Starting Saturday, fluke are back on the menu and based on what’s been reported by boats bottom fishing, it should be a good opener. Keeper fluke have been hitting baits meant for ling, cod and winter flounder in the bays and rivers.
Then on Monday, sea bass season starts.
So, when you add those openings to the furious bluefish action and improving striper bite, things are shaping up nicely for New Jersey anglers.
When it comes to the blues, everyone is singing the same song – incredible action.
John at Keyport Marine Basin said monster blues are biting right at the Keyport Pier. The hot bite is a couple of weeks old now with Raritan Bay as ground zero. Guys are also trolling up bass in the bay on Mojo rigs, rockfish candy and Stretch lures. John even got a report that a fluke hit a Stretch lure in the bay earlier this week.
Phil Sciortino Sr. at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said there has been no letup in the bluefish bite in for his customers. Guys are getting all they want from the back of Raritan Bay to the beaches of Sandy Hook. Bass are being caught, mostly in the back bay, but it’s still tough to get to them through all the blues.
Joe Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands offered a similar version of the bluefish saga, adding that choppers up to 20 pounds hit the beaches in Long Branch this week and the fish have filled out, losing that lean racer look.
The party boats out of Atlantic Highlands, while hoping to find the stripers, are keeping their customers happy with all the bluefish. That’s not to say the bass aren’t biting. The Fishermen, Sea Hunter, Sea Tiger, Dorothy B and Atlantic Star are all getting some bass to add to their catch of blues.
Capt. George Bachert on the Angler out of Atlantic Highlands has been concentrating on bottom fishing, letting his fellow captains chase the blues and bass.
Strong west winds earlier in the week helped the bottom fishing and Tuesday’s trip produced an average of 10 ling per anglers. A lot of nice sea bass came aboard as well, he said, along with three cod and some blackfish.
The Angler will be leaving the dock at 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday to get an early start on the fluke. Tom Giglio at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the bluefish are still thick in the Shrewsbury River, but they’ve also found their way down the beach. Anglers fishing the surf this week caught blues up to 15 pounds.
Tom didn’t call it an out-and-out blitz but he said guys were snagging bunker from the sand and catching blues and a few stripers. One surfcaster was into the fish for about three hours, he said. Bass in the surf are also hitting clams and sandworms.
A little bit to the west, Pete Pawlikowski at Oceanic Marina in Rumson said there’s no shortage of bluefish in the Navesink River these days. What’s missing is good weather. He’s all stocked up for the fluke opener and said a couple of boaters have caught and released some summer flounder.
Much farther west, James at Harry’s Adventure Outfitters in Robbinsville said he’s been fishing pencil poppers from the sandbar at low tide at Island Beach State Park and getting blues up to 20 pounds. Harry’s is all stocked up for the fluke opener as well.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported that the big bass are off the beaches of Monmouth and Ocean counties with fish invading the plentiful bunker schools.
On Monday, Matthews weighed in a 52-pound bass caught by Nick Alfonse of Hamilton aboard an On A Mission charter with Capt. Eric Kerber.
The trophy fish hit a live bunker.
Other bass up to 40 pounds have hit the scales at the Den brought in by boaters trolling Mojo rigs and bunker spoons. Snagging and dropping live bunker has also accounted for a few fish
Matthews has been picking a few bass himself in the rivers using rubber shads. Those fish are in the 10- to 12-pound range. The surf bass run smaller and are hitting bait, plugs and metal.
He’s expecting a good opener to the fluke season. Summer flounder up to 8 pounds have already been caught and released in the Shark River and it appears the river is loaded with fish.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters out of Belmar said he expected the big bass to show soon and he was right. Last Saturday’s charter boated several big fish including a 42 pounder taken on the troll. The rest of the week saw a couple of bass up to 31 pounds and all the monster blues you wanted. One charter came in early due to tired arms.
The Skylarker out of Belmar stuck with bottom fishing this week catching ling, a few cod and some winter flounder. Capt. Steve Spinelli will be concentrating on sea bass starting Monday.
The Reel Seat in Brielle is all set for fluke season as well and owner Dave Arbeitman said his customers are also getting in on the bass and bluefish action in the Manasquan River and at the inlet. The ocean is also giving up bass on the troll.
The cod fishing has been a little slow, but he did get word of another species now in the area
He said he’s had several unconfirmed reports of giant bluefin tuna at the 28-Mile Wreck, the Mud Hole and close to Barnegat Ridge. Obviously, not a fishery for everyone.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
Fluke, bass and bluefish – take your pick. The forecast is the only negative so far with a cool and soggy Saturday predicted. But as a fellow angler pointed out, the fish are already wet. Sunday looks a bit better
The blues can be found almost anywhere while the Raritan Bay and Shrewsbury, Shark and Manasquan rivers hold the most promise for fluke. Gulp, killies and squid are the popular offerings fished with bucktails or regular fluke rigs.
How do I send pics of the fish I catch?
Hey Scott,
You can email them to us at photos@onthewater.com. Looking forward to seeing the pictures!