Above: The author’s haul of great-eating blowfish from a recent trip on Barnegat Bay.
I hope I didn’t jinx it last week by saying, “September has had a great start,” because it has gone downhill pretty quickly. Our area has experienced a lot of East-Northeast winds due to a low-pressure system and the remnants of Gordon which has kicked up the ocean swell to 7 to 9 feet. How does this affect the fishing? It may bring in some offshore pelagic species, but our Fluke bite will be off for a while until it settles down. This week has had most vessels tied at the dock and has allowed crews to perform preventative maintenance to gear and the vessels. Land-based action still had bites on small blackfish and schoolie striped bass at night with the strong NE winds. Let’s just hope for better weather for the rest of the month.
Fishing Report For Southern New Jersey
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant reported a great Fluke bite prior to the weekends blow with lots of boats reporting limits of carpet-sized Fluke to 8 pounds. The reef sites and wrecks have been the spots to go, but this past week had nearly all the boats tied to the dock. The long period swell will surely make the Fluke bite tough once anglers start getting back out. The back bay and inlets made up for the lack of ocean fishing with action on Bluefish and small Striped Bass. Most of the Bluefish have been caught on either side of the tide with soft plastics and metals during the day, while Striped Bass have been good along the bridges and Point Pleasant Canal. The shop will be hosting a few kayak seminars once they receive their new delivery of Hobie kayaks.
Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach had modified hours (9 to 3 p.m.) this past week due to the inclement weather, but are resuming regular store hours as soon as the weather breaks. Fishing has been slow on the ocean and surf front, but the bay has had a few anglers working metals during the day for Bluefish from the Manasquan and Shark River inlets. There has been some Striped Bass caught on soft plastics at night near the bridges.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported the weather being a total bummer this past week as the boat has been tied to the dock. They are looking to get out toward the end of this week unless we have another blow like the previous week. The boat is still sailing every day for Fluke from 8am to 1230pm and 2pm to 630pm, and they will change over to Blackfish and Porgies on September 23rd for 3/4-day trips.
The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant was busy with Fluke and Tuna trips just prior to the storms and they are still booking Fluke trips to the end of the season. Capt. Ken said they took this week to get gear ready for the Fall Striped Bass season.
Jersey Hooker Outfitter in Brick reported a slower week in terms of anglers fishing the beach. A few did get out in the back bays and were able to target Fluke during breaks in the weather. Some keepers have been caught, but it’s been mostly shorting. The shop has heard of a good Blowfish bite in Barnegat Bay for anglers chumming heavy with clam.
Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported some Fluke being caught in the bay to 6 pounds via a few hardy anglers, but has been a rather slow week in terms of action due to the weather. A few of the inlets are reporting good Bluefish action on 2 to 6 pounds from the jetties. Most have been caught on metals, mullet rigs, poppers, and plugs.
Lacey Marine in Forked River had a slower week in terms of angler reports, but the store is popping as they are having a storewide sale on a variety of lures from Gulp to fall Striped Bass tackle. Fishing has been slow, but anglers have been catching 2- to 5-pound Bluefish from the Barnegat Inlet rocks near the lighthouse. A few boats made it out the last two days, but Fluke fishing was tough with the long-period swell.
Super Chic in Barnegat Light has been tied to the dock this past week due to poor weather and sea conditions. They did get into some nice Mahi and went 1 for 6 on Marlin prior to the NE blow. The skipper is booking both inshore and offshore trips through September.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown has been busy at the store as the shop has had a storewide sale on clothing and hats. The fishing was slow this week due to lots of easterly winds and rain, so not many fishermen got out. There were a few hardy fishermen that caught a few Bluefish from the Barnegat Inlet and small Striped Bass from the bridges during the night. Most of the fish were caught on soft plastics using ½- to ¾-ounce jigheads. The Blowfish bite has been very good in Barnegat Bay.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported slower fishing this week due to the weather. A few hardy boaters caught some Blowfish mid-island and there was a few small Stripers caught at night along the Route 72 bridges. The Fluke bite remains to be seen as the two systems will surely affect the bite and their movement.
Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom said the Mullet are very active after the hard NE blow and should jump start the fall fishing scene. This hard-northeast blow jump started the fall fishing and has things moving around. The shop did get a few deliveries of fresh finger Mullet over the past week, so use them for Bluefish, Fluke, or small Stripers. Anglers have been bailing Bluefish on Mullet rigs, metals, and small poppers at the rocks near the base of the lighthouse. Most fish have been in the 2- to 5-pound range. A few headboats and charters reported slower Fluke action after the blow, but back bay Blowfish is on fire.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine reported a tough week for surf fisherman as the swell and waves had whitewater conditions off the beach. There have been a few Bluefish caught from the surf and in the inlets. The shop reported that the north end fence near the pilings has been removed and anglers can drive all the way up to wreck inlet. Just be sure to have the state permit.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported very good action prior to this week’s blow at the Wilmington canyon to the Hudson on mahi and billfish. The East to Northeast winds has blown in very clean water, so once the conditions are do-able look to target some of the inshore pots for Mahi and troll for Spanish Mackerel. The back bays have been producing short Fluke with an occasional keeper, but not too many anglers made it out the last few days.
Peace Token Fishing Tackle in Cape May reported a tough week of fishing, but some anglers did catch short Fluke and Sea Bass in the backwaters. Anglers have been catching small Blackfish and some Sheepshead from the dock pilings and rocks around Cape May and Wildwood. The tough conditions had most boats tied to the docks for the week.
Hands Too Bait & Tackle in Cape May reported some movement on the bait front with Mullet schooling along some of the beaches. The shop just received a new shipment of cast nets 4 to 8 feet to target your fall baits. The Cape May area received a lot of rain and winds the past week, so it made getting out rather challenging. Most of the action reported was from anglers fishing the beaches and jetties with some hooking small 1- to 5-pound Bluefish and a few short Fluke.
Southern New Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend to fish the back bays, inlets, and jetties on Saturday as the sea may be too rough for most vessels based on the latest NOAA marine forecast. The bays are loaded with baitfish and small Bluefish, so it’s best to drift large baits in deeper channels close to the inlets if targeting Fluke. Clam and crab baits should be used around pilings and inlet rocks for anglers who want to target Blackfish, Triggers, and Sheepshead. Sunday looks do-able for ocean trips, so target those inshore pots early casting small bucktails, jigs, or live-line baits to awaiting Mahi. Most of the pots or buoys haven’t been fished in a week, so it should be an easy pick for most. A word of advice for September Fluke fishing, never leave the dock without minnows or cast-netted Peanut Bunker as encountered Mahi cannot resist these baits.
Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!