A good portion of recreational and charter boats have been pulled or are in the process of being pulled, but if your still in and boat from Long Beach Island southward: Stay In! Striped Bass are still being landed in good numbers at the 3-mile line on trolled Mojo rigs. Surf anglers have been having fun with smaller Striped Bass off the surf and there has been an occasional 28-inch in the mix. The majority of the bass have been in the 16- to 25-inch range and have been devouring Tsunami sand-eel imitations. The Blackfish bite has been pretty good this past week with most boats reporting decent action on 3- to 8-pound fish. It’s been even results on both Green Crab and White Crab. The Stripers might hang around as it’s supposed be back in the upper 40’s and 50’s next week. My prediction is that we should be able to “catch” Stripers through the holidays, “keeping” may be a different story.
Here is this week’s rundown:
The Golden Eagle out of Belmar has some deals for “armed forces” members and they will start sailing again for herring and mackerel in the coming weeks.
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported a good pile of fish off Long Beach Island with most of the fish at the 3-mile line. It’s been a solid bite on the troll with white Mojo’s having most of the success. Areas near the shop have more of the smaller fish playing in the surf zone on teasers, small jigs, small Tsunami Swim-shads and Tsunami Sand-eels. The Blackfish bite has been solid on fish from 3 to 8 pounds on both the jig and traditional rigged “white leggers”. The shop did get a few unconfirmed reports of Bluefin from 5 to 10 miles out, but this fishery is very hush-hush. The shop is loaded with Christmas deals, so stop in prior to the holidays.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported a much better start to this week with a good amount of short Blackfish and quite a few keepers making it over the rail. The pool winning fish this week has been an 8 pounder. The boat will be at it through the weekend, so call ahead and jump aboard. The skipper feels there should be a solid couple of weeks of good Blackfishing.
The Gambler in Point Pleasant has been sailing for Striped Bass when the weather permits, and the skipper has been marking some real nice piles of Bass and Bluefish. There have been great marks, but you really have to work to pick them. The boat has been boxing some Stripers and Blues, with most of the fish hitting Croc spoons, Swim-shads, and 4oz Ava jigs.
The MIMI VI in Point Pleasant has been working some of Capt. Ken’s prime wrecks, but the Blackfish have been a little lethargic this past week. Anglers did put a few in the box along with a nice Cod. The boat will be sailing through the holidays and they do have some open boats available.
Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported some of the best fishing of the Fall according to some of the store regulars. There are tons of small Stripers gobbling up sand-eels in the surf and they are easy pickings with sand-eel imitations. Small teasers above plugs or Tsunami sand-eel jigs have been doing an outstanding job on hookups. Most of the fish are in the 15- to 24-inch range. The store has some great holiday deals on gift cards and other tackle, so stop in.
Carolyn Ann III in Barnegat Light is finished for the season, but the crew will be back at it in the Spring. Gina wanted to thank all their clients and wish everybody a Happy Holidays!
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported a steady pick of small Striped Bass off the Island Beach State Park and Long Beach Island beaches. The fish have been hitting small jigs, teasers, and Tsunami sand-eel jigs. Boats are still cashing in on the Striper run with 10- to 20-pound fish still being caught on trolled baits at or on the 3-mile line. The Harvey Cedars lump area to Ship Bottom has been hot. Blackfish have been a pick for most anglers, but there are some nice white-chins out there. The shop did have a nice 5-pound Sea Bass weighed in this past week which was caught in the 120-foot depths. Liza has some killer deals for the holidays, so stop in this week.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported a decent troll bite still occurring off Long Beach Island from Barnegat Inlet to Beach Haven. Most of the fish have been caught on white Mojo’s, but anglers are starting to pick at some fish at the surface and mid-depths. Anglers reported birds working and fish rolling on the surface. Tog fisherman are picking fish at the deeper reef sites.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported there are still fish in the area, but with the colder temperatures a lot of anglers have thrown in the towel. Surf anglers are still trying to find some keeper fish, while boaters are having better luck. The weekend had a good bite off Long Beach Island and there was a pick of fish off Brigantine. The shop is open from 8am to 4pm until the end of the year.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported good Striped Bass fishing off Atlantic City to Sea Isle City over this past week on 20- to 40-pound fish. Most of the fish are being caught by trolling Mojo’s, Stretches, and Spoons. There were a few reports of snag-n-drop action. The beachfront has been much quieter with only a few straggler fish being caught over the past few weeks. The back bay around the sod banks and bridges is still holding a decent amount of 20 to 26-inch fish. The Tog and Sea Bass bite has been good with most of the Tog being caught on the inshore reef sites in the 50 to 80-foot depths. Sea Bass has been pretty good from 120 to 150 feet, but it is a good run offshore.
The Wildwood and Cape May areas had Striped Bass just about a mile and a half outside the inlet during this past week. Double digit catches of bass in the 40-inch range were reported by recreational and charter anglers. The last few days had the fish off Stone Harbor and Sea Isle City and trolling is still the main game in the town. Mojo rig, Stretch 30’s, and Bunker spoons are all working well on these 25- to 40-pound fish. There weren’t any major reports of Striped Bass being caught in the rips, but it may not be from a lack of bass. A lot of anglers have thinned out due to pulling their vessels with the upcoming holidays. Black fishing is still good on wrecks in the 80- to 100-foot range, and Sea Bass are still biting well on the 20-Fathom line. There has also been a good amount caught on the rock-piles just inside the Wilmington Canyon. The beach bite has been short Bass and Dogfish for most.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
This week has been cold, but the weekend looks like it’s going to warm back up into the mid to upper 40’s and there are still fish to be had. The best bet for mobile boaters is to fish the 3-mile lines from Long Beach Island to Wildwood. Most of the areas have reported good Striped Bass action and the water temperatures have been relatively stable at 49 to 50 degrees. Trolling Mojo rigs, Bunker spoons, or Mann’s Stretch plugs in the 40- to 65-foot depths. If you see birds, try casting topwater plugs, Tsunami Swim Shads, or bucktails as you should be able to hook up, especially with lesser boat traffic. Beach fisherman still have good shots at quantities of short Striped Bass and this has been from Point Pleasant (northward) to Brigantine. Tog is also in play as the bite is ramping up, especially on some of those higher profiled wrecks. If you have put your rods away and are searching for that perfect gift, most tackle shops and head-boats are offering good deals on gift-cards for the 2018 season.
Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!