Southern New Jersey Fishing Report 9-6-12

Weakfish and Weather

I guess it was only a matter of time. We got as far as as the “L’s” before one of the inevitable big blows got close enough to screw things up for fishing.  I know the surfers are happy to cop a feel off of Leslie this weekend, but what to do they know?  They actually go swimming where I shark fish.  Personally, I’m more concerned about the beach erosion this is going to cause on our shorelines and if it will cause access problems for those of us that run our buggies on the sand.  It does have the potential to be a problem.

As far as what it is going to do to the fishing, I would suggest that it will have more impact on the shop owners than the fish themselves.  Our guys sure could use a strong weekend to kick off their fall seasons as the summer was OK at best for most.  Be a sport, even if you are not fishing this weekend, go buy something!  Your favorite shops are starting to bend their minds into “sale” mode and you do want to get there before the good stuff gets snatched off the “marked-down” table.

There are only a couple weeks left in the fluke season, and there is no question they are moving deeper.  The tuna bite has been spotty, although the appearance of the most big eye tuna in recent history at least has us chomping at the bit a little.  There was a “crazy” white marlin bite going on for a couple weeks that stopped deader than dead with the big moon last week and water moving off to the south.  A few stripers are showing up, but not enough to take your outriggers off the boat or to stop talking about how great the kingfishing is.  Sea Bass, ling and a few cod still in the game.  There are plenty of bluefish marauding around that can bend light tackle combos, and let’s not forget all that free bait swimming in the back and in the suds.  Go get some.

By the way, black sea bass is closed again (as of the 3rd) so don’t get busted.  The fishery re-opens on September 23rd.  I am sure the couple weeks off will save the fishery for decades to come.

This past week had a few nice windows of opportunity, and our network is still fired up for what is around the corner.  Let’s catch up on the news and gaze into the crystal ball for the upcoming few days.

Ron at Fishermens Supply in Point Pleasant has got his fingers crossed that the big heave this weekend does not destroy what has turned out to be the best fluke season in many, many years.  His scales have seen so many 6- to 8-pound flatties that it has almost become common. These days, only the double-digit fish are getting the “wows.”  There was a really decent bite of yellowfin out near the 100-Square, which he hopes holds past the storm and fun blow-ups of albies around Monterey & Sea Girt beaches.  There’s still fun to be had in the canal with holdover fluke, some nice blues and an occasional striped one.

Mike at Reel Life, also in Point Pleasant, has his eyes on the surf, and is catching some fair news from nearshore anglers, even though he is gazing off to the edge for his own selfish reasons.  Mike like to go long.  There are some black drum and bluefish to keep you more than occupied nearby and good catches of fluke still being reported on the north end of the Sea Girt Reef and off Mantalokin.

Around the corner, Mark at Alex’s Bait and Tackle has had a few of his guys doing real good fluking off the wall with fresh bait.  There are little bluefish to play around with there too.  Shad fishing at dusk with little pink jigs or sabikis is a blast with light tackle.

Tom at Jersey Coast Bait and Tackle is one of those real “offshore” guys.  If the bite is hot, Tom is there and he is always willing to share.  He has had some killer trips to the canyons in the last week or so but the weather threw the brakes on it.  Inshore there are mahi and albies from Little Italy up to the Mud Hole area.  Plenty of small blues to play with in the bay and huge…HUGE schools of bunker off the beach have yielded a couple small bass.

Fluke in the surf is the hot bite according to Go Fish Bait and Tackle in Toms River. Surfcasters are using Gulp and bucktail jigs to catch keeper flatties from the beach. Bluefish in the 5- to 8-pound range are also being taken from the beach, and a monster 22-pound bluefish was caught from the Seaside Pier this past week.

The Dock Outfitters in Seaside Heights reports action both in the back and along the surf line.  Plenty of blowfish and really nice size spot are still coming from the bay, and although the crabbing seems to have stalled, it is still worth checking out.  With the swell this weekend, it may be one of the few options.  On the beach there are runs of cocktail blues, the kingfish are still biting and those wonderful dark stains moving in the waves are starting to appear—the mullet are starting to turn the corner.  No bass or big blues are on them yet, but they will be.  Some albies are popping up within range and there are lots of triggerfish to play with on the jetties.

Moving over to Manahawkin, the boys at Tonys Bait and Tackle are taking their shedder crabs and banging the heck out of the weakfish in the back.  There are plenty in numbers and some keepers in the 4# range have hit the cooler.  Lots of blowfish back there too.  In the surf, it is pretty much what you expect; a few fluke, some kingies, and lots of impatient guys waiting for the stripers to show up.

Dave down at Oceanside Bait and Tackle in Brighton Beach has had a crew catching fluke pretty steady of the beach even though the conditions appear to be downright lousy.  Fresh bait seems to be the ticket.  For kingfish, bloods are your best bet without question and full stringers are still reality.  There are plenty of snappers in the back and some bigger blues off the beach on mullet rigs.

The “other” Dave over at Absecon Bay Sportsmen Center is all fired up about the weakfish, calling it “the best in years”… and Dave goes back!  Must have something to do with the fact that you can only keep one.  When you could keep four, you couldn’t find one.  Solid numbers of weakies in Absecon channel and farther back from 18 to 20 inches with a few 5-pounders in the mix.  Live bait seems to be the ticket again with peanuts leading the pack for the weakies.  The other surprise is that a couple of the pontoon boats have just been hammering nice fluke all the way up in the skinny water that they usually fish in May.  There is just so much bait back there that some of the areas that should be totally vacant are still holding.  Based on the reports, this seems to be a phenomenon that is really only happening in our southernmost regions.  Night and evening guys are still popping up some schoolie bass and the shadow lines on the bridges at night are hotspots for all kinds of action.

Team Tackle Direct on Tilton Rd in Egg Harbor Township did the canyon run to jump on that white marlin bite within the week.  There was bait everywhere out on the west wall of the Wilmington and the marlin were chowing down.  Skirted and naked ballys were the ticket until the bite just plain shut down around Sunday.  Tile fishing was good with big jigs out fishing bait on the deep drop for a change.  Fishing the AC Reef last weekend was a good plan with some nice sized flatties hitting the fillet table.  Live spot, mullet, or peanuts dropped down in deeper water was the winning strategy.  The magic number was in the 90’s.

Joe at Two Chums Bait in Sea Isle is still getting kingies and some really big spot on the beach.  This past weekend was a monster crab weekend, which is the exact opposite of what is happening in our northern region. One of his rental boats throwing 65 in the basket in just over a half day.  That is impressive.

Rusty was on the hook at Off The Hook in Cape May. If you are looking to just bend a rod, there are more weakfish in the Delaware bay than anyone has seen in years (is there an echo in here?).  Lots of smaller fish but a solid keeper or two mixed in here and there.  On the reef sites, the fluking is still good but you need to put in the time and be willing to burn that terminal tackle.  The fish are deep in the junk and you need to get in there with them.  Reef Site 11 and the Old Grounds are still solid, and if you are willing to run 30 miles for fluke, the Triple Wrecks were just plain on fire.  Cobia still being spotted near structure by boats that forgot their live eels.

Best bet for the weekend, since it looks like the ocean is just not going to cooperate, is to do a little light tackle fishing in the back.  I know it has probably been a long time since you actually went weakfishing on purpose, but this might be the weekend to do it.  It certainly will not be a meatfest, but it could be a funfest!  I am grabbing my fly rod and that is my plan.

Stay Tuna-ed!