It has been another good week of striped bass fishing for most of South Jersey, and the Cape May area is finally seeing a good push of quality striped bass. Point Pleasant southward to the Cape have mostly been a trolling game with few chances for snag-n-drop or jigged bass. Our mild November temperatures will hopefully last through December so that the remaining schools of striped bass stick around. I’m hoping for striped bass through New Year’s Day. Blackfish or Tog fishing has also been off to a good start as the fish have consistently been found in the 40 to 60 foot depths. As we move into December, Tog fishing will take center stage with anglers targeting behemoth white-chins.
South Jersey Fishing Report
The Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported hit or miss striped bass action from their trips this past week. The skipper had fish boiling and rolling on the surface, but very few bit at the boat’s offerings, while other days the boat jigged up fish to 40 inches on rubber shads.
Fishermen’s Supply Co in Point Pleasant reported that the striped bass bite is good for anglers trolling Maja Spoons or MoJo rigs from the 2 to 3-mile range. The key is to work the 40 to 65-foot depths and most of the fish have been in the upper 30 inch to 40-inch range. Most of the action has been from Mantaloking to the Seaside pier. There have been a few snag-n-drop bites, but most of the action is on the troll. Blackfishing is getting better on the Sea Girt Reef and Axel Carlson with a range of throwbacks to fish up to 9 pounds. The surf has produced a steady pick of fish up to 24 inches with most being caught on sand-eel imitations and small bucktails.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported tough Tog fishing this past week with the skipper trying a lot of different locations on wrecks, rockpiles, and rubble. There were fish at each spot, but they were not biting as they typically do this time of year. The boat has been picking at fish, but some of the bigger keepers have weighed over 9 pounds. Most of the fish were caught on Green Crabs, White Leggars, and a few on jigs.
The Gambler in Point Pleasant has been working hard to put Stripers on the deck. The captain has been marking lots of bait and bass, but the bites have been slow with some striped bass caught along with some bigger Bluefish. Anglers jigging spoons, crippled herring, and swim-shads have been successful in hooking up. The crew feels that there is another pile of fish moving down the coast and should be within range.
The MIMI VI in Point Pleasant announced that the boat will be sailing for open boat Blackfish throughout the month of December. The boat has some prime dates available which are posted on their website and Facebook page.
Betty and Nicks Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park had a week of smaller fish being caught in the surf from anglers working SP minnow plugs, bucktails, and swim-shads. The bigger fish seem to have stayed 2 to 3 miles offshore where they are being targeted by boats pulling spoons or mojo rigs. Most of the fish seem to be spread out from Ortley to Beach Haven, but there are areas that have good numbers of Bass. Anglers working the early morning shift have found a few shots at snag-n-drop Stripers, but as soon as the sun breaks the horizon it becomes a troll bite.
Carolyn Ann III in Barnegat Light targeted Blackfish over the weekend and got off to a good start with a wreck full of nice keepers and picked through more fish at the additional pieces the skipper worked. Angler Bob Endrejewski won the boat’s pool with a nice 5 pound Tog. The boat is sailing weekends for Blackfish, so check out their Facebook or webpage for details.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported good “widespread” fishing from Manasquan Inlet to Little Egg Inlet out 2.5 to 3 nautical miles. All most of the fish have been caught on trolled MoJo’s or Bunker Spoons, with only a few being caught on Tsunami Swimshads. Steve said it’s a stark contrast to the bite that occurred last year. Togging remains good for most of the wrecks or snags in the 50 to 75-foot depths, and there are still a few Tog being caught off of the South Jetty in Barnegat Inlet. Boats working the backwaters and inlet are bending rods with smaller striped bass in the 20 to 22-inch range.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported an awesome troll bite for striped bass from Seaside Park to Beach Haven. Most of the successful reports have been in the 50 to 60-foot depths about 2 to 3 miles off the beach. Wire-lined Bunker spoons along with 24-oz to 32-oz white “MoJo” rigs have been producing some nice sized striped bass. Some anglers were able to jig up some bass on “good” marks, but it has been a rather dismal jig bite so far this year. The snag-n-drop bite seems to have fizzled out the over the past couple of days with only a few being caught by bunker-dunking. The Tautog bite off the south jetty of Barnegat Inlet is holding its own over the past week with anglers pulling a few keeper Tog off the rocks. The Long Beach Island surf has been as cold as Thanksgiving leftovers when it comes to striped bass. There have only been a few keepers caught and the smaller rodent sized bass have shown up in the suds. They still put a bend in the rod and can be easily targeted using clam or bunker.
Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine reported hit or miss Striper action with some anglers striking out while others had fish flopping on the deck. Most of the fish being caught are in the 25 to 35-pound range and are hitting trolled bunker spoons and white Mojos. The Brigantine surf has only had a few throwback Stripers caught as they haven’t hit the 28-inch mark. Based on the “northernly” reports, there are more schools of Stripers coming down so any day can be good.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported a good body of striped bass have moved into the area and it is time to get out and start catching. Most of the fish have been caught trolling the inshore lumps, Cuma, and Sea Isle lumps. It has been crucial to work the 3-mile line as most of the fish are traveling and feeding within the line. The shop has seen a nice Tog bite on the Ocean City and Great Egg reef sites on both Green and White crab.
The Wildwood and Cape May area is also starting to see quality striped bass. They are showing up in the Cape May Rips and on the inshore lumps off of Wildwood and Stone Harbor. The best way to target the fish in the Rips has been drifting live Eels or trolling Stretch Plugs or Bucktails. The inshore lump bass are feeing on live Bunker and trolled Stretches. There haven’t been any “all-out” blitzes, but some nice 30 to 40-pound class fish have been landed. As more schools infiltrate the area, it should only get better barring an extreme temperature swings. There are still plenty of Blackfish being caught, but anglers should target the deeper wrecks in the 70 to 90 foot range as they have been moving deeper. Sea Bass are still thick, but you have to work the wrecks in the 120 foot depths. The surf remains about the same as the past few weeks with smaller striped bass, Spiny Dogfish, and the occasional Speckled Trout being landed.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
With the striped bass bite still going strong, this weekend is a great time to get out on a charter, headboat or recreational boat as the weather looks really good. The key is to get out and work the 2 to 3-mile lines with trolled spoons, Stretches, or MoJos. It seems that areas from Lavalette to Cape May are holding fish, so many ports will have good shots at 20 to 30-pound Stripers. Sea Bass and Tog are great options this weekend with the relatively flat seas predicted, so get on top on some of the wrecks with Green Crab or Clam. If you plan on Sea Bassing, you will need to run a considerable distance as most fish have been caught in depths of 120 feet or deeper. Lastly, surf fisherman aren’t picking the big fish, but have great opportunities to catch large quantities of smaller striped bass as the surf has been teeming with schoolies. You can have an absolute blast with these fish on light tackle. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!