Mother Nature made it clear who calls the shots when it comes to late fall fishing.
Wet, cold and windy weather kept anglers off the beaches and boats at the docks for most of the past week. There were a few fishable windows but the incredible fall run hit a wall.
When they could sail, the tog boats found decent fishing and there were even a few bluefin reported caught. But, for the most part, it was a tough week.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said it was a very slow week with all the bad weather. He said there were bass caught in the back of Raritan Bay and in the Hackensack River. The better fishing was for walleye at Greenwood Lake and trout at Green Turtle Pond.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the few boats fishing in Raritan Bay on Tuesday were getting bass on shads. There wasn’t a whole lot of participation, he said, but everyone who went got keeper fish. The lack of traffic at the shop gave Capt. Sciortino and his crew plenty of time to put together special gift baskets for the holidays.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the weather really put a damper on the fishing. While there were a few fish caught on the beach, the heaving surf and inhospitable conditions kept anglers home. Once this latest front moves through at the end of the week, Pinto is confident the bass will be back on the beach.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said there were still plenty of stripers around before the bad weather hit and he expects them to be there when it clears. He said there is still plenty of bait in the surf and the birds continue working off the beaches. Gleason said a few boats have been braving the swells and chasing inshore bluefin with success. Capt. Rob Radlof and his crew landed a beauty on a recent outing.
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Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said it was a quiet week until Wednesday when he got word of good striper fishing from the Golden Eagle and Miss Belmar out of the marina. Both reported boat limits with fish up to 35 inches along with bonus tag fish. Matthews also got reports of bass on the beaches in Ocean County on Wednesday. Word is the bass are on sand eels which may mean good fishing right through the end of the month. Blackfishing has also been good for the tog boats out of Belmar, including the Big Mohawk, Ocean Explorer and Capt. Cal II.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar reported good blackfishing over the past couple of days, catching a 12 pounder on Tuesday and a 9 pounder on Wednesday along with a number of smaller keepers. There wasn’t a sign of stripers where he was fishing but heard they were biting off the tip of Sandy Hook on Tuesday.
Capt. Jay Richardella of Side Job Charters out of Belmar has wrapped up his season but will be back out after stripers starting April 1 in Raritan Bay. He sails out of Lockwood Boat Works in South Amboy in the spring, putting him just a few minutes away from the action. Trips can be booked through his website.
Capt. Pete Sykes of Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar said the blackfishing has been improving steadily as the water temperatures drop. He has open dates for charters through January and can be contacted through his website.
Lloyd Bailey at The Reel Seat in Brielle said the blackfishing was good for the boats that made it out. Bailey reported there have been a few bluefin caught close to the shipping lanes. He said he went chasing them earlier this week but all he got was his teeth rattled on the rough water. He’s also heard of sand eels pushing into the surf and expects more bass to show up on the beaches as the weather calms down.
Kyle Tanger at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the hardcore tuna folks are running and gunning for bluefin and finding some success in the shipping lanes. He, too, reported good blackfishing for those that made it out. He’s sure the offshore sea bass fishing is excellent but no one has been able to get out there. There are still plenty of stripers in the back of the Manasquan River, he said, and once this latest front comes through and wind goes west, the bass should be back on the beaches. If you don’t want to wait, Tanger suggested anglers should take advantage of the excellent freshwater fishing that is around. He’s been catching pike, pickerel and trout in local ponds, lakes and rivers.
Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach reported the weather has been a factor, limiting trips and the number of people coming aboard. The togging has been good, he said, with some anglers getting their limits while others get one or two. He’ll be sailing open boats trips through January so check his website for availability.
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Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said last week’s marathon tog trip down south found fish all over the place. He’ll be running similar trips every Monday as long as the weather cooperates. Capt. Gregory said the trips on Tuesday and Wednesday produced nice catches and several limits. The Norma K III sails every day for blackfish at 7:30 a.m.
Chris Parlow at Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach said there wasn’t much to report with the weather but a few bass were reported caught off Mantoloking in the last few days.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle in Brick said it’s time to break out the Avas and needlefish as sand eels have shown up in the surf. Conditions have been tough but there have been a few fish taken on the beach.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the bad weather really shut things down with participation falling off a cliff. There was nobody fishing, he said. He’s sure the bass will be back, however, once the skies clear.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said he’s sure the bass fishing will bounce back as well. There were a few fish caught on the stormy days and when the weather cleared for a bit on Tuesday and Wednesday, more reports of bass landed on the beach came into the shop. Kerico also mentioned that the shop has now become a dealer for NLBN shads and jig heads.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Weather will still be a factor over the weekend with chilly temperatures and high winds. But it will be dry and that wind will be from the west which should help bring the bass back onto the beach.
Bring some Avas and other slim profile lures as sand eels are now reported in the area.
There have been good reports coming from local ponds and lakes on trout, pike and pickerel so that’s an option as well.