Pictured above: A pair of monster bluefish caught aboard the Golden Eagle on Wednesday.
Last Sunday’s deluge appeared to have slammed the door on a blossoming bass bite. Up until Saturday, stripers in the 40-pound-range were being caught from Raritan Bay down to Seaside Park.
Then the wind sent mountainous waves crashing onto the beach, turning the water the color of sludge. Boats were confined to the docks.
When I spoke with Capt. Phil Sciortino Jr. at The Tackle Box in Hazlet on Tuesday, he said he’s had little to report since Sunday’s storm.
Turns out the blow was just a brief interruption.
When I checked back with Phil Sciortino Sr. on Wednesday, he reported boats trolling Mojos and spoons had a great day in the Raritan Reach and in front of the Navy Pier. Fish over 30 pounds were caught in the Reach.
Sciortino said the bass by the pier were smaller and the average fish caught for the day ran about 18 to 25 pounds.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc on the Sea Hunter out of Atlantic Highlands found stripers on Wednesday in Raritan Bay as well with a mix of fish mostly hitting shads.
Capt. George Bachert on The Angler out of Atlantic Highlands reported very good porgy fishing on Saturday with drop and reel fishing and a jumbo 4 pounder taking the pool.
Bachert said that most of the sea bass were shorts and there were no blackfish caught on the trip.
He said not many folks showed up to sail on Wednesday but those that did had a great day. The Angler fished the shallows and found plenty of tog and the best keeper sea bass trip of the year so far.
A 7-pound blackfish took the pool.
Capt. Stan Zagleski on the Elaine B. out of Highlands reported he had a good group of regulars on his Saturday trip, catching porgies, keeper sea bass and blackfish. There were also some blowfish and triggers in the mix.
Mel Martens at Giglios Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said it’s been quiet there since Sunday.
He, too, heard of the big stripers caught on the troll and a 41-pound bass caught by Danny Russo of the Asbury Park Fishing Club. Russo hooked the bass on a plug from the sand just before daybreak on Saturday and weighed it in at the Reel Seat in Brielle.
Martens said the bass bite remains good in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers on plugs and swim shads. He added that those who are still targeting crabs in the rivers are having their efforts amply rewarded. The water is still very warm.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said he got good striper reports from the charter fleet out of Belmar before the blow hit and he believes things are really about to pop.
Matthews said Capt. George Steller on the Teri Jean II out of Belmar landed seven bass up to 36 pounds on Mojos.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Petes Sportfishing out of Belmar, reported catching bass up to 38 pounds before Sunday’s storm. The fish are pretty spread out, he said, and it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
There’s plenty of bait around, he added, and expects more will be coming which should help concentrate the fish.
The surf is holding plenty of school bass, which are hitting Deadly Dicks and swim shads, and Matthews reported more keepers are showing up.
Anthony Peligrino of Point Pleasant had one at 15 pounds, 9 ounces and Monica Paluliz of Bradley Beach got a 16 pounder.
If you’re not after bass, Matthews suggested going for winter flounder and blackfish in the Shark River. The winter flounder have been biting at the pier and the tog are at the inlet.
He also got a late report on Wednesday that Laird Smith of Neptune caught 15½ pound blackfish aboard XTC Charters out of Belmar.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported the best fishing of the season so far for big bluefish on Wednesday.
He calls them Jurassic Park Blues and he said he found loads of the monsters on his first trip after the rough weather.
The fish were hitting jigs and bait and it was non-stop action. Capt. Falcone will be targeting these big and hungry blues for the foreseeable future.
With the exception of Danny Russo’s 41-pound bass coming to the shop’s scale on Saturday, Vinny at the Reel Seat in Brielle said things have been a little quiet since the weekend.
He did say there were more bass showing up in the surf and in the Point Pleasant Canal. They’re also biting in the Manasquan River.
John Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle in Brielle reported things have been quiet since Sunday. Prior to that, the Jamaica II had been doing very well with sea bass and porgies.
Bogan said the boat has been targeting the deeper wrecks to find more keeper sea bass and jumbo porgies and it’s been working.
He also said the canal is loaded with blackfish and it just takes some time to get a keeper.
He, too, said there are loads of bass in the Manasquan River and it’s been one of the best years for them. While the stripers aren’t big, they’ve been there since the middle of July and a lot of fun to catch on shads and bait.
The nasty weather didn’t do the freshwater guys any favors either.
Steve at Garden State Bow And Reel in Stockholm said there wasn’t a whole lot going on with water levels at the reservoirs on the low side. Then the skies opened, the water rose and the runoff turned it all kinds of muddy, which made things even worse.
He did hear the bass bite was holding up at Oak Ridge and guys were still catching trout from the fall stocking.
Larry at the Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said the streams and rivers in his area went from very sluggish to overflowing in a matter of hours. Most of his customers were focusing on the striper action in Raritan Bay.
Timmy at Tackle And Field in Wanaque said a lot of their customers are in hunting mode so he hasn’t heard much on the fishing front.
He did say the walleye and smallmouth bass bite has been pretty good at Monksville and there are still some big trout from the fall stocking being caught.
Northern New Jersey Fishing Forecast
It looks like the planets have finally aligned for the fall run and the bass are here, both in the surf and offshore.
Trolling bunker spoons and Mojos are catching stripers in Raritan Bay and along the beaches. If you can find the pods of bunker, snagging and dropping is also worth trying. It was working before the blow and there’s no reason to think it shouldn’t work now.
There are also big bluefish around and the water is still warm enough for the false albacore.
Short and keeper bass are also in the surf, hitting shads, swimming plugs and small metals. Have a snag rig handy as the peanut and adult bunker can show up on the sand at any time.
And the bottom fishing remains good. The porgies continue to bite and reports indicate more keeper sea bass are being caught.
Like your reports,you dont mislead us guys. I’m on fixed income and travel 80 plus miles to fish ibsp. I love your migration map! Keep keeping it Reel?????
Are there any good spots for surf fishing or jetty fishing in northern jersey. Also can anyone recommend a hotel. I would be coming from the DC area. Thanks.