The March that roared in like a lion and never turned into a lamb is almost over, and as it goes, so comes more fishing opportunities in Northern New Jersey.
On Sunday, April 1, tog season resumes, so fishermen can add blackfish to their Easter Egg hunt at the wrecks and reefs off Monmouth County. Until then, cod are the primary target for the headboats leaving from Belmar, Brielle, and Point Pleasant. Bobby at Fishermen’s Den said there have been a couple days of fair codfishing recently, and some slow days in-between. John at the Reel Seat said the same, with some cod and pollock being taken, but fishing on the slow side overall.
Stripers are biting in the back bays, however, John said. The fish have mostly been shorts, and clams and bloodworms are getting the most bites, but John said fishermen are starting to catch them on artificials as well—specifically jigheads and soft plastics and swim shads. Finding the warmest water around has been key to getting bites in the back bays, but with warm and sunny days ahead, expect to see the stripers spreading out a bit more.
Flounder fishing has been slow around Belmar said Bobby, but better to the south around Barnegat. John said the flounder fishing is fair, with fishermen catching some keeper-sized fish on worms.
Bass are being caught in the Raritan as well, with clams and worms, once again, being the favored tactic.
In the Delaware River, fishermen are catching the occasional walleye, and the shad run has begun in earnest, with some fishermen, like Captain Dieter Scheel of Big D River Guide, already reporting a banner day.
Trout season opens on April 7, so if you don’t have your freshwater license yet, now is the time to get it. While streams and ponds will be stocked throughout the state, one of the best trout fishing opportunities for young anglers is the Trout Contest at Spring Lake, hosted by the Shark River Surf Anglers. The club stocks more than 500 trout, including trophy-sized fish, and awards prizes to the largest fish caught. It’s a great event, even for the adults who, after 1:30 p.m., can take a shot at the fish that made it by the kids. Though judging by the weigh-ins of past contests, that may not be very many!
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
Things are bound to break open over the next couple weeks. With Opening Trout Day on April 7 and the re-opening of blackfish season on April 1, fishermen have plenty to look forward to as the calendar flips to March. There’s quite a bit of rain in the 10-day forecast, along with many 50-degree days. Overall, that should help clear out the last of the snow and start ratcheting up that water temperature, bringing in more stripers, more active flounder, and eventually, those big, hungry bluefish.