Fluke Fishing Stays Hot
Each year, when Labor Day passes, my attention turns north and west. I look to the water temperatures way up north as an indicator of when the big migration will start. Likewise, I look west, into the deep back bays. When the bait starts to shift, I reserve my place on the beaches, anxiously awaiting those first mullet runs and the firing of the starter’s pistol. Yes, I know there is a multitude of summer fishing left to do but I enjoy the fall run like no other. With less than a month left in the fluke season, now is the time to load up your freezer for the lean months ahead. Blue Claw meat freezes as good as any seafood, so don’t ignore them or before you know it, they will dig in for the winter. And now is the time to load up on spot, the favorite candy of striped bass. Once they start to move south again you could be left out in the cold. Let’s see what else is going on in the northern reaches of the state.
If you haven’t caught a doormat fluke yet this year, there is still time. And from my vantage point, you can increase your odds of getting one by booking a trip with Captain Chris Hueth of the Big Mohawk in Belmar. They target fluke in a big way and from the pictures I have been getting all season, they certainly have the routine down. Check out Chris’s article in this month’s OTW. In it he reveals the tactics his passengers use to boat some of the biggest fluke taken this season.
If you can get past the new guard dog at Pride Fishing Bait and Tackle in Red Bank, you are sure to get the inside track on local fishing hot spots from Max and the gang there. Be forewarned, it may look less than intimidating but when it throws its whole ten pounds of fury at you, be prepared for a tussle of great white proportions. Max has been on the fish of late, coming in last weekend with a flags flying for 4 big eye tuna, 1 white and 1 blue marlin. Locally, fluking has been steadily increasing in the Navesink and even better around the Ambrose Chanel and Shrewsbury Rocks. Porgy and sea bass are making strong come backs as the deep waters are cooling a little faster than the back. Remember, Sea Bass closed on Sept 3rd in NJ and stays closed until September 23rd. Spot and peanut bunker in the river and inlets are making for some nice action on weakfish and snapper blue fish. And chasing the bait out front, especially around Sandy Hook are some nice pods of false albacore, not much for table fare but fun as all get out to catch.
Just a stone’s throw away from Raritan Bay in Keyport is the information capital for crabbing enthusiasts from all over the state. Crabbys Bait and Tackle owner Chris is absolutely obsessed with crabs. And with a season like the one we have experienced this year, I fear that obsession is growing. Crabbing is still the top game in town for Chris but the fluking seems to be getting a boost of late as the water temps start to level out. Big fish are coming out of the deep water holes in the flats but the doormats are still lying on the bottom of the ocean side. There are plenty of bluefish available and weakfish, most of which are small but the occasional keeper is chasing peanut bunker. Chris also let me know that the sea bass reef catch is definitely on the upswing on the reefs off of Sandy Hook. Remember, Sea Bass closed on Sept 3rd in NJ and stays closed until September 23rd. Crabby’s will keep their regular summer hour for several more months as the fall run starts to unfold.
At the top of the state, 46 Bait and Tackle, Jimmy pointed me toward the Lower Bay for action. Blues in the cocktail and snapper sizes are all over the place. Chasing schools of adult bunker as they filter feed. Fluking has been decent inside both lower and Raritan bay. Sandy hook will give you the chance to pick up some kingfish and blues off the beach. Striped bass activity up the river is picking up but most are small stripers in the 14 -24 inch range. Jimmy feels that will change quickly as the water start to cool off and the bait starts to migrate.
At Julians Bait and Tackle, Joe told me that while the weather this week hasn’t been prime, the fishing remains strong. Porgies and Sea bass at the reefs have been awakened and nice catches reported at the shop. Joe also told me the northern canyons have been alive with activity as well this week. George Conway and Captain Scott recently came in with several yellow fin and a couple of 150 class big eye tuna. Trolling spreads with ballyhoo put them in the fish. In closer, Joe tells me that the fluke are starting to come closer to the beaches, probably to take advantage of the huge schools of bait in the area. Peanut bunker and spot are displacing the water in the bays and inlets. Out front,. Adult bunker are forming up. Head boats are reporting nice trips at night for bigger blue fish up to 12 pounds regularly. Snapper blues are all over the place according to Joe. Crabbing in the area remains strong and will do so until the waters chill off a little according to Joe. And on the beaches, some anglers soaking clams in the surf are starting to pick up the first striped bass of the season. Not lunkers yet but bass action of any kind is good news.
Looking for the right charter boat in north jersey can be a daunting task if you have a group of over ten and don’t want to go the head boat route. Might I recommend contacting Captain Steve Spenelli and booking his 60’ custom boat, The Skylarker for your next trip. Able to comfortably accommodate up to 19 passengers, you won’t find a better fishing platform for your gang. When I spoke with the Captain this week, he told me that the bottom fishing has been great lately and should only get better. The West Milford Elks charter can confirm that with a good day on structure that led to several anglers getting their limit (Anthony Vitali) and fish up to 4.5 pounds (Rich Engler). The John Popvic party also did well with John’s son Jonathan winning the pool with a 4 pound fluke and a 3 pound sea bass. Captain Steve informed me that the fluke are definitely moving off the reefs and onto the sandy bottoms as the bait spreads out. He has also been doing real well with bluefish, up to 12 pounds on recent trips with a good mix of false albacore. If you like to fight fish inshore, those are the two species you want in your sights. The Captain plans on fishing right through the winter, so if you are thinking about chartering for ling of blackfish, get in touch with them soon as they fill up dates fast. Remember, Sea Bass closed on Sept 3rd in NJ and stays closed until September 23rd.
Dry weather conditions have made the fresh water scene in NJ challenging lately to say the least. Still plenty of trout around according to Tommy P, the resident fishing guru at The Sportsmens Center in Bordentown. But even in skinny water they can be had by using Gulp Alive rainbow maggots. In deeper lakes like Hopatcong, they are starting to jig walleye in water up to 40 feet. Tom has had reports of fish up to 8 pounds being taken using this method. He has also had report at the shop of anglers getting nice hybrid stripers, mostly on live herring baits. The same waters are showing signs of early Muskie action; Tom suggested throwing big baits along the marshy shorelines to get some of the top freshwater fights available. I also asked Tom if any specific lures were moving out of the fishing department and he told me the SS Rattle tails are moving so fast they can’t keep them in stock. One color that has been really locking up the fluke bite is the Sea Robin. Haven’t had the opportunity to try them out yet but they are now on my to- do list. Anyone out there a fan? Shoot me an e-mail and let me know what you think.
The gospel according to Chris at Better Bait and Tackle in Toms River is weakfish this week. Using sandworms is his recommendation for action. That’s not to say weakies are the only game in town, just the flavor of the week. Blowfish are still all over the place but especially near the power plant and in the lagoon. Farther up the river, white perch have been showing up in numbers if you can find the right hole. The BB to the BI buoys will give you a mixed bag of fish from weak fish to blues of the snapper size and blowfish. Fluking has been decent in that area as well but the throw back ratio is up higher. Crabbing according to Chris has slowed a bit in the well worked areas and he figures the full moon might play into that a bit as well. He suggested some less traveled paths like Oyster creek if you are desperate for nice blue claws. Once the weather breaks a bit, they should be around strong again. On the beaches, the fluke are doing good with mixed reports of bigger blue fish filtering in with pods of adult bunker. King fishing has remained strong with both artificial baits like Fish Bytes or better yet, small pieces of sand worms attracting the kingies. Better Bait and Tackle has all the fresh bait you need, including sand worms so stop in and check them out if you are in the Toms River area.
When the surf and seas are too tough to get any saltwater action, there are plenty of options in NJ. One can always fish the non-saline variety. And if you need some direction, stop in Harrys Army Navy in Robbinsville and ask for Chris. That is called getting off on the right foot. When I spoke with him this week, he told me that smallmouth bass are there for the picking in the Delaware, you just have to know where to look. Fishing structure close to the banks will give you the best results. Chris also recommended using slider heads or drop shots and Power Team Craw’Derves is the ticket to real success. Spruce run has been giving up some real nice pike and Groeffs lake Also has some bass action going on right now. Recent rains should fill the lakes up a bit and once it settles, should make for even better fishing. Chris also told me despite the recent weather, anglers targeting carp and big catfish have been knocking them dead on the Delaware as well. Stink baits and to some extent, the Gulp products have been the key lures.
The beaches in Long Branch have been under siege this week and according to Jack Montiero of Surf Side Bait and Tackle up there, the upcoming reports don’t look positive. Those willing to brave the high surf are still catching, but they are certainly earning their bones doing so. There have been some nice runs of false albacore and medium size blues in the suds, mostly attacking pods of menhaden trapped against the sand. Fluking has been better than in the hot days of weeks past but you need to catch more than a few before you get to keeper size fish. Spearing, Squid and Gulp baits are the best baits. Kingfish and spot are still in the mix but with rough surf, you need to find some calm to hook them up. And jack told me there have been some small stripers caught sporadically. Water temperatures around Long Branch are still in the mid 70’s but change is in the air.
When I spoke with Derek at the Reel Seat this week, he told me that the big eyes have resurfaced in the northern canyons, with top action coming out of the Hudson. There have also been nice catches of yellowfin tuna on the night chunk and these are the big yellows. Sixty- to eighty-pound class fish were raising flags all last weekend. White and Blue Marlin also were cause for celebration in most of the boats trolling them up. Ballyhoo spreads were working just fine. Inshore, fluking remains phenomenal. The Sea Girt Reef has been the big winner of late, but Derek was hesitant to make a prediction as to where they would be once the seas calm down. False albies and some Spanish mackerel have been picked up by anglers slow trolling the inshore lumps. Some chicken and peanut sized mahi have been spotted but the big boys are somewhat scarce inshore this year.
For some fishing from on top of the water is simply not enough. Some anglers need to get up close and personal with their quarry. Some use a spear, others a camera. But no matter how you want to pursue the fish of your choice, Captain Mick and his boat Ol Salty II can meet your requirements. With a full dive certified compliment of crewmen, they are ready to take you out for a day of diving in the Jersey waters. Or stay on top and send a line down to find you targets. Either way, this 62-foot custom fishing and dive boat is ready to accommodate your trip. When I chatted with the Captain this week, weather predictions were still up in the air as to availability this weekend. High seas make fishing from both above and below a challenge. He recommends giving a call before heading to any boat as to the fishing conditions. Better safe than sorry.
Best Bets for the Weekend.
Labor Day has come and gone and left us with a mess to clean up. Weather-wise it has been a terrible week for fishing and the weekend, at this time, does not look like it will improve substantially. Offshore storms are making it difficult for boats to get out front with seas as high as 8 feet in some areas. But there are still plenty of options available if you need to get some scales on your shoes. The back bays and rivers are teeming with bait fish and where there is smoke there is fire. Weakfish , while not the biggest kid on the block right now, can be found up and down the back tidal areas. To get at them, you will need to get past the spot and multitudes of small sea bass in the area. Bait thieves all of them. Kingfish are also going strong and make for some great fun and good eating. Or go out and catch some snapper blues. Kevin Blinkoff has a great article on catching them in this month’s OTW magazine, complete with some great cooking instructions. And crabbing is always an option. With the moon down they should be in full bloom. What I am thinking about doing is loading up the bait pen with spot while I have the chance. Known locally as striper candy, I have a hunch their stay will be ending soon and I would like to put some up for the fall run. Whatever you do, stay safe out there. The waters are extremely rough right now and in my opinion, not worth taking chances on. There is plenty of good fishing left in the season no need to force it. You only get so many days in the game, make them all count. See you on the incoming.