With the exception of the activity in the Delaware Bay this week, all the boats pulled out of their respective inlets from Little Egg all the way down to Townsends, and hung a sharp left. The good news is, the fish are most defiantly on the bite, the bad news is, they are in a holding pattern up off of Long Beach Island and have not made the big push yet.

For the past couple of months, you could always count on pulling some small resident action in the back with guys pushing off just before sunset and heading to flats and sod banks with light tackle an poppers. Banging 10 to 15 schoolie sized, non-keeper bass with maybe one that would stretch was a pretty good bet. Bridge bangers and sod bank ghosts that lurk from sunset to well after dark were also in on this action as most good structure held some fish. This is no longer the case. Things have ground to a halt.

Several local charter Captains that usually work GE and Atlantic City inlets with regular success dragging spot, eels or even setting up on the hook with clam should be catching right now, as the week before Thanksgiving is usually a pretty good bet with the water temps hovering in the low 50’s, but even these sharpies are coming up short, even on shorts.

Brick Fishing Report

Up at Jersey Tackle in Brick, a 6 man limit to 38” with a few more released and a few bluefish to chew things up was the story. Trolling was the key with some of the head boats only nailing a few keepers in the jig. It gets a little tough trolling 65 stretch 30’s I guess. Morning bite was north, late afternoon bite south.

Pell’s Fish and Sport reports that there are still bass being taken on the beach in Bayhead on clam but pluggers throwing metals with teasers seem to be connecting as well. Hitting between the bars on a dropping tide with Tsunami holographic sand eels should be part of your strategy.

Tom’s River Fishing Report

Murphy’s Hook House in Tom’s River still has some of those good looking Vision Sand Eels in stock and the boys are connecting with them. There has only been sporadic bird play within casting distance of the beach, but the fish are still running in tight so keep that plug in the water.

Manahawkin

Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin says the bite is 100%! Beach anglers as well as those going either way out of Barnegat are connecting. Sand stompers in Ship Bottom up to the Lighthouse are getting their chances depending on wind and wave, but the water is still pretty clear. The number of birds off the beach are nothing less than epic at first light.

Long Beach Island

In what might have been the biggest striper fleet I have ever seen in all my years, literally thousands of boats, there was solid action all morning long off of Harvey Cedars earlier this week. BIrd play began at the crack of dawn and fish were being taken on the surface and by those trolling 9‘ers and umbrella rigs. I personally can’t understand how you can troll when there are fish boiling and birds diving, but that’s just me. Casting a sand eel looking Jetty Ghost metal and retrieving at a slow speed put me on 6 bass over 30 inches in under two hours with the other three anglers on board having the same success. Just for the record, we only kept 2 of all the fish we caught to split up for dinner.

Absecon

Dave out of Absecon Bay Sportsman’s Center sent in this shot of local angler Capt. Bill with this 27-pound beauty. Riding high off of his VFW tournament win last week, he couldn’t get out of Little Egg to head north to the Red Tower so he busted out the clams and worked the bars. Lots of radio chatter about action in Wreck Inlet today, which could be the news everyone down south has been waiting for.

…. and then… it basically stops. I’m not kidding, it’s like someone drew a line in the sand.

Brigantine

Brigantine has been very slow since last weekend, and frankly I believe all of the serious anglers are trucking north, either on board a boat or up the parkway with visions of diving gannets dancing in their heads. All of Absecon Island from Atlantic City through GE, the same story. Even some of the most hardcore sand stompers and jetty jocks (that would be me) are taking a break from casting practice since results have been pretty close to zero on the plug and talking about road trips.

Egg Harbor Township

Over in Egg Harbor Township, the boys at TackleDirect have been getting out their price guns and started marking things down for the Black Friday sale. No price slashing this Saturday though as the boys will be out for the annual Chris Hagel Fight Leukemia Tournament . It’s a $30 entry fee and the biggest bass will be taking home a brand new Van Staal for their prize. Yep, I’ll be fishin’ it!

Ocean City

At Fin-Atics the boys think the cold snap is what put the few fish in the area down but a few smaller bass have taken bunker baits. Togging has been very good out on the reefs and local wrecks and there has been some decent back bay togging as well. Lots of hopes for this weekend as the forecast is looking a little better.

Sea Isle City

Mike Cunningham at Sea Isle Bait & Tackle reported some bass being taken out front early in the week by a couple of hard working fly fisherman working a bait ball. Capt Joe Hughs found the fish on top in glassy calm waters. Beaches are very slow.

Cape May

Down in Cape May there have been some flashes of outstanding catches out on the Bay. Fishing was better today for both stripers and tog. Capt Ricky Wheeler took a bunch of the boys out toggin on Monday and got a limit for the crew with the biggest just under 5 pounds. Call ahead to Off The Hook down there if you need to reserve bait for the weekend.

Best Bet for this Weekend

Hang a left! The bass bite in the northern part of our running region is solid and there are times where you might even describe it as epic. Gannets dive bombing at blinding speed and fish boiling on the surface just begging to be cast to. Very early this week we were up chasing stripers and took a bluefin detour and I can tell your firsthand that the ghosts are inshore. Bring your big spinner and bust out something that looks like a sand eel for when they blow up. If you are hitting the beach from Surf City north, get up extra early and get on the sand in the dark, pre-dawn. If you are south of there, sleep in and get some breakfast.

Stay Tuna-ed!