The fishing gods might just be smiling on anglers this weekend as conditions will offer the first good opportunity to enjoy some quality spring fishing. All the favorites are here – bass, blues, tog and winter flounder. The big problem up till now has been the lousy weather, keeping the water cold and anglers home.
Now it looks like we’ll get a break. While nothing is certain in the world of forecasting, the outlook for the next several days looks good and folks will have a chance to get out and catch some fish.
Phil Sciortino Sr. at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the bass bite in Raritan Bay was great over the weekend, but the nor’easter at the beginning of the week chased everybody away.
Sciortino said the boats were getting bass chunking bunker and trolling Mojos. There were also stripers caught from the beach on clams and plugs.
Boaters trolling the Raritan Reach and Old Orchard were catching some nice fish. Joe Masi from Keyport was among them when he caught a 46-pounder aboard the Naz on a Rockfish Candy Mojo rig. The fish was released
There were big bluefish in the mix as well along the Bayshore in Leonardo, Keansburg and Union Beach.
The Sea Hunter and The Fishermen are sailing for stripers out of Atlantic Highlands and both are finding fish. The bite hasn’t been red hot but it’s been improving every day. Capt. Rob on the Sea Hunter sailed on Wednesday and reported a decent day of action on keepers and shorts.
Capt. George Bachert on the Angler out of Atlantic Highlands is targeting tog and he reported a good day of fishing last Sunday with a nice number of keeper and plenty of short action. Chet Turko from Elizabeth landed the pool winner along with several other keepers. Blackfish season closes on Sunday now is the time to go.
Ernie Giglio at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the stripers are in the surf there and his customers are also catching fish up at Sandy Hook and in Raritan Bay.
He weighed in a 12-pound bass for Scott H. from Little Silver he caught in the surf. Ernie also weighed in two trout of 7½ and 5 pounds caught by Mike Paratino of Long Branch in Franklin Lake. Paratino was using Power Bait.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported a lot of small stripers are being caught at the mouth of the Shark River Inlet. Small plugs are taking the fish, which average around 24 inches with a keeper or two in the mix.
Scott Pullen of Lex Lures weighed in an 18-pound bass and a 17-pound bluefish at the Den. Where and how the fish were caught was not divulged.
The winter flounder are still biting in Shark River, Matthews said, but are beginning to move out as the bluefish move in. Some flounder have been caught with nasty bite marks.
Matthews also reported that some nice fluke are also being caught in the Shark River by flounder fishermen. One angler reported catching four. There is still no definitive word from the state on what the summer flounder regulations will be for this season.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar made his first trips of the season last weekend and did well on the blackfish grounds. He said he’ll be switching to striped bass once the ocean bite gets going.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker has been blackfishing as well and the tog have been averaging 6 to 7 pounds. There have been some cod caught along with the tog.
Dave Arbeitman at the Reel Seat in Brielle said there are plenty of big blues at the Manasquan Inlet with fish in the 12-to 14-pound range. The blues have been partial to plugs, he said, and not hitting much metal.
The blues are back as far as the Route 70 Bridge, he added, hastening and end to the winter flounder bite. They are on their way out to the ocean
The small bass are in the Manasquan River as well, he added, and in the Sea Girt and Manasquan surf.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the bass have been falling for plugs and shads rigged with a teaser at the Manasquan Inlet. The fish aren’t big but there’s a lot of them.
Guys fishing soft baits, like clams and worms, are also doing well with blackfish in the Point Pleasant Canal, he added.
On the freshwater side, Jim at Behre Bait and Tackle in Lebanon said the fishing has been pretty good at Round Valley, Merrill Creek and Spruce Run Reservoirs.
Live shiners are catching lake trout in 60 to 80 feet of water while the rainbows are much shallower and are being caught on the troll using gold Warrior spoons and Rapalas in 10 to 20 feet of water.
Some nice-sized lake trout are being caught at Merrill Creek, Behre said, with fish between 7 and 9 pounds.
Spruce Run, he said, is giving up a lot of bass using shiners on a Carolina Rig.
Dino at Garden State Bow and Reel in Stockholm reported the crappie fishing is the best it’s been in years. Anglers have been doing very well in all of the local ponds and lakes.
He also reported the shad fishing has been terrific in the Delaware. The water has been pretty high and that’s likely the reason for the good bite, he said.
Jeff at Fins and Furs in Newfoundland said things are still a little slow with most of the action coming from trout anglers fishing the local streams. They’ve been catching the stocked trout but there hasn’t been much else going on.
A warm weekend should help move things in the right direction.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
If the weatherman can be believed, this is the weekend to get out there. Hit the beaches with clams or bunker chunks for bass or fish the rivers and bays for stripers and blues. There are loads of small bass in the surf from Sandy Hook south to the Manasquan Inlet.
Plugs and shads will work for the bass and blues and add a teaser to improve your chances with the stripers. Raritan Bay is holding a lot of fish and it should really turn on under a warm sun.
It’s also the last weekend for blackfish. Party boats out of Atlantic Highlands, Belmar and the Manasquan Inlet will have tog in their sights.
For the freshwater anglers, the nice weekend should put some life in the bite just about everywhere. Have fun.