The first week of June has come in with a bang as most fisherman have been able to get in on the sea bass, Fluke, or Bluefish action. Our areas should be in the “prime-time” of Striped Bass, but the fish are just not there in mass. Striped Bass remain an extremely sporadic go for this season as most shops report hit-or-miss bites, lack of bait, and more fish past the 3-mile line. I’m not sure if the recent presence of non-local bunker reduction boats in our waters have made this difference, but I am hearing from local commercial bunker-bait fisherman having a tough time finding bait south of Island Beach State Park. Most anglers are unaware that some tackle shops have had a tough time to get locally sourced bunker. On a positive note, the shark bite has kicked off with reports of Makos and Threshers, and should continue to get better in the upcoming weeks. Bluefin Tuna are being boxed in our bluewater canyons.
South Jersey Fishing Report
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported sea bass being the “hottest” fishery as of the first week of June. Many anglers are catching limits on jigs, and most of the local wrecks and reef sites are loaded with sand-eels. The East end of the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt Reef sites are great places to start. Most of the action is occurring within 4 to 15 miles from the shore. Fluke fishing has been hit or miss, but the Southeast lump of Seaside and Deal have produced some consistent 3 to 5 pounders. Manasquan River has been good at night with most Striped Bass coming over the side in the 18 to 24 inch range. White and Pink Ice finesse plastics tipped on 1/2oz jig-heads have been the best combination to tap into the action. It has been a very slow pick on Striped Bass as most are only getting shots in the early morning or late evening on the troll. Bluefish are still staying strong, although at a much smaller size class with 2 to 5 pounders taking metals and chunks. Bluefin and Bigeye Tuna were boxed at the Hudson and Hendrickson Canyons for bluewater boats.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported Fluke fishing improving over the weekend as the boat did see more life. Anglers were catching more shorts and some decent size keepers came over the rail. Pool winners were averaging 5 1/2 pounds on multiple trips. There were a few sea bass in the mix as well. Meanwhile, the night Bluefishing has been tough as the boat has run to multiple areas, but it should improve as the water warms.
MIMI IV in Point Pleasant Beach has been hard at work putting anglers on quality Ling and sea bass. Capt. Ken said the boat is running hard to put anglers on fish and they continue to offer Open Boats, but anglers need to call the boat as the spots fill up fast. They are still offering sea bass in the AM and Striped Bass in the PM.
The Gambler in Point Pleasant reported Fluke fishing being a little slow over the past few days. There has been more life starting to show day after day as the bottom temperatures begin to warm. Fluke have weighed up to 4 pounds along with some sea bass in the same weight class. The night-time Bluefish and Striped Bass show promising marks, but it has been hard to get them to chew.
Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported “picky” Striped Bass action for anglers fishing Island Beach State Park. Most Striped Bass have been in the 26 to 35-inch range. Bluefish are still being caught on poppers, metals, and Bunker chunks. The big news of the week is the tremendous Fluke or Summer Flounder bite occurring off the beach. Most Fluke have been hitting Bunker chunks, Mullet, and jigged Gulp. The nice thing about Island Beach State Park is the special limit of 2 Fluke at 16 inches. Striped Bass off the boats has slowed up tremendously and a good amount of anglers have already switched over to Fluke. Crabbing remains slow but should improve with the upcoming moon.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported good Fluke action in Oyster Creek channel and just north of the “BB” buoy. Customers are still reporting some nice-sized Bluefish in the Barnegat Bay with most hooking up on Poppers, Bunker chunks, and metals. There has been some sporadic Striped Bass action on the troll, but you have to be “around” the 3-mile line. There has been small Striped Bass action along the edges and around Barnegat Inlet. sea bass are being boxed at a variety of spots, including most of the inshore reef sites.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported decent Fluke fishing on both ends of Long Beach Island. Anglers fishing Gulp and Minnow had keepers up to 4 pounds. The mid-island night bite has been decent on small Striped Bass for anglers throwing soft plastics. Bluefish are still being caught in the surf on metals and Bunker chunks. Crabbing has picked up around most marshy edges and closer to the mainland. Some anglers have been getting White Perch in the extreme backwaters and lagoons.
Carolyn Ann III in Barnegat Light reported some good sea bassing on the majority of the boat trips. Gina says you have to weed through lots of shorts, but there are some nice quality fish out there. Pool winners have ranged from 3 to 4 pounders.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reports good action off the Brigantine beaches with Striped Bass from 40 to 30 pounds hitting the sands over the past week. Plugs and Bunker have been the best baits. Fluke or Flounder are being landed off the north end of Brigantine and most are caught with slow-reeled rigs and Gulp. There has been some nice 3 to 5 pound Fluke landed in the backwaters, but you need to work the spots hard.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported good Flounder and sea bass action over the past week. Sea bass fisherman fishing the deepwater wrecks have been getting quick limits of quality fish. Some boats have reported catching over a 100 fish at some spots. Flounder fishing in the backwaters has also been hot, especially in Ships channel and Rainbow channel for anglers jigging bucktails or jigheads tipped with Gulp and Minnow. Anglers wanted to work the night shift have had some decent small Striped Bass action along the jetties and bridges at night. In addition to the bass, there has been some nice sized Weakfish around. Soft plastics, Zooms and Fin-S lures have been the way to go.
The Wildwood and Cape May areas reported a very good Drum bite continuing through extreme South Jersey. The key has been targeting the deeper areas such as Tussy’s Slough. sea bass fishing has been very good on the wrecks and reefs in the 120-foot depth range. There are plenty of fish on the inshore reefs, but there are many more short fish to weed through. We are still seeing some nice Stripers coming from the beaches in town as some fish have approached the 50-pound mark. Poverty Beach has been the area of the most recent action. Shark tournaments are in full swing, but the water temperatures have been a little cold as only smaller fish have been caught. There have been some nice Thresher sharks caught ranging from 180 to 250 pounds. As the water temp. rises more Makos should start showing up. The canyon areas have reported some Bluefin Tuna on the troll and the fish have ranged from 40 to 55 inches.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
There are at least three viable options for this upcoming weekend: Fluke, sea bass, Tuna. The backwaters are still the place to be to box your 3-fish limit of Fluke unless your in the Delaware Bay or off Island Beach State Park where the regulations are different. Jigheads or bucktails tipped with Gulp or plain minnow gives anglers the best shots at nailing 18-plus inch Fluke. Some traditional anglers stick by the plain-hook rig tipped with live minnow and work the cuts, edges, and channels in the back. sea bass fisherman need to hit the deeper water wrecks, which can vary from 65 to 140 feet depending on your location in the state. This is the absolute sure-fire way to get less shorts and more keepers. Canyon running vessels have very good shots at Bluefin and Bigeye tuna as the bluewater scene has started off with a bang for boats dragging lures. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!