Hopefully this week’s Nor’easter has shuffled the fish around and put the Striped Bass migration in high gear as we in South Jersey are still looking for the first trophy Stripers of the year. The Raritan Bay and parts north have been epic with some boaters trailering their vessels to these locations. Last week’s “big” news was the arrival of the Bluefish, while this week’s may be the first 40-plus-inch inch Striped Bass hitting the Brigantine area. There has been some “chatter” of Bass fisherman trolling up good sized Stripers prior to and just after the blow, but this is still unconfirmed. Tog fisherman are still doing well on most of our jetties and inshore structure points. With slightly warmer water, the bite has been consistently better as you move south in our state
So, here’s this week’s rundown:
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant relayed some exciting news of an “all-out” Bluefish blitz in the Manasquan Inlet just as this coastal low started to ramp up. Gator Bluefish in the 8- to 16-pound range have been ravaging soft-plastic paddle tails, poppers, and metal lipped swimmers. There have been Striped Bass in the Point Pleasant Canal along with some full-size Bunker and some anglers have been able to hook keeper bass on the bunker. Meanwhile, the Route 35, Route 70, and Mantoloking Bridge has been steady for Stripers in the 14- to 24-inch range. The shop hasn’t received any word on trophy sized Stripers, but that could change, especially after this week’s Nor’easter. It may be the last of the Winter Flounder as they have hightailed it out of here with the arrival of the Bluefish.
Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported fishing continues to improve each day and surfcasters are finally starting to see some keeper Striped Bass up to 31 inches on the sand. Bigger Bluefish have moved into the bays and off the surf. They have been reported from Manasquan to Brigantine. The only issue this week has been the weather keeping most anglers away except for your true hardcores.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown provided good information on Bluefish in Barnegat Bay, the inlet, and off the Island Beach State Park surf. Most of the fish have ranged from 8 to 10 pounds and have been caught off Bunker chunks out front. In the back, artificials have been the name of the game especially on Tsunami Swim Shads, Poppers, and metal-lipped swimmers. They had Weakfish around the outflow, but that has been mostly a night or wee-morning bite. The shop is still getting reports of blueclaws in Skipper’s Cove and near Oyster Creek which has been evident by the number of crab pots. The shop is hosting a shark seminar on May 19th and is giving door prizes at the event. They have limited seating for the event, so call for details.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine had some great news this past week with Dan Callaric weighing in a 28-pound, 42.5-inch Striped Bass caught on a plug near the Brigantine inlet. The Bluefish in the 10- to 15-pound range have also invaded the Atlantic City and Brigantine areas. Bunker chunks, poppers, swimbaits, and plugs have been the “go-to” baits. Overall, the Striped Bass has been relatively sporadic for bigger fish. If you want to have fun with smaller fish, the shop said, “There’s a ton of fish in the 8 to 24-inch range.”
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported similar results from last week with big Bluefish hanging around, but a sporadic bite as they swim in on different tides. Cut Bunker and surface poppers have been the main strategy to catch them and most have ranged from 10 to 15 pounds. There are still schoolie-sized Stripers hanging around the inlets and bridges, but the shop is still waiting for the first of the typical trophy-sized spring fish. Tog has been solid on Clam baits and Green Crabs with the jetties and close-to-home snags provided the best action. There was good news of some Weakfish 17 to 21 inches showing up in the back from Ocean City to Avalon.
The Wildwood and Cape May areas have also had similar bites in terms of Bluefish, Striped Bass, and Blackfish. Togging has been good, but it seems you have to sort through some of the smaller ones to find the true white chins which have been up to 12 pounds. Even the throwbacks are close as fish have only been a 1/2-inch shy on most inshore and Delaware Bay reefs. Striped Bass are starting to move out of the Delaware River and are just starting to show for anglers anchored in the bay. Bluefish and school sized Striped Bass remain off the jetties and beaches of Cape May, but you must put your time in. Working soft plastics (Fin-S, Pink Zooms, White Zooms) along the jetties have been productive on Stripers.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
If I had a boat and the conditions were fishable, this weekend may be the time to start you’re trolling efforts for Striped Bass as the big ones are due to arrive. Mojo’s, Stretches, and Bunker spoons are the definite way to go in the early season as this allows you to cover a lot of ground. The Tog option remains a good bet as the season ends with a short break until mid-July, so this weekend is your last-ditch attempt to box 4 keepers if you haven’t already. Bluefish remain the most viable option as their bite has become more consistent on both cut Bunker and artificials. Some areas have experienced mid-day blitzes that have lasted several hours, but the only way to get them is to be out there! Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!
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