Things are looking up.
Striper fishing in rivers and bays is now open as is the winter flounder season. And there are indications the fish are around.
There have also been good reports of good early season freshwater fishing.
So, barring any cataclysmic late season storms, the outlook looks promising for spring fishing. The long, cruel winter, at least fishing-wise, may be coming to an end.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said bunker have appeared in Raritan Bay and he reported hearing of a few short stripers being caught on plugs by anglers “practicing” for opening day.
The shop has worms and clams in stock for both bass and flounder.
Mel Martens of Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said they’re still on winter hours and will be for probably another month. Martens, too, has heard of bait around and the flounder should be in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said they’re all set for the striper and flounder seasons. He knows the flounder are in the Shark River Inlet as a customer saw a seal pop up with one in its mouth.
He’s had reports of bunker in the area as well and small bass caught and released in the river and at the inlet. He also heard of a good white perch bite in the Mullica River.
Capt. Bobby Quinn on the Ocean Explorer is still sailing out of Belmar every chance he gets and while the weather has been cooperating, the fish haven’t.
It’s still slow, he reported, with a few cod and ling caught, but not enough.
He sailed in nice conditions on Tuesday and had plenty of perch biting in shallow water along with a short tog. But once he moved to deeper water, there was little life to be found.
Capt. Quinn said he won’t be sailing until Friday’s storm passes then he’ll head out on daily cod trips. Tog are off the menu as blackfish season closed on Feb. 28.
John Vafinidas at the Reel Seat in Brielle said they had reports of short bass being caught off the beach in Deal. The fish are small, but hey, it’s a start.
The Reel Seat will be down at the Berkeley Striper Club’s 23rd Annual Fisherman’s Flea Market this Sunday in Toms River.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said they’re ready for the bass and winter flounder seasons with worms and clams.
The Big Jamaica and Jamaica II both sailed over the weekend and while some pollock, cod and ling were caught, the fishing was still a bit slow.
Capt. Howard Bogan of the Big Jamaica reported its last trip was on Saturday with cod, ling, pollock and jumbo porgies coming aboard.
The porgies were the most plentiful, but that fishery is now closed.
High hook had four pollock, a few ling and 30 porgies. Diana Haynes, from Laurel, Maryland took the pool with a 17-pound pollock.
The Jamaica II also sailed last Saturday and Capt. Ryan Bogan reported that the first drop of the day proved the most productive with some cod, pollock and ling being caught.
The rest of the drops were good for just a few cod.
Brian Stensland at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said that store traffic has picked up as anglers get ready for the spring bass season. He’ll be bringing a load of inventory to the Berkeley Striper Club’s Flea Market on Sunday.
Ray at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said he’s expecting a good opening for striped bass in the bay. There’s plenty of bait around and the water has warmed up nicely.
He’s got bloodworms in and is well stocked with the small plugs and shads the bass favor this time of year. The shop will also be down at the Berkeley Flea Market.
Matt at Tony’s Bait and Tackle said anglers have been catching white perch around Beach Haven West. Now that the striper season is open, he’s expecting to hear more news on that fishery in the next couple of days.
Fred at Riptide Bait and Tackle in Brigantine said they’ve been getting ready for the Riptide Spring Striper Derby that began on March 1 and runs through May 20.
Cash prizes are awarded for the three heaviest bass and bluefish. Entry fee is $25 and the tournament provides access to usually restricted Barnegat beaches.
On the freshwater side, anglers have good reason to be optimistic about spring fishing.
Good catches of largemouth bass, pickerel and crappie have been reported in local ponds and lakes.
Steve at Garden State Bow and Reel said the lakes in the area are all clear of ice and anglers are catching bass, pickerel, crappie and pan fish. The bass are hitting spinner and jerk baits as well as shiners.
He also said some hold over stocked trout were caught at Silver Lake.
Cheryl at Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said bass and pickerel were being caught at the local ponds and there were trout caught at Verona Park Lake last weekend.
She also said fishermen have been launching their boats on Lake Hopatcong.
Greg Bogan, back at Brielle Bait and Tackles, said they’ve been selling a lot of freshwater bait as the local ponds in Brick and Wall have been providing action on largemouth bass and crappie.
Alec Monteverdi of Brielle fished a local pond in Wall and landed a nice largemouth on a chatter bait.
Fishing Forecast for New Jersey
The wait is over. Now that the bass and winter flounder seasons are open, it’s time to give those fisheries a try. There have been reports of small bass being caught in the surf and there’s bound to be some in the rivers and bays. All the shops are stocked with bait, shads and plugs.
The freshwater bite has also been good for bass, pickerel and crappie. The weather is supposed to clear by Sunday and anglers everywhere must be itching to get out of the house.
You can also head to the Berkeley Striper Club’s 23rd Annual Fisherman’s Flea Market in Toms River. The event will be held this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Toms River Intermediate North School located at 150 Intermediate North Way.
Admission is $5 and kids under 10 are free.
wjhat is good for striper fishing in may at night near Bradley beach nj. bait system etc. we are going down overnight thank you