Pictured above: Betty And Nicks is reporting striped bass in the suds on bunker chunks and plugs in the evenings.
Last Sunday’s blow stirred the coastal zones and by mid-week it finally settled down enough for boats to make it out. Some anglers reported a few Striped Bass caught on the troll along the 3 mile line, but for most it has been a very slow start. I don’t want to paint a bad picture, but to give you a glimpse: the Long Beach Island Sea Shell Striper tournament had 80 boats fishing a 3 day tournament over the weekend and only 5 weigh-ins. The main problem has been water temperatures hovering in the lower 60’s. This is definitely signaling a late striped bass season unless something changes drastically. I recommend start praying for some “cold” nights as it will surely help our Striper bite. On a positive note, Sea Bass fishing has been off the charts when boats could make it out. There are a ton of shorts inshore and a ton of keepers in the wrecks past the 15 mile mark. Offshore fishing continues to produce Yellowfin and some Longfin Tuna for most offshore boats, but the only problem is getting a good weather window.
South Jersey Fishing Report
The Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported some of it’s best bluefishing with slammers up to 22 pounds. They were taking both chunked bait and hammer jigs and the boat will be sailing for Bluefish unless the sea conditions don’t allow it. The skipper recommends calling for details.
Fishermens Supply Co in Point Pleasant had good reports of anglers picking through Sea Bass with most of the keepers being further offshore. Wrecks and snags inshore are producing Blackfish and short Sea Bass, while the spots 15+ miles out are producing much better in the short to keeper ratios. Blackfish are still plentiful off the inlets and jetties from the Manasquan Inlet down through Barnegat Inlet. There are still a good number of short Striped Bass hitting soft plastics around most bridges at night, but our typical Fall fishery fro Striped Bass has been off to a slow start due to higher than normal water temperatures. There have been reports of a few anglers have been picking them up on the 3 mile line on trolled Bunker Spoon, Mojo’s, and Umbrellas. There hasn’t been any real concentrated report as straggler Bass have been reported from Sandy Hook to Atlantic City.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach had great fishing on Sea Bass and Porgies with huge Porgies making it over the rail. There were quite a few nice Sea Bass, but anglers definitely had to pick through the shorts. The boat will be sailing everyday for 730 to 230pm, and on Friday nights for Bluefish from 730pm to 1am.
The Gambler in Point Pleasant reported a late bite on Yellowfin on their offshore trip. The fish starting hitting around 430am and lasted for a solid 5 hours. Multiple anglers had limits of Yellowfin Tuna which ranged from 30 to 75 pounds. There was a few Longfin Tuna mixed in and the boat boxed over 30 Tuna. The skipper still has some spots open for the 24hr Canyon trips in November, so call the boat for details. Better late than never!!
The MIMI VI in Point Pleasant reported good Bluefish for the Anchor Concrete charter with a bunch hooking up with 20 pound Bluefish. The boat has been running Sea Bass trips and they still have a few dates remaining.
Betty and Nicks Bait And Tackle in Seaside Park reported anglers catching spotty Striped Bass in the suds on Bunker chunks and plugs during the night shift. There has been some Stripers and Bluefish caught around the North jetty in Barnegat Light. The shop is now stocking Green Crabs for Blackfish which have been keeping anglers very busy along Barnegat Inlet.
Carolyn Ann III in Barnegat Light reported good Sea Bass fishing over the weekend with a good number of fish being caught. Anglers had to pick through Porgies and short Sea Bass to get the keepers. A few days after the blow, the crew had about 25 students of the Barnegat High School Fishing Club out for an afternoon Sea Bass trip. The kids caught a decent number of keeper Sea Bass, Porgies, and Triggerfish.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported Striped Bass to 40 pounds for anglers venturing out to the 3 mile line. Trolled bunker spoons around the 3 mile line from Ortley to Seaside was the hot area. There has been some Striped Bass caught inside the Barnegat Inlet on live Spot and the jetties are still producing a fair amount of Blackfish on Green Crab.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin had solid reports of Striped Bass caught on Bunker Spoons from trollers. The bite was both morning and afternoon from the Bathing Beach up to Ortley. The Tog bite continues to be excellent from both sides of the Barnegat Inlet.
Riptide Bait And Tackle in Brigantine reported some Striped Bass to 15 pounds caught on the south end of the island on Bunker. The shop did get some reports of other fish caught, but they have been sporadic. The water should be clean by this weekend and with the predicted NE winds should produce some biting Stripers in the surf. The shop did warn for anglers to be careful as the sand has become very soft near the jetties and some anglers had to be helped out.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported some smaller Striped Bass caught around the inlets and in the back on drifted live bait. The Great Egg inlet produced some fish up to 32 inches on live eels. There are plenty of Blackfish still hitting Green Crabs around the jetties, bridges, and rockpiles.
The surf from Ocean City to Sea Isle has been giving up small Bluefish and the occasional Striped Bass.
The Wildwood and Cape May area are starting to see more keeper sized Striped Bass around the Cold Spring Inlet jetties. Most of the fish are being caught on swimming plugs, but a couple have been taken on bucktails tipped with grub tails. There were reports of Striped Bass caught and released around the Five Fathom Bank as they were picked from boats trolling for Bluefish.
There are lots of little Bluefish around, but they have been thinning out. The rocks and jetties are still producing tons of Blackfish and it isn’t too hard to catch one of keeper size to bring home. The Sea Bass fishing was good this past week with most anglers running over 18 miles to find them. Most of the wrecks still have plenty of Triggerfish with few stray Mahi taken and they have been in the 20-Fathom range. The offshore action has been good at the Wilmington and Tom’s Canyon giving up Yellowfin, Wahoo, and Mahi. There were a few Swordfish caught and released during the night shift.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The marine and wind forecasts keep changing for this weekend, so it may be a last minute judgement call. With the forecast in mind, the best bet for this weekend could be to hit the Sea Bass wrecks offshore. But be sure to get there early! I recommend looking at the nautical charts to have a few wrecks in mind in case your initial wreck is taken. Anglers planning to go for Striped Bass should be able to find a few fish at the 3-mile line, but be prepared to punch the clock for a few hours. If trolling or boat fishing isn’t your thing, the backbay bridges have plenty of short Striped Bass which can be easily worked at night with soft plastics. The standby over the past few weeks has been the jetty Tog bite. If the sea and surf conditions aren’t feasible, pick up Green Crabs from your local tackle shop and drop them down. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!