What a Memorial day weekend! The weather was awesome, making for a nice showing at the area’s beaches, unfortunately the winds couldn’t cooperate. This week, the wind has been blowing steadily out of the south and will continue to do so through the weekend, making for tough fishing outside and creative drifting inside.
On a positive note, black sea bass season is finally open. The striped bass bite has been on and off, with the early-morning and dusk hours giving anglers the best shots at catching using artificials and snag-and-drop. Outside of those times, striper fishing has required slow-trolling. Anglers from Brielle to Cape May drifting the back bays, inter-coastal, and tidal creeks had nice shots at fluke when fishing the right tide and contending with the gusty winds.
Greg from Brielle Bait & Tackle gave a shout out on the party boat action on striped bass and bluefish feeding on bunker outside Manasquan Inlet. The Manasquan River had lots of short fluke with an occasional keeper caught on rigs tipped with a squid-and-killie combo. The surf was giving up a few stripers fished early and late, while the boats trolling spoons picked up fish into the 30 pound range.
Capt. Ken from the MIMI VI got on the stripers early with snag-and-drop fishing outside the inlet, and he is targeting sea bass with the start of the season this past Wednesday.
Capt. Bob from the Gambler targeted fluke over the weekend, finding a mix of keepers and shorts. The water is still cold making for a sluggish bite. The boat will run ½-day fluke trips every day, while on Friday and Saturday evenings they will target striped bass until the run subsides.
The Norma K III also targeted fluke over the weekend picking up short fluke with a few keepers, but the heavy south winds put a slowdown on the bite making for colder water temps and quick drift speeds. On the night bluefish scene, they had a consistent bite, but due to the winds had to anchor up.
Ray from Jersey Hooker Outfitters mentioned that the rivers provided a slower fluke bite with short to keeper ratios at 20:1 on the spearing and Gulp combinations. The “new” Gulp Mantis shrimp (pearl white) provided higher hookup rates. Striped bass are still in the canals and rivers with the occasional keeper being waxed. Blues were moving out with more being caught near and around the inlets. Regarding boaters, the shop got word that areas south and north of Asbury “went off” with snag and drop and trolling bunker spoons like the Tony Maja’s.
Surfside along Island Beach State Park, Brian from Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle said the bite slowed down due to the tide. Anglers fishing the night tides or second tides had much better luck with blues and bass, with most of the weigh-in’s being from the night bite. Some nice 20-pound bass were weighed. Nighttime plugging with Bombers or SP Minnows retrieved slowly were the best bet for hookups, while bottom rigs baited with bunker or bivalve provided consistent action. Since there are plenty of dogfish are around, you’ll have to fish through them to get at the bass.
Phil from Seaside Park had anglers picking up 5- to 7-pound bluefish in the bay from Seaside Park to Barnegat Inlet, it seems most of those bigger blues moved out. The ocean temps dropped due to these recent strong south winds, but anglers turned bayside, boxing flatties on Gulp and spearing from the BB to the BI bouys. Phil added that Myer’s Hole area had some big fluke up to 28 inches.
Back in the Toms River, Lenny from Capt’n Hippos reported white and yellow perch still inhabiting areas around Mathis Park. Anglers have also been picking at bluefish with metals, he said. Short striped bass have been hitting up the Toms River, and fluke have been caught on the jigs and rigs tipped with squid. Blue crabs are starting to make their way and can be targeted using bunker in the warmer water.
Better Bait & Ice gave a report that fishing was starting to really pick up this week if it wasn’t for the south winds. Anglers have been landing keeper stripers on the troll about two miles outside IBSP, and some keeper fluke have been caught in the warmer areas of Barnegat Bay. The shop has reported some nice blueclaws on bunker.
The Barnegat Light boats reported some good fishing but slow catching, this past Memorial day weekend with Capt. Ted White of the Super Chic giving a solid jigging of bluefish just outside the reaches of Barnegat Inlet. The striped bass fishing was a little slow over the weekend on the snag and drop. This week the boat is starting wreck trips with the opening of sea bass and target some of their “primo” snaggy areas. Gina from the Carolyn Ann III fished in the heavy winds over the last few days for fluke with cold results. The recent south winds have chilled the water temps and the bite, but the bluefish have been cooperating. Anglers have waxed bluefish to 8 pounds and keeper fluke in Barnegat Inlet underneath the blues. The boat will be sailing daily with the opening of the sea bass season and looking forward to putting some meat on the table.
Evan from Creekside Outfitters reported good fluking in Double Creek and Oyster Creek channels with the backside of the Dike providing better keeper action. Gulp and killies, and spearing have been the “GO-TO” baits, boxing keepers up to 6 pounds. Stripers are still being caught from Lavallette to Barnegat Inlet to the 3-mile line trolling spoons. Bluefish have moved out of the bay, but are still occupying the inlets and area beaches and have been caught on a variety of lures with diamond jigs and surface poppers providing the best action. Crabs are slowly starting to show in some of the lagoons from Barnegat to Forked River.
Giving the Long Beach Island report, Andy from Tony’s Bait & Tackle reported Striped Bass are still being taken trolling and on live-lined bunker. Most action has occurred from 2 to 11 miles up from Barnegat Light inlet, and also 2 miles outside Brigantine. Of course, within the 3 mile line. Fluke had a quiet opening mainly due to the winds and lack of anglers participating, while bluefishing in the inlet has been very consistent. Crabbing continues to be horrendous with not a huge showing as in past years. It will hopefully pick up with the moon phase this coming month.
Brigantine beaches southward reported big stripers up to 32 pounds according to Andy from Riptide Bait & Tackle. The fluke have been biting in the back from Intercoastal markers in the 170’s, Broad Creek, and Middle Thorofare, and a nice 5-pound weakfish was boxed while drifting for flatties by Sierra Monk. Dave Showell from Absecon Bay Sportsman commented that “winds are a blowing down here”, which made for some tough fishing. He did have some local sharpies pounding the backwaters with fluke close to 7 pounds. Bluefish have disappeared from the back, but have took up temporary residence in Little Egg Inlet. The weakfish bite should really pickup with this upcoming shed, according to Dave.
As the casino players pull the slot arms, the fisherman have been pulling in the fish. The Atlantic City area has been on fire with good fishing, reports Noel from One Stop Bait & Tackle. Striped bass, weakfish, and bluefish taken from T-Jetties, Melrose Ave jetty, and Flagship jetties. A few kingfish have been caught on bloods, and fluke have been boxed in the back channels on live minnow. The shop is packed to the gills with minnows – so check them out.
Offshore action has provided plenty of sea bass opportunities according to Capt. Mike from Stray Cat Charters and the action in the canyons has been yellowfin and shark. The captain has a few remaining weekends open for shark and tuna, and will also be booking for trolling trips through July. Tackle Direct reports quality fishing in the back for fluke from Lakes Bay to Margate on Gulp Shrimp in the pearl white and new penny colors. Offshore is still providing action as last week’s with Tuna in the Baltimore and Poor Man’s canyon. There has been quite a few stripers and weakfish caught at night in and around Corson’s Inlet.
Ocean City area through Sea Isle City has also been hot for fluke according to Fin-Atics, with good numbers of keepers being boxed in Rainbow channels and areas near the OC airport. Minnow and mackerel combos have been the key. On the area beaches, bass and bluefish have still been cooperating for a consistent night bite. While in the deep blue, the Spencer canyon provided decent trolling action on tuna, and also tilefish on the drop.
Sea Isle to Stone Harbor has also provided nice backbay and back-channel fluking according to Mike from Sea Isle Bait & Tackle. Southward they have seen a majority of the keeper fluke caught on minnows. Anglers fishing the tide in Ludlam’s Bay, Ludlam’s Thoroughfare, and Townsend’s Sound have picked up keeper fluke. The shop’s opening day fluke tournament had 133 anglers participate and the winning fluke weighed 5.9 pounds netted angler Tim S $2660 dollars in cash. Striped bass were still biting in the surf through the weekend on clam and bunker chunks.
The Cape May area saw a recent slowdown in the drum-fishing bite on the Delaware Bay, while fluking heated up in the areas of Jarvis Sound, Middle, and Lower Thoroughfares. The area jetties around the entrance to the Cape May Canal are still producing bass and weakfish on artificials and cut-bait.
Best Bet for this Weekend
Based on NOAA’s forecast, the backwaters may be your best bet to box some quality fluke on the jig or rig. If you can peek outside, early morning or late-late afternoon seems to provide the best shot at snag and drop fishing, but you have to find active feeding bass on the pods. Meanwhile if you want to reel up some sea bass, jump on one of the local party boats as the winds won’t affect them as much when their on the hook.