Nothing has been easy this fluke season.
With just a few days left to catch them, high winds left the ocean heaving and most boats at the dock. And the bite was about the best of the year.
On top of that, the sea bass season closed on Thursday leaving party and charter boat captains wondering what they’ll fish for until that fishery reopens on Oct. 22.
What we need now is some good weather through Sept. 5 to make the most of the waning fluke season, plus some porgies, blues, bass, bonito and false albacore to pick up the slack.
Is that too much to ask for?
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the fluking was really good until the wind started howling. The boats out of Atlantic Highlands fishing the Rattlesnake and other rocky areas were catching fish in the 8- to 10-pound range.
Sciortino also mentioned that big blues, up to 10 pounds, are back in Raritan Bay.
The bay, he said, is loaded with all kinds of bait, including adult and peanut bunker and spearing. Cooler weather should get the bait on the move and if all goes according to plan, stripers will be in pursuit.
Capt. George Bachert on The Angler out of Atlantic Highlands reported a good weekend with some big fluke landed.
On Saturday, Mike Holodinski from Hillsboro boated an 11½-pound doormat which was followed quickly by a 10½ pounder caught by Paul Schouckalo on the same drift.
On Sunday, Ray Slodowski from Toms River got a nice one a little over 9 pounds while there were a number of fish in the 5-, 6-, and 7-pound range.
The worsening weather kept the Angler in Raritan Bay on Monday but Capt. Bachert said there were still some nice fish caught with the pool winner going 6 pounds.
The Angler is running marathon fluke trips this Monday and Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Capt. Ron Santee on The Fishermen reported a good weekend as well. Ken Stark of Tinton Falls was the star of Sunday’s trip landing an 8½ pounder followed by his personal best just a short time later, an 11.3-pound fluke.
There were also a couple of 7-plus pound fluke caught along with some sea bass.
Saturday was another good day of fishing with the big catch of the day going to Eddie Fernandez with a 10-pound, 10-ounce beauty.
The ocean was starting to quiet down on Wednesday so boats should be sailing again on Thursday.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the rough water kept anglers off the beaches but the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers continue to produce blues and small bass. The bass are hitting shads and plugs with the better bite at night.
The crabbing is still terrific in the rivers, said Martens, and they are also loaded with peanut bunker.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said that the fluke he’s been seeing just keep getting bigger and bigger.
The biggest fluke of the season came into the shop over the weekend, a 12 pounder caught by Nathan Velahos of Sewell aboard the Ocean Explorer.
Matthews reported that all of the party and charter boats enjoyed a surge in big fluke with many fish in the 8- to 10-pound range reported.
He said the amount of bait around is very impressive and should make for a good bass season.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Petes Sportfishing out of Belmar hasn’t been able to sail due to the weather but reported excellent fishing before he became dockbound.
On his last trip out, his charter landed fluke up to 8 pounds along with a lot of short action. Capt. Sykes is currently booking his fall striper trips.
Capt. Rich Falcone of the Golden Eagle in Belmar plans on sailing on Thursday and will target blues, bonito, mackerel, fluke and sea bass. He said the fishing was very good before the wind and has every reason to believe it will pick right up where it left off.
Dave Arbeitman at the Reel Seat in Brielle said there hasn’t been any offshore reports since the wind started blowing.
The Manasquan River, he said, still has loads of small bass and the big blues have returned. He reported fish between 18 and 20 pounds being caught in the river.
Anglers are still pulling some nice fluke out of the Manasquan as well.
The one bit of offshore news was the conclusion of the MidAtlantic Tournament last Friday with good showings by a couple of local boats out of Brielle. Capt. Walter Harmstead’s Goin’ In Deep won more than $1.1 million by capturing both the blue marlin and tuna categories.
Capt. Ken Hager of the Taylor Jean stood atop the white marlin category throughout the tournament with a 72-pound white marlin until the final day when Waste Knot brought a 75 pounder to the scales. The Taylor Jean still took home over $217,000 for the week.
John Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the fluking was cranking until the weather went south.
The Sea Girt and Axel Carlson reefs and the surrounding lumps and humps were giving up a lot of nice fish and Bogan expects anglers will get another shot at fluke before the season ends.
He, too, reported good fishing in the Manasquan River with croakers and blackfish being taken along with the bass and blues. He also said the crabbing was good in the river and anglers are getting their one blackfish in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Bogan said the Big Jamaica was doing well with blues, bonito and false albacore before the wind started and the boat will be back at them once the seas calm down.
The prolonged east wind wasn’t a big problem for freshwater anglers and the fishing was pretty good.
Ken at Tackle and Field in Wanaque reported good smallmouth fishing at Candlewood Lake and Monksville Reservoir. He also said the walleye bite was good at Monksville and one angler pulled a 39-inch musky out of there.
The nights are cooling down and the fishing looks to be picking up, he said.
Jim Behre at Behre Bait and Tackle in Lebanon said conditions are changing with the water temperature dropping, but the fishing remains good.
Round Valley Reservoir is giving up some lake trout. Spoons aren’t working as well right now, he said, and meat heads are the ticket in 70 to 100 feet of water.
Stick baits on the troll are working for the rainbows in 25 to 30 feet of water.
In a couple of weeks, Jim expects the rainbows will be in range of shore anglers.
Large and smallmouth bass are biting over at Spruce Run, he said, along with white and yellow perch, hybrids and crappie. There’s lots of channel cats there as well.
Ron at Fins and Furs in Newfoundland said smallmouth bass and walleye are biting at Canistear Reservoir. Live shiners on the troll are the way to go for the walleye.
Steve at Garden State Bow and Reel in Stockholm said the large and smallmouth action has been good at the reservoirs but the walleye bite has fallen off a bit.
Larry at the Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said he’s getting good reports of smallmouth bass in the northern section of the Rockaway River. He also said anglers are catching some big carp in the Passaic River along with plenty of catfish.
Laurie Murphy at Dow’s on Lake Hopatcong reported anglers are catching hybrids and smallmouth bass fishing off the points with live herring. She’s also seeing lots of catfish, crappies and white perch being caught.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
It’s your last chance to get that doormat. The ocean should be back to normal with party and charter boats giving it one last shot over the long weekend. Gulp and bucktails look to be catching the bigger fish. The surf is holding fluke as well and the fish are in close.
The porgy bite is still going strong and there are also blues, bonito and false albacore around in the warmer water. You can also try the Shrewsbury, Navesink and Manasquan rivers for small bass and blues as the plentiful bait has kept them around all summer.
I was on Captian Ron’s Fisherman when Ken landed is 8.5 followed by 11.3! Sonny our Mate tied on my Bucktail and Gulp teaser and then Bang! I reeled in a 7.5 fluke Captian Ron Santee put us right on the Big ones!!