Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
Mother Nature is angry and anglers are feeling the brunt of it. Rain, wind and cold have been plaguing our area for weeks making for a tough start to the season. The water remains on the chilly side and not a lot of folks are fishing.
There was a short window over the weekend that allowed people to catch stripers in the Raritan and Barnegat bays and nearby rivers. And the rain stayed away long enough on Monday for the blackfish boats to sail on opening day.
But it turned nasty in a hurry after that and shut everything down. Fortunately, better weather is on the way. Which is good, as it’s the opening of trout season this Saturday.
And that means the annual Trout Contest for Kids at Spring Lake starting at 8 a.m. The Shark River Surf Anglers, organizers of the contest, stocked the lake with more than 600 trout last Saturday. The Long Branch PBA is also returning with the Youth Fishing Derby at Lake Takanassee beginning at 10 a.m. Registration starts at 9 a.m.
Mark Fuduli at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said bloodworms and white and chartreuse shads are working for those striper fishing in the back of Raritan Bay. He also reported a good largemouth bite at Lake Hopatcong and Round Valley Reservoir with drop shot rigs fished close to the banks producing fish. Fuduli said the shop is fully stocked with everything you’ll need to go trout fishing.
Danny Stolba at Fish Tail Bait and Tackle in Carteret said stripers were caught in the Arthur Kill over the weekend on fresh and frozen bunker. Once the weather went south, so did the fishing as most people elected to stay indoors.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said bloodworms are accounting for most of the stripers lately in the back of Raritan Bay, especially around Port Monmouth and Cliffwood Beach. There are loads of bass and bait in the bay, he said, but the weather is killing participation.
Joe Julian Jr. at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands had reports of bass in Leonardo and the back of Raritan Bay. The water is still on the cool side, he said and it’s been a slow start to the whole thing. Julian did add that there are some very big bunker around.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said anglers are picking up bass from boats and the shore in the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers. Shads, worms and small plugs are working when people can get out. He also reported more bunker in both rivers.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said the guys that are going are getting stripers up to 25 pounds, but there is a wide range of sizes around. Shads and metal-lipped swimmers have been doing the trick. TAK Waterman is one of the sponsors for the Long Branch Youth Fishing Derby and Gleason said a bunch of trout were stocked in Lake Takanassee on Tuesday.
Jesse Thomas at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said a couple of boats sailed for the blackfish opener, including the Big Mohawk and the Capt. Cal II. The Capt. Cal II reported a pretty good day with a lot of bites and a few limits. Both boats reported cod caught. Thomas also reported a few winter flounder in the Shark River but some recent dredging seemed to interfere with that bite.
Matt Haegen at The Reel Seat in Brielle said he’s been getting good bass reports from Raritan Bay and the Toms River. He also said there’s been a few stripers caught in the Manasquan River. Tog fishing started off well in the Point Pleasant Canal on crabs and worms and the freshwater fishing has been good as well. The Reel Seat will be holding its annual storewide sale this Saturday and Sunday.
Kyle Tanger at Fishermen’s Suppply in Point Pleasant Beach said people got a chance to fish over the weekend and they caught blackfish and stripers in the Point Pleasant Canal, Barnegat Bay and Manasquan River. The water temperature, he said, is not where it needs to be for a consistent bite. The stripers are stacked up in Raritan Bay, he said, but they’re very lethargic. He’s had reports of ocean fish way down south but it’s been nothing but birds and bait out front locally. Tanger said the store is all set for this weekend’s trout opener.
Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach sailed on opening day of tog season and saw about a dozen keepers come over the rail with a light crowd. He also said there were cod up to 15 pounds in the mix along with a few pollock. He’ll be sailing for blackfish and stripers every day the weather allows. Check the website for the sailing schedule.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick said blackfishing in the Point Pleasant Canal has been good with blood and sandworms the baits of choice. The striper bite in Barnegat Bay remains good on bloodworms, he added, and he hopes warmer water will make the bass more aggressive when it comes to artificials.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said he’s been getting reports of stripers from all around Barnegat Bay but the weather is keeping everyone indoors.
Scott Thomas at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said there’s plenty of bass in Barnegat Bay and the people dunking worms are getting the best of it. Thomas said he had his kayak up in Raritan Bay last week for some night striper fishing. The bass were thick on his fish finder and, while he caught about a dozen fish, he expected a lot more bites with all the fish around. He also mentioned good blackfishing in the Point Pleasant Canal on crabs and worms.
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Best Bets for the Weekend
Fingers crossed, the weather will cooperate this weekend and anglers can pursue stripers, blackfish, trout and other freshwater targets. The bass are in all their usual spots and bloodworms have been the most effective bait. Small plugs, shads and metal-lipped swimmers are also working, mostly at night.
There have been good reports of tog in the Point Pleasant Canal on worms, crabs and clams.
You can also take the kids trout fishing. The annual Trout Contest for Kids at Spring Lake on Saturday is a great way to introduce them to the many joys of fishing. More than 600 trout were stocked in the lake and prizes are awarded in four age groups. Poles and bait are provided, along with hot dogs, hot chocolate and ice cream. Fishing begins at 8 a.m.
This Saturday also marks the return of the Youth Fishing Derby at Lake Takanassee in Long Branch, sponsored by the Long Branch PBA. The contest came to an end when Superstorm Sandy severely damaged the oceanside lake. Now it has been restored and stocked with fish. The Derby starts at 10 a.m.