Fishing is good.
The sea bass bit well for Sunday’s opener, the albies are still here and bigger bass are on the scene.
The only downside on the sea bass was that most of the fish were on the small side and it took some time to get to the keepers.
Anglers also had to get through the porgies as they were beating the sea bass to the bait.
On the upside, this latest cold front can only help keep the fall run moving in the right direction.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet got good reports on the sea bass action, just not enough big ones. The porgy and blackfish bite remains strong.
He said some bigger bass were taken on eels and on the troll, but the action is far from gangbusters. The false albacore appeared all week at Sandy Hook and down the beaches to the south. The folks in kayaks were having a field day with the little tunny.
Capt. George Bachert on the Angler out of Atlantic Highlands reported finding a ton of sea bass on Sunday’s trip. Anglers did have to weed through the shorts though, and while some got a dozen or more keepers, others got only a few to take home.
There was one jumbo sea bass, however, that was big enough to beat out a blackfish for the pool. There were also some nice porgies in the mix.
Capt. Ron Santee on the Fishermen, also out of Atlantic Highlands, reported loads of sea bass on his first drop on Sunday’s trip but the vast majority had to go back.
He made a move and found bigger fish, along with porgies, winter flounder, mackerel and blowfish. Overall, he called it a very good day.
Capt. Mike Russo on the Sea Hawk said he had a nice crowd for the sea bass opener with good fishing all day with a mix of sea bass, porgies, blowfish and triggerfish.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright reported a good showing of false albacore this week from Sandy Hook down to Monmouth Beach. He said they even showed up off Sea Bright during Tuesday’s blow.
He, too, said bigger bass showed up with some keepers joining the shorts in the surf. Schools of adult bunker appeared off the beaches and there are some big bass in them.
He added that the tog fishing in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers has been very good.
Captains Howard and Jackie Dubinett asked me along for their final trip of the season aboard the True Love out of Brielle. The True Love is an 82-foot former whale watching boat that the Dubinetts converted into a fishing boat for all of their friends.
As we headed south, there were blues and false albacore popping up all over the pace and we found several big pods of bunker off Mantoloking.
Bill Parker of Long Valley snagged one and hooked a 20-pound bass. There were a few more run offs, but that was the only fish that came aboard.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported excellent sea bass fishing on opening day. He, too, reported anglers had to get past the porgies to get to the sea bass.
He also said the bluefish boats continue to catch mega fish.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagles said Monday’s trip saw blues up to 23 pounds come over the rail along with false albacore and big sea bass. It was the same on Sunday with the big blues along with sea bass. The sea bass, he said, were stacked along the bottom.
He also got his fares into the big blues on Saturday night.
Matthews also got reports of sizable stripers being caught on the troll while light tackle anglers and fly fishermen are catching shorts and a few keepers in the surf.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing sailed for the opener and reported the sea bass were thick but you had to work for the keepers.
The bigger bass are here, he said, with bunker spoons and livelining catching fish in the 30-pound range. He expects the bite will pick up with the cooler weather.
John Vafinidas at the Reel Seat in Brielle said his contacts reported decent sea bass fishing with even better porgy fishing. He himself caught one over 4 pounds.
He also heard of bigger bass in the area with his pal Bob Lake catching four stripers up to 32 pounds on the troll. Snagging and dropping is also working. The bass were caught in the Seaside area.
There are bass in the Manasquan River, too, hitting 4-inch shads. Small blues are still around as well.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the word he got on the sea bass was there are a lot of little fish around. The porgy fishing is much better.
He’s had reports of bass up to 37 pounds caught on snagged bunker and the troll and the blues and false albacore are keeping the boaters busy close to shore.
Capt. Ryan Bogan on the Jamaica II out of Brielle reported loads of action on opening day, mostly on sea bass and porgies but there were flounder, triggerfish and even a cod in the mix. He said the average angler had five to 10 keeper sea bass and 15 to 30 porgies.
He reported a better sea bass keeper ratio on Monday’s trip.
On the freshwater front, Martin at Fins and Furs in Newfoundland said most of the anglers in his area are taking advantage of the fall trout stocking in the local streams. He also reported good walleye fishing at Canistear Reservoir.
The musky bite is improving, he added, at Greenwood and Echo lakes.
Chris at Tackle and Field in Wanaque said he’s getting good reports on the largemouth bass fishing at Lake Hopatcong and Greenwood Lake. The perch have also been biting in the same spots, hitting small grubs and crankbaits.
Larry at the Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said anglers have been fishing for trout in the Paulenskill and Flat Brook rivers but the water levels are really low right now. They’re finding most of the fish in the deep holes.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Between the sea bass, porgies, blackfish and winter flounder, the bottom fishing is about the best thing going on right now. The big blues and false albacore are still around as well and should provide good action for a while longer.
The bass fishing is improving and more and bigger fish will be moving along the beaches and off the coast in the days to come.