It’s been Porgy and Blackfish fest for most boats hitting the inshore reefs with a good majority of the fish being caught in the 35- to 45-foot depths. Blackfish to 11 pounds have been reported gobbling jigs fished on light-tackle. It is very important to fish the lightest jig possible when going for Blackfish and it also helps to use spinning gear as compared to conventional reels. The night bite is slowly picking up from Manasquan to Cape May on “bridge-based” Striped Bass. Bridges provide excellent structure and create shadow lines that offer feeding opportunities for nighttime patrolling fish. By casting and jigging soft plastics through these lines, hooked fish become inevitable as they pounce on the drifted offering. Most of the offshore reports have been pretty good on the Tuna and Mahi front, while the closer to shore trolling has anglers putting Albacore and Bonita on the deck.
Here is this week’s rundown:
The Golden Eagle out of Belmar has been getting into some decent Bluefish over the past few days. Bluefish in the 2- to 10-pound range have been taking jigs and bait and there are some Albacore and Bonita in the mix. Again, most of the fish have been caught on hammered jigs and quite a few anglers have caught their limit. The boat will continue to sail for Bluefish, Albacore, and Bonita.
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported the Manasquan River has been stuffed with Striped Bass in the range of 18 to 26 inches. Most of the fish have been caught on soft plastics (Fin-S fish, Zoom baits) and live eels. The key has been working the bridge structure in the hours between dusk and dawn. In addition to the Stripers, there has been some Bluefish in the 5- to 8-pound range hitting lures in the same location. The Point Pleasant Canal has been loaded with Blackfish and there has been a non-stop Porgy bite outside in 35 to 45 feet of water from Long Branch to Deal. The inshore lump bite has been good for Bonito and False Albacore from the Mud Hole to the Barnegat Ridge. There has even been a few Threshers and Mako’s chasing down the Albacore.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach had good Porgy fishing this week and a few Blackfish were also taken in the same areas. The Porgies have ranged in size, but there have been quite a few approaching “buffet plate” size. The boat will be bottom fishing every day for Porgies and Blackfish, while sailing every Friday and Saturday night for Bluefish starting at 7:30 p.m.
The Gambler in Point Pleasant reported good fishing and have already starting booking for their jumbo offshore Sea Bass trips. All the trips leave at 11 p.m. and return the following day at 5 p.m. Trips are priced at $225 per person, but reservations are mandatory to get on the trips.
Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported a slight uptick on the fishing as most anglers are starting to pick up small Striped Bass with the cooling water temperatures. Surf casters working plugs, SP Minnows, and small Darters are producing schoolie bass from the Island Beach State Park suds. Anglers willing to walk or kayak in the back have been picking at Weakfish along the sod banks on soft plastics.
Carolyn Ann III in Barnegat Light has been doing maintenance and re-doing the rod/reel setups for rest of the fall season. The boat will start sailing for the start of Sea Bass season on October 22nd.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported decent fishing from the Hudson to the Baltimore Canyon on Tuna and Mahi. Much closer to home had big Bluefish to 7 pounds feeding on chunks of fresh Bunker. Most of the area’s bridges had Striped Bass cooperating on soft plastics during the night shifts. There are some Weakfish around to 6 pounds, but they are mostly hitting live Peanut Bunker.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported some nice Blowfish action in Holgate and around Buoy #110. There have been numerous reports of snapper Bluefish throughout the Beach Haven Inlet. Small Weakfish and snapper Bluefish have also been reported around the Barnegat Inlet. False Albacore have been feeding on slim metals worked quickly through the water column. Quinn Rutan landed his first ever bluefish from the Barnegat Light surf which weighed 12 pounds and was caught on a Bunker chunk.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported warm ocean temperatures which have the Striped Bass biting at a snail’s pace. There are some Mullet moving around with snapper Bluefish on their fins. Anglers have been picking on keeper Blackfish with Green Crabs from the local jetties in Brigantine and Atlantic City. Striped Bass have been caught with most being hooked at night.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported similar conditions as last week with Bluefish from 2 to 5 pounds being caught in the inlet and back areas. There has been some schoolie Striped Bass caught at night from the area’s bridges and jetties. Corson’s and Townsend’s inlet have been pretty good on Bluefish and small Striped Bass. The offshore canyons have been giving up Mahi and Tuna on the Butterfish chunk.
The Wildwood and Cape May area saw pretty much the same fishing action as last week. The inshore reef scene had lots of action smaller Bluefish, Triggerfish, and Blackfish. There has been a good number of Bluefish in the Cape May Rips and on the South shoal off the 5 Fathom bank. In addition to the inshore areas, there are quite a few Triggerfish and Blackfish on most of the sea walls and rock-piles in the area. The rocks of the jetties have been producing some Striped Bass for anglers casting plugs. The past week has some decent action offshore with great numbers of Mahi, but only a few Tuna. There were a few White Marlin caught in the Baltimore Canyon and a few Swordfish. Anglers dropping down gear have been hooking up on Tilefish with good numbers making it in the box.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend seems to be for anglers fishing close to home as the marine weather does not look too promising. Boats heading offshore may have to wait till at least Sunday due to the heavy East winds and high seas. If you do plan on fishing, I would recommend grabbing a bag of Green Crabs to have a blast catching Blackfish off the jetties and Seawalls. Asian Shore Crabs are another great bait that can be easily caught along most of our inlet jetties. An old fish carcass or whole Bunker can be soaked in between the rocks and will usually produce quite a few different species of crabs. If your more into catching fish with stripes, then the area bridges fishing during the night tides will be your best bet. Striped Bass will gulp down pink and white soft plastics or live-lined Peanut Bunker will do the trick. Don’t get discouraged if they are “popping” on bait and you can’t find a hit. I recommend to changing retrieves or baits to find the right combination. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!
I caught 5 keeper Seabass at the reef on my boat “Tall Boy” last weekend, they tasted great! Perfect with a cold Budweiser.
Your the kind of person that kills fishing for everyone else . Sea Bass is closed until October 22nd you idiot.