New Jersey Fishing Report - March 23, 2017

For the last two weeks, this report has had more to do with the weather than the fishing. Anglers can’t even catch a break as winter refuses to go away.

Last week’s snowstorm gave way to more frigid temperatures and the chance of an early spring bite hit a wall. Runoff from the ice and snow brought water temperatures way down.

We got a bit of a break on Tuesday with warmer weather but it wasn’t quite enough to set things right. I tossed a shad into the surf but all I got for my trouble was some cold shore break in the face.

Capt. Phil Sciortino Jr. at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the Raritan Bay water was a casualty of the snowstorm with temperatures dropping at least 10 degrees. Matt Calabria of Hazlet was catching bass and had landed a 32 incher before the big chill.

Sciortino said we’re going to need a couple of warm, sunny days to get the water temperature back into the high 40s before the fish start biting again.

Ernie Giglio at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said he’s been selling some blood worms but the buyers haven’t been returning to the shop with any reports. He suspects the winter flounder in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers will start biting again once winter is banished for good.

Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said it’s been quiet there. The Shark River was producing winter flounder before the snow, cold weather and high winds put an end to that.

He said he’s been getting a lot of calls on his rental boats for the weekend when the temperature is forecast to move in a more favorable direction.

Matthews said there has been word on small stripers in the surf, but not a lot of people are fishing. The most reliable reports he’s been getting are from bass anglers fishing at Oyster Creek and the Mullica River.

Capt. Bobby Quinn on the Ocean Explorer out of Belmar said he finally managed to get back out on Tuesday in the nicer weather. The group was pretty small but they did put some fish in the coolers, including cod, pollock and a few ling. He plans on sailing again on Friday.

Jeff Nuel at Harry’s Outfitters in Robbinsville said participation fell off over the last week, but his customers offered reports of small bass in Barnegat Bay on soft plastics and small plugs near the bridges.

He also heard of a few shad being caught in the Delaware River, but not a whole lot just yet.

Also on the freshwater front, Dino at Garden State Bow & Reel in Stockholm said the crappie fishing at the Monksville Reservoir remains good, but the streams are now shut down for trout fishing due to spring stocking. Trout season opens on April 8.

Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle reported a quiet week there with not a lot of folks around. The weekend forecast has him a little more optimistic and the shop is ready with worms and clams.

Dave Arbeitman The Reel Seat in Brielle said all he heard about were some winter flounder being caught at the bay end of the Point Pleasant Canal.  Windy conditions, he said, have made the fishing there difficult.

He added that Capt. Jeff Gutman on the Voyager out of Point Pleasant Beach took advantage of Tuesday’s weather window for a cod trip, and while some keepers came over the rail, the fishing was slow.

Brian Stensland at Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the return of the cold pretty much shut down what little fishing activity was going on but he’s kept busy handling all the new inventory coming into the shop.

Capt. Willie Egerter on the Dauntless out of Point Pleasant Beach reported he’s been trying to get out for cod and pollack when the weather allows, but it hasn’t been allowing much. His recent trips have seen a few fish come over the rail.

The Norma K III is back at the dock in Point Pleasant Beach and Capt. Matt Sosnowski reported that he will be sailing this Saturday for cod and pollack. There will not be a Sunday trip due to the wet forecast.

Creekside Outfitters in Waretown will open full time for the season this Friday, March 24. Liza Martin said things have been quiet with the exception of the striper bite at Oyster Creek.

One customer said he got four bass on four casts earlier this week. Granted, all the fish were shorts, but Liza said a lot of anglers are getting in on the action.

Noel Feliciano at One Stop Bait and Tackle in Atlantic City said the freeze hurt the fishing there, but he did report a few bass and perch were caught in the Mullica River. There were also a few ling and small stripers on the jetties close to the shop, but the fishing has not been all that great.

Billy Wiggins at Fin-atics in Ocean City said pretty much the same thing with a few guys going fishing but nothing much to report in the way of results.  He’s hoping for a turnaround this weekend and that we’ve finally seen the end of the winter weather.

Fishing Forecast for New Jersey

Everyone seems to be pinning their hopes on Saturday as a chance to return to some good spring fishing. Forecasts have temperatures in the mid-60s under sunny skies so that should help get the winter flounder and stripers biting. Worms and clams will do the trick for the flounder and blood worms, shads and small swimming plugs are best for the bass.

Rising temperatures will also increase the action at local ponds and lakes so take advantage of the thaw and get in on some freshwater action. Crappie, perch and pickerel are making up most of the catches.