With all of the craziness going on in the world, it’s nice to find solace in New Jersey saltwater fishing. We are firing on all cylinders with an excellent bluefin tuna bite this past week occurring at some of the nearshore lumps and ridges. Bay fishing has lots of flounder/fluke, blowfish, small bluefish, and blue crabs. The striper bite this past week was also good for snag-n-drop anglers, but it was more of a northernly bite. All I can say is that it’s great to be a fisherman in South Jersey, so shut that TV off and get out and fish!
Here is this week’s rundown:
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown had good reports of fluke and blowfish in Barnegat Bay while striped bass and bluefish have been picking up lures in the inlet. Sea bass are still around at the wrecks, but anglers need to work much harder. Offshore angling has been very good on bluefin tuna as anglers trolling 10 to 30 miles out reported “unders,” that is, bluefin smaller than 47 inches.
Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown / Barnegat Light has been charters everyday on both of their vessels, but the skiff has allowed for some real shallow-water fishing. The charters have been catching fluke in water less than 4 feet, and keepers ranged from 4 to 10 per trip. The skipper is running trips 7 days a week, so check them out.
The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light has been hitting some of the further wrecks to put his clients on keeper-sized sea bass. The skipper also has been booking trips for tuna as they are closer inshore.
Fisherman’s Headquarters on Long Beach Island reported a fantastic week on all fishing fronts with good numbers of fluke being landed around the 72 bridges and some areas further south. Sea bass fishing remains strong, but anglers are having to find the smaller Un-hit pieces. Bluefin tuna has been off the charts from the 15 to 20 miles out and the shop is loaded with offshore trolling gear. Storeowner Greg also mentioned that the blowfish have been picked up from the BB south to Little Egg.
Absecon Bay Sportsman in Absecon said the crabs are busting out of their shells as Dave has lots of shedders. The crabbing has been very good along the Great Bay as has flounder fishing with some nice 6- to 8-pounders coming on live spot. Striped bass still are good with lots of fish in the backchannels and around the bridges during the night tides.
Offshore Bait & Tackle in Atlantic City reported another week of kingfish being landed off the surf and some anglers have been hitting double digit catches. The back bays produced some nice keeper flounder and Gulp or mackerel strips have been the hottest baits. Some of the areas between Little Egg and the Atlantic City inlet have been producing well.
Fin-Atics in Ocean City reported good kingfish and small bluefish action off the beaches for anglers working bloodworms, clams, and Fishbites. Flounder action in the back remained excellent for anglers working the deeper holes around some of the bridges. Some of the fish being reported have weighed over 6 pounds on live spot or big minnows. Offshore action was very good for boats running 20 to 60 miles as lots of bluefin tuna were boxed.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City has been running trips in the bay and has been doing well on backwater stripers along with some quality flounder. The skipper has dates available.
Sea Isle Bait & Tackle in Sea Isle received good reports of flounder hitting bucktail jigs in the backwaters and some have been in the 4-5 pound range. Anglers have been running offshore to find plenty of action on bluefin tuna over the past week. Weakfish are being caught along the bridges and inlets during the night tides.
Avalon Hodge Podge in Avalon reported good numbers of flounder in back and most have been in the 20 to 24 inch range. The shop suggests using bigger baits to target the larger fish. Anglers working bloodworms have been catching striped bass, bluefish and weakfish from the area bridges and inlets.
Jersey Bait & Tackle in North Wildwood reported very good flounder fishing in the back towards the North part of Wildwood. Gulp, bluefish strips, and mackerel strips have been working for better keeper ratios. Sea bass fishing remained consistent in 75 to 110 feet depths, but the key has been finding pieces that haven’t been hit.
Peace Token Fishing Tackle in Cape May Court House had another week of solid sea bass reports in the 120 to 150 foot wrecks. Anglers working jigs or metals have been scoring well on the bass. Flounder fishing was very good this past week as anglers have been catching them along the backside of Cape May and Wildwood. Some of the shallower depths have been producing better in terms of keepers.
Jim’s Bait & Tackle in Cape May has been busy providing clams to anglers as sea bassing remained excellent throughout the week. The shop suggests working the deeper wrecks to find better quantities of keepers. The beaches of Cape May had some kingfish, flounder and small bluefish action with the areas around the jetties being the best bet.
Greenhorn Outdoors in Bridgeton reported good numbers of shedder crabs this past week along with minnows. The fishing has been pretty good with decent numbers of weakfish, kingfish, and some croakers.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The upcoming weekend has lots of possibilities to find action to bend the rod. Fluke fishing in the back remains excellent, so don’t waste your time in the ocean. Most of the flounder have been caught in the 4- to 10-foot depths, but working the correct water temperature is key. They generally will prefer the warmer water of the outgoing. Striped bass and small bluefish are still around in good numbers for light tackle action and the bridges are the spots to be for these guys. Don’t be surprised if you find some weakfish around these spots as soft plastics are the way to go. Anglers looking to find bluefin tuna should look to most of our inshore ridges as there has been great reports of sand-eels in the areas. Trolling is the way to go if they are in the mid to upper water column, but if you find good marks deep—start jigging. Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!