New Jersey Fishing Report - February 27, 2020

The worst part about Leap Years is that we have to wait one extra day to kick off the backwater striper season. This is especially cruel during mild winters like this one, when the odds are good for a strong early start to the season.

So, on Sunday, striper fishermen – mainly those in the southern half of the state – will awaken from their winter slumbers to seek out the first striper of the new season. Bloodworms and clams will be purchased at tackle shops, and fishermen will claim prime stretches of sodbank, beach, or bay shore.

Bait and wait is a good option for the early weeks of the season, but bass will also take soft-plastics jigged slowly through channels or around bridges.

On especially warm winters, bass might be found near the inlets, but in general, the best early action will be found deep in the bays, especially at the outlets of freshwater rivers.

While the striper fishing is just getting started, the white perch fishing is approaching its peak. Big white perch are feasting in the brackish waters, getting ready to spawn. Fishermen using bloodworms or grass shrimp can catch perch at a fast clip, including some pushing the 2-pound mark.

White Perch: Keeping It In The Family

Winter flounder season opens on March 1 also. This fishery is a shadow of its former self, but every year, fishermen in the know go out and scratch out a couple keepers. I unfortunately, have never been in the know on Jersey winter flounder, but every year, good reports come from the Manasquan River. Flounder like mud flats, and respond well to heavy chumming with clams.

Tog season wraps on Saturday, but looking at the wind forecast for the next few days, it looks like Mother Nature effectively put an end to the season on Thursday. The headboats that sail through March will be shifting their targets to cod, ling, and pollock.

Fishing Forecast for New Jersey

Take to the bays on Sunday for an early crack at backwater stripers. It’ll be a few weeks before some migratory fish arrive from the south, but there will be plenty of “resident” fish to tangle with. You’d be wise to hedge your bets by fishing brackish water and rivers for white perch, especially if you’re looking for some tasty fillets to fry up.