Fishing Report for Northern Jersey
It’s high summer and all the favorites are biting – some just better than others.
The fluking, which took a hit with last week’s blow, is on the mend with better fishing reported. Still, most of the captains I spoke with said it’s still a little up and down with some days a grind.
The sea bass fishing, however, remains good and porgies and triggerfish have joined the party. Plus, the crabbing is coming along nicely and the fluke bite on the beach is getting better and better.
The only real mystery is the bluefish, which seemed to have abandoned summer around here for the last several years.
Fishing Report for Northern Jersey
Capt. Phil Sciortino at The Tackle Box in Hazlet reported good fluking in Raritan Bay with more keepers being caught, especially in the Sandy Hook Channel. An 11-pounder made it to the scales last week and Sciortino said there were a number of fish in the 6-pound range. Another 11-pounder came aboard Capt. Chad Hacker’s Tagged Fish on Wednesday. Sciortino added there are also a lot of porgies on the rock piles along with some triggerfish. The Sandy Hook surf is still giving up small stripers on worms and clams and the crabbing around Keyport is very good.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright reported more keeper fluke are coming out of the surf with Mike Pinto from the shop catching three keepers including a 5 pounder. Small bass are hitting poppers in the early morning surf, and Martens said there have been a few bluefish being caught as well, but not a whole lot of them. He said the crabbing continues to improve in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers and the snappers are there as well, which are always fun for the kids.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch also reported better fluking in the surf, with more keepers and lots of short action. Bucktails tipped with Gulp are getting most of the attention. He’s seeing a lot of small stripers in the suds as well which are hitting plugs and shads. In fact, the small bass are pretty much everywhere. I was doing well on the beach with sand crabs and plugs and bait have been working as well.
I also pulled my first keeper fluke out of the surf this week after many shorts with a 20-inch fish hitting spearing on a trailer hook Tuesday morning.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported that the offshore fluke fishing slowed some this week but there were still some nice fish weighed in.
Capt. Ron Kish of the Capt. Cal II told me they landed two fish over 9 pounds in the two days following the 10-pounder.
Matthews said the sea bass fishing has been good with limits the rule. Triggerfish have also been abundant and porgies are starting to show in better numbers.
The good surf fishing is holding up, said Matthews, though not as hot as a week ago. He thinks it might have something to do with the tides and the new moon. Still, he’s getting a few bass and fluke early in the morning, just before sunrise. Matthews also reported kingfish being caught in the suds and there have been bluefish in the Shark River Inlet. The snappers are in the Shark River as well.
Capt. Bobby Quinn on The Ocean Explorer out of Belmar reported he’s been having good fishing of late and Wednesday’s trip was no exception with a few limits of fluke and a good number of keepers.
There were also nice sea bass in the mix. He added that when he anchors up, you can get all the triggerfish you want.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on The Skylarker out of Belmar said the fluking has been a little up and down but he’s getting his fair share of keepers. The sea bass fishing, however, has been off the charts. He’s also been adding to the catches by getting out to the Mud Hole and taking advantage of the good ling fishing.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing in Belmar said the boat has been catching some nice fluke but added the fluke fishing has been a little inconsistent, with the disruption from the last week’s big swell still being felt.
He expects the next full moon to bring a new body of fluke into the area. There are dates open and Parker Pete’s is still running afternoon magic hour trips.
Capt. Rich Falcone on The Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported a super day of fishing on Wednesday with excellent catches of sea bass, ling, mackerel and fluke. Capt. Falcone said the keeper ratio on the fluke seems to be improving.
He’s also taking reservations on his 24-and 31-hour tuna trips scheduled for September and October. Capt. Hank Leonard of the Golden Eagle said anglers are boarded according to when they made the reservation so if you have a favorite spot, it pays to book early. Check the website for dates.
Alex Kondas at The Reel Seat in Brielle reported lots going on from the Manasquan River to the canyons. Keeper fluke are being caught in the river from the inlet back to Treasure Island, mostly on bucktails and Gulp. The bigger the Gulp, he said, the bigger the fish. There are also schoolie bass at night in the river on bucktails and shads from the inlet back to the Route 35 Bridge.
The ocean fluke fishing is still inconsistent, he said, and he wondered what impact that will have on the annual Point Pleasant Elks Tournament this weekend. There’s $25,000 on the line.
Offshore, Kondas said bluefin continue to bite at the Atlantic Princess and Texas Tower from 40 to 100 pounds and yellowfin from 30 inches to 80 pounds are in the Hudson Canyon.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the Manasquan River is full of bait, including rainfish and spearing. He, too, said the ocean fluking has been up and down with the hot bait one day going cold the next. Anglers, he said, are having to change it up to see what works. Bluefish are pretty much non-existent, he said, but the boats out of Bogan’s Basin have been doing well with ling, porgies and triggerfish. Anglers fishing aboard the Paramount have been getting 30 to 40 ling along with some winter flounder.
Mark at Tackle World, formerly Jigging World, in Rochelle Park reported that his customers have been doing okay fluking-wise. Sea bass fishing has been the standout of late.
Northern New Jersey Freshwater Fishing Report
The warm weather has slowed down the freshwater bite during the day, but there’s been excellent action on large and smallmouth bass at night on topwater plugs in local ponds and reservoirs. There are some walleye being caught at night as well, he said.
Steve at Garden Sate Bow and Reel in Stockholm said the fishing is very good with everything where it should be for this time of year. Topwater plugs are catching large and smallmouth bass in the reservoirs and the dry fly guys continue to catch trout in the Rockaway, Walkill and Ramapo rivers.
Larry at the Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said his customers are doing pretty good with large and smallmouth bass at Swartzwood State Park. The Passaic River, he added, is giving up big carp and channel cats.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
The beach has become a better bet for fluke with more keepers showing up among the plentiful shorts. Bucktails tipped with Gulp are getting most of the attention, but natural baits like spearing and peanut bunker will also work.
Small bass are still providing a lot of action for early-rising anglers fishing plugs and bait.
Party and charter boats are finding plenty of sea bass and triggerfish. And most of the captains I spoke with told me that the fluking, which isn’t bad, is bound to get better as we get deeper into the season.
Plus, there’s those summer favorites, crabbing and snapper fishing, to keep you and the kids busy.