Monster bass remain the hot target for anglers fishing the waters off Monmouth County.
And they haven’t been disappointed. Plenty of trophies in the 30-to 50-pound range have been caught on bunker spoons, Mojos, jigs and live bunker.
The bass have been all over the place, from just outside the inlets to the three-mile line. This week saw more of the jumbo fish caught in Raritan Bay.
It should be noted that the big stripers aren’t a slam dunk. There have been seasoned anglers returning to the dock with nothing to show for their efforts but a nice boat ride.
Bass fishing has eclipsed most other angling activity but for those who are interested, sea bass, blackfish and tuna fishing have been more than holding their own.
The canyon bite for tuna and swordfish has been very good when the boats can sail.
Fishing Report for Northern New Jersey
Rich Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said the striper fishing has been dominating the conversation. He said he and his buddies gave it a go on Saturday but couldn’t get the big boys to bite.
They switched to blackfishing with jigs and crabs and he said it was drop and reel fishing with a lot of keepers coming aboard. Everybody kept their one and the limit on those goes to five on Nov. 16.
Phil Sciortino Sr. at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported big fish were caught this week in Raritan Bay on Flynn’s Knoll, Romer Shoals and West Bank. Chris Richter from Hazlet caught and released a 50-pounder that hit a white mojo in the bay.
The beach guys at Sandy Hook aren’t doing as well, Sciortino said, but it’s starting to pick up with some bigger fish showing up.
He did say the sea bass and blackfishing has been good for those electing to fish for them.
Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the surf fishing picked up this week with more keeper fish reported from Sandy Hook down to Deal. The bass were up to 34 inches hitting mostly Kettle Creek shads.
There are still loads of smaller bass in the suds and they have been falling for teasers.
There are also bass in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers hitting shads and plugs and eels are working under the Highlands Bridge at night.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch also reported a few more keeper bass to go along with all of the shorts in the surf. Bucktails and shads have been doing the job there.
He’s hoping the west wind in the forecast for the end of the week will bring some of the big bass close to shore and give the surfcasters a shot at them.
He said there are still plenty of bass in the Shrewsbury River but the bait is definitely on the way out.
Bigger bass have moved into the Ocean Grove surf as a 32-incher hit my chartreuse Kettle Creek shad on Tuesday evening. Up until then, it was all shorts.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said boat anglers there are deep in the grip of striper fever.
They are finding big fish from a half-mile to three miles out. Trolling bunker spoons and Mojos seems to be catching the majority of the fish with spoons taking the edge over Mojos. Party boats are jigging them with Ava 47s and rubber shads.
Matthews said the shop has weighed in fish up to 51 pounds and last Saturday saw two fish of 48 pounds make it to the scale. Matthews is asking anglers to think about releasing some of these big cows as they are not that good on the plate and much better at making more striped bass.
Surf fishermen, he said, are taking a good number of smaller fish with a few keepers mixed in. Small Avas with green or red tails are working during the day and black Bombers and SP Minnows doing the trick at night.
Finally, there are winter flounder in the Shark River and blackfish at the inlet. The bottom fishing boats out of the marina, like the Capt. Cal II and the Ocean Explorer, are doing well with sea bass and porgies.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters reported that his charters have been getting in on the jumbo bass with regularity in the past two weeks.
This past Wednesday was no exception with a boat limit and fish in the 40-pound range. Parker Pete’s has been catching the bass on jigs, livelining and on the troll.
They’ve even managed to put a couple of thresher sharks in the boat.
Capt. Sykes said they have some open dates during the week and he’s taking reservations for November and December stripers.
Capt. Jay Richardella on Side Job Charters out of Belmar reported a savage bite last Friday and he followed it up with another successful trip the next day. The catch was all big bass and they hit on jigs and on the troll.
Capt. Richardella was planning on sailing again this Friday as long as the weather cooperates. To schedule a charter, he can be contacted through his website or call 561-578-2710.
Vinny at the Reel Seat in Brielle also reported on the good striper fishing, specifically at the Shrewsbury Rocks. He did add that even though boats are marking fish, sometimes they bite and sometimes they don’t.
Not everyone is fixated on stripers. Vinny said that those folks who get offshore are finding yellowfin and longfin tuna along with swordfish up to 300 pounds.
He also reported that there are still some false albacore at the Manasquan Inlet and smaller stripers in the Manasquan River. The inlet is giving up blackfish and they’re in the Point Pleasant Canal as well.
Lastly, Vinnie said the sea bass fishing has been pretty good for the party boats out of the inlet and there are short and keeper bass on the local beaches.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said the better striper fishing has been from Spring Lake to Asbury Park, but the bass have been spreading out so they could pop up anywhere.
Bogan reported excellent tuna fishing for the Big Jamaica on its canyon trips. The swordfishing has been very good as well, he said, with two or three landed on each trip. Mahi-mahi are also showing up in the catch.
The bottom fishing for porgies and sea bass has been decent, he said, with quality surpassing quantity.
Capt. Joe Karcich of Joey Tomato’s Fishing Charters out of the Manasquan Inlet went with quality over quantity on his last trip out. The bass were a bit elusive but he managed to put a nice one in the boat with his pal Mark Crescenzo.
Capt. Karcich said he saw clouds of birds working by the Axel Carlson reef on Saturday and suspects false albacore were on the feed. Maybe they’ll hang around into November.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
It’s still all about the bass. The boats are getting the big ones from Raritan Bay down to Spring Lake on bunker spoons, Mojos, jigs and livelining.
Nicer fish have moved onto the beaches as well so that is always worth a try. For those who choose to fish the bottom, it’s been good fishing for blackfish and sea bass.