There was some nice fluke caught this past week with fish weighing up to 10 pounds, caught inside Barnegat Inlet. Most of the fluking has been hotter in the backbays than the ocean front, but that will start to change in another week or two. Surf fisherman have had an absolute bay catching kingfish, cocktail bluefish, and big rays from most of our South Jersey beaches. Sand tigers have been reported up and down the coast from anglers working the night tides. Barnegat Bay and Great Bay have been reported a decent quantity of blowfish which have been intentionally and unintentionally caught this past week. The canyon bite has started with better catches and quality yellowfin being caught. Anglers reported that most of the action has been on the troll with Zuker feathers, Spreader bars, and Daisy chains. It’s shaping up to be a great July.
Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach had good reports of yellowfin and mahi at the canyons with some of the tuna in the 50-pound range. Most action has been on the troll, but night time chunking some start. Angling closer to land has been good for Sea Bass and Ling at the wrecks, but Fluke fishing has been slow. Anglers fishing Manasquan Inlet have been catching small Bluefish and Fluke on both sides of the tide.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach has been fishing hard for fluke and it’s been spotty at times. Early in the week some decent size fluke were coming over the rail along with keeper sea bass and ling. Angler’s working bucktails and gulps have been doing the best. The past few days have been slow probably due to the stronger tides. The skipper thinks after this moon phase the bite should turn back on as they have been seeing better water temperatures.
The Gambler out of Point Pleasant Beach reported the half day fluke trips have been on the slow side this past week and the boat has been trying different locations in different depths. The fish have been sluggish on the bite which may be due to the stronger currents caused by the moon. One notable catch this past week was Curtis McNary who caught the new monthly pool winner weighing in at 8.14 lbs. The night wreck fishing trips continue to be good with plenty of ling and some small bluefish.
The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant has been working the mid-range wrecks and snags to put limits of sea bass and full coolers of ling. Anglers have also caught winter flounder and some summer flounder at the skippers spots. The boat does have a few openings for the rest of July, so give them a call to reserve your spot.
Jersey Hooker Outfitter in Brick reported decent action along the Manasquan River and near the inlet for fluke and small bluefish. One of the anglers brought in a Northern Stargazer that weighed over 5 pounds. Anglers have been picking up tuna gear as the bite is still going on offshore, but you have to fight through tons of big bluefish.
Charlie’s Bait & Tackle in Normandy Beach reported bluefish in the surf along with some Kingfish. There has been some fluke caught on bucktails tipped with Gulp for anglers working the beaches. The shop recommends casting and a very slow retrieve to pick up fluke off the surf. Bay crabbing has been very good along with some nice blowfish on clam.
Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported a decent bite on kingfish in the surf along with some cocktail bluefish. The night bite on sand tiger sharks has been very good, but the trick is getting the baits far enough off. The crabbing has picked up in Barnegat Bay and the blowfish bite has been stellar this past week.
Jersey Buoyz out of Forked River has been catching fluke in the back and has been hitting some of the snags out front to box sea bass and ling. The skipper has openings in the coming weeks, so give them a ring.
Lacey Marine in Forked River reported a fantastic blowfish bite from the BB to the 42 marker and it doesn’t matter where you go as they are very thick right now. Anglers working Gulps for fluke all over the bay have reported bites by blowfish, so pack a lot if you plan on fishing for flatties. The bay fluke fishing has been good, but tough on keepers. Live baits and Gulps have been doing the best on keepers.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported a blowfish beat down in Barnegat Bay with anglers working the 4 to 6-foot areas to box over 100 fish per trip. Liza recommends loading up with clam and lots of chum. The fluke bite has been tough with lots of shorts and few keepers reported from most of the anglers. Some of the local charters have been doing much better than average. Tuna fishing has slowed down a bit as it seems the grounds have been inundated with big Bluefish, but anglers are still running 45 to 65 miles to chance it. The offshore canyon bite has heating up with Yellowfin and Mahi being reported.
Reel Reaction Charters out of Waretown and Barnegat Light has been working the backwaters for Fluke in Barnegat Bay. Most trips have been averaging 35 to 50 Fluke in 4 hours and the number of keepers ranging from 3 to 8 fish per trip. The crew will start running Ocean Fluke trips in the coming weeks.
Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom reported a solid fishing week with lots of Fluke being caught and released. There are some keepers around, but you have to work hard for them. The beach bite has been very good on Kingfish, small blues, rays, and Sand Tiger sharks. The shark bite is primarily a night time bite and you have to get your baits out far. There are some Fluke in the surf, but anglers are reporting better bites in the Barnegat Light area. The offshore canyon bite has started with Yellowfin, Mahi, and even a few Billfish being caught around the Lindenkohl and Carteret.
The Ocean City to Cape May areas have been getting better on the Fluke fishing front with some of the ocean areas starting to have bigger fish. Some Fluke have been in the 6 to 7-pound range, but the backwaters still have a majority of the action. Sea Bass and some Ling are still being caught offshore and one of the local party boats in Cape May scored a 70-pound Drumfish on the 4-hour Fluke trip. Canyon action has definitely heated up with most boats reporting Yellowfin and Mahi on the troll. It seems to be a spread-out bite with both the northern and southern canyons producing fish.
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South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend would be to work the surf for Kingfish and night time sharks if you have the time to get on the beach. The bite has been very good for both species this past week and with stable weather it should continue. Boat fisherman have a few options as the wrecks have been hot on Sea Bass and Ling. The ocean Fluke fishing should start getting better and it’s already starting to pick up in the Wildwood and Cape May areas. Bay fishing seems to be much better, so work those channel edges in the 8 to 10-foot ranges to box keeper Fluke. Anglers jumping on charters or who own bluewater boats should have great opportunities this weekend to box a limit of Yellowfin and fill the boat with Mahi. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!
Any real reports from Cape May County?