Ok, enough is enough! So far this has been the March from hell for much of Northeast coast where weekly nor’easters have hindered our fishing. Fortunately, we had a beautiful weekend and quite a few anglers got out in hopes of striped bass or even holdover bluefish. This upcoming week looks more promising with a few days reaching the 50s in the 10-day forecast. If time permits, I might even try to sneak away for a few hours in the kayak. There is nothing like catching the first striper of the season in the ‘yak. The fishing community lost the great Lefty Kreh this past week. Kreh pioneered saltwater fly-fishing from his “different” casting approach to his innovative fly patterns such as “Lefty’s Deceiver” which continue to fool an infinite number of gamefish. He was a great ambassador to fly-fishing.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported that the back-bay fishing has been consistent this past week. Jason said that most of the striped bass being caught have been in the 18- to 24-inch ranges with a few keepers in the mix. There doesn’t seem to be a concentrated area as the stripers are being caught in the Toms River, Manasquan, Island Heights, and throughout Barnegat Bay especially near the Oyster Creek outflow. The bridges at night are producing Bass with regularity as are the docks in the back of Seaside. Most anglers have been using 3- to 5-inch soft plastics, and bloodworms continue to be a surefire bait to produce tight lines. The shop received word of some good pushes of adult bunker as well as numbers of spearing and grass shrimp. The water has been between 45 and 47 degrees. Winter flounder has been hit or miss due to the varying weather patterns, but anglers probing the south side of the Point Pleasant Canal to the Mantaloking bridge have been faring better.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported that they are in full preparation for the upcoming 2018 season. The crew posted a few pics of work being completed on the vessel as she sits in the boat yard. They expect to be up and running in the next few weeks, especially if we get a break in the weather.
The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant reported that they are still prepping for the 2018 season, but should have the boat up and running in a few weeks.
Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park had reports of lots of small Striped Bass being caught along the Toms River and around the Route 37 bridge. Most anglers are using bloodworms, but small 3- to 5-inch plugs and 4- to 5-inch Kettle Creek shads are working. The shop received word from their bait guy that bunker have started to stage in the Raritan, which is good news for the striped bass fishery. Winter flounder are starting to produce better results with bloodworms being the key bait and it should get better with a break in the temperatures next week. The shop is almost finished with its “winter renovations” and they are getting new gear weekly.
Super Chic in Barnegat Light has been working on the boat over the winter and is prepping for Striped Bass and Sea Bass in the Spring. Capt. Ted said he will be moving the boat to Barnegat Light in the coming weeks.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown continues to ready the shop for the start of the season. There has been a pretty good bite for anglers fishing the Oyster Creek outflow with 3 to 5-inch soft plastics. Bloodworms and Sandworms have also been working. There hasn’t been any real concentration of winter flounder reports this past week, but this should hopefully get better over the next two weeks with warming waters.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported that the fishing has been a little slow around Graveling Point and anglers are faring better around the Oyster Creek warm-water outflow. Bloodworms and small Swimshads are the best two baits to work the area for Striped Bass. The Toms River area are still reporting good numbers of small striped bass on small pieces of bloodworm fished on white perch rigs.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported most striped bass being taken on soft plastics and live bloodworms. Coincidentally, the shop just received a big order of “quality” bloodworms for striped bass and white perch. The Mullica River has been producing it’s share of short Stripers and some white perch, but anglers need to punch in the clock to hit them.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported that some of the local chatter this week was regarding a 40-plus-inch striped bass that was caught along the Route 52 Causeway in Somers Point. Anglers have been catching Stripers in the backwaters of Ocean City on soft plastics around Beesley’s Point and Somers Point. The shop is open 7 days a week and will start stocking bloodworms and other live baits.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend will be to target schoolie Striped Bass in the tidal-river zones and warm-water outflows. The Tuckahoe, Mullica, and Toms River are holding 16 to 24 inch Stripers with an occasional 28-incher in the mix. Soft plastic Zooms, Fin-S, Kettle Creek, and Tsunami Swimshads in the 3-4 inch variety tipped on a 1/2 to 3/4 oz jighead are doing the trick. Bloodworms fished on a weighted float, a three-way rig, or small pieces on Perch rigs are all working well on the bass. Another great place to look for holdover Stripers are the bridges that span most of our coastal areas from Seaside to Cape May. These structure points will generally hold baits like grass shrimp and many young of the year species which will attract gamefish such as striped bass and weakfish. White Perch fishing has been a little slow in most areas, but that should improve if air temperatures start to push into the mid-50’s. Areas that have a freshwater influence are key target areas for Winter Perch. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!