Southern New Jersey Fishing Report - May 31, 2018

The Memorial Day weekend was great for the first half when we actually had sunny, warm weather for the start of the fluke season. I saw a decent number of anglers out for the season opener, and there were quite a few fish caught. It is key to find the warmer water this time of year as generally the fish will be biting better compared to the cold incoming. Striped bass still remain a mystery for some with anglers having to put almost 8 hours of trolling in to find a single fish. Sea bass fishing remains good on the 6 to 15 mile reefs, and the Delaware Bay drumfish bite is still in full swing. It’s a nice transition compared to the horrendous Spring we experienced. June is going to be awesome, so get fishing.

Southern New Jersey Fishing Report

Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant had a good fluke bite out front and in the Manasquan River, and anglers have been putting some nice keepers in the boat.  Jason said the river was on fire with many limits caught on fluke up to 26 inches, which is a great start for the season. The Striped Bass bite has been quite funky with only an “ultra” quick bite before sunup and a second shot at sundown in 45 feet off Asbury Park. The bites have been on the #4 Maja spoon, mojo rigs, and some snag-n-drop action. There have been some fish pushing over 50 pounds. Sea bassing has been outstanding on the 6 to 14 mile snags with most fish caught on naked diamond jigs. The Rivers and surrounding bridges are still loaded with lots of small striped bass and 2- to 5-pound bluefish.

Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach had a couple of big striper weigh-ins this past week on their IGFA-certified scale with bass to 52 pounds. Most of the Striped Bass being weighed in have been caught on trolled bunker spoons and mojo rigs. Fluke season started off with a great bite in the Manasquan River on Gulp and live minnows.

Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported a good start to the Fluke season with a few keepers coming over the rail on the morning and afternoon trips. The bite was much better than expected as short Fluke and keepers provided a lot of action. The fish bit on Gulp and fresh bait (squid/spearing). There are still a few keeper Sea Bass being caught around the stickier wrecks. The boat will be sailing Friday and Saturday nights for Bluefish as long as the weather and sea conditions permit sailing.

The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant had a few nice trips this past week with anglers getting 40 pound striped bass on trolled bunker spoons and a youth group banging away at short and keeper sea bass on a wreck trip. The skipper has dates available for striped bass or wreck fishing trips, so give him a ring.

Jersey Hooker Outfitter in Brick reported some Striped Bass hitting trolled bunker spoons and mojos in 50 to 60 feet of water from Manasquan Inlet to Seaside. The surf has also had it’s share of Striped Bass with 15 ton 20 pound fish gulping down clams and bunker chunks. Bluefish have been around in the backwaters, but most are in the 2 to 5 pound range. Fluke have been hitting 3/4 to 1oz bucktails tipped with Gulp in the Manasquan River.

Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported some nice Striped Bass hitting the suds to 37 inches, along with some 50 inch bass caught from the boats on live bunker. The surf zone has had clams as the most productive bait, especially with the recent Northeasterly winds and heavy surf. Some anglers are doing well on jumbo Bluefish on chunked Bunker baits. The back bay and Manasquan River has had a decent number of Fluke caught on worked bucktails. The local docks at night have been a blast for night-time bluefish.

Lacey Marine in Forked River reported a solid start to the Fluke season in Barnegat Bay with lots of shorts and some keepers making it home for dinner. The Fluke are in their usual spots, but it key to find warmer water as they are feeding more actively in these areas. Bucktails tipped with minnow or Gulp has been the ticket for most anglers. The BB to the BI buoy are the usual bay spots that hold some fish during this time of year. Striped Bass fishing has been tough as it’s critical to get out before sunrise and the bite window is extremely small. A few sporadic bass have been caught from Lavalette to Barnegat Inlet near the 3-mile line. Sea bass fishing remains good, if you go out past the 10-mile line.

Super Chic in Barnegat Light has been busy doing private charters for sea bass and striped bass with some trips producing a decent number of Sea Bass. The skipper has some open dates for either species, and will start targeting inshore Fluke as the water warms in June.

Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported some nice Striped Bass coming into the shop from anglers trolling mojos and bunker spoons. The bass have been up to 55 pounds and there have been a few quality fish brought in this past week. It’s not an all out bite as the fish are spread out pretty thinly. Fluke fishing has been good with anglers getting into quality keepers in the 3 to 4 pound range and there are quite a few shorts around. Bluefish have been caught by trolling ponytails in the bay and on bunker or clam pieces closer to the inlet.

Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported a positive Fluke bite over the Memorial Day weekend for anglers fishing both ends of Long Beach Island. The clam sticks in Tuckerton and tidal creeks along the west side of Barnegat Bay are holding some keeper flatties. There were many reports of anglers coming home with their 3-fish limits. The Barnegat Inlet has some 2- to 8-pound bluefish around which seem to be biting better on the incoming tides along with a few striped bass to 15 pounds. The ocean striped bass bite has been very sporadic as the fish are extremely spread out. Anglers putting in 6 to 8 hours trolling are sometimes being rewarded with only one fish. Most fish have been caught on both trolled spoons or mojos at the 3-mile line.

Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported a good summer flounder bite with some anglers coming into the shop with multiple keepers. Arlene P. stopped by the shop to weigh in a solid Fluke close to 4 pounds caught off Brigantine. She currently is in the lead for the shop’s summer tournament. There are some nice sized Striped Bass still being caught off the beach, along with small drum, fluke, and bluefish. Most surfcasters have been using plugs at night and bunker chunks or clam during the day.

Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported a great start to back-bay summer flounder with lots of anglers catching limits of keepers. The baits of choice have been minnows, squid, and Gulp fished on light jigheads. There were some fish in the 4- to 8-pound range that have been caught. Bluefish are in the bay, around the bridges, and near the inlet during the start of the outgoing tides. Bunker chunks, SP minnows, and metals have been working on these fish. Striped Bass are still being trolled up from Avalon north to Atlantic City along the 3 mile line.

Peace Token Fishing Tackle in Cape May Courthouse had great reports of Weakfish off the jetties in Wildwood, Hereford Inlet, the Green Church, and Coast Guard station. Summer Flounder in the back has been picking up, but it’s been a lot of shorts with a few keepers to pick through. Striped Bass has definitely cooled down from the beaches as the bite has seemed to move north of Avalon.

Hands Too Bait & Tackle in Cape May reported that the Delaware Bay Drum bite is still going strong, but the fish have started to move to deeper water, especially with this week’s Full Moon tides. Weakfish have been very good off the local rockpiles and jetties on bloodworm, shedder crab, and bucktails tipped with soft plastics. The beaches have seen a little slow down in Striped Bass fishing, but surf-anglers are still catching them on Clams and Bunker. Fluke fishing has been pretty solid in the backwaters and tidal creeks of Cape May and Wildwood. Gulp and Minnow combinations have been working on more keepers than shorts. Sea Bass have been taking clam baits and jigs on the wrecks in the 50- to 60-foot ranges.

South Jersey Fishing Forecast

Anglers have a variety of options for this weekend with certain locations having better fishing per species. Drum fishing is still red hot in the Delaware Bay, but anglers will need to start fishing the deeper channels as the fish have started to move deep. While your down in the Delaware Bay and Cape May Area, Weakfish have also been hitting bucktails, soft plastics, and floated bloodworms with regularity at most of the jetties and rock-piles. These fish have been up to 30 inches, I recommend getting an awesome picture and then sending them back to the water. Striped bass fishing is fair from Avalon to Atlantic City and Seaside north to the Shrewsbury rocks. It’s been a super-early bite, so you must get out before the sun goes up to have a shot. Otherwise, you need to put in a ton of hours trolling for them. Fluke remains the most consistent bite throughout our entire subscriber area with the backwaters producing fish from Manasquan Inlet south to Cape May. Most of these fish are hitting light bucktails (1/2oz to 3/4oz) tipped with one of the following: Gulp, Spearing, Minnow, or Mackerel belly. The key is to finding the warmest, cleanest water possible. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!