Fishing Report for Northern New Jersey
Saturday’s nor’easter wiped out the weekend fishing but left some welcome changes in its wake.
Once the seas calmed down, the boats got out and found big bass and plenty of them. Fish in excess of 40 pounds were caught on the troll and plugs from Sandy Hook to Manasquan.
The sea bass were back as well along with the blackfish. The porgy fishing slowed down but odds are that fishery will bounce back.
Which leaves the false albacore. One would think the storm sent them packing. But the water remains warm and the birds were working right off Bradley Beach on Wednesday evening just like last week when the fat alberts were all over the place.
It was too choppy to see what they were diving on, but there’s a slight chance the albies may still be in the area. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported a number of big bass were caught on the troll and on plugs in the bay and ocean after the storm.
The fish have been up to 40 pounds and caught at the Verrazano Bridge, West Bank and off Sandy Hook. Bunker spoons are accounting for most of the fish.
The storm didn’t seem to slow down the blackfish bite at all and the sea bass fishing recovered pretty quickly as well, he added.
Capt. Ron Santee on the Fishermen out of Atlantic Highlands fished the bottom on Tuesday in windy conditions and found plenty of tog and sea bass. He reported everyone went home with dinner.
He’s switching to stripers now as the fish are in the area and will be fishing with shads, jigs, topwater plugs and eels.
Capt. Rob Semkewyc on the Sea Hunter out of Atlantic Highlands has been targeting the bass for the last week and reported good trips on Tuesday and Wednesday. Almost all of the fish have been caught on bait with Tuesday’s pool winner going 22 pounds.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said it was a little slow on the beach at the beginning of the week with the surf still churned up from the storm. It cleared up and small bass are being caught again in the suds. He’s pretty sure the false albacore are gone. The rivers still have some small bass and bluefish as well. He’s heard of the big bass around but none have made it to the beach as yet.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said the bass have returned to the surf there and some of them are keepers. Shads and small plugs are still working and the beach fishing should improve as the temperature drops.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the weekend was a washout but the few anglers that headed out on Sunday got some bass and blackfish. The tog bite at the Shark River Inlet remains excellent.
He said the winter flounder are back on the feed in the Shark River and the boats out of the marina are doing well with sea bass and the big bass.
Capt. Bobby Quinn on the Ocean Explorer out of Belmar found drop-and-reel sea bass fishing when he sailed on Tuesday. The fish were biting on both jigs and bait.
The sea bass were spitting up monster sand eels, he said, and jigs fished close to the bottom were getting the bigger fish. There were loads of shorts around and anglers just had to wade through them.
Wednesday’s trip was just as good with both jigs and bait responsible for limit catches. The porgies were a no show.
Just a reminder, the sea bass limit is now 15 fish at 13 inches.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle reported that all the bass they caught on Wednesday’s trip were big ̶ up to 50 pounds. There were some 40- and 30-pound fish in the mix as well.
The birds were working and there were bunkers breaking but most of the fish were caught on bait, he said, and anglers had to work for them. A swim shad and a Deadly Dick did account for two of the fish.
He had a good catch of bass on Tuesday’s trip with a few 30 and 40 pounders and all fish over 20 pounds.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar got into big stripers as well over the last several days. He’s been getting fish in the 30-pound range on bunker spoons and Mojos.
He’s got open dates and shared charters are available. The bass fishing, he said, is only going to get better from now on.
Alex Kondas at the Reel Seat in Brielle reported plenty of blackfish action in the Point Pleasant Canal. The keeper ratio isn’t great, he said, about 15-to-1, but you’ll keep busy.
The ratio at the Manasquan Inlet is better, with a keeper tog for every 10 caught. Kondas called the blackfishing at the inlet phenomenal.
Anglers are doing pretty well with stripers at the inlet as well. Swim shads are catching bass up to 15 pounds at night. There are still plenty of smaller bass, along with some keepers, farther back in the river.
Out in the ocean, the boaters are getting into the big bass. Jeff Nuel from the shop boated a 35-pounder on Tuesday on a green bunker spoon.
On the wrecks, rocks and reefs, Kondas said the sea bass fishing picked up where it left off, with plenty of fish being caught. He mentioned that Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs have been getting a good going over so a longer trip to the Shark River Reef and other rock piles and wrecks farther out is worth it.
John Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said he’s been getting better bass reports since Saturday’s storm. Brian Reilly of Manasquan weighed in a 29-pound striper he caught on Wednesday off Sea Girt on a Mojo rig and John said there was bass off Spring Lake as well. The boats out of the basin, he added, have been doing well with sea bass and blackfish since the weekend.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park is also getting reports of bigger bass out in the ocean on the troll and surface plugs. Anglers are still getting fish up the Hudson River as well, he said. The blackfishing, he’s heard, has been off the charts.
The streams and rivers and full of water and trout, Hebert said, with anglers being the only thing missing. He said participation fell off after the initial stocking. There’s plenty of fish, all you have to do is go catch them.
Dino at Garden State Bow & Reel in Stockholm said the falling temperatures have added life to the walleye fishing at Canistear Reservoir and Greenwood Lake. Vertical jigs and live herring are catching the fish, but Dino said the herring won’t last too much longer.
He said the small and largemouth bass fishing has been very good throughout the watershed, especially if you can get out on a sunny day. Live bait and spinner baits are working, he said.
Larry at Newark Sinker Company in Pine Brook said the Passaic River is holding some pretty big pike. A customer fishing for smallmouth ended up getting spooled twice when pike up to 16 pounds grabbed his Marabou jig.
He’s been getting the reports on bigger bass as well in Raritan Bay and the ocean.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
The big bass are here. Right now, anglers are getting the majority of them on the troll, but hopefully jigs, shads, plugs and live bunker will account for some fish soon and they’ll come in for the surfcasters to enjoy. The only way to find out is to get out and walk the beaches.
The blackfish and sea bass fishing are holding up nicely. The inlets are giving up a lot of tog for those who don’t have access to a boat and sea bass anglers can now keep five more fish. They just have to be 13 inches.
Finally, there’s plenty of trout around after the fall stocking. The weekend forecast looks favorable at the moment and there’s no better way to enjoy a nice fall day.
anyone still seeing/catching fat albert anywhere?