Over the years, I have always strived to provide the best fishing reports available so as to give the reader the best odds of finding their prey of choice. Saturday, was opening day for summer flounder, and as such, I decided to brave the elements to scout them up for the loyal followers of On the Water Magazine’s Forecast. Sunny and 60 may sound like a pre-retirement description for some but for me, it is perfect fishing weather. Of course, so is windy and fifty. We had wind against tide along most of the coast and gnats from hell when the wind ebbed. But all in all, it was a great day to be on the water again, after a long, long winter. The bite was slow, but if you found the right flats, you had some action. And ultimately it’s the action that motivates our love of the sport.
We checked in with the folks at Sterling Harbor, on Rio Grande Ave in Upper Township. Flounder are definitely here, but somewhat picky in regard to leaving the shallows and onto your dinner table. Minnows and cut baits will give you the best opportunity for a keeper but the outgoing tide seems to be best according to the staff at Sterling Harbor. Maurice Howell boated a 5.75-pound flattie taken on a Gulp Jerk Shad for the big fish of the opening day. And Mike Bascome landed a 5.1-pound flounder on cut spearing. In other venues, drums are starting to beat a path to the Delaware Bay for their annual right of passage. The next moon should find them hot and heavy in their regular haunts. Fresh clam will help you land the big ones and Sterling Harbor has them ready for your next trip.
There’s a new sheriff in town over in Sea Isle City. The bait and tackle shop once known as Gibson’s on Park Avenue is under new ownership, and will now be formally doing business as “Sea Isle Bait and Tackle.” Owner Mike Cunningham, has assured me that he and his staff are second to none when it comes to the up to the minute “hot spots” in and around Sea Isle City and the surrounding area. Jim Sadusky of West Chester, Pennsylvania brought in a 42.5 inch striped bass over the weekend and little Kaylee Davis weighed in a 5-pound flatfish on opening fluke day from the flats in the back bay. According to Mike, clams have been the hot bait for stripers and live minnows are the “go-to” for summer flounder. Sea Isle B&T has plenty of both so be sure to load up before your next adventure down there. And tell them the team from On the Water sent you to welcome them to the neighborhood.
Finding an open tackle shop has, over the years, become harder and harder to do for insomniacs and night fishing degenerates everywhere. Not so, if you are within striking distance of 24-7 Bait and Tackle in Egg Harbor Township. Close enough to Atlantic City and Ocean City, they never close! Not only that, they will deliver bait (larger orders only) to you if you are in the area. No need to run to your local supermarket at 9 p.m. looking for some substitute bait for those all night beach sessions. 24-7 is open and always has all the fresh bait to meet your needs. Adam, one of the owners, informed me that the water temps are actually starting to reach optimal ranges and fluking has started to get better after a slow start on opening weekend. The striper catch has been the real winner this week, with Steve Z. weighing in several on Sunday, the biggest, a 42 incher caught on fresh clam. Way to go Steve.
I always make it a point to swing by Tony’s Tackle on East Bay Ave in Manahawkin. The way I see it, any tackle shop that has been in business for over 80 years must have the inside track on everything happening in LBI. While the fluking does not seem to have turned on yet, blowfish are still being chummed up in the bay. Blue claw crabs also seem to be digging out of the mud of the Beach Haven West lagoons. That is certainly great news. Barnegat Inlet has been producing some nice catches of bluefish on the incoming tides. The gang at Tony’s also let me know that striper action has been pretty consistent for the past couple of weeks. For those on the boats, trolling bunker spoons, jigging and live-lining the more than ample supply of bunker around the island have been the best producers if fish. The black drum bite has all but shut down and the fluking has been spotty at best. Anglers with their feet in the sand have had good success using fresh “surf turkeys” as supported by the 27-pounder taken by Darrin Stout using some of Tony’s locally famous fresh clams.
The farther north you move up the coast, the cooler the water remains judging from the report I received from Paul at Grumpy’s in Seaside Park. Water temperatures have dictated the targets and bass remains the hot bite with 54 degrees being the average. Chris LaGrossa weighed in a 41.3 pound linesider that he took on live bunker snagged off the beach and Dom Battigliero, a Grumpy’s regular, landed 35-inch beauty on a swimming plug. There have been reports that the racer bluefish are around from Lavallete up and fluke have been taken in the Point Pleasant Canal on a limited basis. Paul recommends stopping by the shop on Central Ave. to get the most up-to-the-minute fishing hot spot, and while you are there load up on some of the freshest bait in the county.
Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright is a “must visit” for anyone who likes to surf fish in North Jersey. From the novice (they offer private lessons) to the expert, it stocks one of the finest arsenals of surf fishing you are ever going to find. Tony Grabowski, one of the resident experts at Gigiolo’s informed that the striper activity has definitely been on the upswing for the past several weeks and stepped it up a notch when bunker showed up in numbers. From Asbury through Monmouth Beach, anglers have been throwing plugs into the bunkers schools along the beaches and have been rewarded with stripers up to 30 pounds. Brian Biendenger weighed in a 28-pound striper taken on a swimming lure. Another Local, known only as Igor, brought in a 36-inch linesider taken in a similar manner. It certainly is good to hear fish being taken on artificials, a sure sign that the waters are reaching peak temperatures.
Best Bets for the Weekend
If you’re looking for serious striper action, we recommend you head north. Throw plugs or live or cut bait around the bunker schools. Summer flounder are all the talk south of Mystic Island. Don’t forget the Gulp and focus on back bays for the most consistent action. Mark your target, set a course and you should be rewarded for your efforts. Get ready, get set, GO FISH!