Northern New Jersey Fishing Report - May 28, 2015

The Northern New Jersey fishing scene was plagued by a nasty four-letter word this week—Wind. Constant southwest winds have chilled the waters and shut down much of the fishing which, through the weekend, had been pretty good. Unfortunately, some readings this week pegged the water temps at a bone-chilling 46 degrees in the ocean, the result of the constant southwest wind pushing the warmer water offshore. When the warm surface water moves offshore, it’s replaced with cold water from the bottom, which accounts for the large temperature shift. Nevertheless, there were a few bright spots this week, and with a promising forecast over the weekend, New Jersey fishermen can look forward to the best striper fishing of the year over the next few weeks.

Starting in Bayonne, the crew at True World Tackle said boats in the Raritan Bay have been doing well targeting stripers after dark. Eels and chunked bunker are working. From shore, fishermen are catching keeper stripers at Liberty State Park.

Late last week, boats working the bunker schools off Monmouth County caught bass to 54 pounds. The action was fast and furious around the bunker schools. Some of the fish even hit the surf, reported Tom at Giglio’s. Tom said the bass and bunker made landfall twice in the past week with stripers chasing the baitfish onto the sand. Surfcasters at these blitzes caught stripers to 29 pounds, with many fish in the high-teen to low-20-pound range.

In the Navesink River, school stripers are still biting well, but with water temperatures on the rise, Tom suspects the bass will thin out in the coming weeks.

Pete of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing got into the big bass last week, catching fish up to 40 pounds on live bunker. Other fishermen found success trolling with bunker spoons.  Another excellent tactic for large spring run stripers is jigging with swim shads. You can read about that technique in the June Issue of On The Water, for sale now!

Fluke season opened this weekend, and though the conditions left something to be desired, the fishing was okay. For boats that had trouble finding fluke, black sea bass saved the day. Keeper sea bass are loaded on the reefs and wrecks right now, and with the season just a week old, the action is as good as it gets inshore.

Bluefish have largely left the surf of Monmouth County, heading off to parts unknown to terrorize baitfish. The rivers and inlets still have schools of smaller bluefish eagerly taking metal lures, bucktails and occasionally topwaters.

In the Delaware River, the smallmouth fishing has been good reported the folks at Harry’s Army Navy. The striper and shad runs have wound down, but the smallmouth bass are keeping anglers busy. Tube jigs are working, and as the water warms, topwaters will become a viable option as well.

 Best Bets for the Weekend

The wind will be lightening up and turning around, and the striper and fluke fishing should pick right back up this weekend.  Look for schools of large stripers on the bunker schools, and for the fluke bite to improve once again. If the stripers aren’t showing on the surface, going on the troll will save the day. Try bunker spoons or deep-diving plugs. If the fluke bite is slow, hit the reefs with some clams for lock and load sea bass action.