There is nothing better than the start of Fall fishing: the chill in the air, the lack of feeling in the fingers, and the line peeling off from a migratory striper. Fall or should I say “pre-winter” is finally here! Our nights went from 70 degrees to the low 40’s in a heartbeat, which has triggered our back-bay bite on striped bass. A friend reported, “striped bass at will”, when kayaking during the night tides and he had over 25 to 28 inches. The stripers were blasting Mullet at the surface under the lights. Social media provided some encouraging news with anglers catching some higher quality fish around the Sandy Hook area. I would say that the “run” has unofficially started, but it will be a few more weeks until the migratory fish start filtering down to our areas. sea bass, porgies, and Triggerfish have been the hot bites over the past week with limits pulled on multiple boats. Togging is still very good in our northern South Jersey parts, but much slower as you approach the 20’s on the Garden State Parkway. Offshore fishing has been good for Mahi, False Albacore, and some Tuna, but overall the reports have been sparse.
Fishing Report For Southern New Jersey
Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant had mainly one species to talk about, “sea bass, sea bass, and more sea bass”. The shop received quite a few reports of good sea bass fishing from most of the wrecks and rock-piles in the 60- to 90-foot depths. Clam baits and AVA Jigs have been producing most of the fish along with a good number of triggerfish and porgies. Striped bass fishing has been very good in the Manasquan and Shark River inlets for anglers jigging soft plastics and drifting eels at night. The Point Pleasant canal continues to provide anglers good action for blackfish during the day and striped bass during the night.
Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach had some reports of striped bass picking up SP Minnows during night off the beaches. The Seaside to Island Beach State Park area has also had some action of schoolie striped bass and small bluefish.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach had a relatively rough week with the boat needing necessary maintenance and they had some delays with parts. The crew apologizes and will be up and running as soon as possible. They recommended to call for details to find the earliest day they will be back up and running.
The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant has been busy catching sea bass and keeper Tog on some of the inshore wrecks and rockpiles. The skipper has a few open date trips available, but it is best to call for details.
Jersey Hooker Outfitter in Brick reported striped bass and tog being caught along the Manasquan and Shark River inlets and on the sides of the Point Pleasant Canal. Green crabs and clams have been working for the Blackfish tipped on jigs or rigs. Soft plastics and SP Minnows have been working on short striped bass and bluefish to 4 pounds.
Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported good reports of more striped bass caught off the surf. Some of the regulars have been catching keepers on swim-shads and fresh bait from the suds, while more shorts have been caught on metals. Beachgoers have been reporting lots of rainfish in the surf along with a few Bonito and False Albacore chasing baits. The back-bay has been very good for short striped bass and most have been caught on small plugs and swim shads worked around the tidal creeks. The shop feels that the run is shaping up to be a good one this year.
Lacey Marine in Forked River continues to be stocked with clam logs, clams, green crabs, and live eels. Blow fisherman are still catching decent quantities of small puffers, but the begun has slowed down with a downtick in the water temperatures. Striped Bass are hitting live eels at night when drifting around the inlet rocks. The same inlet rock areas are holding good numbers of Tog, but you have to go through a few to find a keeper. The shop recommends bringing plenty of crab if you’re going to run out there.
Super Chic in Barnegat Light had a decent pull of sea bass and Triggerfish from Capt. Ted’s local wrecks. The sea bass have been so thick that it has been hard to drop down Green Crab to them. The skipper has heard of some false albacore and bluefish caught in the 30 to 40 mile range from Barnegat Inlet.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown had anglers still going for Barnegat Bay blowfish as the water temperatures are still in the upper 60’s, but the bite has slowed down from the prior week. Anglers looking to catch sea bass have been working wrecks from 0 to 40 miles to find porgies, triggerfish, sea bass, and gator bluefish. Striped bass are being caught in the evening and early morning hours on plugs, bucktails, and live spot.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin had better news this past week in terms of sea bass and Blackfish as many boaters were able to get out over the weekend and bang them up. It was a little tough with no wind for anchoring, but the fish were cooperative. The inlets are producing schoolie striped bass and small bluefish during both sides of the tide. The striped bass are doing better on soft plastics, plugs, and live Mullet.
Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom reported some better night time striped bass fishing with the influx of colder weather. Anglers have been getting some schoolie stripers to 26 inches off the North and South jetties and along the backwaters around structure. It is still mostly a night time bite. Tog fisherman are doing well along the South jetty and North Jetty with Green Crabs tipped on jigs and traditional tog rigs. Sea bass has been decent from most of the reef sites when anglers can get out.
Riptide Bait & Tackle in Brigantine had some good reports of small striped bass behind Brigantine and Atlantic City marauding Mullet. Anglers casting small plugs, spooks, and poppers were cashing in on the action. The beachfront has been solid with small bluefish and some nice Kingfish still hanging around. The jetties and rockpiles are holding some Tog, but most have been on the short side.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported some nice striped bass to 17 pounds being caught in the bay. The cooler temperatures over the weekend have started to drop the bay temperatures and the stripers and bluefish have been responding positively. Live spot, eels, and soft plastics have been producing, especially around the bridges at night. Tog fishing is getting better from the pilings and rocks on Green Crabs, with an occasional Triggerfish. The inshore reef sites have been good for sea bass and Triggerfish, but you may need to work a few wrecks to find your 10-fish limit.
Peace Token Fishing Tackle in Cape May reported some good sea bass fishing with most of the keepers in the 2- to 3-pound range. There has been an abundance of Triggerfish at a lot of the inshore wrecks and reefs and most have been in the 4- to 5-pound range. The surf zone still has bluefish 1 to 3 pounds and the occasional striped bass. Small metals, mullet rigs, and 4- to 5-inch plugs are best for targeting both species.
Hands Too Bait & Tackle in Cape May had some better reports of sea bass coming from some of the deeper water wrecks in the 100- to 140-foot range. Anglers had to pick through quite a few shorts and most keepers were between 15 and 18 inches. Striped bass are still hitting soft plastics in the back-bay waters and also some have been caught from the beaches. The beachfront bite has been mostly around the jetties and other structure. Tog fishing is still relatively slow as the water is still warm.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend will be to hit the beaches and jetties if you plan on fishing by land. The strong NW winds should have some bait and gamefish active during the dawn and dusk hours. Jetty fisherman should bring lots of Green Crabs to target keeper Tog. Although you can only keep one, it does make for some fun catch-n-release fishing for a few hours. Boaters should have some shots at resident striped bass around the inlets on the outgoing tides due to cooler bay water activating the bass. Inshore wrecks and snags will be worth checking for sea bass and keeper tog, but it may be a little bumpy as you get further off. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!