There are stripers in Raritan Bay, winter flounder in the rivers and trout season opens on Saturday. What more could a spring angler ask for?
Better weather.
Cold, wet and cloudy conditions, which have been plaguing us for weeks, remain in the forecast. The fish, at least, have tired of waiting for better conditions and begun to bite.
Chris Nazzaretto at Jigging World in Rochelle Park said there is plenty of bait in Raritan Bay and the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. Short bass, along with some keepers, are hitting worms, clams and small shads along the Bayshore.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet had good reports on stripers over the weekend in Union Beach, Cliffwood Beach and Lawrence Harbor. Most of the fish were shorts but there were a number of keepers. The bite was mostly on bait but shads accounted for some of the fish.
Sciortino expects for things to break open once the sun starts shining on a more regular basis.
The party boats out of Atlantic Highlands have yet to start their seasons but the Sea Hunter and the Fishermen are targeting April 14 to sail.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright also said the bass action is picking up in Raritan Bay and the Navesink River.
He took a ride out to Lambertville over the weekend and reported the shad run is off to a great start in the Delaware River. Several boats were tied up to the bridge and he witnessed a number of anglers landing fish.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported that the brief breaks in the weather allowed for some winter flounder fishing at the floating dock and concrete pier on the Shark River and anglers were rewarded with a few fish.
He, too, is getting reports of stripers in Raritan Bay and down in the Mullica River. From what he’s hearing, the bigger fish are to the north. Matthews also mentioned that Fisherman’s Den North, located in the Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor, is now open.
Both shops are fully stocked for the trout opener on Saturday.
The Golden Eagle began sailing every day on March 30, making their early trips for mackerel and herring, and cod, but they’ll be switching over to stripers as soon as they show up.
The Ocean Explorer out of Belmar had some successful cod trips in the closing days of March, then went blackfishing when the season opened on April 1.
Capt. Steve Spinelli, who has been running the boat, reported that the tog were chewing, and while most of the fish were shorts, there were some keepers in the mix. The Explorer will remain at the dock until the wind settles down.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar has yet to sail this spring but is currently booking his striper trips. It won’t be long before the bunker are offshore and livelining for big bass will be under way.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle reported folks are catching winter flounder by the Mantoloking Bridge on blood and sandworms with the bloods getting most of the hits.
He also said that a few people have been trying for blackfish at the Manasquan Inlet but he hasn’t heard much in the way of results.
Bogan said the 125-foot Jamaica has an offshore cod and pollock trip scheduled for 1 a.m. this Saturday. The Jamaica II is currently in the boat yard.
He added he’s been selling a lot of freshwater licenses and the shop is ready with a variety of bait for opening day of trout season.
Eric Bunz at the Reel Seat in Brielle said he heard of some small bass being caught along with the winter flounder at the Mantoloking Bridge. The stripers have been hitting the bloodworms meant for the winter flounder.
Small plugs and 4-inch shads have also picked up a few bass. The Reel Seat is all set for the opening of trout season as well.
Freshwater anglers are more than ready for that season to start. It’s been a tough spring with cold, snowy weather keeping boats off the water and folks indoors.
Ken at Tackle and Field in Wanaque said the bass fishermen have been catching fish at Pompton Lake with fish up to 8 pounds reported. The private lakes in the area are also giving up fish. Everyone there, he said, is more than anxious for trout season to get started.
Joe at Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said all of his customer have the itch to get fishing. There have been some bass caught in the local ponds, but that’s been about it.
Steve at Garden State Bow and Reel in Stockholm said there has been a lot of activity lately with guys doing well with perch in Belcher Creek leading to Greenwood Lake. Most feeder streams in the area are producing fish right now, he said. The bass fishing in local ponds and lakes has been decent as well.
Garden State has scheduled two fishing contests for Echo Lake, one for kids on May 19 and another for adults on June 19. For more information, contact Rick at 973-697-1724.
Speaking of contests, The Shark River Surf Anglers will be holding their annual Trout Contest for Kids at Spring Lake in Monmouth County this Saturday.
The club has put more than 500 trout into the lake in addition to what the state stocked and some of these fish are huge. I was at the stocking last Saturday and these are trophy-sized beauties.
There’s usually plenty of action and it’s a great way to introduce kids to the sport. The club has rods and bait available and the contest runs from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There are prizes for four different age groups, plus giveaways, hot dogs and refreshments. Dress warmly.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
Unbelievably, there is snow in the forecast for Saturday, but that shouldn’t stop dedicated trout fishermen as the season opens. Check the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife website for stocked streams, ponds and lakes.
The stripers are also biting along the beaches in Raritan Bay with bloodworms and clams, along with small swim shads, catching fish. The bass are also farther south by the Mantoloking Bridge.
The winter flounder are there as well and also biting in the Shark River Inlet.
And if you have some young ones at home, take them down to Spring Lake for the Trout Contest for Kids.