Above: Striper fishing has been good in the backwaters according to Captain Brian of Badfish Charters.
Fishing still remains a viable option for most as bays, jetties, and some beaches remain open. Boat fishermen have the absolute advantage as most ramps are available, but it’s best to check with the local governments to make sure areas are open. For instance, the jetties that line the Barnegat Light State Park are closed, but ones closer to the tip may be accessible via the beach. Neck gaiters and complete social distancing are highly recommended for fisherman. Tautog and striped bass have been very cooperative for anglers. Most of the South Jersey jetties have been on fire for tog, and green crabs have been the best baits. Striped bass continue to pick up soft plastics and floated bloodworms at most of our bridges and sod banks.
Here is this week’s rundown:
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown is open for phone or email orders and the shop is doing local deliveries. There is no curbside pickup for now, but for deliveries customers should call 609-242-1812 or email creeksidefish@gmail.com. They did report anglers catching keeper tog off the local Long Beach Island jetties on green crab. Striped bass action continues to be read hot in the Toms River and off the bridges of Route 72.
Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown / Barnegat Light has been running personal trips with the family as charters are closed as per NJ Governor until mid to late April. They have found good action as some of the wrecks for tog up to 7 pounds. As of now, the Parker Cabin will hold anglers gear, but will be off-limits to all passengers until the social distancing ban is lifted. The crew is waiting for the arrival of the new skiff and will start targeting backwater species.
The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light continues to book trips for May and they are tentatively going to start running on April 30th depending on the viral situation.
Fisherman’s Headquarters on Long Beach Island reported excellent striped bass action from the Barnegat Bay backwaters with anglers using bloodworms or small 4-inch soft plastics. The night bite around the local bridges has been stellar with many anglers reporting catch numbers to dozen fish per night. Tog fishing has been very good from the Barnegat Light jetties on green crab, as many anglers have reported two to three keepers. The Barnegat Light jetties may be closed, as they are part of the state park system.
Absecon Bay Sportsman in Absecon had a good week in terms of fishing reports as anglers have been catching tog from the jetties around Atlantic City, striped bass and Drum from Graveling Point, and schoolie striped bass in the local rivers. The shop is fully open for curbside pickup and Dave has tons of fresh and live baits available.
Offshore Bait & Tackle in Atlantic City reported that the fishing has remained incredible with tons of bass being caught at nighttime and early mornings. The shop expects the bigger Bluefish to show up soon. Tog fishing has been very rewarding for a lot of anglers with many tog over 4 pounds being landed, especially off the rocks. If your fishing from a boat around structure it seems that white-leggers have been the ticket. The shop is open for curbside pickup daily.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported that the shop is still closed, but will be offering some limited service via phone orders. Tog fishing has really kicked off to a great start with the jetties alive with fish. Striped bass continue to maraud small baitfish in the backwaters so keep casting those 3.5 to 4.5 inch lures as most fish are keyed on these.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City had some decent personal striped bass action this past week up a few of the rivers and the crew is just awaiting the approval from the government to start running charters. Soft plastics and small 4-inch plugs have been the lures of choice for back channels and creeks of Somers Point.
Sea Isle Bait & Tackle in Sea Isle is offering cash-only self-service bait for customers such as: Green crabs, bloodworms, salted clams, squid, and more. The next curbside pickup will be this Friday and Saturday from 7 to 12 p.m. Anglers have reported decent action from the jetties and around the bridges of Ocean City and Sea Isle with green crabs doing the best. Tog to 6 pounds have been landed off some of the jetties. Striped bass are still in the schoolie-sized range in the backwaters, but some anglers have been able to catch keepers to 31 inches.
Avalon Hodge Podge in Avalon is closed for in-store purchases, but is working on drive-up plans that they hope can be rolled out in the coming weeks. It’s best to call the shop for details.
Jersey Bait & Tackle in North Wildwood is still closed and there have been no news on when the shop will re-open for the season. The jetties are the place to be for tog fisherman as small green crabs have been working for keepers. Striped bass remain “very cooperative,” but the best chance of landing them is at night around the bridges.
Peace Token Fishing Tackle in Cape May Court House is still staying open ONLINE as they have many sales going on for their custom brands through 4/19. Striped bass continue to pick up bloodworms, clam, and small artificials in the Cape May vicinity. Drum fish are slowly starting to make their presence known and it should steadily get better each week.
Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Cape May updated us that the shop will remain closed, but they will continue to offer phone or Facebook-based orders for anglers. They said tog fishing has been excellent from some of the reef sites (Wildwood / Cape May) and along the inlet jetties. Striped bass fishing continues to be best in the back and around some of the bridges. The key has been fishing the warmer outgoing water and anglers should start looking around for spring tide-runners.
Greenhorn Outdoors in Bridgeton is currently open for full-service curbside pickup and received reports of some bigger fish starting to enter the western portions of the Delaware Bay. The shop has fresh bunker to target these bass and they also are carrying night crawlers and trout worms for the sweet-water anglers.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this weekend would be to target tog, as most of the jetties, sod banks, and reef sites remain accessible to anglers. Green crabs, white-leggers, and clams are great baits to work for these fish. Just be sure to check with the local or state government for accessing some of the more public fishing areas, as these may be off-limits as per Gov. Murphy. Striped bass fishing remains great for anglers looking to cast small soft plastics and I recommend working any bridge structure with 1/4- to 3/8-ounce jigheads. This is the perfect time to splash the kayak or boat as many fishing areas are deserted. Remember, keep your distance, stay safe and we will get through this. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!