Pictured above: Riptide Bait and Tackle is reporting striped bass schools north of Long Beach Island, and it should only get better as the water temperatures drop.
Of course Mother Nature had to deal us a total blowout for the opening day of Sea Bass, but we received some good reports after it calmed down. Some areas are downright loaded with them, so you need to try different pieces of structure to find them. Full limits of Sea Bass shouldn’t be a problem, just remember each fish has to be at least 13 inches. Striped Bass continues to get better as these temperatures continue to drop down close to freezing at night. This will surely dip the water temperatures which will get the fish moving down to our areas from the North. Right now, trolling Mojo’s or Maja spoons continues to be the main technique to finding fish up to 40 pounds.
So here is this week’s rundown:
Gates Bait and Tackle in Point Pleasant Beach reported good Bluefishing as of late for some of the party boats out of Point Pleasant. The Sea Bass opening was a little of a bust due to the sea conditions and not many making it out with some gale warnings posted. There are some fish on the local wrecks as the conditions calmed during the past few days and guys finally made it out to find keepers. Striped Bass fishing continues to get better with fish off the surf and by trolling spoons from the boats.
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reiterated the poor conditions for the opening of Sea Bass, but with better conditions ahead it should make for a good season as most of the wrecks are peppered with Sea Bass and Tog. Some of the Tog have been close to 8 pounds, and are devouring Green crabs for anglers targeting these tackle busters. The Point Pleasant canal has been pretty solid for Striped Bass with most anglers connecting with Tsunami White Swim-Shads and swimming plugs.
MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant reported cancelled trips due to the weekend winds with conditions being unsafe in the canyons. Capt. Kenny mentioned that it has been “pretty good” fishing for Yellowfin in the canyons with most ranging from 30 to 65 pounds. The boat does have some dates left later in the fall for charter, and will run some open boat Tog starting the 3rd week of November.
The Gambler out of Point Pleasant reported gale force winds keeping the vessel tied to the dock over the weekend. The offshore trips leading up to the weekend were very successful with Yellowfin ranging from 25 to 75 pounds and anglers also drop and reeled Tilefish up to 15 pounds.
Norma K III out of Point Pleasant reported good Sea Bass action the last couple of days with plenty of action on shorts and some nice keepers. The skipper mentioned that every angler went home with fish and there are some “dinner-plate” Porgies in the mix. The boat is sailing everyday for Sea Bass from 730am to 230pm.
Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park reported that the “mass of Bass” is still way North, but with the colder temperatures they are definitely on the move. The shop did report some “fish-busting” mornings as baitfish are loaded in the surf zone and birds are working. It is the best time of year and will only get better. Island Beach State Park has been getting Striped Bass in the 28 to 30 inch range and Bluefish to 5 pounds.
Dock Outfitters in Seaside Park reported all types of bait out front in the surf with the number of Striped Bass on them slowly on the rise. Blues and keeper bass are enjoying the selection of baits now present in the surf. There hasn’t been big numbers of bass during the day, but the night time is far out producing. These fish are hitting on natural baits and artificial lures, with swimmers fished below a teaser leading the way.
Capt. Hippos in Toms River will be closing the shop as of October 30th and reopening on February 24th. Store owner Lenny is going in for a scheduled hip replacement in November, and the On The Water staff wishes him the best of luck and a speedy recovery. Lenny did mention that Barnegat Inlet has been the place to be for Striped Bass, especially for anglers fishing the night-late morning tides.
Super Chic out of Barnegat Light did not make it out over the weekend due to poor sea conditions as the captain had to cancel. The skipper said he would be sailing for Sea Bass when not sailing offshore, and as November approaches will quickly turn to Striped Bass and Tog.
The Carolyn Ann III out of Barnegat Light had some good fishing for Sea Bass, although anglers had to work hard through the Dogfish. The boat has been fishing a few different areas and the skipper has been finding better Sea Bass in deeper water as there has been less doggies. The vessel will be running one Sea Bass trip per day from 8am to 230pm.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown has been weighing in some nice Striped Bass as of late from anglers fishing in the wee hours of the morning bayside and trolling out front with Spoons. Angler Cain Ernest boated a nice 39.80 pound Bass on Maja spoon off Island Beach State Park and most of the action has been at the 3 mile line.
Tony’s Bait And Tackle in Manahawkin reported good Bluefish action and schoolie Striper action from the bridges mid-island. The north end of Long Beach Island has been the place to be for bigger Bass, especially during the night tides. The recent cold snap should really get the northernly mass of fishing moving our way and hope should kick off our November.
Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine reported sporadic Striped Bass action as it’s a “trickle” of fish coming in from both surf and bayside. A few patrons reported Striped Bass schools north of Long Beach Island, and it should only get better as the water temperatures drop. Angler Paul Lavigna stopped by the shop with a solid 32 inch Striper, and he collected a $25 gift card for the first legal bass caught in Brigantine NJ and weighed in at the shop.
Absecon Bay Sportsman of Absecon Bay reported a tough start to the Sea Bass season as most of the weekend was a total blow out. After the winds calmed, the store started hearing some decent reports from the structured reef sites for Sea Bass. The Striped Bass action on the oceanfront is still just a pick on resident fish, but they are hearing of some movement of Bass from the north. Absecon Bay and some of the “rivers” are holding Stripers from 20 to 30 inches which can be mostly caught on live Spot, Eels, and artificials such as Gulp.
One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City reports good action from the Atlantic City jetties on Striped Bass, Blackfish, and Kingfish. There are still some Kingfish around and they have been hitting Bloodworms. Togging has been hot and heavy for anglers fishing Green Crabs, and it is not uncommon to get double headers. You have to pick through the shorts, but they are here.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported that the wind kept most anglers at the dock or confined to the backbays over the weekend putting a damper on the start of Sea Bass season. There are still some Tog around the area’s bridges, jetties, and rockpiles, so it should be a good start to the season in a couple of weeks. There have been more reports of Striped Bass caught along the backwaters from Ocean City through Sea Isle City with soft plastics being the most popular. Most of the Stripers have been in the 20 to 29 inch range. The surf zone from Longport to Wildwood has had varying reports of Kingfish being caught on Bloodworms, but they should be moving as the water temperature drops each week.
Matt from Jim’s Bait and Tackle in Cape May reported small Bluefish and schoolie Striped Bass off of the surf this past week. The Blackfish have been very thick on the rockpiles, but just remember that anglers are still only allowed one per day. Anglers fishing Cold Spring jetty from the boats are doing well on Tog, and a few keeper Bass are starting to show around Cape May inlet this past week. There was a nice Sheepshead boated that was close to 14 pounds by Derek Garbarino who was fishing the rocks for Tog. Along with Tog and Sheepshead, there are some nice Triggerfish around up to 5 pounds. Sea Bass fishing was a bust over the weekend due to the sea conditions, but as it calmed down boats fishing Cape May reef reported good numbers of Sea Bass and Porgies. Offshore fishing had a good Tuna bite at the Hudson Canyon and some boats have been picking up Swordfish and Mahi.
Southern New Jersey Fishing Forecast
This weekend should provide some opportunities to get out and Sea Bass as it looks light it’s going to be blowing west, so rockpiles and structure closer to the beach should offer good fishing. But as you move off, it might get a little bumpy. Striped Bass trolling remains the best shot for quality fish, so pull Mojo’s or Maja’s depending on your location. The most recent reports have had the best action from the Shrewsbury Rocks down through Long Beach Island and boats near the 3 mile line in the southernly locales are hooking up. Backbay remains solid for anglers fishing the night shift for artificials, so find some lights, maybe a bridge, and you should be able to hook up with a few Stripers. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!