The strengthening fluke bite took a hit at the beginning of the week when some windy, wet weather arrived. It’s not clear whether the fluke stopped biting or that no one was fishing, but things got quiet.
We’ll get a better idea if it’s just a temporary setback on the fluking in the next few days.
Regardless, this season will not go down as a good one. And there is not much left in it with fluking to end come Sept. 5.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box said things were slow at the start of the week. The best thing going right now is the porgy fishing, he said.
Sciortino said limits are no problem in areas of Raritan Bay and the folks are loading up their freezers. The Dorothy B out of Atlantic Highlands has been running special half-day sea bass and porgy trips.
Capt. Ron Santee on the Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands said things started out slow on Wednesday’s trip but he put in some extra time and saw the bite turn on with a couple of fish over 6 pounds and the pool winner coming in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces. There were also several fish in the 5-pound range and a number of other keepers around the boat.
Capt. George Bachert on the Angler said those who ignored the bleak forecast and came down to the dock on Tuesday were treated to a good day of fishing.
Jigging was the way to go, he said, and Angler regular Archie Stewart got his limit and plenty of shorts.
Capt. Bachert said last Sunday was a good day of fishing as well with the bite starting as soon as he blew the horn. There were plenty of keeper fluke and sea bass.
Mel Martins at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there are fluke in the surf but it’s not gangbusters. I’ve been fishing with live snappers off the sand, but the fluke that took the bait have all been small.
Martens said the best thing going on around there is the crabbing in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. Traps, scooping and drop lines are all working.
Martins said there are short bass near the jetties early in the morning hitting small plugs and there are small blues in the rivers. He, too, is getting good reports on the porgy fishing.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the lousy weather at the start of the week kept folks away and most of the boats out of the marina didn’t sail. He said the fishing was just starting to heat up when the storm hit, but he said it looked to be bouncing back fairly quickly.
Matthews said it’s been less than a stellar year for fluke and many anglers are concentrating on ling, sea bass and their one blackfish. He’s been selling a lot of green crabs lately
Matthews did add that Marty Westerfield from the shop landed a 5½-pound fluke from the L Street Pier in Belmar using Gulp and the snappers are thick in the Shark River.
Before the storm hit, Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing said the fluking was on the upswing. He fished the Point Pleasant Elks Annual Fluke Tournament and landed a number of fish in the 5- to 5½-pound range.
This year’s tournament ended in a tie with two fish of 9.6 pounds hitting the scales.
The weather kept him at the dock for a few days, but he’s confident the fluke and sea bass will be biting on his next charter. He still has plenty of availability for August dates.
Capt. Ron Kish on the Capt. Cal II sailed on Wednesday out of Belmar and reported that while the east wind made things a bit difficult, it was still a good day of fluking. A few guys, he said, got their limit and then some. There were also some nice sea bass in the mix.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle continues to search for bluefish and he found some on Wednesday. When the blues prove too elusive, Capt. Falcone, has been fishing for ling, sea bass, bonito and fluke with good results.
Bob Caracozza at The Reel Seat in Brielle said the fluking has its moments but he hasn’t heard much since the storm. He said the boats have been doing really well one day, then it’s tough fishing the next.
The shop did weigh in a 9½-pound fluke caught by Steve Wilfing near the Manasquan Inlet. Steve was fishing from shore.
The biggest catch over the weekend was the 926-pound mako caught by Jenny Lee Sportfishing out of Brielle and weighed in at Hoffman’s Marina.
Since the storm kept most of the tuna boats at the dock, Carracozza hasn’t heard much on the bluefin bite that was very good before the blow. Hopefully, they’re still around.
Diane at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the ling and winter flounder fishing in the Mud Hole continues to be excellent. The Paramount out of Bogan’s Basin has been filling coolers for several weeks now.
She said the fluking in the Manasquan River has been good and it was picking up nicely on the local reefs before the weather turned windy and wet.
The crabbing is heating up in the area, she said, and folks are getting their one blackfish in the Point Pleasant Canal.
The freshwater action slowed a bit with the weather but reports indicate the bite rebounded quickly.
Martin at Fins & Furs in Newfoundland said things were a little quiet since the storm but folks had been catching walleye at Canistear Reservoir and walleye and smallmouth bass at Clinton Reservoir.
Hybrids are being caught on herring in the area as well. Martin expects the action to improve as the week goes on.
Ken at Tackle & Field in Wanaque said the fishing has been okay but everything seems to be just off the pace from previous years.
Still, hybrids are being caught at Lake Hopatcong on herring and the largemouth bass bite has been good there as well. Ken said Lake Wawayanda continues to give up landlocked salmon at depths of about 40 feet.
Those who go fishing, he added, have been successful, but the number of people wetting a line this year appears to be down.
Jim at Behre Bait and Tackle in Lebanon reported the fishing has been good in his area with a solid bite on hybrids at Spruce Run Reservoir. Anglers trolling shiners or herring at about 1 to 1.2 miles an hour are having a lot of success.
The depth is anywhere from 5 to 15 feet.
The water over at Round Valley got pretty hot, he said, but the bass bite has been good with shiners.
Merrill Creek is still giving up rainbows and lake trout to those trolling spoons.
Larry at the Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said the channel catfish bite in the Passaic River has been good as has the fishing for carp and pike.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
It seems like the storm earlier this week was just a minor setback in the improving fluke bite. The water is the right temperature and the fish are getting more aggressive. Grab a spot on a party boat or head to the beach.
The crabbing has come on strong in the rivers and creeks in Monmouth County and is getting better in Barnegat Bay so that’s a good bet as well.
For fishing as close to a sure thing as you can get, head to the porgy grounds and load up or head to the Mud Hole for ling and winter flounder.