The fall run is slowly starting to make its way into Northern New Jersey. Striper fishing is improving, albies are in, and bluefish action is picking up. Fluke season wraps up on Monday, but there were some great catches this week, so it’s looking like anglers will be able to end their season on a high note.
Big schools of mullet in New York Harbor have brought out keeper stripers reported True World Bait and Tackle. Fluke fishing was good in Ambrose Channel this week with fish to 10 pounds taken. Big bluefish have also moved into Ambrose, as well as the waters off Coney Island.
Rob at Harry’s Army Navy reported that the arrival mullet in the surf has woken up the resident stripers from Sandy Hook to Seaside. Weakfish are being caught off Seaside as well, Rob reported.
Albies, blues and fluke are coming out of the Sea Bright surf reported Giglio’s Bait and Tackle. Fluke are falling for Berkley Gulp or squid strips fished on 2-ounce bucktails like the S and S Rattletail. Chartruese has been the hot color. Peanut bunker have brought false albacore into the beaches where surfcasters have caught a few by casting metal lures and retrieving them quickly across the surface. In the Navesink River, peanuts and spearing have kept snapper blues and schoolie stripers fat and happy.
Surfcasters are catching stripers by hitting the beach before daybreak and throwing small poppers or swimming plugs. Bluefish have been feeding heavily around Keyport. In the rivers, snapper blues and blue crabs are keeping fishermen busy. Sandy Hook Reef and the Ammo Pier are producing porgies for bottom bouncers. Clam and squid strips are producing the plate-sized porgies.
Get to the beach early to catch stripers reported the Bait Shop in Bradley Beach. The stripers are hitting small swimmers and poppers, but once the sun rises a few degrees above the horizon, the bite shuts off, so getting to the beach while it’s still dark is essential. Most of the stripers have been between 22- and 24-inches, but the occasional keeper-sized fish is being caught. The mullet moving out of Shark River Inlet have been fueling this early morning striper bite. In Shark River, fluke are still being taken. Snapper blues are “all over” hitting small metals.
Clients aboard Parker Pete Sportfishing caught fluke to 8.5 pounds on the reefs this week. The week highlight was a thresher shark hooked on a bucktail, fought for 40 minutes, but lost at boatside.
Steve at Skylarker Sportfishing said there are lots of fluke out there, but not many keepers.
The Belmar Princess found some big bluefish this week. The blues arrived with schools of adult bunker, and they expect the fishing to improve. The blues were set up over the lumps, with the largest fish approaching 20 pounds.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Set the alarm for 4:00 a.m. and hit the beach for stripers. Throw poppers and small swimmers until a little after sunrise, then, switch over to bucktails tipped with Gulp or squid to target fluke. Be sure to have some metals on hand in case false albacore show up in the surf.
Fluke season ends on Monday, and the fishing has been good, so you may want to focus on fluke since it will be the last shot until next season. Ambrose Channel has been fishing well, but quality fish are turning up at the reefs as well.
Always appreciate the effort everyone puts into the fishing reports. Just wanted to say Thanks ?
I think fluke season ends on Sat the 26th