As of noon on Thursday, charter and party boat captains were still hoping they would be allowed to sail on Friday, May 15, the opening of sea bass season.
That was the target date before Gov. Phil Murphy added another 30 days to the stay-at-home emergency health order last Wednesday.
A possible go-ahead could still come on Thursday afternoon from Trenton, but the general sense was that there wasn’t going to be any last-minute reprieve.
Members of the for-hire fleet and their many supporters have been pleading with Trenton for a chance to sail before the virus sinks the industry. Hopefully, the boats will be back out before too much more time passes.
Because there are fish to catch.
But before I get into the report, I just want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the passing of Dave Arbeitman last weekend, the founder and owner of the Reel Seat in Brielle.
Dave will be long remembered for his many contributions to the sport, his innovations in tackle and technique, his dedication to the preservation of local fisheries and his generosity in sharing his knowledge and passion for fishing. He is gone much too soon and will be sorely missed.
On the water, Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said there’s been no let up in the Raritan Bay striped bass fishing. Big fish continue to be caught on Mojos, bunker spoons, chunks, plugs, shads and spoons.
He reported more smaller bluefish in the bay this past week while the striper bite has picked up on the ocean side. The bass and blues are also in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers, he added.
Wendy at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said they’ve been doing a steady curbside business. The reopening of Sandy Hook provided a much-needed boost and folks are picking bass on the beaches there.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the Shrewsbury River is holding a lot of nice stripers. He weighed in several fish up to 17 pounds. Bunker chunks and plugs were working for anglers.
The striper action in the surf has also improved on local beaches, he said. Clams, worms and small plugs and shads all have been effective.
He also said more bluefish have come into the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. Most of the fish are on the small side but Pinto said there were a few caught up to 12 pounds. He’s also heard of a few fluke caught in the rivers. That season opens on May 22 with three fish at 18 inches.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch reported his friend Eddie Brown got a 50-pound striper on a Ben Parker Flutter Spoon earlier this week in Raritan Bay. The fishing is still excellent there, he said, with fish hitting the big spoons and plugs like 9-inch Doc spooks and metal-lipped swimmers.
He, too, said anglers fishing the Shrewsbury River are finding a lot of bass in the teens. The bite has been good day and night. He’s also had a few reports of guys hooking fluke when they were targeting stripers.
Gleason added that Long Branch surf has small bass hitting clams, worms and small shads.
The Ocean Grove surf has been giving up some shorts on clams and worms and one did hit a small shad on Wednesday. There’s been a lot of bunker off the beach but I’ve yet to see any bass in them.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said a few of the party boats sailed on Wednesday with just the crew aboard to be sure there ready when the green light is given.
He said the Shark River is already loaded with fluke and guys fishing the pier there have been catching and releasing some nice ones.
Surfcasters fishing the Belmar surf have been picking a few bass, mostly on worms and clams.
John Vafiadis at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the bluefishing finally picked up in the Manasquan River with reports of plenty of small fish. He also had a report of a few weakfish in the river.
Short and keeper stripers are in there as well along with some early fluke.
There’s a lot of bunker off the beaches, he said, and the boats are out trolling for stripers with some success. He had his first report of an ocean bass with a 42-incher hitting a Mojo.
The shop also had confirmed reports of tuna out by Triple Wrecks.
Vinny at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the influx of small blues in the Manasquan River was the big news of the week. They haven’t dislodged the stripers as they are still biting in the river as well.
Anthony at Capt. Charlie’s Landing in Point Pleasant said he got a report of bass in schools of bunker off Sandy Hook in the ocean on Wednesday. Locally, he said, bass and blues in the Manasquan River are keeping anglers occupied.
Frank at Gabriel’s Bait and Tackle in Brick said they’re getting reports of blues and stripers in the Point Pleasant Canal and the Manasquan River. He also got word of weakfish in Barnegat Bay
He’s getting more reports of bass in the surf and offshore. He posted a photo of Gary Lowenstein’s 43-inch striper caught on the troll just outside the Barnegat Inlet.
Pete at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said there are still a lot of little bass in Barnegat Bay hitting plastics and small plugs. There are some fluke around as well, and there are more reports of blowfish in the bay.
More stripers are showing up in the suds, he said, and there have been a few keepers reported. Clams seem to be the preferred bait this week, but worms should work as well.
Frankie Z at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the bass fishing on the beach has been good on clams and worms, with clams taking a slight edge. Dennis Funaro landed a personal best 42-inch bass at Island Beach State Park on a clam.
There are more blues in the bay, he said, ranging in size from two to 10 pounds, hitting bunker chunks, SP Minnows and small popping plugs.
There have been a few blues out front as well and they’ve been joined by blowfish. To catch them, Frankie suggested tossing a blowfish rig in the surf baited with a small piece of clam.
John Bushell at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park also reported the uptick in surf fishing with bass and blues out front along with the blowfish. The bay, he said, is still loaded with small stripers.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
There are now stripers, blues, black sea bass and blowfish in the mix. Blues and bass are in the rivers and bays and are now showing up in the surf with greater frequency.
Try clams and worms for bass in the suds and bunker chunks for bluefish.
And while the party boats may be stuck at the dock, private boats can now head to the reefs and rock piles for sea bass.
Stay safe.