Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
It’s January, and as you might expect, the fishing is slow. The one bright spot is blackfishing, which showed an uptick in action this week. There was more life, more bites and more keepers reported. The limit on blackfish is now four.
Small stripers continue to be caught on the beaches for those willing to give it a shot. And anglers itching to catch some fish are having the most luck in freshwater with local ponds and lakes giving up crappie, bass and perch.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said he hasn’t heard much but the best report he received this week was of walleye and rainbow trout at the reservoirs. He also heard of an improvement in the blackfishing but said it remains a bit up and down.
Danny Stolba at Fish Tail Bait and Tackle in Carteret said the folks fishing the pier are done for the season with the closing of striped bass on Jan. 1. He did manage to land a 31-inch striper on Dec. 29. The crew will be back out there on March 1, he said.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said it was a quiet week with just a few bass picked in the surf and the tog boats out of Atlantic Highlands reporting fair fishing. Back Bay Day is scheduled for Feb. 4 when he’ll have a good supply of the popular plug makers lures in the shop. There will also be a storewide super sale that day.
Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright is on winter hours, open Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon and by appointment.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said there still a pick of stripers in the surf on Avas and sand eel imitations. He, too, reported improved blackfishing with a better catch of fish up to 8 pounds. The boats are fishing shallow and deep, he said, and finding tog.
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Johnny O. at Fishermen’s Den in Belmar said the blackfishing boats have been sailing daily from the marina with the Big Mohawk reporting a good day on Wednesday with shorts and keepers. The big catch of the day was a 9-pound, 10-ounce male that was released.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar found solid blackfishing on New Year’s Eve with a few limits on the boat and fish up to 7 pounds. It’s definitely improved, he said. He’ll continue to fish as long as there are folks who want to go.
Capt. Pete Sykes on Parker Pete’s Sportfishing out of Belmar is taking a break and will be back for stripers in the spring. Reservations can be made through his website.
Ted Imfeld at The Reel Seat in Brielle said it’s been a quiet week but he did hear of stripers in the surf farther south on metal and sand eel imitations. The Reel Seat is now on winter hours, closing at 5 p.m. and closed all day on Monday.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said the best action can be found in freshwater with perch, crappie and small bass biting in local ponds and lakes. There are stripers on the beaches and he suggests fishing light tackle with small plastics and plugs close to jetties. Tangen has also had good reports on tog fishing with jigs and white leggers. Friends of his went out last week to an undisclosed location and pulled dozens of keepers over the rail.
Capt. Kenny Namowitz on the Mimi VI out of Point Pleasant Beach said they found a lot of life on Tuesday’s tog trip. It was a mix of shorts and keepers. Monday’s trip saw the return of an angler who caught a 14-pound blackfish about two weeks ago. This time he brought a 15 pounder over the rail. The Mimi VI has added limited 15-person trips to its schedule. Check the website for details.
Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach reported a good day on Monday’s marathon blackfish trip with limit catches and plenty of keepers. The Norma K III sails every day for blackfish with a special tog marathon on Mondays. Full details can be found on the website.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said local anglers made the most of the good striper bite in the Toms River on New Year’s Eve. Striper fishing in rivers and bays is now closed until March 1. He added that white perch are biting in the river on small jerk baits fished on the bottom. The few anglers that are still fishing the surf, he said, are catching bass early and at dusk with the morning having the advantage. Avas with teasers are doing the job.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said stripers are still biting in the surf there with an occasional keeper among the shorts. Tsunami, Joe Baggs and Savage sand eel imitations have been working. Blackfishing has been hit or miss, he said. One day it will be limit catches with plenty of action and the next day at the same spot won’t produce a bite. Kerico said Grumpy’s will be holding its big winter sale on Jan. 27 featuring Scabelly and Big Rock lures with other special offers throughout the store.
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Best Bets for the Weekend
The weather looks a little dicey for the weekend but if you’re determined to catch a fish, freshwater holds the most promise. Crappie, perch, pickerel and bass are biting in local ponds and lakes.
The beaches are still giving up stripers on sand eel imitations and there’s been a definite improvement in the blackfishing.