Warmer water added heat to this week’s fishing. Better fluking was reported on all the local reefs and wrecks, Spanish mackerel popped up along the beaches of Monmouth County and while the tuna bite may have lost a step, bluefin, yellowfin and bigeye were caught at the mid-shore spots and the canyons. There was even a report of white marlin in the Island Beach State Park surf, but more about that later…
Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the fluking has been good at the Shrewsbury Rocks, Rattlesnake, Flynn’s Knoll and other local rockpiles and reefs. He said there are triggerfish mixed in with the fluke on rough bottom. Worms and chunks continue to catch striped bass and he added that peanut bunker have moved into Raritan Bay.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle said the Spanish mackerel have arrived. They’re within range off the beach and there are plenty of bluefish around as well. The fluking off the sand, he said, is hit or miss depending on the day but fish up to 24 inches have been reported in the wash. Bass continue to be caught in the Shrewsbury River by anglers drifting worms and the crabbing in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers keeps getting better.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch said the mid-shore bluefin bite is still going strong with a majority of the fish taken on jigs. There’s been a lot of bunker off the beaches, he said, and it appears to be a mix of adult and peanut bunker with the big pods getting spooked every now and then.Schoolie bass are in the wash hitting small plugs, plastics and sand crabs. The beach fluking is decent with an occasional keeper among the many shorts. Bass remain in the Ocean Grove/Bradley Beach surf hitting sand bugs and plastics and more fluke are being caught from the beach. There are loads of bunker off the beach and Spanish mackerel are within casting range. Small baitfish are also plentiful in the surf.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported that the fluke fishing warmed up along with the water. There were plenty of limits aboard the party boat with pool winners up to 10 pounds. The Big Mohawk, Ocean Explorer and Capt. Cal II all reported a good week on the fluke grounds. Matthews said the river fluking has been good with limits and an incredible amount of short action. On the beach, shorts dominate but there are keepers for those who stick with it. Matthews added that there have been a good number of triggerfish caught at the Shark River Inlet jetty and there are kingfish in the surf along with bass. He had a report of a 40-inch striper taken on a clam. Small epoxy jigs worked for Spanish mackerel at the Shark River Inlet this week and the offshore anglers added mahi-mahi and cobia to their tuna catches.
Capt. Steve Spinelli of Skylarker Charters out of Belmar said they had a good week of fluking with the pool fish averaging 5- to 7-pounds. Some nice sea bass came aboard as well. There are pods of bunker all along the coast and Capt. Spinelli said he saw spinner sharks crashing into the schools of bait.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Fishing Charters has been fishing the sticky stuff and putting his fares on fluke with a bunch of limit catches during the past week. Sea bass are in the mix as well. Parker Pete’s is running open boat trips every day there isn’t a charter. Check the website for availability.
Max Kristiansen at the Reel Seat in Brielle said that the mid-shore tuna bite continues but not like last week’s insanity. Jigs are still the favorite way to go but trolling produced fish as well. Most of the bluefin, he said, are on the small side but there are some bigger ones around. The fluking in the Manasquan River has been decent, he added, and Spanish mackerel are at the inlet and off the beaches.
Kyle Tanger at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar in Belmar said fluke anglers are doing well at the Manasquan Inlet and the river is beginning to load up with bait, including spearing and peanut bunker.
He said Spanish mackerel are at the Manasquan Inlet and off the beaches and he’s had reports of false albacore in the area. Tuna fishing remains good, he said, but all the boat traffic at popular spots has tamped down the action. King mackerel and cobia are also being caught by boats targeting tuna. Tanger said the fluking went up a notch this past week at most places including the Rattlesnake, Shrewsbury Rocks, Klondike and Axel Carlson Reef.
Capt. Matt Sosnowski at the Norma-K III out of Point Pleasant Beach reported a good day of fluking on Wednesday and an even better outing the day before. He called Tuesday’s fishing super with a number of limits around the boat, some big sea bass and plenty of short action to keep folks busy. Gulp has been out fishing bait with pink shine and nuclear chicken among the favorites. The Norma K III is also sailing for bluefish on Friday and Saturday nights.
Capt. Kenny Namowitz of the MIMI VI out of Point Pleasant Beach has been finding fluke, ling and sea bass on his daily bottom fishing trips. Check the website for availability.
Owen DeBenedet at Capt. Bill’s Landing also reported a falloff in the tuna bite at the Atlantic Princess and Little Italy. He did say the Hudson Canyon has given up bigeye in the 250-pound range in recent days. Purple spreader bars were doing the job.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. reported plenty of action on the local beaches with fluke in the wash on bucktails and Gulp. Bluefish and schoolie stripers are also biting for surf anglers on bait and artificials. Fluke fishing, he said, remains good on the wrecks and reefs, with anglers fishing the Axel Carlson over the weekend finding some nice fish. The pier at the Mantoloking Bridge is giving up keeper fluke during the day and stripers at night.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait & Tackle in Normandy Beach said Spanish mackerel showed up there on Tuesday afternoon and Joe Baggs epoxy jigs with small hooks were just the ticket. There have also been bluefish blitzing the beaches from Mantoloking to Lavallette. The fluking has been good from the sand as well. Kupper said all of the bait in the area has attracted plenty of sharks.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said this year’s beach fluking is the best he’s ever seen.
S&S Bucktails’ three-quarter-ounce Fluke Nukem jig head tipped with a Gulp 4-inch swimming mullet in any color is doing the job.As if the incredible beach fluking is hard to believe, Kerico also reported white marlin spotted in the surf at Island Beach State Park. How the offshore gamefish made it to the beach is anybody’s guess, but there is video on Grumpy’s Facebook page. In the bay, Kerico reported good crabbing, a decent blowfish bite and the arrival of a summer favorite, snappers.
Fishing Forecast for Northern New Jersey
We’re in the thick of summer now and that means fluke. The bite has been good on the boats, at the beach and in the rivers and bays. The boats are doing better on the keepers but the beaches are offering plenty of action.
And if you’re on the sand, be ready with epoxy jigs or small metals if the Spanish mackerel show.
