The Striped Bass are starting to push south at a faster clip, especially with cold temperatures beginning to finally settle in. Reports over the weekend had fish moving 10 to 15 miles overnight, so they are definitely pushing south hard. Most of the action has been on the troll with 24- to 32-ounce Mojo baits working well along with Bunker Spoons. The fish have ranged from just legal to 30 pounds. The extreme south areas that have been quiet on stripers over the past weeks are heating up quickly with good catches to 40 pounds being reported from Ocean City to Cape May. Hopefully Cape May anglers waited to pull their boats because the bite is on! Meanwhile, Tog fishing is doing well when the seas and fish cooperate. Catches of quality Blackfish have varied from 7 to 13 pounds. Just because winter and holidays are approaching, it doesn’t mean the rods have to be hung up for the season like the stockings for old Saint Nick. There is still some good fishing left in 2017.
Here is this week’s rundown:
The Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported Striped Bass in the area, but they are moving pushing south with the colder weather finally arriving. The boat will be sailing their last Striper trip of the season today.
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported spotty Striped Bass action with most of the action occurring Seaside southward over the weekend. Trolled Maja Spoons and Mojo rigs are still doing the trick trolling around the 3-mile line. Although it’s on smaller fish, the beachfront is seeing more consistent action with 14- to 24-inch Stripers holding tight to the beach. The bite has been occurring during the day and night. The tog bite has been tough off Manasquan, but better for areas south. The Blackfish have been lethargic, but when the bites do occur boats are reported some quality keepers to over 10 pounds. The shop has some holiday deals, so stop in and check them out.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported the weather kept the boat at the dock, but they will be back at it sailing every day for Blackfish. There are some quality Blackfish being caught at most of the skipper’s snags. The trips run from 7:30am to 2:30pm and the boat has heated handrails and cabin.
The Gambler in Point Pleasant has been catching some Striped Bass and there are some big Bluefish cruising around. The fish and bait have been in various depths in the water column. Some days they are deep while on other days, the fish have been swirling on top. White swim shads and Croc Spoons have been working best.
The MIMI VI in Point Pleasant has been busy running both Striped Bass and Blackfish trips. The crew had some nice trips this past week putting clients on keeper Striped Bass and quality Tog. Jay Fernando landed a quality Tog at 11 pounds and six ounces at one of the skipper’s hot spots. The boat will continue to run some open-boat trips, but it’s best to check their website for details.
Betty and Nick’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported the water being a little dirty from the recent strong south winds and front that went through. Anglers reported good Striped Bass action at night with some catches being in the lower 20’s on short Stripers. There are a lot of small bass still hanging around which can be caught on bucktails and swim-shads. The boats are still trolling up bass from 10 to 30 pounds, but most of the action has been off Long Beach Island and southward.
Carolyn Ann III in Barnegat Light targeted Blackfish over the weekend and did well boating some nice keepers. With the weather beginning to turn, they are shutting down for the season. Gina wanted to thank all of their anglers for coming aboard and they will be back at it next year.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported good Striped Bass fishing, but the fish are pushing south fast. The bite was in Seaside, but the body of fish moved south off Harvey Cedars and Surf City overnight. Most of the successful boats trolled them up on 32oz MoJo rigs in white or chartreuse, but spoons were also working too. The shop has some holiday deals available, so stop in to check them out.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported a good troll bite from Harvey Cedars to Brigantine with areas of no action in between. White bunker spoons and 32-oz Mojo rigs were doing the trick at the 3-mile line. The Harvey Cedars lump area was hot earlier in the week, but it moved south as the fish are moving fast. Tog fisherman are reported good catches of quality keepers, but the fish are starting to move to those inshore wrecks in the 50 to 80ft range. The Long Beach Island surf continues to be rather cold, but hopefully the short Stripers hitting off Island Beach State Park will push South.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported good Striped Bass fishing through the weekend and early part of the week. Most of the action has been from anglers trolling spoons or Mojo rigs and the shop just got another stocking of Magic-tail Mojo rigs. Most of the fish have ranged from 20 to 40 pounds, but there hasn’t been much jigging or snag-n-drop action as it’s been mostly on the troll.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported quality Striped Bass being caught on the troll. The action has been steady on Mojo rigs, and stop anglers are reported double-header hookups. The shop weighed in some nice fish this past week to 35 pounds. The reef sites and further off wrecks are producing some quality keeper tog. Toggers are reported good catches from the 50 to 75 foot depths with both green and white crabs working.
The Wildwood and Cape May areas are hot on Striped Bass with some quality fish to 50 pounds being landed on trolled lures. It finally broke loose and most shops have been consistently weighing in 30 to 50 pounds fish during this past week. Most of the fish are being caught on Stretch and Bomber CD 30 plugs or 30-ounceMojo rigs. Angers willing to put in the time on the snag-n-drop are scoring on quality bass when the bunker is thick enough. The Cape May rips has been hot on drifted eels or trolled diving plugs. Sea Bass are still plentiful on the wrecks in the 20 fathom range and the Blackfish are cooperating on the wrecks in the 60- to 90-foot depths.The Wildwood and Cape May beaches have been slow this past week with only some short Striped Bass and a few Speckled Trout being caught.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
There are some options this week, but it all depends where you are located. The Manasquan and Point Pleasant area beaches would be good spots for consistent action on smaller Striped Bass. These are a blast on light-tackle and can be caught on a variety of artificials. Trollers should target areas from Long Beach Island southward for quality bass with most being caught around the 3 mile line. The Cape May area is the best spot to be for Stripers from 20 to 50 pounds as this area is seeing the body of fish that was off Island Beach the past few weeks. Tog fisherman have great shots at keeper Blackfish to over 10 pounds, so target those wrecks from 55 to 100 feet. If you need to do some holiday shopping, stop by Barnegat High School on Saturday from 9am to 1pm as the high school’s fishing club is hosting it’s 9th Annual Fisherman’s Fleamarket. It’s a great place to find deals and stock up for next season. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!
Do wish u would give more detailed info on surf fishing. 90% always seems to be boats,boats,boats.