Lately, I have been hearing a lot of grumbling about the poor “fall run” we are experiencing this year. It may not be a lights out year yet but I still maintain that the best is still yet to come. Compared to the last two years, I am having a better season by far. As a surf angler, it’s sometimes difficult to gauge the breadth and depth of a run but judging by the bait I have been seeing, the opportunities are there. And recent reports I have been getting tell me that the action is getting better with every cold snap. Do I have concerns? Of course I do but nothing in my research indicates a poor season. The warmer than normal water and air temperatures are a contributing factor. The effect of Sandy has a hand in the start as well. I can only imagine the structural changes that have evolved in the year since she visited us. But all in all, every day shows an increase in activity up and down the coast, both inshore and inland. There is still plenty of time left before the bell rings to close the season. Let me show you what I am saying with some reports from our scouts up north.

Atlantic Highlands

I just heard from the crew of the Hyper Striper Sportfishing Charters up in Atlantic Highlands. They were out on the water today, braving the elements with great success. The Scotty O. charter limited out on bass with fish up the mid-Twenties. Captain Pete Wagner must have some secret locations as the Hyper Striper is on fish when no one else can find them. Great job guys!

Sea Bright

In Sea Bright, Owner Tom Giglio of Giglio’s Bait and Tackle tells me that the local action has stepped up to the next level with anglers in the area. He had a 24.6 pound fish weighed in this morning but most of the local fish are still in the 12-18 pound range in the surf. But the activity is getting more consistent which is definitely a good sign. Monmouth Beach and Sea Girt have been two area hot spots. There are plenty of sand eels in the area along with rain baits. Tom also told me that the fish pushed in some nice schools of bunker in the area which is very good news. The hot lures have been the SuperStrike Needlefish and of course, the SP Minnow. Both of which Gigiio’s carries in their stock. If you are an angler who likes to throw from the sand, check out Giglio’s if you are in the area. It’s a must for surfcasters. I asked Tom about bluefish but he tells me they are still staying away from the beach but some monsters are being caught in the deeper waters.

Belmar Fishing Report

I spoke with Captain Chris Hueth of the New Big Mohawk in Belmar this week about the seas bass bite in the area and he has been having some nice trips. With fish up to 5 pounds, they have been doing well even with less than ideal conditions. Throw in the one blackfish and you have some good opportunities to put some meat in the cooler. And once the blackfish limit expands in the middle of the month, Chris expects the trips to get even better. No doubt about it. The Mohawk sails daily from its slip in Belmar, weather permitting. If you are looking for a break from chasing the striped ones, I recommend a trip on the Mohawk.

As the season expands, so do the efforts of the crew of the Miss Belmar Princess. With more big striped bass moving into the area, the Princess is going after both blues and stripers. And doing it well. Of late, the pool winners on most trips have been bass up to the mid-thirties and better. The targets may have shifted but the results remain the same. The Miss Belmar Princess sails daily from its berth in Belmar a 7:30 am.

With black sea bass reopened and blackfish about to up its limit, bottom fishing is a welcome change for those of you looking to take a rest from the striped bass hunt. One of the better options available is to head to the Belmar Basin and jump on the Ocean Explorer with Captain Bobby Quinn. They have been hammering the sea bass lately on clam and crab and when you toss in some nice porgie and blackfish, you have the making for some great bottom fishing. Water temps are slowing moving to the optimal range and accordingly, the bottom fishing has been getting better every day. And with blackfish expanding in just over a week, it most certainly will get better. The OE sails daily from Belmar, weather permitting, at 7:30 am. No reservations necessary.

Bradley Beach Fishing Report

Up in Bradley Beach, by the Shark River, I spoke with Dominick at The Bait Shop in regard to local bite. The best action off the beaches has been in the dark and those using plugs are out fishing the bait tossers. The Daiwa SP Minnows is still the favorite lure with huge amounts of sand eels and rain fish in the area. Incoming tides seem to be the best bet for action. Boat anglers heading north from Bradley Beach are having the most success. Dom feels that the main herd is still off New York with the warm spells we have been experiencing. Serge Mercado brought an 18 pound fish into the shop that he took off the beach on a black SP Minnow. Carol Burns of the Bradley Beach Surfcasters abandoned the sand for the boat and nabbed a 37 pound bass on a AVA 67. And Tommy Edwards trolled tubes to get a 28 pound linesider just the other day. With mostly school sized fish being around, it’s nice to hear of some bigger fish in the mix.

Brielle Fishing Report

I tried to get an offshore this week but the weather has made it difficult to find boats searching for the deep fish. I called over to The Reel Seat in Brielle and spoke with Eric to see what they were hearing over at Hoffman’s Marina. Eric said the same except that they were hearing some whispers about yellow fin in the Hudson and Toms canyons. Although there has been no confirmation to that effect. There was also a strong report of Bluefin Tuna pushing bait 12 to 18 miles off Manasquan. Once again, no confirmation on the report but it did come from a reliable source. Take it for what you will. Inshore, Eric confirmed that there were decent striper and blues reports at the Shrewsbury Rocks. Most of the action seems to be north and south of Brielle. The sea bass bite has been consistent with some porgie and the occasional blackfish at the Sea Girt reef. When I left, Eric was busy marking down some nice rods for an “End of Season” sale. Stop in and check them out of you get the chance.

Point Pleasant Fishing Report

I spoke with Ronnie up at Fishermen’s Supply Company to see what the story was in the Point Pleasant area. He told me that the key to success of late has been a good sand eel teaser on your line and a nice Super Strike Needle fish chasing it. The striped bass action has picked up noticeably in the last few day. Pluggers are definitely out catching the bait soakers right now. From the boat, the best bet is trolling. Umbrella rigs and bunker spoons are the top producers but Ronnie tells me that there has been a step up by those jigging metals like the AVA jig. Blackfish anglers in the canal were having success but it seems to have slowed down a bit. Baitfish in the area is mostly sand eels and rain fish. Ronnie tells me that the bunker seems to be avoiding the coastline which probably explains the lack of bluefish in the wash. There have been some massive blues taken by boat anglers.

In Point Pleasant the 62’ Mimi IV is a mid-size party boat available for charter with up to forty seven passengers. Specializing in blackfish but open to all species, The Mimi IV and Captain Kenny Namowitz will put you on the fish of your choice. Can’t get enough to fill a boat? The Mimi runs open boat trips for blackfish and sea bass when they don’t have a full charter scheduled. Contact the office at 732-370-8019 for upcoming dates.

Brick Fishing Report

The Jersey Hooker in Brick and Captain Rich Wilkowski are hyped up to put people on the water and even better on the fish. Be it their fully stocked bait and tackle shop or the charter boat, they are there to serve. Captain Rich has some open boat trips lined up for those of you who can’t get together a full team for a charter. Call the shop for the dates. Or stop in and check out their full line of tackle and bait. When I called the shop for this week’s report, they were out on the seas bass hunt. I spoke with Barbara and she told me they have had recent success for bass and blues north of Brick. On one trip this week, they had a full charter limit of bass with a few nice blues thrown in for good measure.

Seaside Park Fishing Report

According to John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park, the fishing has been on the upswing of late. The Bathing Beach area has been the local hotspot and needlefish have been the lure of choice. Clams are also working for those of you who need to toss live bait. Mostly bass up to 20 pounds as the bluefish continue to hover further out in deeper waters. Boaters are having success using AVA’s and other metal jigs. Most prominent bait in the area includes sand eels, rain fish and occasionally a pod of bunker.

Robbinsville Fishing Report

For you fresh water fanatics, I spoke with Joe Loretti at Harry’s Adventure Outfitters (Harry’s Army and Navy) in Robbinsville. According to Joe, the State’s highly successful fall trout stocking program is complete and most of the stocked lakes have been very productive recently. Joe specifically mentioned Colonial and Farrington Lakes as well as Oak Pond in Burlington County. Joe also told me about some muskie being taken In Mercer Lake. Most of the local water has cleared up and largemouth bass are also taking lipless crank baits like the Cotton Cordell Shads.

As the season starts to finally heat up, I know many of you wil be looking for a way to get out and put some fish in the freezer. Below are some of my favorite rides to help you in your task. Feel free to cut and paste to your address book.

• Last One! 35’ custom Sea Hawk – up to six passengers. Inshore and wreck fishing. (732) 556-7156

• Katie H Sportfishing 46’ custom Hatteras. Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (908) 600-6413

• XTC Sportfishing 44’ Henriques . Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (732) 616-3763

• Teri Jean II Charters 45’ Hatteras. Up to six passengers. Inshore and offshore. (732)280-7364

Best Bets for the Weekend

Early weather reports seem to point to some decent but colder weather for the weekend. The bite has been best lately at Monmouth Beach and a little south in Sea Bright. But fish are being caught everywhere. For you boaters, trolling are the best option for keepers but I have seen some fish taken by those jigging metal. I have a hunch it is about to break out in a big way. With the exception of bunker, there is a wealth of bait in the area. Huge blues inshore and they need to move in on the coasts. Schools of bunker could help that as well. On the fresh water side, the states fall trout stocking program is done and most of the lakes and ponds where they put in fish are ready and waiting. For you offshore denizens, there is still life in the deep and the blue fin should be primed to move southward. Whichever you choose to do, above all, stay safe out there. The waters are chilling down and little mistakes get magnified quickly. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.