Don’t you love that heat we had over the past weekend? I thought it would have been cooler on the water, but it still felt like the Tropics and thankfully the fishing has been on the hot side too. Fluke fishing in our bays and rivers from Seaside to Cape May are still producing keeper fish, with the deeper holes starting to produce with more regularity. Anglers bouncing bucktails tipped with Gulp have been having the most success, but it is a perfect time of year to start floating snapper blues or peanut bunker for those bigger flatties. It was a good week for offshore anglers with good tuna action being reported from the midrange to canyon sites. Most of the action has been on trolled Ballyhoo and/or spreader bars. Beach fisherman are still having a blast on the toothy ones during the night tides and kingfish have been pretty thick during the day. It’s not a bad idea to save a few kingfish heads or carcasses.
Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach reported better fluke action from the Axel, Sea Girt, and Shark River reef sites. Anglers who want more quality fish have been running way north to find them. The shop just received a full load of all the new Gulp colors and these should be the hot baits once the ocean bite starts. The inlets and jetties are producing a pick of small bluefish and some nice triggerfish on clam or crab.
Norma K III in Point Pleasant Beach reported a tough go over the weekend, but with the strong currents beginning to subside the vessel saw some nicer fluke coming over the rail. Most of the daily pool winners have been in the 5 to 6-pound range. The Friday and Saturday night blue fishing trips have great results with lots of 1 to 2-pounders being caught along with some nice bonita. The ling bite still remains on-fire and most anglers left the boat with multiple bags full of meat.
The Gambler out of Point Pleasant Beach reported slow fluke fishing with keepers in the mix at most of their stops. Some of the keepers have been up to 6-pounds and these have been the pool winners. The boat has started booking their “inshore exotics” trips, but it’s best to call as spots are limited. The night weekend bluefish trips have been producing good numbers of blues up to 3-pounds with mackerel, bonita, and squid in the mix.
The MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant has been busy taking charters and a few open boats to Capt. Ken’s deeper water wrecks and skipper didn’t disappoint. It’s been good fishing for ling, flounder, and sea bass at the sites with anglers loading of the box. The boat does have some limited openings and anglers may be able to jump on a few of the “lighter” charters, but it’s best to call ahead.
Jersey Hooker Outfitter in Brick reported better fluke fishing at the Axel and Sea Girt reef sites and it seems that the westerly structured areas are producing better at both sites. Gulp tipped on bucktails worked around the structure are producing the best. The beaches are producing more fluke, but you have to really work to find keepers.
Charlie’s Bait & Tackle in Normandy Beach reported good fishing off the beaches for kingfish, small bluefish, and short fluke. There are some “toothy” critters around, but the shop recommends surf shark fisherman take a look at their Facebook page for a statement by NJ Wildlife. The shop did hear some positive reports on boat fluke action off the Axel with bucktails tipped with Gulp producing some quality keepers.
Grumpy’s Bait & Tackle in Seaside Park reported that the kingfish are still off the surf in good numbers. A lot of anglers had good success over the weekend using Fishbites on a simple kingfish rig. The jetties have been producing triggerfish on bait and small bluefish on small metals or bunker strips. Surfcasters are picking up fluke off the Seaside beaches, but it is still relatively slow to where it should be this time of year. Crabbing has started to get better after the last Full Moon.
Jersey Buoyz out of Forked River did some required maintenance, but the crew was back at it over the weekend. The skipper said there are large numbers of short fluke in Barnegat Bay with a pick of keepers. The crew will begin to fish the ocean in the coming weeks.
Lacey Marine in Forked River reported a good number of fluke being caught from the West side of Barnegat Bay to the inlets, but the only issue has been the size as most are under the 18-inch mark. The shop did say there are keepers around, but you just have to keep pounding the areas and the incoming tides have been the optimum for bites. Blowfish are still being harvested in the 100’s as it has been an absolute banner year. The shop hasn’t heard much ocean action on fluke other than some “positive” limited reports from the Axel. The offshore tuna bite continues at the canyons for yellowfin and the mid-shore sites for bluefin with the Chicken canyon and some “wrecks” in the 50 to 60-mile ranges producing.
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Creekside Outfitters in Waretown reported a strong blowfish bite for most of Barnegat Bay and anglers are picking them from the “BB” buoy south to the Manahawkin bridges. Crabbing was slow but seems to be picking up since last week’s Full Moon. Fluke fishing in the bay remains a pick, but some anglers have been able to put a decent catch together. The main channels are producing along with some of the areas closer to the Barnegat Inlet. The reef sites are still a slow pick, but there have been a few anglers describing better picks of keepers. Offshore fishing has been pretty solid for yellowfin and mahi at the canyons, but the southernly canyons have been producing better.
Reel Reaction Charters out of Waretown and Barnegat Light reported a tougher week on keeper fluke with most of the trips being able to pick 2 to 3-keepers while releasing 40+ plus fish. The skipper feels the Full Moon tides of last week accounted for the slower bite on keepers and it should rebound the following week. Blowfishing has been epic as one of the trips boxed 221 puffers up to 11 inches. The rest of July is completely booked, but limited dates are available for August as the ocean fluke bite picks up.
Fisherman’s Headquarters in Ship Bottom reported some striped bass at night around the bridges and some of the marshes with kayakers scoring on these small bass. The bay is alive right now with good fluke and blowfish action for most of Long Beach Island. The “go-to” baits for fluke have been bucktails tipped with Gulp. The ocean bite remains slow, but the shop has heard of a slight uptick at some of the local reefs and wrecks. Sea bassing remains strong, but you have to travel at least 10 miles to find decent sized keepers. Bluefin tuna are still being caught in the 45 to 65 mile ranges with the Chicken Canyon, AC Princess, and Lemke’s producing on trolled baits.
The Ocean City to Cape May areas reported good kingfish and triggerfish action as anglers have been catching both species in the surf and in the backwaters. Most of the fish have been on clam or bloodworms. With the warmer bay temperatures, there are tons of rays swimming around as lots of the fluke anglers have been reporting foul-hooked “swimming” saucers. Fluke fishing has been better at the Ocean reef sites with OC, Wildwood, and Reef Site “11” producing the best results along with some nice sea bass. Anglers fishing off the jetties have reported short fluke, weakfish to 17 inches, and some nice triggerfish. The bridges continue to hold sheepshead which can be caught on shedder crab or fiddlers fished halfway down the abutments. Offshore action on tuna and mahi continues to be “hot”, no pun intended after the weekend, at the southernly canyons.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend will be to start targeting the Ocean for fluke as the water temperatures are in the good range and the moon currents have subsided. I would expect better reports coming from some of the usual reef sites this weekend. Bay anglers still have good shots at keepers, but you have to fish the deeper, incoming water as the window to when the big one’s bite is narrow. Another good option is to hit the surf as kingfish and bluefish have been very abundant and if you fish further south, triggers are in the waves. The weather looks great for offshore anglers this weekend and it may be the right time to stock up on yellowfin steaks and mahi slabs. I know it’s a fishing forecast, but the clamming has been absolutely insane in some of our bays this year, especially Barnegat Bay. It has been relatively easy to box 100 eating size (not chowders) in less than an hour. If you choose to get your feet plying the sand or mud for them, just remember to have your clamming license. Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!
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