Just when everyone thought the fishing would break loose, last weekend’s brief return to winter set things back a bit as water temperatures headed south.
Thankfully, they’re heading in the right direction again, but it looks like we’ll just have to wait a little bit longer for more consistent fishing.
Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported that plenty of small bass, with some keepers mixed in, continue to be caught along the Raritan Bay beaches. But, he said, the fishery hasn’t hit its stride as yet. A few more warm days with no more cold snaps should improve the bite.
Clams and worms are doing the trick
The bay remains loaded with bunker. Jimmy Morenz at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said there are no bass on them as yet, but it can’t be too much longer. A few early blues were taken in the Port Monmouth area.
He did say a few short bass being caught in the Monmouth Beach surf on clams but that’s all the beach action that’s been reported.
The Oceanic Marina in Rumson has some rental boats in the water and Mike said Easter weekend is normally the unofficial start of the season. The Navesink River is full of bunker, he said, but there’s no fish chasing them as yet. The Shrewsbury River is loaded with bait as well.
Ernie Giglio at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said he’s been selling clams to some anglers giving the beaches there a try, but no one has come back to the shop with a report. As it happens every spring, one day they will just be there.
In Belmar, Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den is at a loss to explain why the winter flounder fishing has been so dismal in the Shark River. He’s calling it poor at best.
His only explanation is that the water never really got that cold and the flatties may have made an early exit. We should know soon enough if that’s the case.
The bunker are thick there as well, but so far they remain unmolested. It won’t be long before bass bite picks up, he said, and he’s looking forward to the opening of trout season on April 9.
The Ocean Explorer continues to sail practically every day out of Belmar and is finding cod, ling and pollock, but not in any great numbers. The boats out of Brielle, the 125-foot Jamaica and Jamaica II, are catching fish as well on wreck trips, but it’s been a bit slow.
Joe Mellilo at Castaways Bait and Tackle in Point Pleasant said the winter flounder are making a better showing in Barnegat Bay, with most of the action near the Mantoloking Bridge. He also said some fish are being taken from the mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal. The bite is far from hot, but some nice flounder are being caught.
With Wednesday’s warm weather, I gave it a shot with some blood worms. For most of the time, it was an incoming tide. While I got skunked, the fishing picked up when the tide switched and Tony Concalvas landed a fat 16-inch fish and John Letizia got a 14 incher. Both anglers are from Brick.
Joe and Emma Shumaro were fishing with their dad in the same area a few days earlier and landed a 3 pounder, which they weighed in at Brielle Bait and Tackle.
The report from Dock Outfitters in Seaside Heights was of small bass and winter flounder in the bay, but still no bass on the beach. Phil from the shop said there’s a lot of bunker and herring around so the stripers can’t be far behind.
Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park painted a similar picture, and added that more folks are headed to the beach with clams to give it a try, but there are no weigh-ins as yet.
The action is picking up at Graveling Point with Scott’s Bait and Tackle weighing in more keepers in the last the few days. Mike Worrall got a 9-pound, 30-inch fish and a bunch of shorts using worms. The outgoing tide looks to be best. The shop continues to prepare for its big Bait and Tackle Show on April 2.
Dave at Absecon Bay Sportsman said the fishing is picking up again after the ugly weekend. It’s mostly small stripers on worms, but there have been a few fat keepers. The white perch are hitting grass shrimp in the rivers and creeks but they’ve been a bit difficult to locate.
The bunker and herring are everywhere, he said, and he’s expecting the spring bluefish shortly.
Although some might think the fishing is behind schedule, Dave said conditions are about three weeks ahead of where they were at this time last year. That may be of little comfort to those, like myself, who’ve come up empty handed recently.
Ed at Fin-atics in Ocean City said small bass are being caught at 9th Street on clams and soft plastics. The bass and perch are also in the Tuckahoe River. Again, one has to scout around for the white perch as they don’t seem to be staying in one spot for long.
New Jersey Fishing Forecast
The most consistent fishing remains the bass bite along the Raritan Bay beaches. The weather forecast is for cooling temperatures but it will be sunny, which will help warm the water along the flats. The bays and rivers in the southern part of the state are also producing a good number of stripers, if not a lot of keepers. And you can also try clams in the surf. The bass are bound to show one day soon.
I ‘ve tried the Delaware bay at Fortisque ,there where a few other anglers out but no stripers just some white Perch .also tried the river at the old rail bridge in Mays Landing with nothing happening there. Tried Corsons Inlet there where plenty of people fishing but no catching going on there went on the 2 hours of the incoming high tide and stayed 2 hours on the outgoing and nada came back for 2 hours of the out going low tide and 3 hours of the incoming tide caught nada , also went to Gardeners Basin in Atlantic City ,Absecon Inlet for 4 hours and again caught nada ,will keep searching until the fish are found then will put the boat in ,it is ready except for strapping down the fuel tank that should be done tomorrow .
Yes, Michael. I agree. Back bays from the Delaware bays on the Jersey side are doing much better at catching perch on worms.