Pictured above: A bluefin tuna caught aboard the Big Jamaica on a recent canyon trip.
Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
It finally feels like fall.
The temperature drop at the start of the week gave anglers hope that the fall run will get started and things are happening.
The bait is on the move and there was an improvement in the bass action in Raritan Bay and along the beaches.
At the same time, the porgy and tog fishing remains excellent and folks are champing at the bit for the opening of the black sea bass season on Sunday.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported some big bass moved into Raritan Bay with most of the fish caught on eels. A number of the stripers were caught during the Hi-Mar Fishing Club’s Annual Fall Tournament held over the weekend.
Milling Around took first place with a two-fish total of 46½ pounds with one fish weighing in at 26.7 pounds. Sciortino said the area around the Statue of Liberty was a hot spot.
He said the amount of bait around is enormous and albies were caught from the beach from Sandy Hook down to Monmouth Beach. They showed up big time at the tip of the Hook on Monday.
The big blues are also around, up to 15 pounds, and small weakfish are being caught as well. The porgy bite, he added, between the channels remains excellent.
Capt. George Bachert on The Angler out of Atlantic Highlands said it was all the porgies you wanted on Sunday with double headers being the rule and not the exception.
The tog were also chewing, he reported, with John Kowalski of Secaucus taking the pool with a 9 pounder. There were plenty of other keeper blackfish caught during the day.
The Angler will sail Monday and Tuesday for sea bass following Sunday’s opener.
Capt. Mike Russo on The Sea Hawk out of Atlantic Highlands said he will continue to fish for porgies that have been biting since July.
He’ll be after sea bass come Sunday and is starting striped bass trips this Friday and Saturday night. Eels will be the bait and he’s asking all those who come aboard have rods heavy enough to handle the sinkers.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc on The Sea Hunter, also out of Atlantic Highlands, began his striper season last Saturday with plenty of nice fish over 30 inches. There were blues in the mix as well.
Sunday was tougher, he said, with too much boat traffic and lousy conditions. He said they marked a lot of fish but they weren’t really biting. The day ended with a few stripers and some big blues. The Sea Hunter is now sailing for stripers every day of the week.
Mel Martens at Giglios Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there’s lots of bait in the surf, rainfish and spearing, and the bass are feeding on it. The majority of the fish are shorts but there’s been the occasional keeper or two.
Martens added that there are still crabs to be had in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, but that can’t last too much longer.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the bluefish boats out of the marina did very well this week with choppers up to 20 pounds.
The stripers are starting to move along the coast, he said, as the peanut bunker begin their journey out of the rivers.
I was fishing the surf in the Bradley Beach area on Tuesday and a fellow angler told me there was a minor blitz in Belmar on Monday night with schoolies breaking right in the wash. He told me he caught about 15 bass in the 22- to 24-inch range. There have been clouds of birds along the beach all week so the bait is definitely thick.
Matthews also reported that more and more winter flounder are showing up at the pier in Belmar and the Shark River inlet. The blackfish are also biting at the inlet on clams and crabs.
Capt. Rich Falcone on The Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported catching “Jurassic Park” blues over the weekend.
These were monster bluefish up to 23 pounds and were all caught on bait. He found them again on Wednesday’s trip along with bonito. He said there a lot of fish around now and has scheduled another night bluefish trip for this Saturday.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Petes Sportfishing out of Belmar has been blackfishing until the striper bite gathers a little more momentum. He believes the action will heat up sometime next week.
John Vafanidas at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the tuna fishing has been sporadic but those on overnight trips have been doing okay chunking for swordfish.
The albies have been running in and out of the Manasquan Inlet and the big blues, up to 15 pounds have also been in the inlet and the river. They’ve showed up in the Point Pleasant Canal as well.
Some keeper bass are in the canal, too, hitting mostly eels and shads.
Greg Figuroa at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the bottom fishing has been very good with the Jamaica II catching ling, porgies and winter flounder. The boat has also been catching a lot of black sea bass that, come Sunday, won’t have to go back.
Capt. Howard Bogan on The Big Jamaica reported decent fishing on last weekend’s tuna trip with a few yellowfin, longfin and bluefin along with a swordfish and a load of mahi-mahi. He’s still got a few spots open for this Friday’s trip leaving at 5 p.m.
The change in weather also gave the freshwater fishing a boost.
Jim Behre at Behre Bait and Tackle in Lebanon said the shoreline fishing for rainbow trout picked up nicely at Round Valley Reservoir. Anglers fishing Carolina Rigs with Power Bait, shiners or marshmallows and meal worms are having a lot of luck. Trolling Challenger Stick Baits and Warrior Spoon in 15 to 20 feet of water is also working.
At Spruce Run, they’re catching crappie, hybrids and catfish. Slow drifting shiners is working for the crappies. The fish, Behre said, are getting into their fall feeding pattern.
Chris at Tackle and Field said anglers are taking advantage of the fall trout stocking in the Wanaque and Rockaway rivers. Worms and spinners are catching fish.
Larry at Newark Bait and Tackle in Pine Brook said his customers are also enjoying the newly planted trout in the Ramapo River, the northern part of the Rockaway River and Verona Park Lake.
Steve at Garden State Bow and Reel in Stockholm said the crappie fishing really took off in the last week. The reservoirs and private lakes are all producing nice catches. Small shiners and deep divers are doing the trick.
He also said the large and smallmouth bass picked up in local ponds and lakes while the hybrid bite was good at Lake Hopatcong.
Northern New Jersey Fishing Forecast
It’s what you’ve been waiting for. The water temperature is dropping and the bait is moving so check out the beaches for bass, blues and maybe some false albacore. The forecast for the weekend looks very good.
The bottom fishing remains excellent and come Sunday, you can keep some of those black sea bass you’ve been throwing back.
The cooler weather also gave the freshwater bite new life. Crappie fishing has been very good over the past few days and the largemouth bass bite has followed right along.