Pictured Above: Ken Peters, Springfield, got this 10-pound, 5-ounce doormat aboard the Elaine B II out of Highlands this past Sunday.
Not a whole lot has changed in the last week, which is a good thing. The fishing was good then and it got even better.
More keeper fluke were reported as anglers make the most of the dwindling summer flounder season. The boat folks continue to get the better fish on bucktails on rough bottom while the surf anglers saw an increase in keepers from the beach. There are still plenty of shorts around, but bigger fish are biting.
Small blues, kingfish, Spanish mackerel and short stripers fill out what’s being caught from the beach. And the bluefin tuna bite goes on and on. There are also more mahi-mahi showing up.
Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Mark at Tackle World in Rochelle Park reported a definite improvement in the size of the summer flounder caught in the last week. He also said the shark fishing has been crazy good.
Mark had a solid freshwater report as well with smallmouth bass fishing in the Delaware River and local lakes very good on top water plugs and Senko worms. He also said the fly casters are catching trout in the Flat Brook on midges.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the boats continue to see bigger fluke coming over the rails. The biggest of the week was a 10-pound, 5-ounce doormat caught by Ken Peters of Springfield aboard the Elaine B II out of Highlands.
Anglers fishing the rough stuff are getting the keeper fish in the 6-to 8-pound range and he said the Ambrose Channel is starting to give up bigger fish as well. Raritan Bay is loaded with cocktail blues, he added, and plugs and sandworms are getting bass on the Sandy Hook beaches. Offshore, the bluefin bite is still going strong around the Atlantic Princess.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the fluke fishing has seen a big improvement from the sand with a number of keepers coming ashore. A buddy of his got three along with bunch of shorts earlier in the week.
Martens said he’s been having success with a floating jig head tipped with a Gulp swimming mullet. The jig head is on a dropper loop above a sinker and he fishes close to the jetties. He said a lot of fish bite right at his feet. The crabbing, he added, is outstanding in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said there are more keepers coming out of the surf there with a friend of his getting two up to 4½ pounds.
Gleason said cocktail blues and small bass continue to be caught from the beach and the Spanish mackerel are there, too, but can still prove a bit elusive. He said he saw loads of triggerfish around the jetties on a recent dive, so they’re a target as well. Boat anglers are also having no problem getting their one blackfish.
Bluefish and fluke are biting in the Ocean Grove surf, but the Spanish mackerel, which pop up almost daily, stay just out of reach of shore anglers. Some of us are also waiting for the snappers to show up here in the surf. No better fluke bait.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported that larger fluke are moving around with more fish in the 5- to 10-pound range being caught.
Matthews said there are still a lot of fluke in the Shark River, but shorts dominate the catch. Boats fluking in the ocean are filling out their catches with sea bass and blackfish.
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Those fishing the Shark River Inlet are getting Spanish mackerel and snappers. The river is loaded with bait right now, Matthews said. He said beach anglers continue to catch kingfish, small blues and stripers. Capturing the most attention lately, he added, is the bluefin tuna bite. The area around the Atlantic Princess continues to be the place to go.
Ginna Murphy of Lake Como weighed in a 6-pound, 5-ounce fluke she caught off Sea Bright in 35 feet of water. The fish hit a strip of salmon belly.
The party boats targeting fluke out of the Belmar Marina, such as the Ocean Explorer, Capt. Cal II and Skylarker are all reporting bigger fluke coming over the rail. The Skylarker landed a ribbon fish as well.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing said he’s seeing a lot more fluke in the 5- to 7-pound range. All of the bigger fish are coming off rough bottom and hitting bucktails. Some days are better than others, he said, depending on conditions, but the fishing is good right now.
Capt. Jay Richardella on Side Job Charters out of Belmar said the boat crushed the bluefin tuna last week with fish up to 130 pounds. He said the bite has been going on for so long because the bait hasn’t moved so the tuna have no reason to leave.
Capt. Richardella also fished the White Marlin Open where they caught and released 19 white marlin. The big winner in that tournament was Fish Whistle taking home $1.5 million for a 79.5-pound white marlin.
Side Job Charters will be running open boat trips for white marlin through September.
Dave Arbeitman at the Reel Seat in Brielle said he’s been selling bagfuls of jigs to tuna fishermen. He, too, said the area around the Atlantic Princess is the hot spot for bluefin, but the Chicken Canyon, Glory Hole and Mud Hole are holding some nice mahi-mahi.
Fish up to 18 pounds have been caught around the pots on jigs and bait and also on the troll.
Fluking for the boats out of the Manasquan Inlet has been pretty good with more keepers showing up among the many shorts. It’s still mostly shorts in the Manasquan River. He did say the river is loaded with stripers and there have been some keepers caught near the bridges.
A devoted tilefisherman, Arbeitman said that fishing has been very good aboard the Voyager out of Point Pleasant Beach.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the Manasquan River is chock full of bait and there are still keeper fluke to be had there. You may have to catch 10 or 12 to get to a keeper but there is an occasional 4 pounder.
The ocean fluking is definitely better with The Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs both holding bigger fish.
Bogan also reported good mahi fishing at the pots and added that the ling fishing aboard the Paramount is the best it’s been in years.
Capt. Joe Karcich of Joey Tomato’s Fishing Charters out of the Manasquan River has been taking a lot of trips lately with families anxious to bend a rod. Sea bass are pretty much a sure thing now and he’s been getting limits every time out.
He’s planning on getting in on the inshore mahi action in the coming days so check his website or call for details.
Best Bets for the Weekend
There appear to be more keeper fluke around now than anytime during the season, so if they’re on your list, it’s time to go.
Bucktails and Gulp are the combination that’s working both on the boats and off the beach.
The other summer species that’s hot right now is blue claw crabs. Raritan Bay around Keyport and the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers are thick with them and it’s a great time for the family. Bring the snapper poles as well. Have fun.
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