Northern New Jersey Fishing Report- April 25, 2024

Northern New Jersey Fishing Report

Fishing showed a definite improvement this week with stripers in the surf, blues in the rivers, tog on the reefs and bluefin close to home. 

Anglers had to pick their spots and put the time in but those that did were rewarded. The arrival of bluefish in the surf and rivers along with reports of big bluefin caught within a dozen miles of shore was the big news of the week. 
 
The Raritan Bay striper bite remained picky but there was an uptick in the action with more fish reported caught. And in case you were wondering, last week’s crazy black drum bite cooled off in Barnegat Bay. 

Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said boaters targeting bass in Raritan Bay are marking plenty of stripers but getting them to bite has been a different story.  The bait is there on the bottom, he said, but the stripers aren’t chewing like they should.  Better striper fishing was reported off Long Island. Trout fishing in the rivers and streams has been good, Hebert said, now that water levels are down. This Sunday, Tackle World will be hosting Shimano Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with special in-store deals on Shimano products, free gifts, refreshments and seminars and panel discussions on slow pitch jigging and tuna tactics. The event is free. 

Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said the striper fishing definitely improved this week in Raritan Bay with more bunker around and bass hitting bait and shads. Bunker chunks, clams and worms along with shads and plugs were all working. 

Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the striper fishing is slowly coming around in the rivers and bluefish have started to show up as well. Shads and plugs are working and if you put the time in, you’ll catch fish. Pinto said more bunker are showing up in the ocean and surfcasters are picking up stripers on clams.  

Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said the lack of bunker has certainly affected the striper fishing. Anglers may have become a bit spoiled after the last two years and the bass are on a different pattern now. He thinks we’re just a few weeks behind previous years. There are bass to be caught, he said if you work at it. Shads, metal lips and swim baits have been producing.  Gleason was also happy to hear about the bluefin starting to bite. 

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in New Jersey! 

Tom Palmisano at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said more bass are showing up on the beaches hitting clams. There are also blackfish being caught at the Shark River Inlet on green crabs. Fluke are in the Shark River as winter flounder anglers have caught and released several. That season opens May 4. 

Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said he’s been doing well bottom fishing for blackfish, ling and cod. Jim Trussnik from Ewing got a 15-pound cod and his limit of blackfish on last Sunday’s trip. The Skylarker has open dates for fluke season.  

Capt. Jay Richardella on Side Job Charters out of Belmar reported better striper fishing in Raritan Bay. He’s been getting boat limits and releasing the rest. Starting May 9, Side Job Charters will be running two boats out of Crystal Point Marina for stripers and black sea bass. He’ll also be starting his tuna trips. Check his website for details. 

Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar is sailing for stripers and blackfish every day weather permits. Check his Facebook page for updates and sailing schedule. 

Jimbo at The Reel Seat in Brielle said the fishing got a lot better this week with bluefish invading the Manasquan River. There are also stripers to be had in the river on plastics and plugs.  Bass are on the beach as well eating clams. Blackfishing on the local reefs has been very good, he said. Fish up to 15 pounds have been reported. Remember, that season closes next Tuesday. And the tuna are here. The Reel Seat’s own Paul Puccini and Billy Hayes landed a 400-pound bluefin earlier this week not too far from shore.  

Kyle Tanger of Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said big tuna were reported from the Sea Girt Reef to Barnegat Ridge. Boats have been trolling ballyhoo, casting plugs or fishing mackerel with balloons. Toggers are doing well on the reefs, he said, and in the Point Pleasant Canal. The north end has been productive but shorts outnumber keepers. The Manasquan River is giving up bass at night on plastics and Tanger said he heard of a 28-inch weakfish in the mix. He also heard of blues in the river. Bass fishing in Raritan Bay got better, he said, with anglers changing tactics and fishing bunker chunks at night. 

 

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Chris Parlow from Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach reported that fishing overall has picked up over the last week. Tog fishing was good on the Axel Carlson Reef and there is a good bite in the Point Pleasant Canal and at the Manasquan Inlet as well. Some days the fish are taking crabs, other days clams are producing. There have also been a number of bluefin caught this week from three to 15 miles out. Parlow also reported the first bluefish of the year have been caught in the Manasquan River. 

Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III said they’re finding a lot of life and plenty of action on their blackfish trips but keepers are a little hard to come by. After tog season closes, Capt. Gregory has scheduled tilefish trips for May 3, 8 and 10 with spots on all three trips currently available. On May 17, the Norma K III will be sailing for black sea bass. Capt. Gregory is already seeing a lot of nice ones come up as bycatch so he thinks it will be a good season. 

Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick said that it’s all starting to shape up with stripers in the surf on clams, bluefish in the Manasquan River and bluefin coming to the dock. Blackfishing in the canal remains good, he added with sandworms and clams the baits of choice over crabs. The striper bite in Barnegat Bay remains good on bloodworms, he added, but they are finally hitting lures more consistently.  

Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach the bass bite on the beach has been very good on fresh clams. There are also bluefish in there with the stripers. There’s good bass fishing in Barnegat Bay as well on bloodworms and soft plastics, he added. 

Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said there’s a real good clam bite for striped bass going on in the surf. He added that the blues showed up in the surf this week as well. That’s good news for anglers participating in the Governor’s Surf Fishing Tournament on Sunday, May 19. Grumpy’s has clams in the shell in stock Blackfishing has been good on the local reefs and folks are catching tog off the inlet jetties, Kerico said. Last week’s wild black drum bite in Barnegat Bay, however, calmed way down, he said. 

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in New Jersey! 

Best Bets for the Weekend

Dry weather is in the forecast for the weekend so anglers will have an opportunity to take advantage of the improved fishing. 

Stripers are on the beaches and in the rivers and bays. Clams are the ticket in the surf while they are hitting bloodworms, shads, metal-lip swimmers and small plugs in rivers and bays. Bunker chunks are working especially well at night in Raritan Bay. 

Bluefish are now on the scene as well, showing up in the surf and rivers. The Manasquan River was a good spot this past week for blues. This is also the last weekend you can go blackfishing as the season closes next Tuesday.