Strong winds and big seas made the fishing a little challenging this week, but as seas calm down, fall run fishing should get well under way.
Steve on the Skylarker found good fishing late last week for ling. He also got into a few schools of bluefish, jigging up fish in the 3-pound range. Porgy fishing has also picked up, and anglers caught scup to 14 inches, reeling in the occasional triggerfish as well.
The freshwater fishing is falling into its autumn pattern, reported the crew at Harry’s Army Navy. Largemouth bass are chasing schools of baitfish in open water, and fishermen are hooking up on poppers and other topwaters.
In the surf, mullet are thick, according to the report from Harry’s. The northeast winds made the beaches unfishable, but as the waves settle down, the striper fishing should pick up.
The fishing was good until Tuesday reported Tom at Giglios. The rough surf put a damper on the bit in recent days, but before the blow, surfcasters were catching bass, blues and albies. With the surf too big, fishermen have turned to the rivers, Tom said, which are loaded with baitfish. Schoolie stripers and small blues are being caught in the backwaters, while bottom fishermen are finding some porgies back there.
Some stripers were being caught on the beach in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach reported the crew at Julians. Off the pier in Keansburg, fishing for porgies and croakers has been very good recently.
Miss Belmar Princess was stuck in dry dock this week an account of the weather. In fact many boats had to stay tied up to the dock until the winds let up and the seas calmed down.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Until the seas calm, focus on the backwaters. Schoolie stripers, bluefish and weakfish will be hunting peanut bunker schools. Fish small white soft plastics around the baitfish schools for the best results. If you want to do some bottom fishing, dunk seaworms or squid of the Keansburg Pier for some porgies and croakers. Freshwater fishing is picking up as well, with largemouth bass hitting topwaters really well right now. Once the ocean calms, the bite will be on as migratory stripers begin to arrive. Once these fish find all the baitfish swimming in Northern New Jersey waters, the fall blitz will be on!
I will be fishing for stripers out of the Townsend Inlet either the Townsend Reef or Wildwood Reef. I have no idea when the stripers arrive. I use to fish out of Barnegat and always started fishing holloween wekend. Can you give me some guidance in timing their run out of Townsend Inlet?
Frank