Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
It’s a fall run for everyone. Both beach and boat anglers are now enjoying the bass bonanza.
Surf anglers from Sandy Hook to Island Beach State Park are catching keeper and short stripers on a variety of offerings. Just like their boating brethren, surf casters have to scout around a bit to find the fish.
Sand eels are still the main fare, but there have been reports of bass on peanut bunker and rainfish. Tsunami and Bill Hurley sand eels, Avas with green, red and black tails, shads, SP Minnows and bombers have all been working.
There have also been some big blues mixed in with the stripers.
Blackfishing has been a little tough but the sharpies are getting their keepers.
And there have been reports of bluefin tuna around.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said the stripers have been hugging the bottom in the Sandy Hook and Ambrose Channels in Raritan Bay and boaters are getting them on jigs. Big blues are also among the bass.
Hebert said the blackfishing has been a little spotty. He described the tog as in transition, moving from shallow spots in warmer water to colder water offshore. He thinks the fishing will improve as conditions settle down.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the striper fishing remains excellent on jigs and shads. There are not as many big fish around as there were a couple of weeks ago but there’s still plenty of keepers to be had.
He, too, reported blues among the bass and the reports he was getting on tog were all positive. The Tackle Box will be open Thanksgiving morning.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there were a lot of small bass in the wash in Sea Bright, Sandy Hook and Monmouth Beach. Storm shads, Avas and sand eel imitations are the way to go.
There have been bluefish mixed in the with the bass in the surf.
[Article: Sand Eels in the November Surf]
Pinto also reported stripers in Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers on poppers.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said the bass fishing has been very good in the Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and Long Branch surf. The stripers are a bit spread out so finding them requires a little searching.
Gleason and his pals had success chasing bluefin last week and he reported several caught on Madd Mantis poppers and Hogy 2-ounce epoxy jigs.
Blackfishing, from what he’s heard, has been on the slow side.
The stripers have been in the wash and off the beach in Ocean Grove this week. Avas, shads, and Tsunami sand eels took most of the fish. There’s a lot of hickory shad around as well.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said the fishing is red hot for stripers on the boats and in the surf.
The fish are on sand eels, he said, so lure up accordingly.
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He said the bass boats out of Belmar have been catching loads of stripers. Last Friday saw the fleet out of the marina return with boat limits and bluefish up to 16 pounds.
Capt. Pete Sykes, of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing, out of Belmar has been on the bass practically every day with a mix of jumbos, keepers and shorts.
He’ll be striper fishing every day this week with the addition of an offshore sea bass trip scheduled aboard the Express for this Friday night. There are still a few spots available so contact Capt. Sykes through his website. He still has open dates for stripers through December.
Ryan at the Reel Seat in Brielle, said the stripers are keeping their customers busy on the beach and in the boats. He also reported bluefish in the mix, specifically at the Shrewsbury Rocks.
The blackfishing, on the other hand, has been tough. He said the boats have to scout around to locate the fish.
Jason Szabo at Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the bass fishing out front is very good with fish in the 24- to 36-inch range spread out from Sandy Hook to Island Beach State Park.
The boats are getting them on jigs, shads and on the troll.
He also had reports of bluefin tuna caught at Barnegat Ridge on Hogy epoxy and Ronz lures.
Szabo said he’s been getting good blackfish reports from the Barnegat Light Reef and Shrewsbury Rocks from anglers fishing in 60 to 70 feet of water.
Owen Debenedet at Capt. Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said they had a successful blackfish tournament last Saturday that benefitted New Jersey’s Artificial Reef program. The big fish of the day was 12.1 pounder.
Everybody’s doing well with bass, Debenedet said, and there have been bluefish up to 15 pounds caught along with the stripers.
Capt. Matt Sosnowski on the Norma-K III in Point Pleasant Beach said Sunday’s blackfish trip saw more bites than in the previous week but he still called the fishing slow.
He’s expecting better fishing as the water gets cooler and the fish move to deeper water. The Norma K III will be fishing a half day on Thanksgiving from 8 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI in Point Pleasant Beach, has been sticking with blackfish despite some challenging conditions.
The hard-core toggers are getting their limits while others are struggling to put a fish in the box.
The Mimi VI will continue to sail open boat for blackfish on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through December. Reservations are required and spots are limited.
Pete Kupper at of Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach, says said bass from 20- to 42-inches are hitting Bill Hurley and Tsunami sand eels, metal-lipped swimmers, Avas with tails and shads in the local surf.
He also said there are still bass back in the Barnegat Bay lagoons hitting Kettle Creek shads and other soft baits.
Kupper added that the dogfish are thick off the beach and if you start catching them, it’s best to just move.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Tackle in Seaside Park said the striper fishing on the beach has been very good for the last week. Anything imitating a sand eel will work and a teaser is a must.
Anglers have been catching the fish all day but early morning and early evening are prime times. It’s the fall run, he said, everyone was waiting for.
[Video: New Jersey Sand Eels and Stripers | Season 16, Episode 06]
Blackfishing has been good on the local reefs, he said, but most folks have been striper fishing.
Dennis at Betty and Nick’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park gave a similar report with a lot of bass on the beach feeding on sand eels. Epoxy jigs and Avas have been working for his customers.
He said the fishing has been good at sunrise, sunset and at the top of the tide just before it starts to head out.
Togging, he said, has been holding up nicely at Barnegat Inlet.
Northern New Jersey Fishing Forecast
The table is set for striped bass this Thanksgiving weekend. Sand eel imitations such as Avas, Tsunami and Bill Hurley sand eels are all working as are epoxy jigs. Boaters are doing very well with Ava jigs and on the troll.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
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