About this time every year, I start paying special attention to conditions like wind direction and water temperatures. I am a firm believer that knowing local conditions will help in locating the bait which in turn will increase your odds of putting bigger fish in the box. Minnows (or killies for those of you north of the dividing line), have become finicky in the last four or five years. They tend to spawn around now and as such become hard to obtain at your local B&T shop or even if you are harvesting them yourself. Products like Berkley Gulp will fill in some of the gaps but remember, many fish are sight feeders. Match the hatch is always a good proverb to live by. Often overlooked bait in the southern sections of the Garden State is spearing. Especially for those of you targeting flat fish in the back waters. Wind also plays a factor in finding fish this time of year. Keep a log. Make a plan. And follow the reports here to get all the extra info you need to make each trip as successful as possible.
The Carolyn Ann III out of Barnegat Light is still sailing for sea bass with great success. Not many limits but some quality fish. Recent pool winners have all been in the four pound range. And that was in colder water with a soft bite. We are closing in on the perfect time of the year to go for black sea bass. Pre-spawn they tend to be extremely hungry. Water temperatures are moving into the prime range. The Carolyn Ann III sails daily from its home at 18th and the bay. Fifty dollars (adult fare) will get you a 6 hour trip and some fine fishing opportunities.
I spoke with Bob at Murphy’s Hook House this week to get the run down on local action in the Toms River and Island Beach Area. The best action right now seems to be beach front with anglers tossing bunker chunks getting the attention of nice blues and the occasional striped bass. Blues are outnumbering bass by a five to one ratio according to Bob so heavy leader would be advisable. Plug throwers are also having success. In the river and back-bay waters, you will have fun with the smaller bluefish and blowfish but keeper fluke are a little harder to come by. The water is still a tad chilly in the area. If you’re looking for weakfish or perch, Bob says the best chance will be in the Oyster Creek vicinity. Murphy’s has a full complement of baits on hand to satisfy your fishing needs. Even killies are in stock, which tend to be a little hard to get this time of year.
Captain Kenny Namowicz of the MIMI VI in Point Pleasant Beach will be running a Marathon Tile Fishing Trip at the end of the month. Leaving at 10pm on June 30th and returning on July 2nd at 9pm, this is the mother of all tile charters. It will be limited to ten people so you need to act fast if you are interested. Cost is 600 dollars. Contact the captain at 732-370-8019 to save your seat.
Its vacation time in Ocean City and coincidently, the fishing has turned on in the same area. So if you want to get out on the water, head across the bridge to Somers Point and hop on the Duke O’Fluke with Captain Brooke Koenke. Bait is provided and there are two trips daily. Captain Brooke tells me that recent trips have had pool winners up to 6 pounds. The Duke is a 45’ pontoon boat with a head and is also covered from the sun. It’s a great platform to introduce kids to fishing on the water and Captain Koenke and his staff go out of their way to make it a fun outing for all.
Fluke action aboard the Gambler Fishing Boat in Point Pleasant has been steadily picking up on each trip as the water temperatures pick up. Fish up to five pounds have not been uncommon. Captain Bogan is on their regular early summer schedule with two fluke trips daily. On Friday and Saturday they are running twilight cruises targeting striped bass. Live baits and or metals have been the best setups and fish over 30 pounds have been commonplace. Thursday nights the Gambler has been running the wrecks in the dark for cod and Pollock fluke and squid.
In Manahawkin, it usually pays to stop in Tony’s Bait and Tackle for information before hitting the water on any fishing expedition. Owner Andy Tonneson has his finger on the pulse of local conditions. When we spoke this week, Andy told me that there was strong action on several fronts. North of Barnegat Inlet, there was a great bass bite with fishermen employing snag and drop tactics in the bunker pods. Outside of the bunker schools, anglers are pulling Tony Maja Bunker Spoons with great success. Fish up to 30 pounds are not uncommon. Bluefish in the inlets and along the beaches of LBI are running in the 1 to 4 pound range. If fluke is on your agenda, Andy suggests both Barnegat and Great bay. Best areas include Oyster Creek and Double Creek locations. Not much happening on blowfish yet but they should show their puffed bellies any day now in the bay. The weakfish bite has been spotty. Andy tells me the water temps have be hovering right around 60 degrees. If you need bait, check out the BAIT BOARD on the Tony’s web site.
The fishing report is so important; I woke Lenny Hahn of Captain Hippos Bait and Tackle in Toms River up from a day off sleep in to probe his mind. Sorry Lenny, I know you need your beauty rest! He told me that the center of the action of late has been east of the shop. Blues and bass can be had on the beaches and in the inlets. Best bet is to find the bunker and chances are you will be on top of the action. Night fishing in the mouth of the river has been productive as well. Anglers using bunker chunks are having the best success. Best spots for fluke have been inside the BB and the B1 buoys in the bay. In the river, small stripers and bluefish rule the waters. Once again Lenny, sorry for the early wakeup.
I dropped in to Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s Center to visit with owner Dave Showell this morning. My primary purpose was to check on the soft shell crab status but also to get the scoop on action in the area. First, AB is loaded with soft shells both for fishing and for eating. Kurt has been using them and having spectacular days around the Mullica on weakfish and white perch. There is plenty of striper activity in that area as well. For flounder, Dave told me that areas like Blackpoint and Main Marsh have been very strong. Dave told me that he is pleasantly surprised by the flounder bite, it being much stronger than he could have hoped for. He recommends anglers consider spearing as he has been finding some nice specimens in his traps. Match the hatch. The Brigantine beaches have been quite busy as well. Stripers, blues and the occasional drum fish are all on the menu there. For you hardcore striper addicts, Dave has live spot available.
Nick at Hands Too Bait and Tackle in Cape May tells me that the fishing remains great at the southern tip of the state. Weakfish are still running strong in places like Higbees Beach, Reeds Beach and in the canals around the ICW. Blood worm pieces are the top bait right now. Flounder wise, Nick tells me that the ICW has been the best producer. A variety of baits are all working. Black Sea bass reports have been a little spotty. There are plenty of croakers in the area. In Delaware Bay, they are in the heart of the Drum Fish migration and the bite remains strong. Clams and night fishing are the pattern to follow. Nick informed me the 20 Foot Slough has been the hot spot this week. With several shark tournaments on the calendar this weekend, Nick tell me the reports in the 750 have been very promising. Several threshers have been taken in the area and there are blues all over the place. No confirmed makos action but the timing is right. Nick suggests keeping an eye on the water temperatures closely as they have been shifting fast.
Ed Berger, General Manager at Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor Township is my contact for the Absecon Island and his information is always rock solid. Ed tells me that the wind in the back has been the recent key to big flounder. Light winds, good action. Heavy winds, everything turns off. The bass bite is still strong on the island, especially around the inlets. George Bucci of Northfield tagged a forty pound line sider on a plug of unknown make. Knowing George, it was a big plug and it was under cover of darkness. Ed also told me they just got in the new Shimano Tiralejo Spinning Rod line. From what I hear, these new rods are top of the line and a must have for every serious surf caster. If you get to the store on Tilton Road, check them out and let me know what you think.
Justin at Fin-Atics Marine Supply in Ocean City tells me the flounder fishing in the bay has been very, very good. There have been more than a few 5+ pound fish brought into the shop for weight verification. The drift towards Kennedy Park has been one of the better areas. Striped Bass still dominate the beach crowd. Anglers using either chunk bunker or clam are hooking into the biggest fish. Bob Dever landed a 35 pound bass on bunker at the south end of the island. There have been several other caught in that vicinity, all in the 30 class. According to Justin, the weakfish bite has slowed down which surprises me because the crabs are in the shed right now and they should be more active. There are tons of 1-4 pound bluefish in the area. Anglers off the new fishing pier are doing well on all species. The night catch has been best there with some nice bass being taken on bunker.
In Sea Isle City, Two Chums bait and tackle is one of my favorite stops whenever I am down there. Always a great place to pick up fresh bait and even fresher information on the local action. When I spoke with Nicole at the shop, she told me that their rental fleet of boats has yet to be skunked by customers renting them for a day of bay fishing. Weakfish are still on the prowl in the bay with anglers using pink or white rubber having good days. With the crab shed in progress, Nicole also recommends shedders as bait. Flounder fishing has been very good. There are bluefish all over the area. Anglers using bunker chunks are still having success with bass up to 20 pounds. Nicole did tell me that the beach bite has slowed a bit but some kingfish have moved into the area. There are also croakers off the beaches and in the bay. Two Chums is one of the few local shops that have a rental fleet of boats available to get you to those tough to reach areas where the big fish hide.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The weather for the weekend looks to be as good as it gets. Most of the flounder action remains in the bay and inlet area but I have received some nice reports from boaters on the reefs. By my log, black sea bass should be in full bloom and I wouldn’t mind testing the waters for them. The beach front has been showing renewed life on striped bass and there are blues in the area to coincide with several big tournaments this weekend. The Greater Atlantic Bluefish Tournament takes place this Saturday and I believe that there will be a real contest this year. I also believe that weakfish should be a great target this weekend. Water temperatures are damn near perfect and the crabs are molting. I wouldn’t leave the dock without a couple of shedders in my bait bucket. I haven’t heard much about the offshore bite but with several big shark tournaments in play, which does not surprise me. There are threshers and blues in the area but the rest is just a guess. Anyway, conditions look to be great this weekend so get out and fish. But stay safe out there. You only get so many days in the game, spend them wisely. See you on the incoming.