At the moment, fishing is a great option for anyone looking to get some fresh air while avoiding crowds. Of course, if you have any symptoms, or have been exposed to anyone who has displayed symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19, please stay home, and definitely don’t visit your local tackle shop.
As far as the fishing goes, things are pretty much the same as last week.
It’s everything else that’s changed.
The coronavirus pandemic has shut businesses, closed schools, sunk the stock market and separated families and friends. We are all in uncharted waters.
At least in this troubling time of self-quarantining and social distancing, we can still go fishing.
The striper bite continues to improve with the fish spreading out over a wider area and more keepers caught.
The action on winter flounder has shown an uptick and the trout anglers are doing pretty well as they get in the last few days in before the fishery closes. It opens again on April 11.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said the small bass have been biting in the Hackensack River and the back of Raritan Bay. Bloodworms have been catching most of the fish, he said, and there are plenty of adult bunker around as well.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said bigger bass showed up in Raritan Bay on Wednesday with fish up to 30 pounds caught on shads by Andrew and Kenny Dubman. The brothers were jigging and casting the rubber baits. Sciortino said that a few boats also trolled the bigger bass on Mojos.
The beaches along the bay are also giving up some keeper fish. Matt Calabria has caught a few over 30 inches on worms and clam oil.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands also reported bass on the Raritan Bay beaches with bloodworms responsible for most of the catches. Traffic in the store, he added, has been very light.
There are loads of adult bunker in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, said Mel Martens of Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright. There have been a few bass picked up in the backs of the rivers, mostly on small plugs and plastics.
There haven’t been any reports of surf fish in Sea Bright yet.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the small bass are in the Shrewsbury River hitting plugs and plastics. He heard about a few stripers plugged in the local surf last week, but that’s been it for the ocean.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the winter flounder bite has been decent in the Shark River. It’s not great guns, but keepers are being caught. Matthews also said there are lots of bunker around and small bass are hitting artificials in the back of the Shark River.
He also said the Ocean Explorer continues to sail out of the marina, catching cod and pollock.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters in Belmar, will be sailing for Raritan Bay bass out of Brown’s Point Marina in Keyport starting in April.
Capt. Jay Richardella of Side Job Charters will also be relocating north to Lockwood Boat Works in South Amboy for the spring stripers beginning the first week of April.
Amanda at the Reel Seat in Brielle reported that the winter flounder bite has been pretty good between the 40 Buoy and Seaside in Barnegat Bay. She also said the stripers have spread out in the bay as well.
Jason Szabo at Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant said anglers are picking stripers in the shallows around the south end of the Point Pleasant Canal and throughout the bay. Three-inch soft plastics with a quarter-ounce jig head are doing the trick.
Winter flounder are also being caught at the south end of the canal down to the Route 37 Bridge with bloodworms getting all of the attention.
Capt. Matt Sosnowski of the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach reported that they will begin blackfishing on April.
Capt. Ken Namowitz on the Mimi VI, also out of Point Pleasant Beach, is planning to sail for tog at the same time.
Frank at Gabriel Tackle in Brick said the back bay and Toms River are producing a mix of short and keeper stripers. Kettle Creek shads and small lures are getting the job done along with bloodworms.
He also reported decent winter flounder fishing at the southern mouth of the Point Pleasant Canal and at the Mantoloking Bridge.
Pete at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said there are bass in the Toms River but the action slowed down a bit this week. The boat guys seemed to do better than those fishing from shore.
Pink Kettle Creek and Fin-S shads were doing the trick along with bloodworms.
George at Dock Outfitters in Seaside Park said boaters are catching winter flounder in the deeper channels in the bay and stripers in the Toms River. The area between Good Luck Point and South Seaside Park has been a good spot, he said.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the striper fishing in the bay picked up this week with the fish spreading out a bit more. Bloodworms and small lures like X-Raps, SP Minnows and Kettle Creeks were catching fish.
Grumpy’s also reported its first confirmed surf striper, a short bass that hit a worm in the suds.
John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the bass are biting in bay and there is a load of big bunker in there as well. There have been a few people fishing the beach but he hasn’t heard much in the way of stripers in the surf. Island Beach State Park remains open.
Lenny at Capt’n Hippo in South Toms River said there are now big bunker in the Toms River along with the stripers and white perch. The stripers and white perch are both hitting blood worms but Lenny said night crawlers are working on the white perch as well.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
Anglers fishing for stripers in the rivers and bays are likely to have the most luck this weekend.
Raritan Bay saw the arrival of double-digit bass on Wednesday with fish up to 30 pounds hitting shads and Mojos. There were also keepers caught along the Bayshore beaches on worms.
There were also reports of fish in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers along with big schools of adult bunker.
The Toms River and Barnegat Bay are also holding a lot of stripers hitting plastics and small lures. Winter flounder are also biting in the Shark River and Barnegat Bay.
Take a break from all the bad news and go out and fish. Stay well.
Just moved back from Finger Lakes. Salt Water fishing so different.