Our first week of August was ushered in by some strong storms and a few days of Northeast winds which have cooled the air temperatures, but warmed the waters. The incoming temperatures have been 73 to 75, which was a big change from a week prior. Although the winds kept most fisherman at the docks, it should ignite our coastal Summer Flounder bite at a majority of the wrecks and reef sites. Don’t be surprised if a few pelagic species are caught around the reef sites with the warmer water. Anglers should keep their ears open as I have heard rumblings of the Army Corps of Engineers wanting to use sand from the Manasquan Ridge for beach replenishment, which would have unfortunate consequences for our fisheries.
So here is this week’s rundown:
The crew at Gates Bait & Tackle in Point Pleasant Beach reported lots of bait and life in the Manasquan inlet with Fluke being boxed up to 5 pounds. The Fluke fishing dropped off a bit at the Sea Girt and Axel Carlson, but it does still have some fish around just not a plentiful. There has been steady action on Bluefish and Hickory Shad at the inlet during the early morning and late afternoon. The Point Pleasant canal has had some small Stripers being caught on finesse, bucktails, and plugs. There wasn’t much word on Tuna or offshore action due to the unfavorable sea conditions.
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported some rather slow ocean conditions this past week with the weather and winds being a factor. There has been some decent action in the Manasquan Inlet, and fair action in the Manasquan River. There has been some schoolie Bass landed at night around the bridges for anglers throwing soft plastics.
The crew aboard the MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant had their hands full with Fluke and Sea Bass making it over the rail. Captain Ken said it has been pretty solid fishing when the conditions are right, and the boat has some Open Boat trips on August 8th and 15th.
The Gambler out of Point Pleasant has been doing well on Fluke up to 5 pounds when the winds and swell cooperate. It was a little tough to hold bottom early in the week, but the boat expects a quick rebound with the warmer water temperatures brought in by the Northeast winds.
The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant had some tough conditions over the weekend with decent action, but a little slow on the keeper side of things. Most of the keepers have ranged from legal to 5 pounds, and the crew expects some good fishing for the remainder of the month. Bluefish have been very cooperative on the night trips with 1 to 2 pounders coming over the rail steadily with most anglers getting their limit.
Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported a rather slow week with some fish around, but anglers really have to work hard at catching them, even with the Island Beach State Park reduced size limit. There have been some small Bluefish in the Barnegat Inlet, and that area reopens this upcoming Monday (August 8th) as the Piping Plovers have fledged. The areas have been closed for a while so it should be primed and loaded with fish. Crabbing has been good to excellent in most bay locations.
Dock Outfitters in Seaside Park reported small to keeper size Fluke and 2- to 4-pound Bluefish in the surf zone on Island Beach State Park. The number of Fluke in the surf seems to be increasing daily, and anglers fishing bucktail jigs tipped with Gulp have been accounting for the majority of keeper Fluke, while cut mullet on spiked rods are picking off the passing blues.
Capt’n Hippo in Toms River mentioned that Fluke fishing inside is pretty steady with fish biting on both sides of the tide in the bay. Oyster Creek and Double Creek channels have been producing but you really have to work to find the keepers. The ocean was pretty good along the Bathing Beach along Island Beach State Park earlier in the week.
The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light reported good summer fishing for Fluke and it should get better each week. The boat has been on some small Bluefish in the 1- to 3-pound range with Atlantic Bonita mixed in at some of the offshore lumps. Trolling during the day, and chumming at night has been good with fish caught on both jigs and bait. The water color has been improving so the bonito fishing should start to get better. There are dates open for overnight tuna in September and October, so contact the boat for details.
The Carolyn Ann III out of Barnegat Light had a tough early part of the week with the winds blowing all day. Anglers could barely hold bottom with 12oz., but they did manage to catch some fish in the tough conditions. The winds will be lessening towards the end of the week, and with the switch in wind direction the fish should really start to chew.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported good fishing Double Creek channel and High Bar, but it has mainly been on the outgoing tide. There have been some weakfish around early in the morning and in some deeper holes for anglers chumming with grass shrimp. Crabbing has been very good around Oyster Creek channel and in the lagoons. There have been a few reports of blowfish, but they have been pretty slow in action with about 15 fish per hour.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported the Fluke fishing in Barnegat Bay has been moving slowly closer to the inlets. The areas around both Barnegat Light and Little Egg Inlets have produced fish. The crabbing continues to be good around the sedges and marshes with some big jimmies close to 7 inches point to point. There hasn’t been much word on Ocean fishing this week as the sea conditions kept a lot at the dock.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported Kingfish all over the beaches from the north end to south end of Brigantine. Bloodworms has been the hot ticket with lesser bites coming from Fish-Bites. Sharks have been hitting Kingfish heads and Mackerel, and the shop is fully stocked with surf shark rigs. Flounder have been biting out front around the inlets.
Absecon Bay Sportsman said it is officially “Flounder-time” with quality fish just about everywhere. The inland waterway has had lots of shorts, but enough keepers to keep anglers happy. Bigger fish have been more common this year with a bunch making it on the scales ranging from 5 to 8 pounds. Weakfish can be found in the deeper holes and towards the mouths of the rivers in early morning. Most fish are ranging from 16 to 18 inches.
One Stop Bait & Tackle in Atlantic City reported that fishing has been hot, and it’s a shore-bet for Kingfish, Flounder, Tog, and Triggerfish. The sea-wall towards the end of New Hampshire Avenue, the T-jetty, and adjacent jetties have been red hot on action. Shop owner Noel reports that one angler had 33 throwbacks and 3 keepers while fishing for a couple of hours.
Fin-Atics of Ocean City had a good Flounder bite along the Route 52 Bridge and around Corson’s Inlet on bucktails tipped with Gulp. The reef sites have been good for Flounder, but there weren’t that many reports the past couple days with the wind and sea conditions.
Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Cape May reported that Massey’s shutdown on Yellowfin. There were some fish reported on the troll along the edge of the Elephant Trunk and down toward the Tea Cup. There has been some Yellowfin showing up on the 19 Fathom Lump, but not in the numbers that were at Massey’s. The inshore troll is picking up with more reports of Dolphin starting to show on the inshore lumps and around the Sea Bass pots. The Fluke fishing continues to be slow on the Reefs and at the Old Grounds, but it is holding up pretty well in the backwaters. There are plenty of Kingfish in the Delaware Bay and in the Cape May Rips. Some of the party boats have switched from Fluke to the Kings until the bite picks back up. Bloodworms or Fish Bites are working best for the Kingfish. The Croakers are just starting to show up in the Canal. The surf is about the same with good numbers of Kingfish being caught, a lot of short Fluke, and some spike Weakfish. There have been offshore reports of a Bigeye bite in the Wilmington and another in the Tom’s Canyon, hopefully it continues.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
If you plan on Fluke fishing, whether by boat or land, concentrate your efforts near the inlet areas as most of the Fluke are starting to stage and proceed out of our bays. Bucktailing with Gulp or live bait seems to be doing the best for keepers. If you have a chance to get small snappers, live-line them for doormats. The surf has a variety of species which make it perfect to introduce small children, especially when the Kingfish are biting strong. Boating anglers will definitely have some decent shots at Mahi with the influx of warmer water, so hit any floating debris. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!