Northern New Jersey Fishing Report - March 18, 2020

Fickle spring weather put the brakes on the bass and winter flounder fishing as temperatures dropped and the bite slowed down.

There are still plenty of bass being caught in Raritan Bay and farther south in the Toms River and Barnegat Bay, but winter flounder have yet to show in any significant numbers.

Warmer, sunnier weather is in the forecast for next week and that should get the flatties eating.

Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said small bass are being caught in the Hackensack River and the back of Raritan Bay. Most of the action has been on worms but there have been some taken on small plugs and soft baits.

The trout streams, he said, are running well, but are closed to trout anglers until April 1 when they reopen for catch-and-release fishing. The season opens at 8 a.m. on April 10 with a limit of six fish.

Capt. Phil Sciortino Jr. at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the striper bite in the back of Raritan Bay has been good and the Hackensack and Passaic rivers are also holding fish.

Worm balls dipped in Fin Essence and small plugs are doing the job. He said that Capt. Chuck Tyman Manny put a keeper in his boat on Sunday.

Sciortino said there have been bunker sightings in the bay and gannets have been spotted diving on bunker and herring off the beach. It’s just a matter of time before it breaks loose, he said.

Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said he’s had reports of bass in Raritan Bay but he hasn’t heard a word of stripers in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers as yet. He’s sure they’re there, but no has really been fishing for them, he added.

There have been no reports of winter flounder in the rivers either.

Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said it’s been pretty quiet there but he did hear of a few guys testing the surf with bait and getting a couple of bumps but no fish.

Freshwater has been the better bet with panfish and some largemouth bass being caught.

Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said they are seeing a few winter flounder in the Shark River but not the kind of action anglers had in mind. He also heard of a few fish taken at the south end of the Point Pleasant Canal on Bay Ave.

Despite all the restrictions put on the winter flounder over the last decade, Matthews said there has been no appreciable rebound in the fishery. He suggests it might be time to look for another reason for the decline instead of recreational fishing.

The water is still on the chilly side and he expects some decent fishing as the weather warms.

Striped bass are a better bet south of the Manasquan Inlet in the Toms River and Barnegat Bay on worms and small plugs. He did say a few bass have been caught in the Shark River Inlet.

Most of the charter and party boats out of the Belmar Marina are looking at April 1 to start sailing again with the exception of the Ocean Explorer. That boat never stopped fishing.

Capt. Bobby Quinn continues to sail for cod and pollock when the weather permits.

Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar will sail for tog starting on April 1. He’s also taking reservations for spring striper charters.

Capt. Jay Richardella on Side Job Charters, who normally keeps his boat in Belmar, will be targeting stripers out of Lockwood Boat Works in South Amboy for the spring run in Raritan Bay as it’s a much quicker trip to the fishing grounds.

Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar is booking charters for tog, cod and pollock starting in April.

Max Kristiansen at the Reel Seat in Brielle said it was a quiet week with the change in the weather. From what he was hearing, the striper bite slowed to the south and there was still nothing to speak of on the winter flounder front.

Kyle at Fisherman’s Supply in Point Pleasant said there was a big change in the bass bite from last week and not for the better. He pointed to the colder weather and a new moon for the fall off in the fishing. The bass are still in Barnegat Bay, he said, but more widely scattered.

The freshwater fishing is pretty good, he added, with crappies and pickerel biting in most of the local ponds and lakes.

Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach is taking reservations for tog trips starting on April 1. Capt. Matt Sosnowski on the Norma K III, also out of Point Pleasant Beach, is doing the same.

There is a chance the Norma K III will make a cod trip or two before April, so check the website for any updates.

Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick said he had good striper reports coming in from the back of Barnegat Bay on blood and sandworms. There were no reports of winter flounder but the white perch bite has been good, he added.

Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said bass are being caught here and there in the Toms River and Barnegat Bay. The boat guys are doing better than the land-based anglers. Again, it’s worms and small plugs.

The winter flounder fishing, he added, remains very slow.

Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said there are still plenty of bass being caught on the west side of the bay on plugs and worms. There is nothing going on out front, he said, and expects it will be later in April before things start happening there.

The shop is getting ready for its big Spring Has Sprung Sale this Saturday and Sunday. There will be in-store specials and discount pricing on a variety of rods, reels and tackle, plus John from Scabelly Lures will be there at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning with about 100 plugs.

There will be a two-lure limit and they’re bound to go fast. Stan from S&S Bucktails will also be on hand between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday with special discounts on his latest models. The store will open at 7 a.m. both days.

Best Bets for the Weekend

The bass fishing took a step back this past week but there are still fish to be caught in the back of Raritan Bay, the Toms River and Barnegat Bay. The weather is supposed to clear by the weekend, but remain on the cool side. Warmer temperatures are set to return next week and that should help both the striper and winter flounder bite.