Writing a fishing forecast each week allows me the opportunity to speak with the professionals that are closer to the action on a daily basis. It also lets me see patterns outside of the area I cover as they develop. Fishing may not be primetime in my area, but there are times when you can see movement and just know that things are about to heat up. Based on the information I have been receiving, I believe we still have a lot of fish left to be caught in 2013. Water temperatures are still in what I consider to be acceptable levels. Bait fish, specifically herring and sand eels are plentiful in most of the areas I have visited. There are still dolphins in the area which tells me that we are nowhere near the end of season run. In the states above us, anglers are still having great days of strong activity. Do I have concerns? If course I do. Weather, while not severe, hasn’t been as cooperative as it could be but when is it? And reports on some primary bait have been thin. With the strong hatch of bunker we have had in years prior, I would assume that there would be more adult menhaden being spotted. Hopefully, they are still up north. And while I have been seeing pictures of some of the biggest bluefish in years, they seem to be staying further out than normal. There are two real questions to be answered now. Will the main herd stay inside enough to be on the menu and will you still be fishing when they get here?

Cape May Fishing Report

I have been seeing reports of bigger fish coming from Delaware Bay and the Cape May Rips which is always a good sign. In past years, bigger fish there mean that the main body is still behind them. I put a call into Hand’s Too Bait and Tackle on the cape and they told me that while the beaches have been a slow pick, there was definitely some nice fish taken out of the Rips. In the past week there have been as many as ten fish close or over the fifty pond mark. In addition, the lower bay has been active with bigger stripers taken by those chunking bunker. Mike also told me that the local party boats have been packed with fishermen getting ready for the tog limit to go up. With tog and sea bass both at full limits, there will be plenty of opportunities available. I have been informed that best bets are in 125-150 feet of water. Mike also told me that the redfish bite in the area has slowed down from red hot to warm. What is still troubling is the lack of bluefish in the area.

Sea Isle Fishing Report

My timing is damn near perfect this week. I put a call into Mike Cunningham at Sea Isle Bait and Tackle to get a report for Townsend’s inlet and he told me that the birds were swarming all over bait in the area. Shad and rain fish are causing some false alarms but there hasn’t been much action under them. Boaters trolling stretch and spoons have been having the best success with keepers. Mike told me that those anglers going to deeper waters have had some success with sea bass and their one keeper tog. The back water fishing remains strong with bridge and jetty jockeys hanging eels off the bridges and rocks at the inlet being the prime locations. The sod banks are surrendering plenty of short bass, Mike suggest a white paddle tail of any kind on a lead head for steady action.

Ocean City Fishing Report

Sometimes all the conditions are there, the fish just haven’t recognized it. That’s the gist of the conversation I had with Ed Bronstein at Fin-Atics Marine Supply in Ocean City this week. The water surrounding the island is loaded with bait. There are sand eels, herring and rainfish along with the occasional swarm of bunker. But according to Ed, the pick of stripers has been slow in the last ten days. There have been fish caught, some nice one in the GE Inlet and at Corson’s State Park. There are some nice fish in the mix. But nothing to write home about as the saying goes. There is still action in the back waters but those fish are mainly short. Ed, like me, still believes the fish are still north of OC but as long as the conditions remain static, there is no telling when and if they will shift south. There is always the possibility that they will move west, out to deeper waters but with the amount of bait fish present, it’s hard to believe that will be the case. Ed reminded me that in 1998, one of the best years ever in south Jersey, the real bite didn’t take off until the end of November. One has to hope that is the case again this year. You won’t know unless you try. Ed also reminded me that with the tog limit going to 4 this weekend and sea bass open again, there is still plenty to fish for. And they are fully stocked with all the baits and tackle to help you meet your goals.

Egg Harbor Township Fishing Report

I ran into Big Ed of Team Tackle Direct fame on the beaches of Absecon Island this morning. Asked about the conditions locally, Ed told me pretty much what I expected. Plenty of bait in the water both off the beaches and out further. Herring and sand eels seem to be the primary food fish in the local waters. Ed feels that south of Ventnor has been slow because of the dredging that is taking place there. Brigantine has had some action but even that has been tight. The best bet for action lately has been in the inlet mouths and the feeder channels into them. For anglers plying those water, live spot (if you can get them) eels and bucktails tipped with light colored rubber seem to work best. There are still nice togs in all the usual spots. Mike Edge had three nice bass this week, all taken not far from the mouth of the GE Inlet. Ed told me if I have any tackle on my wish list to keep an eye on the TD website. They have some killer deals coming up.

Absecon Bay Fishing Report

I dropped in to chat with Captain Dave Showell of Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s Center on the state of the local fishing economy. Dave, as much as any other shop owner I have come to know over the years, is also one of the better guides in the area. Like most, he is a little baffled by the fall run this year. There is plenty of bait in the area but the pick has been slow at best. Beach anglers are struggling right now, with no one bait out fishing any other. There is shad and ocean herring all over the place according to Dave and sand eels like he has never seen in the area. But the fish are still north of Barnegat and even farther out. There are still plenty of short fish in the bay and inlet but the cows seem to be playing hide and seek. Tautog anglers under the Brigantine Bridge are having no problems filling their dance card with the one fish available and should be able to do much better once the limit rises. Wait water temperatures hovering in the high fifties, the conditions are primed for a nice run but as of the date of this report, it continues to be a slow pick. Even white perch in the Mullica River are playing hard to get. But Dave is confident that the bite will pick up. Reports from the north are getting better every day and they are still having a late season run as far as Montauk. I’m with Dave on this one, the best is still in front of us.

Manahawkin Fishing Report

According to the gang at Tony’s Bait and Tackle on East Bay Ave in Manahawkin, the best bet for keeper stripers and bass lately has been on the troll about a mile out. The beaches have been somewhat quiet according to Matt at the shop. North of Barnegat Inlet, the action has been better with anglers taking fish on both the troll and jigging. Decent sized blues and bass are in play there. I asked Matt about sea bass and tog and he told me that the best bet was tog off the rocks. Seas bass reports have been scarce right now. Bait in the area includes sand eels, squid and bunker.

Toms River Fishing Report

In Toms River, I touched base with Dennis at Murphy’s Hook House to see if he has been weighing in any cows. And while the big fish are still grazing north of us in Montauk and Long Island, Dennis tells me the local action has been on the steady move up the ladder. The best catch has been outside the Barnegat Inlet by boaters trolling pretty much anything. But there has been some bird play noted in the area and even some blue fish in the mix. Those are very good signs. Dennis also conveyed that there is still red drum in the area and weakfish as well as some sea trout by a lucky few. Water temps are in the high fifties in the area which indicates there is plenty of work yet to be done. In the Point Pleasant Canal, some anglers have been targeting blackfish with a good keeper ratio. The bigger fish seem to be mixing in with the sea bass on the inshore reefs in deeper waters. If you are in the back waters, look for white perch with blood worms and you might take home a tasty cooler full. Dennis suggested the Oyster Creek area. They are not full on but the bite is good enough to fill a basket if you can find the school. Murphy’s will stay open more than likely, to the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Brick Fishing Report

Tom Wolfe at Jersey Tackle in Brick tells me that every day the striped bass bit seems to improve a little. One interesting item he passed along was that squid seem to be moving in and out with the tides. I have seen pictures recently but assumed it was a freak catch. Tom tells me that some anglers are actually targeting them with squid jigs and having some success. Some small pods of bunker have been spotted in the area as well. There are still tons of sand eels in the surf and Tom has been capitalizing on that fact by fine tuning his teaser rigs. Most of the bass that have bunker in their bellies and Tom seems to think they are dining out deep as there doesn’t seem to be enough inshore to account for that. The jig bite has been improving daily as well from boaters. Most fish however, are still be caught by boaters pulling spoons (Maja is the favorite) or umbrella rigs. Blue fish are spotty. There has also been some nice reports of blackfish and sea bass on the deeper reefs.

Best Bets for the Weekend

When if and buts are candy and nuts, we will all have a hell of a Christmas. That’s how this season seems to be shaping up. Reports I am seeing from further north, outside of the state, is that the fishing has been great and still going strong. And in the northern sectors of NJ, there is a noticeable increase in activity as well. But the south is very quiet right now. Conditions for the upcoming weekend look good. Saturday looks like the best day with minimal winds and favorable waters. You won’t know if that party is going to start unless you are there when the bell rings. And I still believe that it still on. And if you are tired of waiting, there is tog and sea bass as an appetizer. Many of the head boats in the south have been doing well on them already and with increased tog limits, it makes for a more attractive outing option. With the reports I have been receiving from the north, I am still very optimistic. I will be throwing metal this weekend, to break the stalemate. I know it’s going to break any day now. Hopefully this quick cold snap we just experienced will be the catalyst. You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket. But please, be careful out there. The air may be nice but the waters a cooling off. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.