The bite for big fluke was coming on strong when stiff winds out of the east interrupted the action at the beginning of the week.
The wind went west on Wednesday and the boats that sailed reported decent catches so it’s reasonable to assume the fluke didn’t disappear in the breeze.
At the same time, there were more reports of blues, bonito, chub and Spanish mackerel along with a few false albacore showing up in the catches.
The porgy action remains good and, as expected for this time of year, the snappers and crabs are in abundance.
In short, the fishing is good.
Fishing Report For Northern New Jersey
Capt. Phil Sciortino at The Tackle Box in Hazlet said bigger fluke were being caught at Scotland Grounds and the FG Buoy while the surf at Sandy Hook was giving up plenty of shorts along with some keepers.
He also said a few folks are worming for bass in the vicinity of Romer Shoal and picking up some nice fish, up to 20 pounds.
Capt. George Bachert on the Angler out of Atlantic Highlands reported good fishing under nicer skies on Wednesday, finding keeper fluke everywhere he fished. The drift was fast with the west wind but at least the ocean was calm.
The boat did a lot of rocking on Tuesday’s trip, but Capt. Bachert said the fishing was good with some fluke limits along with sea bass, bluefish and mackerel in the mix.
Capt. Ron Santee on the Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands fished in the same conditions on Tuesday and found keeper and short fluke, small blues and triggerfish throughout the day. The pool winner was a 6.9-pound fluke.
Capt. Stan Zagleski on the Elaine B II out of Highlands reported that the west wind with an outgoing tide made for a very fast drift on Wednesday. After making some adjustments to his plan, he found a nice drift out front for a decent mix of keepers and shorts.
Jonathan Stein, Highlands, fishing with his dad, Paul, caught the first keeper of the day which held on to take the pool.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said that despite the rain and wind, guys were still picking up fluke in the surf this week. The more successful anglers used floating jig heads as a teaser, getting the fish close to the beach.
Marten said that the beaches out to the tip of Sandy Hook that were closed to protect bird breeding grounds are now open to fishermen.
The snappers and crabs are going strong in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers and a few porgies can be found there as well along with some small bass.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the beach fluking is holding up and there are still some small bass in the suds. One hit my snapper popper on Tuesday as I was casting for fluke bait in the Ocean Grove surf.
Gleason also reported beach anglers were picking up Spanish mackerel and bonito.
Before the east wind arrived, Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said they were seeing a lot of big fluke.
On Saturday, the shop was weighing in fish for the Ozark Club Tournament and an 11-pounder hit the scales at the Den’s store in Atlantic Highlands while the Belmar location weighed in a 7 pounder. Matthews reported most boats in the tourney limited out and keepers were released.
The Shark River is still producing good catches with Jesse Thomas of Wall getting his limit in two hours of fishing. Matthews also said the small boat and beach anglers are getting blues, bonito and Spanish mackerel.
Capt. Bobby Quinn on the Ocean Explorer out of Belmar reported good fishing on Wednesday despite the quick drift. There were keeper fluke mixed in with sea bass and most folks had fish to take home.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing said the dismal weather kept him at the dock at the beginning of the week. Prior to that, the fishing for big fluke was good on the rough stuff.
Last Friday, Capt. Sykes gave a lesson in bucktailing when he brought a 9 pounder aboard. Saturday’s trip saw a nice bunch of keeper fluke caught as well.
Parker Pete’s Sportfishing has scheduled bucktail seminars for Sept. 12, 16 and 19. There are also a number of open dates available for charter in September.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said the fluking and sea bass fishing has been decent with the fluke pool winners in the 5-pound range and sea bass limits practically a given.
He has been jigging blues, mackerel and bonito as well and even caught a few small skipjacks. He said he’s also spotted flying fish coming out of the water.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar continues to put his anglers on a variety of fish. On Tuesday, fluke, sea bass, mackerel and false albacore all came over the rail.
Wednesday’s trip saw more sea bass than anything else, but there were some mackerel in the mix.
Alex Kondas at the Reel Seat in Brielle said keeper and short fluke continue to bite in the Manasquan River and at the inlet. In addition to jigs tipped with Gulp, the fluke are hitting live snappers.
Stripers are in the river as well, hitting shads and bucktails at night from the inlet back to the Route 35 Bridge. Most of the fish are shorts but a few up to 32 inches have been caught.
Anglers fishing inshore are catching bonito, Spanish mackerel and blues and Kondas expects the false albacore to make a better showing shortly.
Reports on offshore action have been scarce due to the recent weather. He hasn’t heard of anyone fishing the Hudson Canyon in the last week. Most of the reports he received came from the Chicken Canyon with yellowfin up to 60 pounds and bluefin up to 70 pounds.
The folks at Brielle Bait and Tackle said anglers have reported false albacore right outside the Manasquan Inlet along with bonito, bluefish and Spanish mackerel.
The fluke fishing at the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs was just heating up as the blow began and it should return with the better weather. My friend Tom Moore of Freehold got a 7½-pound fluke at the Axel Carlson last Friday.
Mark at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said the fluking has been good, but you have to work through a lot of shorts to get the keepers. He’s also getting more reports of bonito, small mahi-mahi and false albacore in inshore waters.
On the freshwater side, he reported that the night bite for bass and walleye has been holding up but the rain at the beginning of the week made things a little tougher. The bass have been hanging along the shore at most lakes and ponds with the fish in the weed beds.
Steve at Garden State Bait and Tackle in Stockholm said the local lakes and ponds are pretty warm right now but are still producing bass and pickerel. Greenwood Lake, he said, is the place to go if you want to try for musky.
A lot of his customers, he added, are getting ready for hunting season which opens in September.
Ryan at Tackle and Field in Wanaque said the folks there are looking forward to deer season as well. As for fishing, the action is centered on bass, perch, pickerel and crappie in the local ponds and lakes.
Cheryl at Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said that even though the Passaic River is a bit high right now, anglers are catching small and largemouth bass on Zman ned rigs.
Not a lot of people are fishing, she said, but those that are going are doing well.
Northern New Jersey Fishing Forecast
The clock is ticking on the summer flounder season with about a month left to go. Deep water on rough stuff is the best bet for a big fish, but the surf is giving up a few keepers along with plenty of shorts.
For boat and beach anglers, the southern visitors have arrived. Small metals and epoxy lures will work for Spanish mackerel, bonito and false albacore. A fast retrieve works best with the lure tied directly to the line.