For those of you who do not limit their endeavors to one venue or species, it is definitely not panic time. Yes, flounder has closed for the season. No, Black Sea Bass hasn’t reopened. But there are plenty of opportunities left to choose from. The waters are still teeming with bait and are slowly moving into the target range in regard to temperatures. Provided Mother Nature doesn’t throw us a curve ball, we should be able to close this season out in style. And our job at On the Water is to keep you on the fish. We try to stay proactive, tell you what is coming down the pipe not what has already passed us by. It’s time to get the big gear tuned up and let us keep an eye on the water for you. We spend a lot of time developing a trusted scouting team. All you need to do is train for the fight. Let’s look at what we see on the horizon.
Starting in my backyard, I dropped in and spoke with Captain Dave Showell of Absecon Bay Sportsmen’s Center who is always monitoring the bait in the area. For those of you hoping for a spot showing, they just aren’t there. Dave has some but has been importing them from points south of Delaware Bay. There are some nice striped bass in the bay still, Dave has been nailing them in the holes of Broad and in the Main Marsh. Most of the local action in both the bay and beach front has been limited to bluefish in the 2-3 pound range. There have also been some nice tautog taken off the rocks in Brigantine and AC but quite a few shorts are needed to get to your one allowed keeper.
The Gambler (Point Pleasant) has a special Inshore Tuna Trip coming up on October 13th but it is limited to 30 passengers. Not sure how many open seats there are left, but I would contact Captain Bob Bogan asap if you are interested. The Gambler also has a few more offshore trips scheduled this fall, also with limited seating so you have that opportunity as well. The Gambler will resume stripers trips come November 1st.
Tackle Direct is holding its semi-annual Canyon Clearance Sale at the store on Tilton Road in Egg Harbor Township this Saturday and Sunday. I can personally attest to the deals that you can there on some top flight fishing tackle. Up to 75% off. Great time to load up on those early Christmas presents, even if they are for you. You can thank me later.
In Toms River, our go-to guy for scouting reports is Lenny Hahn of Capt’n Hippo’s Bait and Tackle. The primary game in town is bluefish in river right now. People are still crabbing but Lenny’s says that the yield is slowing down. Meyer’s Hole, Research Buoy and the 40 can are all holding some nice blowfish. All you need is some small hooks and most importantly, a chum pot. Capt’n Hippo’s has both along with most of the other baits you need this time of year. There are some stripers hugging the banks and can be had with a nice top water plug.
The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach isn’t letting the closing of fluke and sea bass hold them back from deep water fishing. They have been sailing every day for ling and cod and doing quite well according to Captain Ken Keller. And once Sea Bass opens back up on October 18th, they will be adding those tasty treats to the target list.
According to John Yak at the Dock Outfitters in Seaside Heights, the best chance for a keeper bass would be in the area from Island Beach State Park to Ortley Beach. The action still isn’t consistent but some fish are being taken in that area, mostly on clams. There are still nice blues in the surf and can be attracted with metal, poppers or cut baits. In the back water, school sized bass are still mixing with smaller blues and hitting small metal and other artificials. John tells us that there is finally a decent herd of blowfish in all the usual spots. Crabbing is slowing down but customers at the Dock are still bringing home enough for a tasty meal.
The Carolyn Ann III (Barnegat Light) hasn’t been sailing lately due to the lack of available targets on the bottom. It’s not that the fish aren’t there but not enough species are currently open for action. But not to worry, they will resume activity come October 18th when black sea bass re-opens.
Speaking of Long Beach Island, Bill Heitzmann of Bill’s Surf and Tackle in Harvey Cedars reports that the water temperatures in the surf are still holding to the high 60’s even with the chill we have been getting. As such, the fishing has been somewhat limited to bluefish on the island. There have been some stripers caught, mostly on clam or fresh mullet but nothing big enough to be entered in the recently started LBI Surf Derby. There is more than enough bait in the area with bunker and sand eels being the most prevalent. Remember that when you are setting up. In the back, Bill recommends bluefish, blowfish and blue claw crabs. He has also been selling a lot of green crabs to rock hoppers chasing tautog. So on LBI there is plenty to do while waiting for the migration to move southwards.
In Point Pleasant Beach, there are few better place to get a read of the current and future conditions then Fishermen’s Supply Company. I spoke with Jason at the shop today who informed me that the rivers have actually been good for nice sized striped bass with anglers using eels and or paddle tale lures having the most fun. For the beaches, Jason recommended first and last light and the area from Spring Lake to Sea Girt as the places to be. Offshore has been sketchy of late with wind and weather keeping many but the biggest vessels tied to the dock. But when they do get a report it has been the Hudson and Fish Tails where the bite has been the strongest. Big Yellow and Long fin tuna with the occasional swordfish. Jason hears that chunking has been the way to go. There are still plenty of Mahi around in all the same areas. Inshore, there are still albies and slammer blues around but they are a ways out. Water temperatures in the PP area are coming down slowly. But Jason sees plenty of bait in the area including peanut bunker, sand eels and even some nice runs of mullet moving south.
If you need some quality tog or sea bass rigs to restock your supply for the upcoming seasons, head over to Cape May Court House and hit Peace Token Bait and Tackle. Their custom tied rigs are some of the best on the east coast. Owner Mike Yung reports that the local bite has been limited to blues off the beaches and tog off the jetties. There have been a few redfish caught in the area and kingfish have been good one day and gone the next. If you like perch fishing, the Maurice River has probably been the place to go in the state. Big white perch and plenty of them. Mike recommends Cold Spring Jetty if you are desperate for a keeper striped bass. It has been the most consistent spot on the local map.
Mike at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park tells me the main action on Island Beach is still bluefish in the 3-5 pound range but he is seeing more activity with striped bass lately. First light seems to be best with fishermen having success with Bomber Lures. There are good bait signs all along the beach. Mike also asked me to thank all the gang from the shop who went out on their recent “annual Tuna Fest” with the Gambler Party boat. Captain Bob Bogan of the Gambler put them on the long fin and yellow fin at the Hudson and they returned with over 20 nice fish. Considering the trip was limited to 20 anglers and they had up to 8 foot seas, I would say that is a booming success. Great going guys but next time, how about an invite for yours truly.
Noel Feliciano of One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City tells me not to worry about the casinos if you are heading there. The real action has been on the sand. And in the water. The striped bass bite is best under the stars on the north end of Atlantic City. Ells and black bombers are angler’s favorite choices. There are medium to big blues around during the day on fresh mullet and metal. Noel also told me that he saw some really nice blues being taken on the WHP by the Delilah Road Off Ramp with anglers soaking clams there. The T Jetty has been giving up tog left and right but you may have to toss a couple of back before you get a keeper. One other bit of information noel passed along was the sand eels are starting to pop up off the beaches. That means you need to break out the metal to me. I would definitely slip a Jetty Ghost or two into my plug bag.
The LBI Surf is definitely showing renewed signs of life this week with bluefish and smaller striped bass being the main attraction. That is what I am hearing from the crew at Tony’s Bait and Tackle in Manahawkin. They suggest mullet and metal for the blues and poppers for the stripers. After a late arrival, the blowfish are hanging in there around the inlet. BB Buoy and B1 Buoy have had the best concentrations of puffers. Manahawkin Bay has been good as well. Tony’s has live spot and if you are looking for some keeper stripers, try floating some on either side of the Dike where more than a few have been showing up. BTW, don’t forget to check out the “bait Board” on the Tony’s web site to see what is available before you hit the water.
I spoke with Justin at Fin-Atics Marine Supply this week to get the skinny on what is going on in Ocean City and the surrounding area. Justin fishes almost as much as he works and is always a good source of patterns. Tog off the rocks anywhere in the area has been the best bet this week. An 8 pound white chin was taken earlier in the week off one of the jetties out front. Blues are still all over the surf and bay. Most are in the one to three pound range and plugs or cut mullet are a safe bet for a few. Kingfish have been reported off the OC Fishing Club pier by members using bloodworms. Justin told me that with the warm waters in the area, crabbing is holding steady and suggested the 34th street area for blue claws. Corson’s inlet out front and any of the sod banks in the back are where you should look for striped bass. Nothing huge yet but keepers can be had in the dark and at first light. Justin tells me they had a few days with mullet in the area so use that as a guideline for bait choices.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Well, we are in a transition period and you have to work a little harder to find some action. Water temperatures are still relatively warm, and that plays into the planning. The AC buoy reads in at 69 degrees as I type this. We are coming off a “Blood Moon” which means the bait and game fish are feeding more in the dark so early morning and late afternoon seem to be the hot times for catching. The weather for Friday into Saturday looks to be more than a little unsettled so keep that in mind as well. But we are stacked with bait and I have had more than a few people tell me they are seeing sand eels in the area. Match the hatch and do your homework and you should be OK. If you are looking for crabs, I doubt there is much left so that is a great option as well. Remember, fishing is supposed to be fun. But stay safe out there. See you on the incoming.