Northern New Jersey Fishing Report- April 27, 2023

Stripers continue to hold the spotlight but more variety has arrived in local waters. 

Weakfish and bluefish have appeared, and come next Tuesday, fluke will be back in the mix. Anglers fishing for stripers have already had some flatties hit SP Minnows. 

The bass bite is holding up nicely in the rivers bays and now more are showing up in the surf and offshore. One favorite, however, will be off the table come Sunday as the spring tog season comes to a close.  

Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said the stripers are all over the place and they’ve been joined by bluefish in the bay and along the beaches. He said trout fishing has been good and the rain in this weekend’s forecast will help replenish streams that were getting a bit low. Hebert said the store is all ready for the next week’s fluke opener with loads of Gulp and bucktails.  

Capt. Jay Richardella on Side Job Charters out of Lockwood Boatworks in South Amboy said the bass fishing in Raritan Bay is outstanding. The boat has limited out on its last seven trips and releasing plenty more. Trolling and jigging have been getting it done. There was also a big surprise on Wednesday’s trip when the crew caught and released a 6-foot sturgeon. 

Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the stripers are still going nuts all over Raritan Bay with the action better on the New York side this week. Metal-lipped swimmers, shads and livelining bunkers have caught fish up to 40 inches. Sciortino said there was a 42-pounder reported. There were also bass and big bluefish on the beach at Sandy Hook along with weakfish. Artificials, clams and worms have been working there. 

Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the bass fishing has been excellent in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. He’s also heard rumors of blues popping up in both and there have been weakies caught in the rivers, too. There are probably stripers in the surf, Pinto said, but no one is really giving it a try as the rivers are the big draw. Pinto said top-water plugs, shads and bucktails are all working. ODM rods, he added, have been a top choice.

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Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch also reported excellent striper fishing up in the bay and back in the rivers. He heard of a few weakfish caught as well. He also witnessed a quick blitz off the beach in Long Branch with stripers crashing on adult bunker. Doc Spooks, metal-lips and shads are catching the bass. With all the bunker up in the bay, livelining has become a good option as well. Clams are working off the beach in Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach. The stripers have been from 24 to 35 inches. 

Bob Matthews at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar reported good fishing this past week on blackfish, weakfish and striped bass. He also said there were plenty of early fluke caught and released by anglers trying for something else. Matthews said the striper fishing has been superb with more fish being caught in the surf on clams, worms and sand crabs. He added that the freshwater bite has been very good, especially for trout in locally stocked ponds, lakes and streams. The Den, he said, is fully stocked for the fluke opener on Tuesday. 

Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said he fished Raritan Bay earlier in the week and did well with stripers. He also put a few tog in the boat.  

Matt Haeger at The Reel Seat in Brielle said there have been some nice fluke caught and released in the Manasquan River ahead of Tuesday’s opener. They’ve been hitting striper baits, which are also catching bass in the river. On the beach, Haeger said bait, especially clams, have been working better than artificials for stripers. There have been small blues and weakfish in the Manasquan River as well. Finally, Haeger said it’s been a strong finish to the spring tog season with a number of nice fish reported. 

Kyle Tanger at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said all the local beaches blew up with bass this past week with fish hitting bait, plugs and shads. Slot to plus-sized fish were reported caught. There are plenty of stripers in the Manasquan River as well, he said. He also reported small blues and weakfish in the river along with some early fluke. Tanger said the shop has piles of Gulp and loads of jigs for the opening of fluke season. 

Chris Parlow at Captain Bill’s Landing said the good blackfish bite continued into this week with many nice-size fish caught on the local wrecks and rough spots. Scott Allison caught and released an 11-pounder aboard Captain Bob Bogan’s Gambler. The Point Pleasant Canal is also producing tog on clams and crabs. Parlow reported bass caught off Lavallette on bunker spoons and Mojos while the bass bite in Barnegat Bay has been good at the Mantoloking Bridge and Gunners Ditch. 

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Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach reported good togging with a few real big ones in the mix and a number of limits. Namowitz said they’ve been finding blackfish close to home and that allows them to put in longer days fishing. Starting Monday, the Mimi VI will be running open boat striper trips when not chartered until sea bass open on May 17.   

Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach reported good tog fishing as the end of the season approaches. One trip earlier this week produced 30 keepers for a light crowd. He’ll be striper fishing until sea bass season opens. 

Pete Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle in Brick reported that bluefish, aka those yellow-eyed demons, are now in the Manasquan River. He also said that the striper bite in the surf is getting better every day with all of the action on clams. Black drum and weakfish are also biting off the beach. 

Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said the bass are out front hitting clams and SP Minnows. Fishing the cuts and holes at the top of the incoming and last of the outgoing tide seem to be the best. Move around, Kupper advised, since that’s what the fish are doing. Weakfish have also been caught in the surf, he added, and stripers are in the back bay hitting soft plastics, especially at night. 

Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the striper fishing on the beach has been very good with fish up to 30 pounds and all of it has been on clams. There have also been black drum, weakfish, fluke and even kingfish caught in the surf. Kerico also had his first reports of blue claws in the bay. The shop, he said, is fully loaded with Gulp, jigs and whatever else you might need for fluke season. 

Best Bets for the Weekend

The bass are on the beaches from Sandy Hook down to Island Beach State Park providing more opportunities for anglers to reach them. Clams are proving to be the best bait but some fish have been taken on artificials like shads and SP Minnows. 

The freshwater bite has been holding up as well with trout and largemouth bass biting in local lakes, streams and rivers. 

The weekend forecast doesn’t look the best but just dress for the rain. You can also take some time to prepare for fluke season which opens on Tuesday.