Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
The elements have not been kind. Blistering, record heat, followed by a deluge, and then a hard northeast wind all made for a week of tough fishing.
The heat was so intense that rail bridges in Belmar and Manasquan were kept closed for safety reasons and party boats were stuck at the dock for part of the weekend. Heavy rain on Monday caused widespread flooding and muddied the rivers and bays, while the heavy northeast wind on Tuesday cancelled most fishing plans.
Hopefully, that’s all behind us.
Fluking is definitely on the upswing. Party boats that sailed before Armageddon hit reported more keepers caught. Shorts still dominate the action, but the ratio is getting better.
Tuna fishing was red hot before the rain and wind, and it will probably be a day or so before things calm down enough to get a reading on the bite. Bluefin were close, and yellowfin were in the southern canyons and out at the Hudson.
Stripers and fluke are in the wash, small blues are everywhere, and crabbing remains excellent.
It appears Mother Nature is finally giving us a break — maybe.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Paramus said the consensus is that the northeast wind will bring warmer water and better fishing. He’s had no solid reports due to the weather and all the traffic created in Raritan Bay by the Tall Ships. He did hear of good fluking at the Rattlesnake and the Axel Carlson Reef, and solid bluefin action at Barnegat Ridge and the Klondike. The heat put a damper on freshwater fishing, but smallmouth are biting in the Delaware River.
Gary Carr at Keyport Bait and Tackle said the party boats out of there were doing fairly well with fluke, although the shorts outnumber keepers by about 10 to 1. He believes the warmer water that’s arrived with the wind will help the fishing. Crabbing is good around Keyport, and there are still tons of spot around. Carr added that the shop is loaded with tuna gear as that fishery gathers steam.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said that between the heat, the holiday, and all the activity in Raritan Bay, there wasn’t much fishing going on. He had reports of keeper fluke caught on rough bottom with better fishing on the New York side of the bay. There are triggerfish around the beach jetties and lots of short fluke in the wash.
Capt. Harry Browne of Muscles Magoo Charters out of Atlantic Highlands spent his holiday among the Tall Ships, and he said the spectacle was simply amazing. He’ll be fluke fishing in the ocean and bay and has some open dates. Check his website for details.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said there are still loads of spot and croakers around Raritan Bay. The Atlantic Highlands Harbor, he said, is packed with pods of giant spearing, 6- to 8-inches long, that are attracting small blues and fluke. Resident bass are still biting in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. He also reported snappers along the Leonardo waterfront.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the ocean was unfishable on Tuesday, but before that, there was plenty of fluke action. Mostly shorts, he added, but a keeper came ashore now and then. He hadn’t heard anything about fluke in the rivers, but did say stripers are still there. Pinto said that Giglio’s now carries a new line of custom hats.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the tuna fishing was excellent before the wind came up and he expects it to bounce back quickly once the ocean calms down. Gleason said there’s a surface bite and fish on jigs. The bluefin are in the perfect 40- to 50-inch range, big enough to take line but won’t break your back. Hogy Pro Tails have been a popular choice at the mid-shore spots, and he said they just had a big restocking of them at the shop. Gleason added that he was at his local beach over the holiday weekend and saw plenty of stripers cruising the trough, rooting around for sand bugs and crabs.
There are still plenty of stripers in the surf in Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach, eating sand crabs. I got an Independence Day striper, and a friend of mine got three up to 33 inches. A 20-inch fluke also ate my bugs.
The Big Mohawk out of Belmar sailed on Wednesday after dealing with bridge and weather issues over the weekend. It wasn’t an easy day of fishing with a strong current and some bumpy seas, but the boat managed to find some keepers with a 5.2- pounder taking the pool.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported an outstanding day of bluefishing on Wednesday with non-stop action throughout the trip. Most of the fish ranged from 1- to 4-pounds. Plain and tailed 3-ounce diamond jigs were the ticket. Capt. Falcone said they enjoyed nice, long drifts that produced plenty of action. The blues, he said, were feeding on large schools of sand eels. There were also some chub mackerel in the mix.
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Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said he spent the holiday working as part of Operation Sail in Raritan Bay. He’ll be out fluking again on Thursday.
Stanley Gola at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the fluke fishing in the ocean is just okay, adding that we’re still weeks behind where we should be fishing-wise due to the exceptionally cold winter. Stripers are still biting in the Manasquan River at night on plugs and plastics. Tuna fishing was excellent before the blow, and it should pick up right where it left off, he added.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant said there are loads of short fluke in the Manasquan River with an occasional 20-inch fish hooked. Triggerfish are in the river as well and at the Manasquan Inlet. Ocean fluking is definitely getting better at the Sea Girt Reef, the Rattlesnake, and off Deal and Elberon. Tangen added that when it comes to reports, it depends on whom you talk to, with some anglers always doing better than others. The star of the current fishing show, Tangen said, is tuna. Bluefin are at the Resor, Glory Hole, Chicken Canyon and Klondike. Folks are getting them on the troll and running and gunning using Hogy Pro Tails and NLBNs. Jigs are working as well, but Tangen said sharks have been a slight problem, taking a swipe at them. Yellowfin are being caught in the Spencer and Toms canyons and out in the Hudson. Tangen also had his first reports of mahi-mahi on the pots.
Capt. Tom Wolfe on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said the fishing has started to pick up and he’s finding bigger fluke. He reported decent catches of fish in the 5-pound range. Gulp and spearing have been a good combination as there are tons of sand eels around. Capt. Wolfe is also sailing for bluefish on Friday and Saturday nights.
Brian Flanagan at Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said the fluke fishing on the local wrecks and reefs is definitely on the upswing with more keepers among the many shorts. There are also fluke at the Manasquan Inlet hitting killies, Gulp and spearing. There are bluefin at the Klondike and yellowfin in the Hudson and Toms canyons, he said. What Flanagan was really excited about was how good the clamming is around Sedge Island in Barnegat Bay.
Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach said the quality of the fishing depends on what you’re targeting. He said if you’re fluking, there’s a lot of action, but a lot of throwbacks. If you’re after ling, it’s pretty good with lots of fish to take home. The Mimi VI sails open-boat, bottom-fish trips daily. Check the website for details.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick said the offshore bite has been good with reports of bluefin at the Chicken Canyon, Atlantic Princess and Resor Wreck. Trolling, he said, has been working best, with some anglers having success on the jig. There are keeper and short fluke on the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs and reports of blues on the reefs as well.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the beach fluking has been okay, but you have to weed through a load of shorts. Stripers continue to hit clams in the surf as well. There are fluke in Barnegat Bay, too, he said, with live spot the best bait for them. Kupper also reported cownose rays back in the bay along with another surprise, 4- to 5-foot brown sharks. Peanut bunker are thick in the bay and crabbing, he added, is terrific.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the beach fluking slowed down a bit, but there were still some keepers caught along with all the shorts. Folks continue to pick up bass on clams, and there are a few small blues around. Hang on to your rods as cownose rays are now in the surf. The bay is holding lots of spot and croakers, and crabbing is very good.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The weekend weather is shaping up nicely. Fluke fishing on the boats and the beach is certainly improving regarding keeper fish. And there is plenty of short action to keep anglers busy.
Tuna fishing is on the rebound after Tuesday’s blow, with bluefin in mid-shore waters being caught on the troll, surface poppers and jigs.
Spot and croakers are in Raritan and Barnegat bays; snappers have arrived in the usual spots and crabbing is very good.