April is in full swing as our South Jersey locations have seen a variety of species move in and cooperate over the past week. Striped Bass are hitting a variety of soft plastics and artificials, but this remains a bay thing. Meanwhile, Bluefish from 3 to 15 pounds have been reported hitting our bays and easily being caught on poppers, trolled ponytails, Bunker, and metals. It’s not an epic bite just yet, but becoming more consistent every day. The Tog bite has materialized inside and inshore, so now is the time to get out there as the season closes in just 10 days. The big Striped Bass should be along our coasts in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned…
So, here’s this week’s rundown:
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported the first of big Stripers caught off Long Branch for boats pulling Mojo’s and/or Spoons. Some of the Bass broke the 42-pound mark. Monster Bluefish have provided consistent action around Barnegat Light, with a more sporadic bite occurring in and around Manasquan Inlet. The Tog bite has been very good North and South of the Point Pleasant Canal on Clams and Sandworms. Jason said it has been easy to put a limit together of Tog up to 19.5 inches.
Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported the start of a Bluefish invasion arriving over the Easter holiday. Each day has brought better news as the bite continues to progress with gator Bluefish invading the area. There haven’t been any blitzes by any means, instead a steady consistent bite on Bunker chunks in the Toms River and off the local docks in Seaside. The magic hour around dusk has really lit up with biting fish as anglers off the 14 Avenue pier nailed big Bluefish and small Stripers with lures and bait. There are still small Bass hitting on the West side of Barnegat Bay.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported a ton of small Striped Bass in Barnegat Bay from the East side to the West side. The big Bluefish have started to invade the inlet area, and the owner reported a pretty good evening bite along the Barnegat Light rocks. Most of the fish have ranged from 8 to 13 pounds. The store will be holding a shark fishing seminar on May 19th at 630 p.m. by Mark Bloodgood. They will have limited seating, so call the shop for details.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine had their first official Striped Bass weigh-in from Jack Dobbs who brought in a 28.25 incher that was caught from one of the Brigantine jetties. Jack takes the shop’s $50 prize. Big Bluefish have started to show up in the surrounding inlets and bays along with some Weakfish off the surf. The surf has seen a good number of Striped Bass as many anglers have been able to hook up on multiple fish to the double digits in quantity. Most of the fish have been on the smaller size with an occasional keeper.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported a pretty good week according to anglers frequenting the shop. The bay Striped Bass bite has been “prevalent on plastics”, especially for artificials in the 5-inch size range. The back-bay temperatures have increased into the low 60’s with last week’s warming and the fish are responding. Tog, Stripers, Bluefish, and even mandatory throwback Fluke have been caught this past week. Stripers are best targeted on the outgoing tide starting at the top of the flood for anglers throwing soft plastics and live bloodworms. Most fish have been in the 18 to 26-inch range with more keepers in the mix. Some areas to target are the 9th Street Bridge, Longport Bridge, Margate Bridge, and around Corson’s Inlet. White, Pink, and Black-back colors have typically been producing most of the bites. Keeper Tog are being boxed in the same areas, but offshore has produced much less in terms of keepers. The Bluefish bite has been sporadic with 3- to 5-pound Blues coming and going on a day to day basis. Metals, Bunker chunks, and swimming plugs have produced with decent results.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The Spring fisheries have officially begun, so get that boat in the water or dust off those Korkers; Now’s the time! In most South Jersey areas, the proverbial “Slam” can be accomplished by hooking Striped Bass, Bluefish, and Tog as these are inhabiting the same areas right now. The optimal times for Striped Bass have been around the start of the outgoing current. Soft plastics, Bloodworms, or cut Bunker should be fished during this tidal stage for your best chances AND if you can fish these conditions close to dusk; it should be lights out. Most jetties, piers, and bridge abutments are holding keeper Tog and Green Crabs and Fiddlers are producing.
Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!