Weakfish Action Stays Strong
Sometimes with bad news, it is easier to get it out at the beginning, like pulling the Band-Aid off all at once instead of a little at time. Well here it is. As of Friday, September 28 at 11:59:59, flounder season within NJ waters will officially close for the year. Be aware that this is the original closing day, but it looks like they extended it a day if you look at their web site. I spoke with someone high enough up the ladder at DEP and confirmed that the original date stands. So let me repeat it. SUMMER FLOUNDER SEASON OFFICIALLY CLOSES THIS FRIDAY! Yes we still have many other species to target and look forward to, but somehow, the closing of the fluke season, has always been a depressing reality to me. There is a bright side to the story, especially if its big fish you are hunting. The offshore bite is still going strong and the striped bass fall run is casually moving to the starting gate. I might suggest you use this lull in the action to make sure your gear is up to snuff and ready for the action yet to come. Don’t forget the clothing and your ride. The leaves are turning brown and that cool crisp night air will soon follow you into the sunlight. In my book, it’s always better to be fishing when the bite is hot as opposed to searching for that pair of gloves or insulated bibs. Don’t waste a minute. The “cabin fever” days of winter are just around the corner and you want to get in all the action you can now before the freeze sets in.
A big thank you to Mike Cunningham of Sea Isle Bait and Tackle for steering me to the recently adjusted NJDEP rules on fishing dates. An extra day of flounder is a good thing even if it is only a day. These rule makers need to get their act together. It’s ok to change seasons, just let us know. In Sea Isle, there are blues everywhere you look. From snappers and tailors in the back to bigger fish in the inlets and off the beaches. Mike tells me only the strongest of souls and of course the local head boats have been heading out front due to the big swells again this week. Sea Bass fishing has been good, but the flounder catch has been a little bit of a struggle. The flatties have moved off the reefs and are scouring the sand flats for their meals. So you may want to adjust your tactics as well. There are still some weakfish in the back according to Mike. Pink finesse and a leadhead jig could hook you up. Some anglers are reporting weaks up to 4 pounds on small mullet rigs as well. Night pluggers, under the lights have been getting some nice stripers, with fish up to 34 inches being reported. And the rocks at Townsends Inlet have been giving up some nice tog of late. Green crab is the bait of choice and Sea Isle has plenty on hand to assist you. Mullet are starting to migrate from back to front and spot are still around but not in the numbers of a few weeks ago.
As the fall run heats up, I look to LBI as a prime indicator of pending activity further south. For the last few years, the bait seems to stop there for a rest and as such, it was one of the hottest areas in the state. Val at Oceanside Bait and Tackle in Brighton Beach is one of my top scouts in the area. When I spoke to her at the shop this week, she had the blues on her mind. They are stacked up everywhere you look, up to 6 pounds. The bait slingers are using mullet to attract them and just about everything else which imitates a mullet will work. That’s because the mullet run is in full on mode. Fluke is better inshore, but weather conditions have been far from optimal with big swells and a rough inlet or two. In the back, you can still get blowfish or weakfish. Stripers are mainly still in the back, but cooling water temperatures could hasten their move as well according to Val. Crabbing should be good for another three weeks or so.
Toms River is always a great place to wet a line in the fall. And when I am in the area, I make it a point to visit the gang at Captain Hippo’s Bait and Tackle for a local low down. I chatted with Sandy at the shop for a while this week to get the skinny on local hot spots. White perch have been turning on in the river this week with anglers reporting nice catches using worm pieces and or spearing. The fish seem to be running deep so let your bait get all the way down according to Sandy. Blowfish are still puffing their chests out at the BB Buoy. Sandy told me the blues are hitting hard and fast, with the snappers dominating the river scene and getting bigger and bigger as you get closer to ocean front. The fluke bite in the back has been pretty weak but there are still fish being caught off the beaches. She also informed me that several anglers have been targeting blackfish in the Oyster Creek area and having no problem getting their one fish limit using clam as bait. The weakfish have moved off the shallows and into the grassy sound’s deeper waters, feeding on shrimp in the eel grasses. The striped bass catch has gotten better, but most are still well below the legal limit. Topwater and swimming plugs are your best bets for some action with the line siders. Sandy asked me to let you know their in house tourney is still going on, stop in for details.
Reel Life Bait and Tackle in Point Pleasant is a throwback shop as far as I am concerned. No throw back like fish but throw back like the place for hard core anglers to shop. When I spoke to Rich at the shop this week, he told me the head boats were still doing real well at the Sea Girt Reef with fish being reported up to 7 pounds. False Albacore and bonito are the talk of the town at the Klondike by anglers trolling anything shiny. Bluefish can be had any time of day with slammers up to 15 pounds not unusual from the boats and 10-pounders off the beachfront. Metal and or mullet or bunker are the best attractants. And in really good news, there are some nice weakfish in the upper Manasquan River. Anglers using sandworms or Rattle Traps are being rewarded with sea trout up to 5 pounds on a regular basis. The striped bass bite is still a little light, with the majority of the fish being taken in the “schoolie” classification. Best chance for bigger fish is around the inlets according to Rich.
Most of the serious anglers I know in the Brick area all agree on one thing. Jersey Coast Bait and Tackle is the place to go if you are looking for quality gear and information. I spoke with Kathy this week and she informed me that despite the somewhat lousy conditions we have been experiencing, the fishing was still decent. Bluefish up to 12.54 pounds were being hooked on the beaches around Mantoloking. Matching the hatch is the key as there are plenty of mullet in the suds being targeted by the blues. Metal, swimming and topwater plugs similar in size to small mullet are doing the trick. Weakfish are also still going strong in the bridge area. Swim shads on leadhead jigs or spearing will help land a keeper. The fluking has died down a little inside, but the headboats and others are still doing well reef fishing. The sea bass bite is strong once again at the reefs. In the back, crabbing, kingfish and blowfish are still enjoying the warmer waters.
Bayhawk Charters out of Cape May put a hurting on the black sea bass early this week. The average size was good and the fish were very plentiful. The cooling waters have also brought in some ling.
Moving down to the bottom of the state, I always make it a point to check in with Nick at Hands Too Bait and Tackle at the foot of the Cape May Bridge. He always has some on the money spots for me to fish when I am planning a trip that way. This week, he was hyped up on the prospect of red drum in the area. There have been more than a few catches reported on the beaches in Wildwood. Those lucky enough to find them have been taking fish on cut mullet or spot baits. According to Nick, the top of the tide has been the most productive time for getting on the redfish. Delaware Bay is loaded with croakers. In regard to the inshore bite, trolling has been decent with nice dolphin on the pots. The Elephant Trunk has had some nice wahoo loitering around along with a blue and white marlin, and of course mahi. The tuna bite was farther south at the Toms Canyon last week with yellowfin up to 70 pounds and some nice swordfish to boot. As with any offshore bite this time of year, everything is subject to fast change. Moving back inside, Nick told me that they have been taking on some nice weakfish, up to 28 inches, in the back bays using cut spot or croaker for baits. Blues up to 6 pounds or so are all over the place, and the bridges hoppers are having the good nights with striped bass, fishing the lights where bait is pooling up. Crabbing remains very good. I guess what they say is true. There is plenty to do in the Wildwoods.
Fishing the beaches of Ocean City is one of my home grounds, and I always check in with the crew at Fin-Atics Marine Supply to get the most up-to-date conditions. I will be honest with you, for some reason, you have to work for your catch just a little harder of late, mostly due to poor conditions in the area. I suspected it might just be a run of bad luck on my part, but when I spoke to Justin today at the shop, he told me I was not alone in my troubles. There are definitely fish in the area, I have just been looking in all the wrong places. And for the wrong species. Blues are in both the Great Egg and Corson’s inlet areas. Up to five pounds. No big blitzes yet, but they are definitely in the zone. Weakfish up to 19 inches can be had in the lower reaches of the inlets as well. Justin suggests using live peanut bunker for better results. Metal, like a Hopkins hammered spoon are also doing nicely for those trying their hand at jigging. The beaches are still holding king fish which can be taken with some Fish Byte artificial bait or blood worm pieces. Filling your quota for tautog hasn’t been much of an issue lately; Justin pointed me towards the fishing pier between OC and Longport and told me to use green crab. The mullet are still in the back along the sod banks so scaring up a small striper under the cover of night should be no problem and Justin told me the bridge anglers near Corson’s inlet are doing very good late in the evening. The baitfish, in general, are thicker than he can ever remember but the water in the back is also especially warm. About the only sure thing right now is a basket full of blue claw crabs. The parkway bridge on the Patcong is a good location to fill up a bushel basket if you are thinking about some for the dinner table.
I have a tendency to save the best for last. A least what’s best for me! And since Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s Center is right around the corner from my home, I am guessing you can see where this is going. I stopped in the shop today hoping to speak with Captain Dave Showell but he was off at some wholesale convention buying even more tackle for the shop. Here is a tip; Dave probably needs to make room for the new stuff so if you time it right, there will most likely be some good deals there in the near future. As far as the fishing goes, well that’s a horse of a different color. Kurt at the shop told me the bait is still boiling all over Absecon Creek and the bay. Boaters and kayakers throwing top water plugs like the Still Water lures Smack It have been having a lot of fun with striped bass in the 18- to 28-inch range. There are still some weakfish in the bay, shedder crabs or cut baits are the key to success. Or you can try a leadhead with a pink swim tail or a rattle trap to imitate the tons of peanut bunker in the bay. There are still flounder being caught but the ratio of keepers to throw backs is way up there. For tog, Kurt suggests the old Brigantine Bridge or any of the Atlantic City Jetties. Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s has plenty of green crabs to entice the blackfish onto your hook. The Brigantine and Absecon Island beaches are a little slow right now but with the amount of mullet swim in the suds, it’s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose. Off the beaches, for those that dare, the sea bass bite has been good and the fluking is a tad slow. There are big schools of adult bunker all over the inshore areas so don’t forget to pack a snag hook. And as usual, where there are adult bunker, there are usually adult bluefish looking for a free meal. Fish up to 8 pounds taken in the pods has been normal recently. Conditions of late have kept many regulars tied to the dock or fishing the back bays and inlets.
The table is set for stripers and big blues to hit the surf. Ron at the Fishermens Supply Co. in Point Pleasant said there are lots of mullet streaming down the beaches right now. At the moment, the mullet vastly outnumber the gamefish, but 3- to 5-pound bluefish have been ripping through the baitfish schools. Anglers are enjoying catching the blues with topwaters while they wait for bigger predators to find the bait.
Ron also noted there is a good weakfish bite in the surf south of Manasquan Inlet. Small swimmers have been the ticket with the Guide’s Secret Mucho Minnow and the 5 1/2-inch Red Fin being the two top baits.
Ron weighed in stripers up to 28 pounds this week. The 28-pounder was caught while live-lining bunker around a school of the oily baitfish.Ron also said the the fishing in the Point Pleasant Canal has been good for anglers willing to venture out after dark.
The crew at The Dock Outfitters reported tons of cocktail blues in the surf. Mullet, metal lures and poppers are all catching the blues. After dark, fishermen swimming Bombers are catching keeper-sized bass.
Despite muddy ocean conditions, the boys at Go Fish Bait and Tackle reported solid bluefish action from the beach.
Before the weather took a turn, the sea bass fishing was lights out at the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt Reefs according to the report from Jersey Hooker Outfitters. False albacore have sporadically invaded the surf zone, allowing lucky anglers to get a cast in front of these fish. The Mantoloking Bridge has been a blowfish hotspot lately. Chumming heavily is the key to putting together a good blowfish catch. While the porgy action off Elberon and Deal has yet to get started, a number of triggerfish are being caught in the area.
Mullet fished on a whole mullet rig has been the ticket to catching blues in the Seaside Park surf reported the folks at Seaside Sams’s. Striper action isn’t quite as hot as the bluefishing, but there are some around.
Best Bets For the weekend.
It’s a tough call to make once again this week. But that’s not uncommon for this time of year. High winds and warm waters can make any choice a crap shoot to say the least. Flounder (or fluke if you prefer) closes on Friday. So if you have a chance, I would give it one more try. If not, there are still plenty of weakfish around the lower areas of most inlets. If you are looking for a sure thing, now is the time to load the freezer and bait pens up with bait for when the big guys come to town. The reports of red drum working in in and out around Delaware bay really intrigues me, I may just have a shot at them if the weather holds up. And with the amount of mullet in the surf, you are going to want to factor striped bass in your plans and place them high up on the to-do list. It may be a little slow right now, but when it breaks open, it will more than likely break big. And not unlike the lottery, you can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket. Personally, I spent the last two evening replacing hooks on all my favorite lures and tying new rigs. But that’s just me. Whatever plans you make, stay safe out there. Rough weather generally means rough water. You only get so many days in the game so spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.