Our Memorial Day weekend saw some good fishing, but strong South winds dramatically cut down on the bite and left many boaters with heavy fog to contend with at most inlets. The first few days of June should see a rebound as the wind has switched Northeast and should warm up the water temperatures. Striped Bass have been caught in a variety of ways from snagging bunker to trolling spoons, but the key is getting out early. Fluke fishing has been a little tough with higher than normal amounts of slime, snot grass, or another “S” word fouling most lures. It’s not a question of the fish being there, just a matter of getting a clean offering down to them. There has been word of Weakfish hitting soft plastics and bloodworms which hopefully is a good sign for the season. June is a great month as there are so many species for anglers to target, but you have to get out there and fish.
So here’s the rundown:
Gates Bait & Tackle of Point Pleasant Beach reports some Fluke in the Manasquan Inlet, but anglers have to fight through lots of weed to get to them. The Manasquan River has been producing an ultraslow pick of keeper Fluke. Bluefish are still hitting off the rocks, so throw those metals or use chunked bunker. There has been some Stripers off the beaches at night on Swim shads and plugs. There was word of a decent snag-drop bite in the beginning of the week off Spring Lake.
Jason from Fisherman’s Supply of Point Pleasant reported a slow week out-front on Fluke on the Manasquan Ridge and the East end of the Sea Girt Reef due to the cooler water temperatures. The fluking inside the Manasquan River has been “non-existent” from the colder water temperatures and loads of slime. The bite off the Shrewsbury Rocks has been very good for trollers working the 3-mile line and the river has seen some Bass in the low 20-pound range. The Route 35 Bridge to the Point Pleasant canal has been pretty good on Bass for anglers throwing 8-inch Tsunami Shads and S&S Bucktails tipped with Otter Tails.
The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant had some good wreck fishing for a good number of Sea Bass making it over the rail along with Winter Flounder and Ling. The boat has some open-boat trips scheduled for June, so call the boat or check the website for details.
The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant had some action on the morning trips with some keepers and short Fluke coming up. The afternoons were a little tougher due to the South winds which chilled off the water, but this should rebound with the recent change in direction. Anglers bouncing green or white bucktails seemed to pick out the keepers. The Friday night Bluefish trip picked a few fish in the 6 to 10 pound range.
The Gambler had some quick drifts over the weekend and beginning of the week from the heavy South winds. But persistence paid off as the boat picked away at some quality flatties to 4 pounds along with keeper Sea Bass to 3 pounds. The boat will be working the night shift for Striped Bass on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays leaving the dock at 7:30pm and returning by 12:30am. Check the boat’s website for details. Betty and Nick’s of Seaside Park had a good number of reports from Island Beach State Park regarding Bluefish blitzing. They weren’t showing on the surface, but if you threw a popper it was game on. The bay is also still loaded with Bluefish, but the inlet seems to have slowed. The boat scene has had good days on Striped Bass with Seaside to the Lavallette area having the greatest concentration of fish.
Dock Outfitters of Seaside Park reported go action over the weekend and beginning of the week on keeper Stripers and large Bluefish. Bluefish continue to be taken by shore bound anglers both with bait and artificial lures. Cut bunker and clams remains the “go-to” baits, while poppers, swimmers and metals are the lures of choice. Crabbing off the dock remains a pick and Bluefish of mixed sizes have been roaming Barnegat Bay. It’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Fluke are being taken in the inlets by no word about the surf yet. Although the “snot-grass” is a definite issue with fouling most offerings.
Capt. Ted of the Super Chic in Barnegat Light said, “It’s time to get started as the fishing has been very good for monster Bluefish. The Sea Bass fishing has been good as well at his local snags. The boat has a few open dates for June and July.
Carolyn Ann III of Barnegat Light had some mixed results and it all depends on the ocean conditions with the recent South winds. Fishing has been consistent, but you have to work for them. Fresh clam has been the ticket and most anglers are picking anywhere between six fish to limit on any given day.
Creekside Outfitters of Waretown reported good Bassing through Memorial Day weekend with the majority of fish being caught on trolling spoons and Stretch 30’s. Island Beach State Park to Lavallette out near the 3-mile line had pockets of Stripers moving through. The Fluke scene has been a little off due the big presence of “snot-grass” which has been making it hard to show a clean offering. There has been some word on Blowfish near the west side of the bay towards Barnegat.
Andy from Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported a good troll bite on stripers 10 to 15 miles north of Barnegat Inlet in 30 to 60 feet of water. Bunker spoons and Stretch 30’s accounted for the majority of the harvest. Barnegat Inlet and the south bar just outside the inlet still infested with bluefish. Fluke fishing has been frustrating in the bays with all of the brown slime a.k.a. “snot grass”. Hopefully, most of the lure-fouling slime should breakdown and flush out within the next week. Andy spotted two threshers just south of Little Egg Inlet in twenty feet of water harassing some bunker.
Riptide Bait & Tackle of Brigantine reported good fishing over the weekend as many anglers were out fishing the beaches. The shop heard of multiple Bluefish blitzes over the last few days. Stripers have been hitting the surf with fish ranging between 15 and 20 pounds. Bunker chunks have been the hot bait. The NE Gazebo area had lots of weed, but mid-island has been much cleaner. There hasn’t been much word on Fluke in the surf as the water temperatures dipped considerably with the recent South winds.
Absecon Bay Sportsman had good fishing with some decent Fluke being weighed in, but you have to work hard for them. The shop’s tournament for Save the Summer Flounder had some decent weigh-ins with boat “Took it To the Limit” weighing in 5 fish for 12.15 pounds. Second place was Dave Pharo with three Flounder totaling 7.55 pounds and third was Keith McCarthy having 2 fish with a combined weight of 6.35 pounds. Striped bass continue to be had in the back and out front with more fish moving up the coast. There have been a few reports of Weakfish caught and the shop has some good size shedder crabs.
One Stop Bait & Tackle of Atlantic City continues to report “Banging” conditions for the area. Anglers have been doing extremely well on Striped Bass from the Melrose Avenue jetty on fresh Bunker. There has been some Flounder from the jetties, but it has been a little slower due to the cooler water temperatures, but that should start to change. The shop is fully stocked with minnows and Nowell’s favorite Flounder rigs. The shop recommends hitting the marshes around Route 322 and 40 for Striped Bass and Flounder.
Fin-Atics of Ocean City reported good Bluefish around Corson’s inlet with anglers throwing plugs and chunked bunker. Flounder has been off to a good start in the Kennedy Park vicinity showing some fish up to 6 pounds. Rainbow channel and the 9th Street Bridge area have also had some decent action on Flounder. Minnows and Gulp have been the hot baits this past week. On the beachfront, there has been some small Stripers and Bluefish hitting bunker baits. Surfcasters using bloodworms have been scoring on Kingfish.
And to round out our southern Jersey reports, Jim’s Bait & Tackle reports the drum bite remaining solid in the Delaware Bay with fish up to 78 pounds hitting the scales. Most of the boats are still fishing right in the Bayshore channel a few miles out of the Canal. The shop is still getting reports of good Striped Bass catches in the Bay as well. The water temperature jumped 10 degrees which will make these fish move out. There has been Stripers caught on the beach while not in blitzes, but there’s a good chance for a nice fish if you put in a little time. Bunker seems to be the best bait in the surf right now. Croakers are starting to show up in the Delaware Bay and in the Canal. Sea Bass fishing was a little spotty this week which had a lot to do with wind and sea conditions. There are fish on the reefs but the best is still in deeper water.
A few nice Weakfish are starting to come in from several different areas: North Wildwood, Cold Springs Inlet Jetty, Higbee’s Beach, and the Point Jetties. Most of the reports are on Bloodworms, but some are on bucktails and pink Zoom soft plastics.
Fishing Forecast for Southern New Jersey
The early bird gets the worm if your targeting snag-n-drop Striped Bass as most bites will only last until the Sun brightens the sky or fish them late towards dusk. Sea Bass continue to be a great option as anglers can put a decent catch together. Target the reef sites and lone wrecks with fresh clam and it doesn’t take long to get your limit if you find them. And for “flatty” fisherman, use the sonar to find the warmest water which will make the Fluke or Flounder more active. If “snot-grass” or slime is an issue, use slimmer profile baits or naked jigheads tipped with minnow or gulp to target. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines.