Good Solid Week.

You really can’t argue with the fact that finally, there have been some quality stripers running inshore this past week. From last Sunday, which was arguably one of the nicest days to be fishing this year, through midweek, the lumps from GE Inlet South to Hereford were bustling with activity. The Sea Isle Lump looked like the Lobster Claw on an August weekend, with boats of all shapes and sizes trolling a compressed area and trying not to run each other’s gear over. They were there for a good reason, as dragging umbrella rigs with either sand eel tubes or shads were putting some fish in many of the boats. There were quite a few shorts caught, but at least the boys had some action. The smart move was to move off these fleets on the major lumps like the SI and Cumas, and find some of those little pimples that are in the same area. There was more action off the fleet and the fish were better size as well. The bite was truly an early morning activity about a week and a half ago when it started, but now the early afternoon seems to be better timing.

Overall there seems to be a large body of small fish moving down the beach South from LBI. Sand stompers throwing metals with teasers have reported catches in the teens on little schoolies in Central Jersey , which is a blast but does not feed the family. Still totally worth the effort. As you move below Wreck Inlet, the beaches have been quiet. The section of shoreline from Atlantic City down to GE, and even into Ocean City has been murky to say the least with round the clock sand pumping going on in a couple of locations. It really does make an impact on the fishing.

Before I get started on the freshest, hottest news there is to print… or in this case, type, here is a heads up. The Coast Guard has upped their game in serious fashion about fishing for stripers outside the 3 mile limit. They have not only gone the extra step to pass flyers out to all the tackle shops, but have moved enough resources into the area where it is now rare to NOT see a Zodiac nearby when you are fishing. They are literally boat hopping from one vessel to another checking for safety gear and paperwork first, and then it is right to the fish box. Their helos are hitting all the traditional violation areas (you know them, I know you do…) and cutters are stationed on a few of the most abused spots like the Five Fathom Bank. Lots of violations are being written, and it is a pricey situation. Best advice, don’t even venture outside the limit if stripers are your game. Also keep in mind that if you are multi-tasking a couple different species, the excuse of “I caught them inshore and then went togging or ghost chasing”, is just a waste of time. You are getting written up.

Let’s take a lap around our regional network and get the scoop on who is catching, and who is standing around drinking coffee.

Brick Fishing Report

Joe at Pell’s Bait & Tackle has had lots of his guys coming in with smiles, but not many weigh-ins. Throwing Deadly Dicks or Ava’s with a teaser has kept rods bent up and down the beach. Those off the beach in their boats, however, have been burning fuel without much to show for it. From Seaside up to Mantoloking, it has been very slow. Pells is open from 7A-6P weekdays, 5A-6P weekends.

Toms River Fishing Report

Better Bait & Ice is getting ready to roll things up for the season around the 15th of the month. In the meantime, Chris reports shorts on the beach nearby with a few bigger fish weighed in on clam from Point Pleasant earlier in the week. Throwing metal with teaser for the shorts.

Same scoop up the street at Murphy’s Hook House. Jeff heard of a couple keepers up in Long Branch early this week but things are very quiet. The guys are opening at 7A during the week, and still flipping the light switch on at 4A on weekends.

Egg Harbor Township Fishing Report

Team Tackle Direct was hitting the water hard this past week, with lots of meat in the boxes from the inshore lumps. Working the area from GE Inlet and South, there were good catches in both size and numbers. Most productive umbrellas were the sand eel imitations with fish to 40 pounds (2 PHOTOS BELOW), but smaller Stretches and Rapala X-Raps were effective as well. Tackle Direct maintains regular hours in their showroom on Tilton Road in EHT, and you can shop 24/7 at TackleDirect.com.

Ocean City Fishing Report

Still some action in the back bay on smaller fish, according to our guys at Fin-Atics in Ocean City. Small plastics have been bending some rods around the Beasley Point Bridge and some of the more popular channels behind O.C. This past weekend brought some nice 30-pound striper on the decks of customers boats working off of Strathmere on the troll too. Regular off season hours for Fin-Atics; opening 7:30 weekdays and 7A on weekends.

Sea Isle Fishing Report

I don’t know if you can find a more enthusiastic guy than Mike at Sea Isle Bait & Tackle. He is just always up to talk fishing and let people know how to have a better day out. His customers were all the way in on the troll bite off of Corsons and Strathmere this past week and many of them connected with real good quality in both size and numbers. He also got to weigh in an 18-pound bass that came from the beach this week, which is almost a miracle if you talk to most of us that have been beating the sand hard in the southern section. One boat made the long run offshore on Sunday to the Sea bass grounds and had a banner day. Good to know the humpies are chewing. Togging has been pretty good on the near shore wrecks with lots of green crabs going out the door.

Cape May Courthouse Fishing Report

I could not get a fishing report from Mike from Peace Token Fishing Tackle this morning (shop was busy), which is a shame because he really is dialed in on anything that bites a jig. If you dig to jig, he really is a wealth of info and carries product even some of us in the trade have never seen before. Great shop. He is open 6A-9P M-Sat and until %P on Sunday.

Hand’s Too Bait & Tackle, right on Route 109 was bumping when I call ed this morning. I guess the guys that were waiting for the fog to life all came in at the same time and decided to take a shot at the bay. There has been a pretty good chunk bite going on for the last two days, but before that all the Cape May boats were up trolling the lump off of Sea Isle and Ocean City. A couple of bass were taken from the surf down there yesterday too, leading me to believe that the body of fish that was holding off of GE is shifting south.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Things are a little shaky at best. The winds are going to be swinging around and bumping up to the 15-20 kt. range chopping things up a bit with wave heights mostly in the 3-5 range with duration from 5-7 seconds. That does not make it un-fishable for bigger boats but it is dicey for smaller ones. There is some rain and maybe snow Sunday tossed in there just to see how serious you are! Beach anglers should head north to get in on the small bass action in the suds, or roll down to Cape May to try and catch some inshore stragglers from that school that was holding above Corsons. Boats should gear up with sand eel umbrella rigs and some deep diving plugs as the jig bite and surface action has been virtually non-existent. Surf guys, teaser and some metal will do the trick.