Rain and Fish

I don’t mind fishing in the rain. Occasionally! But the last week has been ridiculous. In just under a week, the rain gauge in my front yard has registered in excess of 4 inches of downfall. There is an old adage that says the fish don’t know when it’s raining but when you get this much in such a short period of time, I tend to dispute that saying. For the salt water areas, especially close to the feeder tributaries, I would think the salinity levels can change substantially. This has a definite effect on the bait fish which in turn, changes the feeding patterns of target species. For you fresh water enthusiasts, big rain means faster water which means tougher conditions in almost every aspect of our sport. Water temperatures and clarity certainly fluctuate widely. Does this mean that the bite has shut off? Hard to say for certain but it will make you work harder to put fish on the hook. To see if my theories hold true, let’s check with the people who are closer to the action and may be noticing an emerging pattern.

When last I spoke with Captain Dave Showell of Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s Center in Absecon, he was in an all-out effort to save his inventory of blue claw shedders from the massive influx of fresh water from the storms. ABSC is one of the best shops for live bait and Dave takes great pride in that. He treats his bait better than I treat some of my family. In fishing news, some nice black drum have been taken off Brigantine Beach on fresh clam. Kingfish are also lighting up the sand. The best bait has been worm pieces, but FishBytes artificial baits have held up as well.

In the back, Captain Dave tells me the fluke bite was definitely affected by the wind and rain but anglers putting their time in have been rewarded handsomely. Weakfish are still going strong with shedder crab being the best bait. For the big Stripers, find the pods of bunker outside the Inlet and snag and drag. Dave also informed me the first spot of the season have made an appearance in the area.

I heard from the crew at Team Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor Township the other day so I thought I would pass it on. Locally, Lakes Bay and Methodist Ditch off Pleasantville have been the hot spots. Weakfish and flounder can be found in both spots by anglers using Gulp Swim Shads. Chartreuse four inch seem to be the hot color and size. Most of the inshore fishing is targeting black sea bass. Some decent activity has been noted on the AC Reef. Find 80 plus feet of water and you should do well. Bluefish seem to have moved north but there has been some good striper action when you find the menhaden.

If you are headed to Delaware Bay, I recommend you stop in and visit Hand’s Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May before you hit the water. At the foot of the bridge “on the way to Cape May”, they can help you with all your angling needs. I spoke with Nick at the shop this week And he told me there has been a strong showing of weakfish. Try Higbees Beach and work your way around the horn. Best option for bait has been floating blood worms or fishing a led head tipped with a pink Zoom. I plan on adding a little BioEDGE attractant to the mix to see if it increases hook ups. Flounder is better in the back bays. Nick also informed me that there is still a drum bite going on and the head boats are doing well on the reefs for sea bass. Crabbing in the area has also heated up a bit. If you are flounder hunting, Nick recommends the ICW right now. Nick told me that the old Ponder Lodge Lake in the Villas has been the local hot spot for fresh water fishing. Some nice bass there.

On the Toms River my source of information is Better Bait and Ice on Fischer Boulevard. I spoke with Chris at the shop and he was upbeat about the forecast even thogh all the rain and colder waters have slowed things down a bit in the area. The best fluking has been in the Manasquan River, with the most successful anglers using killies and squid as bait. Small striped bass and snapper blues are working top water plugs and sand eels. There have also been some decent perch caught in the area. Worms are still the best bait on the white perch. Crabbing is definitely starting to pick up after a slow start. And Chris told me that the blow fish seem to be keying off the crab bite with customers reporting nice catches of the expandable puffers.

All the way up in Bick Township, I gave a shout out to Pete at Pell’s Fish and Sport. He told me that the fluking was okay but colder water temps slowed it down a little. He suggested looking for some of the shallows where the bait may be holed up. Rivers have been the best producers of late with the bay coming in a close second. If you are fishing for striped bass in the canal, Pete recommends using worms for better productivity. Plugs are working but locals are saying it’s been a harder course to take lately. The crabbing in the area has definitely turned on, especially by the Mantoloking Bridge area. If you are fluking in the area, Pete recommends the Gulp 4-inch swim shads. That’s exactly what Frank Finch was using when he recently nailed a 7-pound fluke on a Gulp-tipped Bucktail. That’s good enough for me.

I had a nice chat with Joe of Two Chums Bait and Tackle in Sea Isle City this week. Fishing in the area has been nothing short of fantastic of late. There have been plenty of big flounder weighed in at the shop with four pounds not uncommon. A wide spectrum aof baits are working including minnows (yes they have them), strip baits and Berkley Gulps. Joe told me that personally, he has been having good days using the Berkley 6” grubs for flounder. Weakfish can be found off the rocks at Townsend’s Inlet. Most anglers are using blood worms but I would consider using some of the shedder crab that Two Chums has in stock. On the beaches there is a mix of small blue fish and the occasional striped bass. The best bet there are kingfish which have invaded with a full brigade. Most anglers are using a top and bottom rig tipped with FishBytes or blood worms and getting all the action they can handle. Don’t forget, Two Chums has a nice fleet of rental boats and the crabbing season if off and running. Call ahead for details.

One of the top fishing spots on the coast is Long Beach Island in just about the middle of the state. Serving that area is Tony’s Bait and Tackle in Manahawkin. Good bait, good equipment and great information. The guys at the shop are telling me that the recent hot spots have been back near Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels. They also recommend hitting the shallows and doing so with light tackle. Gulps (shrimp), minnows and cut baits like blue have been the most effective. Especially the cut bait. The striper bite has cooled off a bit with the water but there are nice pods of bunker inshore so snagging some and live lining is the best recommendation from the gang at Tony’s. There have been reports of blowfish and small blues in the area. Perch fishing up the rivers has been decent. Crabbing is starting to come into its own. Clam bits and worm pieces are your best bait for blowfish.

I love it when I speak with a tackle shop owner and they are so pumped up about the local fishing that I have to calm them down to get the report. That’s how it was when I reached out to Mike Cunningham at Sea Isle Bait and Tackle. The back bay is producing at level he hasn’t seen in years. He is seeing 4- and 5-pound flatfish on a regular basis. Weakfish are still playing strong around the sod banks. Berkley Gulp has been the bait of choice for many local anglers, especially the chartreuse swim shads. Mike also told me that the beaches have some small blue fish action as well as good plenty of kingfish. For the kings anglers are using either blood worms or FishBytes artificial bait. Once again, the chartreuse version there has been a big seller. As well as catcher! He also reported that the local party boat Starfish has been having some banner days fishing the inshore reefs for sea bass. Most anglers are using clam but on certain days, jigging the reefs has been even more productive.

The off shore bite is starting to get some action and when it does, I always like to contact the crew at Fin-Atics Marine Supply in Ocean City to get the early reports. Billy at the store told me the reports have been somewhat skimpy as the big boys haven’t started chasing them yet. There have been some reports of threshers and makos closer inshore but nothing concrete. The ocean temperatures are still rather cool. Off the beaches, Corson’s Inlet has been the go-to place for slob weakfish lately. More than a few 10-plus-pound fish have been weighed in from that location. The sod banks in the back are holding weakies as well. Most anglers are using the old faithful Finesse in pink for good action. Small blues are also laying in ambush for you in the bay. Flounder fishing has been nothing short of spectacular but it has been restricted to the bay. Finding the holes off the shallows has been the key. Yes, Fin-Atics has minnows, which have been the best producers along with cut baits. And finally, if you are looking for some good meals get out those small hooks and hit the beaches. The kingfish are here. Blood or sandworm pieces are the prime bait but once again, FishBytes are also working well. Get ‘em while they are hot.

Covering the upper part of the Toms River for us is Murphy’s Hook House on Rte. 37. I reached Jeff to get the latest scoop for an area that was hard hit by Sandy. Jeff let me know in no uncertain terms that the area is almost all the way back. The fluking has been good with the best spot being around the BI to the BB buoys. Most anglers are having good success with Berkley Swimming Mullets for fluke. There are blues in the area, up to three pounds so be sure to rig a rod with metal and have at them. Weakfish are around but the recent cool down and rains have driven them farther up the river according to Jeff. You might need to work a little harder if they are on your target list. The big game in town is the blowfish which have opened up the season very strong. Best tactics include using a chum bucket of clam and some clam for bait according to Jeff. If you are looking for some fresh water action, Jeff recommends heading over to the reservoir and hooking into some bass, pickerel or pan fish like big crappie. Shiners are you best baits if you choose to go that route. One more thing before we finish up and that’s a big “job well done” to 8 year old Justin Murphy who boated a 5 pound flat fish this weeks. Yes, that’s right I said 8 yrs. old! And from what I have been told, this guy is a fishing machine. Way to go Justin.

Best Bets for the Weekend

As I type this report, the weather prognosticators are calling for some nasty storms in the near future. Hopefully, they will miss and open up a good window for angling. With all the rain we have been getting, the fresh water influx has slowed things down a bit. The fish are still there but you have to work a bit harder to find them. I like to switch up my baits and lures a bit when I can’t get them to hit. They are there, just not eating as strong because of changed conditions. Sometimes all they need is a change on the menu. The spot are starting to filter in so don’t forget to take a Sabiki rig. They are great flounder bait as well as striper. Kingfish off the beaches can supply a great day of fishing as well. There are plenty of options available but please, stay safe out there. You only get so many days in the game so spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.