September is officially here and hopefully the Fluke fishing continues as historically it is the best month for doormat quality flatties. We only have one problem which are storms of the tropical variety. If they come up the coast, the swells can definitely put them off the feed and on a beeline to the East. I’m already hearing of big Fluke already 15 plus miles out from local divers, so let the migration begin. Anything tropical, will surely speed it up. Most of the reef sites in southern NJ have been pretty good on Fluke. There has been
Gates Bait & Tackle in Point Pleasant Beach reported excellent Fluke action at the Axel Carlson with Fluke over 10 pounds being landed. Bucktails tipped with Gulp and Spearing have been providing most of the keeper action for anglers. There were some keeper Sea Bass taken from both the Axel and Sea Girt Reef sites. There was some offshore action in the Canyons on Mahi and Marlin, but slower bites on Tuna. The Manasquan River has had some schoolie Striped Bass action at night around some of the Bridges. Most fish have been caught on soft plastics and are in the 18- to 26-inch range.
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported good Fluke action on the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt Reef, but it’s been better on the Axel. Bucktails tipped with Gulp Grub tails have been the deadly combination for keeper Fluke. Always try to use the lightest bucktail possible for the drift and 2 to 4 ounce have been working as of late. The recent swell has definitely slowed the bite down. Schoolie Striped Bass continue to provide action for anglers looking to fish the night shift and most action has been centered around the Bridges and Point Pleasant Canal on soft plastics. The Manasquan Inlet has had some small Bluefish around and Fluke being taken from the edges.
The Gambler out of Point Pleasant has been getting some nice Fluke and Sea Bass at the local snags. Anglers using Gulp with bucktails have been scoring better. In addition to bottom fish, the boat has been catching a lot of mackerel lately as a by-catch. The Mackerel can either be used as future shark and fluke baits, or can be eaten if kept on ice as soon as they are caught.
The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant reported good Sea Bass and Ling fishing from some of Capt. Ken’s choice wrecks. When conditions are right, the Winter Flounder bite has been borderline EPIC providing boat limits on multiple trips. The boat is booking some of its Canyon trips and also has a few open-boat trips available. It is best to check with the boat for details.
The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant has been doing well as of late with good numbers of Fluke making it over the rail and in the pail for anglers. There are some nice Sea Bass taken to round out the month. The boat has been doing equally well on both morning and afternoon trips, but it all depend on the drift conditions. Gulp baits, bucktails, whole squid, and squid and spearing combinations have been working. Most of the pool winners have been in the 5 to 6-pound range.
Betty and Nicks Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported better Fluke fishing for guys bucktailing the surf. There are some small snapper Bluefish around that can be easily caught on small chunks or small metal jigs. Early in the week anglers reported spike Weakfish around the southern end of Island Beach State Park, and there has been a consistent bite on sharks and rays off the surf at night. Crabbing and Blowfish are holding strong in the back waters.
Dock Outfitters in Seaside Park reported good surf fishing prior to the swell and with rough surf conditions making it tougher to fish later in the week. There are some Kingfish around, along with snapper Bluefish. The kings have been hitting small hooks tipped with clam, worm, or FishBites during the day. Nighttime has seen some nice-sized rays being caught along with some Sand-Tiger sharks.
Capt’n Hippos in Toms River had good reports of Blowfish from the BB to the “42” Marker with both sides of the bay producing with heavy chumming. Fluke fishing has been fair with most successful anglers concentrating their efforts very close to the inlets. There has been a good inshore Fluke bite that has been great when on, but really slow when off.
The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light has been busy running inshore Fluke trips over the past week with some nice Fluke to 5 pounds making it over the rail. Capt. Ted’s choice snags have been producing good numbers of keepers and some short fish.
The Carolyn Ann III out of Barnegat Light had a few good days fishing in the beginning of the week with most keeper Fluke being in the 2 to 4-pound range, with an occasional 5 pounders. Both morning and afternoon trips have been producing for anglers when drift conditions are good. Later in the week the bite slowed due to the swell from the offshore tropical systems. A reminder that the boat will switch back to its 6-hour fishing trips starting September 5th.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported good crabbing and blowfishing in the bay, while the reef sites from Sea Girt to Little Egg Reef areas have all had good numbers of keeper Fluke. The key has been to stay right on the structure, as not many fish are off in the surrounding areas. The bathing beach open bottom has been fairly consistent with keeper Fluke. There are some small snapper Bluefish and spike Weakfish around both the north and south jetties of Barnegat Inlet.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported a few fluke in Barnegat Bay, but the best fluking has been on and around the reef sites. The best reports have been from the Axel Carlson reef site and the Little Egg reef site became more productive this week. The Barnegat Light reef site seems to be the “dog” at the moment with not too much action occurring. Sandbar and sand tiger sharks are still prevalent in Little Egg Harbor and along the Long Beach Island surf, especially at night. Blowfishing is better in the northern parts of the bay and crabbing has also slowed a bit. Snapper blues have been very good around the Causeway bridges and the lagoons along Beach Haven West.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported a good start to the last week of “Summer” aka August. There have been good numbers of Kingfish caught off the surf with an occasional Spot and Croaker. The swell midweek changed the surf conditions, making it much harder to hold bottom. There are still some sharks around for anglers wanting to fish the night bite. Kingfish heads are the best bait and can almost guarantee a large, toothy critter.
Absecon Bay Sportsmen Center reported good Flounder fishing at the reef sites with the Little Egg, Great Egg, and Ocean City reef sites producing good numbers of keeper flatties. The back bay has a ton of life with lots of bait and gamefish around for anglers to get into action. Shop owner Dave Showell found some weakfish in the backwaters with most being spikes, but there are some keepers in the mix. Some of the shop’s patrons got into good sized Tog action to get quick limits of one.
One Stop Bait & Tackle in Atlantic City had major Flounder action this past week with some nice fish being caught up to 31 inches. The Flagship and surrounding jetties have been providing some good shots at nice keepers. On the beach and jetties there has been a good run of Kingfish. Shop-owner Noel recommends, if you haven’t already, to help the cause and sign the petition to keep AC’s jetties alive. This is a major “angler access” issue, so please help out.
Fin-Atics of Ocean City reported good fishing from the Ocean City and Townsend Reef sites for keeper sized Fluke. The local Bridges and Abutments have been providing night-time Striped Bass and Weakfish action on soft plastics. The surf zones from Ocean City to Wildwood have had a mix of Kingfish, Croakers, and some Weakfish during the day, and more of the toothy variety at night. The store will be running its end of season sale on kayaks, so stop in and check the deals out.
Jim’s Bait and Tackle of Cape May reported a good number of keeper Fluke on the reefs and the Old Grounds. The fish are tight to structure so short drifts or jigging around the wrecks works best. There have still been a few fish being caught in the backwaters but the little Sea Bass are loaded up in the back and are hard to get around. The Cape May Rips were full of small Weakfish and Blues this week. There are still a few Kingfish and Croakers around as well.
The inshore trolling bite was pretty good this week with Mahi and Wahoo being caught just North of the East Lump. A White Marlin was hooked just 17 miles off the beach and the was word of Yellowfin Tuna hooked up just inside the Cape May Reef this past weekend on a trolled Stretch plug. The offshore Marlin bite remained very good in the canyons to the North with double digit catch reports coming in. The Cape May surf has still been consistent on mainly small Fluke, some Croakers, small Weakfish, and a few Kingfish.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
This weekend may be a good to start getting your fall gear in order as we are projected to get some swell and wind of the tropical nature. With NOAA projected winds to 30 to 45 knots through the weekend will have most fishy areas closed to most anglers. The only play may be in the back around any bridges and jetties where you get some deflection from the wind. Again, it’s “only-projected”, so let’s hope any systems travel further Eastward to provide less wind. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!
Just started surf fishing this year. Thanks for all the helpful information.
GREAT LOCAL REPORTING