick of fluke this week, taking fish to 6 pounds on Wednesday morning. The numbers have been lower, but many of the fluke being caught are good size. On Sunday, fishermen on the Sea Tiger decked fluke of 8 ½, 6 ½, and 5 ¼ pounds.
Bayonne
A few stripers are showing up in the Bayonne surf according to a report from True World Bait and Tackle. There have been many short fish, as well as a few keepers. Bunker is the bait of choice.
Along with the bass, a few cocktail bluefish are hitting the surf as well.
Belmar
The fluke fishing is winding down according to Pete of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing. Fortunately, there are plenty of albies, bonito and bluefish to catch, so once fluke season closes on Saturday, Pete will be chasing these hard-fightig fish.
The Skylarker has been into big bluefish—12- to 15-pounders—on chunks and jigs. There have been good numbers, and on most days, everyone aboard the boat is hooking up with the blues.
With fluke closing, the Skylarker will be shifting gears to target other bottomfish such as porgies and triggerfish.
Captain Hank of The Golden Eagle said the bluefishing is very good with 8- to 12-pound fish being caught in numbers.
Aboard the Nan Sea J, the fluke fishing has been winding down, but they have had no problem chunking and jigging up 12- to 14-pound bluefish about 14 miles offshore.
The Suzie Girl is in on the good bluefish bite as well. When the weather was more favorable for fluking, fish to 7 pounds were caught aboard the Suzie Girl.
Ron of the Capt. Cal II is sad to see the fluke fishing end, but very pleased with the season over all, saying he had lots of great days. The top three fish landed aboard the Captain Cal II all topped 10 pounds this year. With the fluke fishing over on Saturday, Ron with shift gears and hit the wrecks for a mixed bag of porgies, blackfish, triggerfish and ling. Sea bass, although plentiful right now, are off limits until October.
Bradley Beach
Bad weather has made for slow fishing reported the crew at The Bait Shop. Some fluke were being caught in Shark River and on the beach before the water was churned up by the Northeast blow. The striper fishing has been spotty with just a few short fish being caught, but as more fish move south, expect that fishing to pick up quickly. When it does, the Bait Shop has a good supply of fresh mullet and peanut bunker. One encouraging sign is that the fluke being caught from the beach have been stuffed with sand eels. A large number of sand eels in the surf bodes well for a great fall run.
Brielle
Dave at The Reel Seat said when the wind isn’t blowing the offshore fishing is still good. Yellowfin, bigeye and longfin are all biting well in the canyons. Chunking and jigging is producing well.
There have been a few bass in the surf, Dave said, and a lot of 2- to 3-pound blues. The blues are hitting mullet and small metal lures. With mullet running the beaches right now, using the real deal will give you an edge.
Next Thursday, October Second, The Reel Seat will have a seminar by Roy Leyva who will talk about the new Shimano Long Cast Surf System and offer some pointers for anyone looking to make a striper road trip to the Cape Cod Canal.
Hazlet
According to Phil at The Tackle Box, the Raritan Bay boys are going to hate seeing the fluke season end, as the fishing is still good. This week, two 13-pound-plus doormats were taken. One came from Sandy Hook Channel on a Berkley Gulp teaser rig. The other came out of Ambrose Channel on an 8-ounce Bucktail tipped with a Gulp Grub.
Phil reports that there have been many blues in the surf on mullet and even some false albacore. Stripers are starting to show up in the channels, and fishermen using worms or eels have been hooking up. At night, striper fishing under the bridges in the river is producing.
Keyport
Keyport Marine Basin has also been checking in a lot of big fluke lately, including a 7-pounder caught out near the sailboats.
Lawrence
Bunker and clams are producing keeper bass reported Tackle US. Cocktail blues have also been providing fast action for shore fishermen.
Sea Bright
Albies hit the Sea Bright beaches reported the crew at Giglio’s, and a number of surf fishermen hooked up. There is a lot of bait in the surf, including snapper blues, mullet, peanut bunker and rain bait.
In the rough water, clams have been producing good catches of bass. So far all of the bass reported to Giglio’s have been short, but the keepers should show up any day now.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The last day of fluke fishing is Saturday. The fluke fishing has been winding down in the Ocean according to most reports, so if you want to finish your fluke season strong, head to Raritan Bay.
I hesitate to list the albie beach bite as a best bet. These fish move quickly and are wildly unpredictable, but hooking one from the beach is an experience you will never forget. If you do head to Sandy Hook and Sea Bright to look for albies, have a back up plan. Dunking clams could save the day by providing action with schoolie stripers and maybe even a keeper.