South Jersey Sheepshead?

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. That is exactly how it feels out there! At least, that’s how it seems to this writer. Ocean temps are at or nearing summer highs but I have seen them dip as much as 10 degrees for short periods, depending on conditions. Freshwater sources are in the red zone. Rainfall, with the exception of brief thunder boomers, has been negligible over the last month in South Jersey. Finding deep, cool water is as much of a challenge as hooking fish of late. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the fishing has been poor. In fact, if you put the effort in, it has been as good as it gets for the dog days of summer. Bait species seem to be blossoming in this heat and humidity. Spot are as far up the coast as I can ever recall, all you need is some is a cast net or Sabiki rig and you can fill your live pens to the brim. Peanut bunker is so thick in the back bays at dusk; you can seemingly walk across them without getting your feet wet. But there is a downside. With so much bait in the water, your presentation has to be flexible to find the right attractant to nail your target. That’s where we at OTW come in. We provide the scouting report and you provide the effort. It’s a match made in heaven.

With the dog days of summer upon us, there is no better place to cool off than on the water. If you are around Sea Isle City and don’t have access to a boat, then head on over to a place that can put you in a rental boat. My recommendation is Two Chums Bait and Tackle. From boats to bait to tackle and rigs, these guys can do it all. I had the opportunity to chat with Bill at the shop this week and he informed me that there are nice spot in both the beaches and back bay, available for the cost of a sabiki rig or a cast net.  Flounder fishing in the back is good but the keeper to throwback ratio has gone up as it is prone to do this time of year. The OC reef has been the hot spot out front. Stripers are still around, but harder to catch. Young CJ Morati came into the shop after fishing with Captain Dippy showing off a fat 28-inch linesider. Crabbing behind Sea Isle has been nothing short of fantastic.

Since he is right around the corner, I like to stop in and chat with Captain Dave Showell of Absecon Bay Sportsmen Center to get a full picture of activity around Brigantine and Absecon Islands.  I wish I had my camera when I got there today.  Dave had just pulled in after his daily spot roundup on the beaches. The tank on his ruck was teeming with at least 500 of these striper and fluke candy. The size seems to be getting bigger as well. Captain Showell is the bait king of the south! As far as the fishing goes, you name it, it is out there. Several nice sheepshead have been caught around the Brigantine bridge. Triggerfish are all over the place. Crabbing has been great. Flounder fishing in the back has been decent, better out front off the convention center. Dave also suggested anchoring up for some northern kingfish, especially in the holes around the Coast Guard station if you are looking for some ebb tide action. You should wind up with some spot at the same time, armed for fluking at the turn of the tide. He also asked me to remind everyone that tog is open and is ready and waiting with the bait of your choice, be it crab or clam, to assist you in your efforts.  And if it’s Berkely Gulp you are looking for, you need to stop in this shop. If he does not carry it, it does not exist.

If a well-stocked tackle shop with long hours and helpful staff is high on your list of priorities in central New Jersey, then you absolutely must visit Reel Life Bait and Tackle in Point Pleasant. In fact, most weekends, they are open to mid night with long hours during the week as well. I spoke with mike today to get the low down up there. To stay on the bait theme, I asked him  if they had any spot up his way.  Manahawkin Bridge was about as far north so far but then again, the summer is still early. Considering spot native habitat rarely venture far north above the Delaware Bay, I would say that the odds are good they will move even farther north. Mike went on to tell me that the fluking has been strong out of Point Pleasant. It’s been especially good around the Sea Girt reef. Bait of choice is buck tails tipped with spearing, killies or squid. Gulp is producing as well. Sea bass fishing is good with anglers coming into the shop with 4 pound plus fluke and big knot heads to go along with the flatfish. The offshore crowd is heading to the southern canyons in search of blue fin tuna. Trolling or chunking butter fish are having the best success with fish in the 30 to 50 pound range being the norm. Some reports of white marlin have also filtered into the shop. Mike also asked me to remind you that crabbing has been great and there are plenty of snappers in the back if you are looking to switch it up a little.

Barnegat Inlet is one of the top spots in the state to drop a line in the water. Plenty of options available, from back bay fluking to casting from the sand in Island Beach State Park. And when you get over the causeway on Rte. 35, the first (and best) shop you will see is The Dock Outfitters. Some use the label “outfitter” lightly but not these guys. From bait to tackle to boat rentals, they carry it all. They even have a spot on their pier to accommodate your fishing or crabbing needs. According to the staff, the hot bite has been fluke off the beach and in the Manasquan river. Blues are out front chasing the pods of bunker but be careful, cow nosed rays are in the surf along with the occasional brown shark. If you have never hooked into a cow nose try imagining a 55-gallon drum filled with concrete and you are halfway there. The point I am trying to make is that these lunkers can be hell on your equipment so pack a good pair of clippers to keep your losses at a minimum. Sometimes it is better to just break them off then to snap a pole trying to land them. In other news, the crabbing, both off the pier and in the bay, has been nothing short of spectacular. The best bait is bunker.

When I contacted Jersey Hooker Outfitters in Brick today, let’s just say I wasn’t surprised to find out the Captain Rich Wilkowski wasn’t in the shop but out on the boat. The man is a fishing machine. And the fishing, according to Nick at the shop, has been generally good despite the hot weather. Brown Sharks in the surf along the coast. The head boats have been going deep to get at the bigger bluefish, all the way to the mud hole. In the rivers, the fluking has been good with spearing and minnows vying for top bait along with copper penny Berkley Gulps.  Snapper blues can be found almost everywhere as the latest hatches of peanut bunker have invaded most areas in the back. Small silver spoons will help you have plenty of action with 1 to 2 pound blue fish. Looking for some tamer action, then try using Fish Bytes along the bay and front beaches for some northern king fish.  When I asked Nick if anyone at the shop had come across any spot up there, he didn’t hear of any. So if you are looking to fill up your bait pens with these great baits, you will need to head further south.

There is some fun fishing available to those of you in the Toms River Area. At least that’s what Lenny at Captain Hippo’s Bait and Tackle told me today. There are tons of blowfish in the area. Anchor up between the BI and the BB Buoy with a chum bucket and you can have enough for a feast. The only exception is when the spot move into the area and force the blows out. There have also been some nice weakfish caught it the same area. Croakers are starting to show up in umbers as well. That’s good news. Lenny informed me that the fluking remains strong, especially in the Oyster Creek Channel. All the regular baits are productive but Gulp Swimming Mullets in Chartreuse are really making some reels spin. Sounds like a plan to me. Crabbing has been outstanding as well with many regulars coming in with their baskets full of blue claws up to 6 inches.

Ocean City considers itself the greatest family resort on the east coast. And I am sure that the great fishing in the area lends itself to that reputation. So when I spoke with John at Fin-Atics Marine Supply, I asked him to tell me why that is. Kingfish are all over the OC beaches and inlets this week. Head over to Corson’s Inlet, get some blood worms or Fish Bytes and fill up a cooler. Spot in the surf as a nice bonus, catch some and re-rig for flounder and you now have a plan. The fluking has been good in Great Egg Harbor inlet but better at the reefs. The OC, GE and AC reefs have all been good recently and spot have been the hot bait along with minnows and Gulp products.  Sea bassing has been a little slow but if you find the right structure, that can change real fast. Don’t forget the tautog has reopened but the creel limit is only one. Still, one nice slippery bass makes for a fine dining experience. John also let me know that the two new fishing piers on the 9^th street causeway are accessible from either side of the highway and those fishing there have nothing but positive comments. Some nice flounder have been caught there with the occasional weakfish thrown in for good measure. I personally plan to check them out as soon as I get a free minute. Rainbow and Ships Channels were always great for almost every species and I suspect these piers open up some new opportunities. If you get a chance, check them out and let me know how you do.

If you are in the LBI area, you just may want to sneak over the causeway to Tony’s Bait and Tackle in Manahawkin for your fishing supplies. My personal guarantee, you will not be disappointed. Always one of my favorite shops to visit, rarely do I walk out without some good advice and a piece of hard to find tackle. Anyway, this week I chatted with Matt at the store about local conditions. He was good enough to confirm the rumors I have been hearing about weakfish in the area. There have been some good days of late for fluke in double and oyster creek channels. But the real story is that there have been some nice signs of a weakfish revival in the same areas. Anglers targeting these single toothed sweethearts with bucktails tipped with shedder have been rewarded with catches of fish up to 22 inches. That is a very good sign and great to confirm. The reefs and the beaches have had some nice fluke as well. Spot all over the bay and inlets and kingfish are in many of the same areas. The crabbing in the back has been as good as it has been in recent years, maybe even a little better.

Team Tackle Direct led by the Gill boys is really making an impact on the local scene as well as the international internet market. Their new store in Egg Harbor Township carries some of the finest gear available and their staff is about as well versed on local fishing conditions as any in the area.  This week when I contacted the shop I was specifically looking for offshore information and I was not disappointed. For those who could get out, the bite has been somewhat inconsistent. Water gradients have been shifting and the fish have been moving with it. The Hot Dog had some fish in the 50-pound-class mostly yellowfin and there were reports of white marlin and mahi around the Baltimore Canyon. Trolling and or chunking has been the ticket. With all the spot around, make sure you load up before you head out. Nothing better for chunking tuna than fresh spot. Closer in, the locals had their best results at the Ocean City Reef for nice flounder. The beaches have been a little quiet unless you are looking for northern king fish. I was told the jetties on Absecon Island have been holding fish.  Bloodworms, Fish Bytes or even small bits of clam are you best bet for kings up to 15 inches. So don’t forget your rod if you are heading out for a day in the sun and sand.

I never did get a chance to talk to Mike Cunningham at Sea Isle Bait and Tackle but that is understandable because rumor has it he was awaiting a rush delivery. I did speak with his brother Tom who was filling in at the store and he told me that weather was keeping the big totals down of late but that the upcoming forecast for cooler winds should rectify all problems. Fluking has been tepid in the back bays, not bad but not great either. The snapper bluefish have been all over the back bay and inlets. Crabbing, like everywhere else this summer, has been nothing short of phenomenal. Best bets for land lubbers are off the areas lining the causeway into Sea Isle. Best baits, bunker. Kingfish around the north end are plentiful. Some striper action has been noted along the sod banks at first and last light. Not a bad list of alternatives, if you ask me. And hopefully Mike will get that delivery he has been waiting for and be back on the job next week. Passing out cigars no doubt!

In the farthest reaches of the state, Cape May, Jim’s Bait and Tackle is the “go to” place for info and gear. I received a message from Matt there this week saying that Delaware Reef 11 was still hot for fluke and sea bass and the big fish are still hanging around the deep waters of one of my favorite fishing spots, the Old Grounds. Croakers have moved into the upper Delaware Bay and beaches along with a good shot of northern Kings. Far out, reports have been a little sketchy as few ventured there due to the weather. There were reports of a marlin and big eye bite at Washington Canyon but I could not confirm this as fact. Matt did tell me that the crew of the Goldfish and a good day at the Hotdog, boating 12 nice yellow fin tuna. Good job.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The heat should break just in time for the weekend and any chances for rough weather will go down substantially if it does. With that in mind, the reefs should be good for some keeper flounder and sea bass. Trigger fish are all over the place, from the inlets to the reefs. Once you learn how to get through that tough skin, they are some pretty good eating. Several sheepshead have been caught inside and there may be more. If you are looking for a sure bet, I would set my sights on kingfish which can be had almost anywhere from LBI south. The heat has changed much of the back water holes but if you put in the effort there is plenty to do out there. Whichever option you choose please be safe out there. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.