Striped bass, striped bass and more striped bass was all Joe Julian and Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said when I asked for a report.
The bass bite broke open toward the end of the last week and with the exception of a quiet Tuesday, it’s remained solid.
Julian said most of the fish have been taken by the boat guys in Raritan Bay and the ocean off Sandy Hook, but the surf guys have been getting into the action as well.
The bass have been feeding on adult and peanut bunker and are being caught livelining and with rubber shads. Eels are also producing fish. Surf guys are tossing pencil poppers and snagging bunker to catch the plentiful stripers.
Jim Stonaker of Long Branch took me along on Wednesday morning around Sandy Hook and it wasn’t long before we spied the birds working down the beach. He’d caught a 46-pound bass on Sunday on a live bunker.
Bass were breaking over a wide area and fish in the 10- to 15-pound range hit our shads right away. The birds drew a crowd and there were a load of boats on the fish quickly.
For over most of the morning, the fish popped up all over the place. During a lull, we headed a little offshore and switched to blackfishing with green crabs and put together a decent catch.
On the way in, Stonaker spotted a school of adult bunker moving south along the beach like a freight train.
The bunker moved so fast the school sent up a wake. We snagged a couple and found out why. They were being terrorized by giant bluefish. Massive slabs of silver sliced through the bunker.
Stonaker managed to bring two to the boat and they looked to be in the 20-pound range. Guys fishing from the beach were also hooking up with the monster choppers.
We got word that the same kind of action was taking place in Keyport.
Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said it’s been a great couple of days with stripers. There were loads of fish around through the weekend, then the fish suddenly became scarce. But they were back on Wednesday.
Sciortino said the giant blues were around over the weekend as well.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc on the Sea Hunter, Atlantic Highlands, reported getting off to a slow start on Wednesday, but finished well with keepers, slot fish and shorts.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the bass bite was terrific over the weekend with a lot of big fish reported. He had a 46-pounder weighed in and he said guys fishing from the beach using SP Minnows, pencil poppers and snagged bunker were getting fish from 8 to 20 pounds.
Mel himself nailed a 20-plus pound striper on a pencil popper.
He also reported that the good blackfish bite continues. The 6-fish season opens on Nov. 16.
In Bradley Beach on Saturday afternoon, snagging peanuts looked to be the only way to interest the bass busting in the surf. The fish ignored everything thrown out them by the guys lining the sand. The only ones catching the 8-to 12-pound fish were snagging the tiny bunker that crowded the wash. Sometimes they just want the real thing.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported a terrific big bass bite over the last week. Stripers in the 40-pound range were caught jigging, trolling and livelining by boat fishermen.
He also said the surf guys had some old-school fishing with stripers to 30 pounds on poppers and live bunker.
Matthews believes this is just the start of the bass action, but you never know when they’ll decide to disappear. Don’t wait to fish was his advice.
He also reported that winter flounder action in the Shark River remains solid with anglers having no problem getting their two-fish limit.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar has been into the bass big time as well with fish up to 47 pounds. He’s been catching them on the troll and jigging shads.
He’s also mixing in some bottom trips for sea bass, porgies and blackfish. He mentioned that he’s currently booking his tog trips for later this month if you want to get in on the expanded limit action.
Capt. Jim Hull on the Suzie Girl, Belmar, said it’s been all big bass with fish up to 40 pounds jigging and livelining.
Capt. Hank Leonard of the Golden Eagle out of Belmar said they too been getting into the bass big time over the last couple of days. The only slow day was Sunday.
Capt. Leonard said they’ve been getting the fish on hammer jigs, Krocs and bait. On Wednesday morning, those big blues joined the bass for anglers aboard the Golden Eagle.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker, Belmar, has been sticking with bottom fishing and it’s been paying off nicely for his fares. They’ve been putting good catches of sea bass, porgies and some triggerfish in the coolers.
Over the weekend, he fished the east side of the Mud Hole with good results.
Jeff Nuel at Harry’s Adventure Outfitters in Robbinsville said it’s been all about the bass for his customers as well. The good fishing started up north in the Raritan Bay, moved south from Manasquan to Island Beach State Park at the start of the week and is now back from Sandy Hook to the Shark River Inlet. He’s heard of a couple of 50 pounders caught.
Eric Bunz at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the bass bite has been grabbing all of the headlines in his neck of the woods as well. His customers have been catching stripers from Raritan Bay down to Island Beach State Park.
The guys trolling bunker spoons and Mojos have been doing great with green being the hot color, he said. He also heard of those giant bluefish biting at the Shrewsbury Rocks
The bottom fishing has also been hot with the blackfish bite good on the rock piles in 40 feet of water and bigger tog found in deeper water up to 70 feet a bit farther out.
The tuna bite, said Bunz, is a bit slow with the Toms Canyon being the best bet for yellowfin right now. It’s been a pick in the Hudson, but there have been some swordfish and makos being caught there
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle reported that blackfish bite is also good in the Manasquan River with boaters fishing close to the bridges.
The bass bite remains good in the Point Pleasant Canal on shads and eels while it’s fallen off a bit in the Manasquan River. Stripers at the inlet and along the beaches from Manasquan down to Island Beach State Park is more than making up for the downturn in the river fishing.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
It’s what you’ve been waiting for all year. The bass are here and biting like mad. Trolling, plugs, shads and bait are all catching fish. If you’re walking the beaches, make sure you have a snag rig as sometimes all the stripers will eat is meat.