Pictured Above: Jeff Fairbanks caught this 58-pound striper aboard the Noserider off Asbury Park last week.
Surfcasters finally got a shot at all the stripers around when bass blitzed beaches in Long Branch and Monmouth Beach earlier this week. They were feeding on enormous amounts of peanut bunker along with rainfish.
The bass weren’t the jumbo-sized fish the boats have been crushing for the past several weeks, but schoolie to keeper-size. And while the stripers weren’t huge, there were loads of them. There were also some small blues among all the bass.
Five-inch swim shads, metal and plugs with teasers were all working, with shads the favorite.
More fish are also being caught in the surf at night, on dark-colored plugs like black bombers and SP Minnows.
As for the boats, they continue to catch the big boys with fish in excess of 50 pounds taken this past week. Trolling appears to be the most effective method with spoons having the edge over Mojos. Jigging and livelining are also picking up some big fish.
Mark from Tackle World in Rochelle Park was among the lucky ones on the beach in Long Branch when the fish appeared. It was all the action you wanted, he said, as the fish hung around all day.
The peanut bunker, he added, were thick in the wash.
Mark also reported said that freshwater anglers were doing well with landlocked salmon at Lake Wawayanda and Lake Aeroflex on Keitech swim baits. He added that largemouth bass fishing in the local ponds and lakes has been very good lately.
Tackle World, Mark said, has just been remodeled and he’s inviting everyone to come in and check out the new layout on Route 17. The store, which occupied the back of the building, has moved to the front right on the highway.
Capt. Phil Sciotino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported fish in the 12- to 15-pound range taken during the blitz in Long Branch. It was a mix of fish, he said, but at least the beach guys had a shot at some keepers.
He said the bigger fish were right alongside the Navy Pier in Raritan Bay earlier in the week. The night bite for stripers at Sandy Hook has also been good on plugs.
The blackfishing has been solid, he added, and folks are anxiously awaiting the opening of the five-fish limit on Saturday. The weather, however, may be a problem as high winds are in the forecast.
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Mel Martens at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said he was the only guy on the beach in Long Branch on Monday morning when the fish showed up and he had 10 bass before another angler had even arrived.
The peanut bunker were everywhere, he added, from the wash on out. And they stayed all day. Bass were caught on poppers, shads, Yo-Zuri twitchbaits and livelining. He, too, reported small bluefish in the mix
The weather took an abrupt turn for the worse on Tuesday, Mel said, and all the guys who were up early hoping for a repeat performance, were back at home before the sun had risen very far.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch had the bass right in his back yard. He reported loads of fish in the 25- to 27-inch range on Monday along with keepers around 30 inches.
Again, bunker were all over the place and shads and plugs were working.
There are still some bass in the Shrewsbury River, he said, but the bait has mostly disappeared.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the cold and wind may have discouraged anglers, but it hasn’t bothered the bass at all.
Those who braved the elements found schoolie bass on the beach while charter boat captains returned to the dock with jumbo stripers over 40 pounds.
The surfcasters, he said, got fish on shads, plugs with teasers and metal. Matthews said there are peanut bunker and rainfish in the local surf and sand eels farther south.
Matthews also said that winter flounder fishing in the Shark River remains good, bordering on excellent. Both clams and worms are producing good catches from the concrete pier.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters said the boat has been sailing nearly every day for the last week and finding big bass on every trip. The fish have been caught mostly on the troll, but a few have been taken with jigs and live bunker.
The biggest of the week was a 47-pounder landed on Tuesday’s trip in some challenging conditions. The boat sailed again in Wednesday’s frigid weather and found monster bass once more.
Capt. Sykes said he’s got space on a shared charter for Thanksgiving that will get you home in time for the festivities. There are also openings for December stripers.
When I spoke with Capt. Jay Richardella on Side Job Sportfishing out of Belmar on Tuesday, he was just wrapping up six days in a row of outstanding bass fishing. The biggest of the week was a 52-pounder caught on last Friday’s trip.
He was taking a break as the frigid weather arrived, but said there are still plenty of big bass around and he expects three or four more weeks of good fishing. He can be contacted through his website or at 561-578-2710.
It hasn’t been all bass for the boats out of Belmar. The Ocean Explorer and Capt. Cal II have been doing well with sea bass and blackfish.
John Vafiadis at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the bass bite has been very good along the beach. He’s had reports of stripers from slot fish up to 30 pounds.
He was aboard the Gambler out of Point Pleasant Beach earlier in the week when the fish were on peanut bunker and sand eels and there was all the action you could want. Keepers, however, were little scarce.
He said the offshore sea bass fishing has been very good and there are jumbo porgies in the mix. You just have to travel a bit to get to them.
The blackfish bite at the reefs has been good as well, he said, with jigs catching most of the fish. Tog are also being caught at the Manasquan Inlet.
Greg Bogan at Brielle Bait and Tackle said he’s been getting good reports of bass on the beach at the southern end of Sea Girt into Manasquan. The bass are mostly shorts but there are keepers among them and the night bite has really come on of late.
He said hickory shad and sundials are biting well at the Manasquan Inlet and the boats out of Bogan’s Basin are doing well with sea bass about 20 to 25 miles out.
Capt. Joe Karcich of Joey Tomato’s Fishing Charters out of the Manasquan Inlet will be targeting blackfish this weekend as long as the weather cooperates. He may have to wait until Sunday to sail with all of the wind in the forecast.
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Best Bets for the Weekend
It’s still all about the stripers but if last week is any indication, the surfcasters have a better shot at some keeper fish.
Peanut bunker and sand eels are in the area and if the frigid weather hasn’t sent them south, there should be bass on the beach. It’s just a matter of being at the right place at the right time.
The five-fish blackfish season starts on Saturday and while high winds may ruin the opener, there might be a chance to load up a cooler on Sunday. Have fun.