Pictured above: Many of the nation’s top plug builders will be displaying their work at the Annual Asbury Park Fishing Club’s Fishing Flea Market this Sunday at Convention Hall in Asbury Park.
We may have to wait just a little bit longer for the spring fishing to get going.
With the opening of the striped bass season in rivers and bays along with winter flounder last Thursday, everyone, including myself, had high hopes of early season action.
Then the bomb cyclone hit on Friday. And that was quickly followed by another nor’easter in the middle of this week. So that’s put a real crimp in the fishing.
Still, there were some bass and flounder caught on opening day and during the small weather window between the two storms. We’re just going to have to be patient a little longer.
North New Jersey Saltwater Fishing Report
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said there were some winter flounder caught in the Shark River during the week but most of the fish were small.
He said a few sunny days are what is needed to get the flounder biting. Air temperature isn’t as important as sunlight in warming up the river. The bite is usually best on the outgoing tide with the warmer water.
The shop has sandworms and plenty of those, he said, were sold on Tuesday but he didn’t get any feedback on how the fishing was.
Matthews also reported there were some stripers caught at the Shark River Inlet but these were small fish as well, in the neighborhood of 16 inches. The folks at Oyster Creek, he said, are doing pretty well with stripers, and some of those are bigger fish.
Between the weather and tough fishing, Capt. Bobby Quinn on the Ocean Explorer, the only boat still sailing out of the Belmar Marina, hasn’t fished since last week.
He’s hoping to get offshore again this weekend.
Catherine at Brielle Bait and Tackle also heard of the winter flounder in the Shark River and reported that there were some winter flounder caught at the Mantoloking Bridge as well
.
She said the shop has worms and chum logs in stock.
There were also reports of small bass being caught at the Manasquan Inlet and in the surf at Deal.
The Big Jamaica and Jamaica II have been kept to the dock due to the bad weather.
John Vafinidas at the Reel Seat in Brielle said they’ve received sporadic reports of a winter flounder here and there. He also said that folks fishing in the Toms River area getting stripers and white perch on bloodworms.
North New Jersey Freshwater Fishing Report
On the freshwater side, with the ice gone and the lousy weather, the action has been a little slow.
Chris at Tackle and Field in Wanaque said there haven’t been a lot of guys fishing. He did have a few customers who fished the Ramapo River with live bait and caught a few small trout.
The freshwater action has been fair, Matthews added, with folks catching bass and other species at local ponds. Spring Lake has also been giving up holdover trout.
North New Jersey Fishing Forecast
The weather may still be a bit unsettled by the weekend, but there are no more nor’easters in the immediate forecast so it might be worth giving the stripers and winter flounder a try.
And this Sunday is the 26th Annual Asbury Park Fishing Club’s Fishing Flea Market. Billed as the original plug show, the flea market will have some of the nation’s top lure builders featuring a tremendous selection of custom-made plugs.
There will also be well over 100 tables with new, used, antique and collectible fishing tackle and gear, including some of from the area’s leading shops and dealers such as the Reel Seat, Giglio’s Bait and Tackle and Fishermen’s Supply.
The show is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Convention Hall, 1300 Ocean Ave. in Asbury Park. Admission is $5 and kids under 12 are free.