Southern New Jersey Fishing Report | September 18, 2014

A recent moon, a few cold nights and the results should be easy to see if you are a seasoned angler. The mullet are starting to move from their cozy summer residences. I went down the beach the other morning, at the crack of dawn and verified it with my own eyes. Not in big numbers yet but numbers that are more than acceptable in this writers eyes. But don’t take my word for it, go down and check for yourself. You may even be rewarded like I was. A short bass, some blue fish, a few flounder and even some northern kingfish all came out to greet me. For me, the best part about the fall run is the variety. Some anglers focus on striped bass and bass only this time of year. Not me. This time of year the possibilities seem to be endless. With the amount of bait in the water, the opportunities are seemingly endless. Mullet are only the tip of the iceberg. I was hooking calico crabs and there are plenty of shiners and spearing around. I have even heard of a few redfish being caught in South Jersey. Let’s see if our scouts are having the same visions as I am.

If you are looking to get some time on the water and are around Atlantic City, the High Roller Pontoon Boat in Gardiner’s Basin may be the answer. Captain Mike Tobasso reports that they are still picking up flounder in the Absecon Inlet but the ratio of keeper to throwback has gone up as is normal for this time of year. Bluefish have wandered into the bay as well. The High Roller, a 50’ Pontoon boat sails twice daily. Bait is provided (minnows and strip) and rental equipment is available for a small fee.

Like most of the other head boats, The 90’ Gambler is pushing hard in the remaining days of the summer flounder season and both the fish and weather have been very cooperative. The crew has announced that their last open trip will be Monday the 22nd but there are a few spots open for the Marathon Fluking Trip (Tuesday 23rd). Call now to reserve a spot. But don’t be discouraged. The Gambler has a full schedule of upcoming tuna and exotics trips on the schedule to fill out the fishing season. Reservations are required as all of them are limited seating trips. Call 735-295-7569 or check out their website for additional information at gamblerfishing.net.

If you are a serious Surf Angler and need somewhere to take your equipment for a pre-fall run tune up, might I suggest Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park. Frankie Z there is now a certified ZeeBass Reel Technician. I spoke with Grumpy himself today (still wondering about the name as he always seems pleasant to me) and he told me that life is wonderful at Island Beach State Park. They are still Bucktailing fluke in the surf but have to get through the 2-4 pound blues to do so. Grumpy told me that there are good reports of peanut bunker moving out with the mullet and that has prompted one of the better fat albert runs in years. False Albacore are moving in and out of the surf chasing baits for hours at a time. Load up on metal and have at them is his advice.

Dave Showell of Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s Center fame reminds us not to give up on the back bays and inlets yet if you are searching for table fare. This week has seen keeper flounder, trigger fish and even a striper. All were taken on Berkeley Gulp Baits. There are also plenty of small snapper blues in the Absecon area to keep you occupied. Looking for bait? Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s has all you can imagine, including fresh mullet and live spot. Check them out if you are in the area and heading out. And for you soft shell connoisseurs, Dave still has some shedding in his tanks. Call ahead to place your order.

Lenny Hahn of Captain Hippo’s in Toms River tells me that Snapper blues are still all over the place, especially behind the park. Lenny’s custom tied “lance it” rigs are the key to success. Lenny tells me that the crabbing locally, which has been up and down seems to be in a upswing. There is plenty of baitfish moving in the bay and that probably plays a role there. Hours at the shop will stay the same until we roll back the clocks.
Noel Feliciano at One Stop Bait and Tackle of Atlantic City tells me the mullet are moving in the inlet and beaches and are being followed by some bass and plenty of blue fish in the 2-4 pound range. There have also been several reports of spike weakfish in the area as well as an unconfirmed redfish. The Absecon Island Surf Derby fires the starting gun next week so now is the time to purchase your entry tag and have your vehicle certified if you intend on riding the beaches.

John Yak at The Dock Outfitters in Seaside Heights reports that there is plenty of action in the park, more than enough to keep you and the family busy all day long. Mullet are crowding the beaches and the blues are having a feast as a result. Blues up to 4 pounds are common place by anglers floating mullet as bait or throwing metal to get their attention. Fluke in the surf are targeting spearing which are also thick but seem to be partial to Gulp swimming mullets. John also tell us that the crabbing off their docks is still very good but there seem to be a few more small blue claws in the mix these days. Back to the beaches, John recommends keeping a rod rigged with something like an S&S Slimfish or similar metal so you can be ready when the false Albacore move in to casting range. A wire leader is a good way to prevent donating terminal tackle to the gods of the seas.

At Tony’s Bait and Tackle in Manahawkin, the talk of the day is the bonito and blues being trolled up at the north Barnegat Ridge. If you can’t get out to the ridge , the local reefs are providing some wicked fluke action and the inlets and the vicinity nearby are still giving up flounder, although the throwback ratio is much higher. The beaches are starting to become more active with croakers, spike weakfish and fluke still dominating the action. Decent sized bluefish seem to be everywhere. The mullet are definitely in traveling mode which means the bass should start pushing in. Crabbing remains a little flat. If you are looking for bait before your next trip, be sure to check out the Bait Board on Tony’s Web Site. It will give you an up-to-the-minute accounting of what is available at the shop.

Mike Jung at Peace Token Bait and Tackle in Cape May Court House reports that when the wind let up the fishing resumed its torrid pace. The back bays are still ceding fish to anglers as well as blue claw crabs. Many throwbacks in the mix. Wildwood beach has been inundated with small to mid-sized blue fish chasing the mullet. A Hopkins or Kastmaster metal lure should be all that you need. The rock piles at Cape May Point are starting to give up a few keeper stripers to anglers tossing mullet like lures (the SP Minnow comes to mind) as well as those fishing live mullet. There have also been some weakies and flounder taken underneath the mullet.

The Duke of Fluke in Somers Point is closing up its operations for the season next week so get on your horse if you are looking for some flounder action in the Greater Egg Harbor. This weekend and a few days next week is all she wrote. Captain Brooke Koenke asked me to thank you all for another great season.

Bill Wiggins at Fin-Atics Marine Supply in Ocean City tells me that the mullet off the inlets and beaches there have started to move but the big wave is still to come. Flounder in the surf and at the local reefs has remained hot for the past three weeks. Top spots are the AC and OC reefs. Corson’s Inlet has been the best place to keep a striped bass and that has been under the cover of darkness. I also asked Bill if he can confirm the rumor about some redfish being caught locally and while he has heard the same gossip, he could not confirm any. Bluefish in the inlets and along the beaches are getting bigger and are around in much stronger numbers than the last couple of years. I agree strongly with that assessment and hope that the big boys come in and stay for a while.

Team Tackle Direct (EHT) is not only the top internet seller of fishing gear but also staffed by some of the more knowledgeable anglers when it comes to the local waters. I spoke to GM Ed Berger there this week who tells me that the local flounder bite has been off the charts for a few weeks now and he plans on squeezing every ounce out of it before the season ends. Pick a reef or wreck, and you have a better than good shot of putting a bunch of great flatfish in the cooler. Strip baits and Gulp are the secret sauce. The beaches are starting to heat up as well. Blues can be taken almost at will on metal or lures like a Zara Spook. The mullet is definitely moving but there is plenty of other bait in the surf to attract the attention of stripers, blues, weakfish and yes, the occasional redfish. There have been northern kingfish and some small spot in the wash and rumor has it that a pompano or two are hovering in there with them. Ed is also one of the top dogs of the Absecon Island Surf Derby and asked me to remind everyone that the countdown for this month long tourney has started and the gun shoots next week so warm up your engines. Like the lottery, you need to buy a ticket to play and most of the local B&T’s have them.

Best Bets for the Weekend

This is the last full weekend for flounder fishing so it goes without saying that I am going to recommend having a final go at them. And make no mistake about it, they are still around and hungry as all get out. Besides, no sense saving all those Gulp products for next year. Having said that, the mullet are definitely in the move mode and for a surf rat like me, nothing is better than hitting the beach before dawn and playing the odds. Once the sun comes up strong I plan on targeting redfish which I am still hopeful will make an appearance. After that, it’s a clean slate. Kingfish, blues or flounder come to mind. The weather looks clear but a little windy with an offshore storm. So just stay safe out there. Fishing is supposed to be fun not dangerous. See you on the incoming.