No one could have imagined that this is where we’d be at this time last year as fishing season was getting underway. The fish are here, but a lot of anglers are missing. Hopefully, things will change by mid-May when the state’s shutdown is expected to be lifted.
In the meantime, there are bass, blues, blackfish and winter flounder to be caught.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet reported some giant bluefish showed up in Raritan Bay. A monster blue that weighed about 20 pounds came to his shop earlier this week. Trophy bass, he said, continue to hit big flutter spoons, plugs, Mojos and bunker chunks in Raritan Bay. Blood and sandworms are accounting for shorts and keepers along the Bayshore beaches.
The curbside business has been good, but, like everyone else, Capt. Sciortino is looking forward to the day when he can welcome customers into the shop.
Butch at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said he’s still selling loads of worms for bass anglers fishing the bay and its beaches. He said the bite has been good at the Statue of Liberty, under the Verrazano Bridge and close to Staten Island.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said some bigger fish, up in the teens, are now being caught in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. They’ve been hitting bucktails and swimming plugs.He also heard of the blues in Raritan Bay and said a big one was caught earlier in the week by the Oceanic Bridge in the Navesink River.Pinto added that more schoolie bass were caught in the Sea Bright surf this week.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch is still catching big bass in Raritan Bay on Ben Parker flutter spoons and Tsunami 6½-inch heavy body shads and 9-inch, double-hook shads. Bigger bass, he said, continue to move into the bay.
My friend, Jim Stonaker, also of Long Branch, said he picked up a couple of 40 pounders last Sunday, one on a Ben Parker flutter spoon and another on a Mojo.
Gleason also reported on the improved bass bite in the Shrewsbury River and he had reports of short bass in the Long Branch surf on paddletails.
There have been shorts in the Ocean Grove surf. I’ve been getting them on sandworms, but the fishing has been a bit inconsistent and some of the bass are the size of stocked trout.
Tommy Palmasano at Fisherman’s Den said folks are still pulling some winter flounder out of the Shark River and the blackfishing has been good at the Point Pleasant Canal and at the Shark River Inlet. The shop has green crabs.
The party and charter boats remain idle at the Belmar Marina, as they are everywhere else.
New Jersey marinas, however, are open for personal use as long as social distancing and other regulations from the Governor’s office are followed.
John Vafiadis at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the inshore blackfishing was red hot this past week with a number of double-digit tog caught at the Axel Carlson Reef and other local rock piles.
Unfortunately, the tog season closes on April 30 which will be too late for the party boats, like the Mimi VI and Norma K III, that normally target them this time of year. There are still lots of schoolie bass in the Manasquan River, Vafiadis said, hitting poppers and other small plugs.
While he hasn’t had any reports as yet, Vafiadis said the bluefish should be in the river any day now.
Jason Szabo at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the winter flounder fishing picked up in the Manasquan River and at the southern end of the Point Pleasant Canal.
He also reported plenty of schoolie bass in the river hitting poppers and small plastics. The tide isn’t much of a factor, he said, so you can go when you can.
The blackfishing in the canal is still pretty good, he added.
Jane at Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said they’ve got green crabs for the tog anglers.
Frank at Gabriel Bait and Tackle in Brick said things are pretty much the same as last week with Barnegat Bay and the local rivers producing a mix of short and keeper bass. Kettle Creeks and other small lures are catching the fish as are blood and sandworms.
He’s also getting good reports on the blackfishing at the Point Pleasant Canal.
The shop is offering curbside service and is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays and opens at 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Just call ahead and they will have your order ready.
Pete at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said there’s still plenty of bass in the bay but it’s not always easy getting to them. Access continues to be a problem and the local authorities are enforcing the laws.
Those anglers that can find a spot have been getting stripers on PS Resins half-pint lures with pink and black the hot colors.
If you can get a nice day, he said the winter flounder fishing at the Mantoloking Bridge has been good with clams and worms and heavy chum.
Frankie Z at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Heights reported good blackfishing on the local jetties where you can get to them.
The stripers in the bay are getting most of the attention, he said, on Kettle Creeks, Scabelly Lures and other small plugs.
Grumpy’s is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and they’ve just installed a drive-up window to service customers. Frankie added that they’ll start doing reel repairs this week.
Northern New Jersey Fishing Forecast
Bass in the bays are still the best bet. The bigger fish remain in Raritan Bay and can be caught on big flutter spoons, swimming plugs, Mojos and bunker chunks. Sand and bloodworms are also working, especially along the Bayshore.
Smaller fish along with some keepers are in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, the Manasquan River and Barnegat Bay. There are also schoolie bass on the beaches hitting worms and clams.
Big blues have also made an appearance and are hitting poppers. They showed up in Raritan Bay at the beginning of the week and should be making their way into the inlets shortly if they’re not there already.
Stay safe.