The Raritan Bay striper bite is red hot.
Anglers are getting fish up to 40 inches from boats and Bayshore beaches. And everything seems to be working, including bloodworms, shads, plugs, flutter spoons and Mojos. Elsewhere, the bass action is still gathering steam.
Blackfishing has been good in the Point Pleasant Canal and at the inlets but it’s been a bit slower on the boats.
Mark Fuduli at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said he heard the outgoing tide seems to be the best for the Raritan anglers. White shads and NLBN swim baits are among the top choices for anglers. He also reported good largemouth bass fishing at Lake Aeroflex and Merrill Creek and Round Valley reservoirs on Ned rigs.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the big bass are now in the bay with fish up to 40 pounds. They’re feeding on bunker and herring. The fish are starting to spread out, he said, and he had reports of stripers caught at the tip of Sandy Hook.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the striper season is off to a great start with fish up in the bay, in the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers and recent reports of some surf fish right behind the shop. The bass have been hitting bucktails, swimmers, flutter spoons and shads. Kayakers have been doing well in the rivers with MP Sure Shots.
Mike Gleason at Tak Waterman in Long Branch also reported good striper fishing up in the bay and the local rivers. He, too, reported bigger fish moving in with fish up to 40 inches and lots in the 8- to 18-pound range. Just about everything is catching fish right now but Gleason said the Nomad Vertex is a popular choice. Flutter spoons are also working and he said the shop just received a big shipment with gold and silver shattered finishes.
Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar also said the striper bite in on fire in Raritan Bay but not so much in the local waters. He’s getting reports of bass in Barnegat Bay but the better bet is to the north. The surf fishing has yet to get going. The winter flounder bite in the Shark River, which is usually fairly decent by this time of year, remains slow.
The Point Pleasant Canal is giving up some keeper blackfish and there are stripers in there as well. Mathews also reported tog at the Shark River Inlet. Clams and green crabs are working for them.
The party boats out of the marina, including the Big Mohawk, Capt. Cal II and Ocean Explorer, are seeing some cod and ling mixed in with the blackfish.
Finally, trout season opens this Saturday, April 9 and, after a two-year absence, the Shark River Surf Angler’s Trout Contest for Kids returns to Spring Lake. The club stocked the lake with about 600 trout last Saturday so they should be good and hungry for the hundreds of kids, ages 15 and under, who will fish for free starting at 8 a.m. There lots of great prizes and it’s a terrific time for the whole family.
Steve Thomas at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the blackfish bite has been good in the Point Pleasant Canal. A lot of the shop’s customers have been heading north to get in on the Raritan bite. They’ve been fishing shads, SP Minnows and other small plugs.
Kyle Tanger at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach reported stripers in the Manasquan River and Point Pleasant Canal. The bite has been better at night with 5-to 6-inch shads with 1½-ounce jig heads doing the trick. Anglers are also picking up schoolies by the bridges in Barnegat Bay. He hasn’t heard much in way of stripers in the surf and the winter flounder fishing in the bay has been hit or miss. Tanger did say the togging has been good in the canal with clams doing better than crabs at the moment.
Capt. Kenny Namowitz of the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach reported good blackfishing on his trips since the season opened. Last Sunday’s trip saw a number of keeper tog coming over the rail with one angler getting her limit. The Mimi VI will be sailing open boat every day through April 14.
The Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach will also be sailing open boat for blackfish starting this weekend.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick reported that the Point Pleasant Canal is producing some nice size blackfish along with a few stripers. Anglers are also catching bass at night and early in the morning at the Mantoloking Bridge on Kettle Creek shads and SP Minnows.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said there are stripers in Barnegat Bay but they’re scattered all over the place. They’re being caught at the bridges on Storm shads and other plastics and plugs, he said, but the fishing hasn’t been very consistent. Blackfishing is good at the canal on crabs and clams and they’ve even been following worms intended for stripers.
Jenni Ackerman at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said she headed north last weekend and had a good day catching stripers from the shore of Raritan Bay. The bass ranged from schoolies to keepers and were hitting gliders. She also reported that a striper was caught in the surf at Island Beach State Park earlier this week. It’s a start with better fishing to follow as the water warms. Grumpy’s will be holding a St. Croix Day this Sunday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. showcasing the latest in St. Croix rods.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The best fishing right now is in Raritan Bay. The stripers, which were concentrated in the back of the bay, have now spread out affording opportunities for boat and shore anglers. Bloodworms, flutter spoons, plugs, shads and Mojos are all working.
Tog fishing is a little picky with the best action in the Point Pleasant Canal and at the inlets.
The Shark River Surf Anglers is holding its annual Trout Contest for Kids at Spring Lake this Saturday, the opening day for trout season. In additions to trout stocked by the state, the club has put in more than 600 fish, some up to 10 pounds. It’s a great family event open to kids 15 and under and starts at 8 a.m.
very few open boats going out Raritan bay…I dont get it??