We seem to be creeping up on better fishing. It’s improving, but slowly.
There were several good signs this past week with warmer temperatures, more sunshine and an increase in the striped bass catch.
The winter flounder fishing, however, remains slow, but at least it appeared more people were giving it a try.
Fishing Report for New Jersey
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said small stripers have been caught at Union Beach and Cliffwood Beach on Raritan Bay on bloodworms.
He hasn’t heard of any big fish as yet, but the bass are there.
Capt. Sciortino has bloodworms in stock and will be selling a new line of squid products this season. Fisherman’s Choice offers 5-inch long squid strips frozen in Fin Essence crab scent. The strips come in 8-ounce cups and resealable bags.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said he hasn’t heard much in the way of bass or winter flounder lately as the shop has yet to open full time for the spring season.
He’s sure the bass are up in the bay, however, and the winter flounder just need someone to fish for them.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said he’s been selling a good deal of worms to the winter flounder fishermen but hasn’t received much feedback on how they’re doing.
He’s had better reports of stripers in Raritan Bay on clams and worms and white perch and small bass down in Toms River.
He added that the shop has been stocking up for the spring season and now carries ODM Rods.
Capt. Bobby Quinn on the Ocean Explorer out of Belmar is back in the water after some spring maintenance and was planning on sailing for cod on Thursday. He’ll be targeting the deep wrecks and rocks around the Mud Hole and will be sailing every day the weather allows.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing in Belmar still has some open dates for spring bass trips and will be at the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Edison this weekend.
John Vafiadis at the Reel Seat in Brielle said he’s still hearing about small bass and white perch in the Toms River but there haven’t been a whole lot of people fishing.
He added that the shop has seen an increase in interest in its stock of slow-pitch equipment following the seminar held at the end of February. He’s had a lot of success with the technique for black sea bass, he said.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle reported selling a lot more worms this week as folks were giving bass and white perch a try in Barnegat Bay near the Mantoloking Bridge and the bay end of the Point Pleasant Canal.
He said the offshore porgy fishing slowed down over the weekend with the Big Jamaica reporting a significant decrease in the catch numbers. He did say anglers aboard the Saturday trip still got some ling, hake, pollock and a few weakfish.
Bogan said there has been better freshwater action of late with winter-stocked trout in Spring Lake and pickerel and bass in the local lakes and ponds.
Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI said he’ll be fishing again by April 1 targeting blackfish. He plans on running special trips every Friday through April limited to 12 anglers. Other days it will be open boat.
Capt. Matt Sosnowski on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach is wrapping up his spring maintenance as well and plans on fishing again in the next week or two.
Virginia at Jersey Hooker Outfitters in Brick reported a decent bass bite in Barnegat Bay on bloodworms, small swimming plugs and ¾-ounce jig heads with paddle tails. She said the bass have been from 14 to 26 inches. She, too, said the winter flounder fishing has been slow but she did hear of a few caught in the Island Heights area.
Pete at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach also reported good bass and white perch fishing in Barnegat Bay and the Toms River. He had a report of bass by the Mantoloking Bridge along with a couple of winter flounder as well.
He said there are some adult bunker around as friends of his walking on Island Beach State Park spotted a number of fish washed ashore. It looked like the school had encountered a seal as the remains were pretty well chewed up.
Frankie Z at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said more and more bass are being caught in Barnegat Bay and the shop weighed in its first keeper of the year.
“Sheldon,” who works at Grumpy’s, weighed in a 34-inch, 12.8-pound bass he caught on a Scabelly Glider. Frankie said Mambo Minnows, Midway Swizzle Sticks and Kettle Creek shads are also working for bass.
He, too, got the reports of bunker on the beach at Island Beach State Park.
Kelly at Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom said he’s been getting more encouraging reports on white perch and stripers from their customers. Most of the action has been on worms, he said.
Ron at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said he’s hearing of more bass in Raritan Bay around Keyport. The trout fishing has also been decent in some of the local streams. The store will have a booth at the Saltwater Expo this weekend.
Dino at Garden State Bow & Reel in Stockholm said last weekend was the finale for ice fishing with just so-so action at Monksville Reservoir, Lake Wawayanda and the local ponds.
There’s still plenty of trout in the streams and rivers, he said, but anglers need to remember the trout season closes on March 18 and fishing won’t resume until April 6 at 8 a.m.
Fishing Forecast for New Jersey
The striped bass bite in inland waters keeps improving. And with a stretch of warmer, sunnier days in the forecast, it’s time to head to Barnegat Bay, the beaches of Raritan Bay and the local rivers and inlets.
The winter flounder bite is bound to improve as well as the water warms.
You can also head to the Saltwater Fishing Expo this weekend at the New Jersey Exposition and Convention Center in Edison. The show runs Friday through Sunday and offers just about everything a saltwater angler needs or wants.