Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
What a week in terms of reports and weather as nature brought some good fishing to anglers as well as humid, summer-like temperatures. The increased sunlight and warmer air temperatures have warmed up most bay waters into the upper 70s, but we are still getting a cold incoming dropping temps to 60 or below. It’s all about finding the temperature window for flounder anglers. The number of keepers has been outstanding from Brigantine to Cape May as they are having an epic run of fish this season, and although slower, Barnegat Bay produced a few nicer fish from 7 to 10.68 pounds this past week. Surf fishermen from most beaches in our area are doing well of a variety of species: bluefish, striped bass, fluke and even some nice weakfish. Sea bass fishing continues to be a pick or gangbuster bite depending on the day, but the only way to know is to go!
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River reported some decent sized bluefish to 27 inches being caught off the IBSP beaches along with striped bass to 31 inches. Chunked bunker, clams, and metals have worked fairly well the past week. More and more fluke are being caught from the shores of Seaside Park and also around the Barnegat Inlet jetty. Gulp, minnows, and frozen spearing were the hot baits of the week.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown received better quality reports of fluke being landed in Double Creek and stretches of the ICW. Anglers reported drifting minnows, Gulp and even some spot were responsible for fish from 7 to 11 pounds, but overall, action has been a little slow. Weakfish have moved into the normal haunts for the season and a few were taken on live spot to 7 pounds. Striped bass and blues are being landed off the north and south jetties of Barnegat Inlet. Boats are boxing some sea bass with the better fishing occurring north of the Axel. There have been some sporadic reports of bluefin tuna caught from 7 to 15 miles out this past week. Shore-based anglers are finding decent bluefish and striped bass action along the south jetty of Barnegat Inlet and the docks off Waretown, Barnegat, and Ship Bottom are producing crabs on bunker.
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Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown ran a few weekday trips this past week putting clients on fluke to 6 pounds. The most recent trip had the Murphy crew boxing 5 keepers to 24 inches while releasing over 30 shorts. The skipper has been averaging 5 to 6 keepers per 4-hour trip with all action on light-tackle bucktails. The crew’s newly custom-made teasers are doing exceptionally well on the back bay fluke.
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The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light has been working the waters for sea bass and reported a pick somedays, while others had anglers swinging them over the rail and into the pail. The boat will start running for offshore tuna towards the end of this month as well as inshore fluke fishing.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported decent fluke fishing from the clam stakes near Tuckerton on floated minnows and frozen spearing. Anglers working darts have been finding better action, especially along the channel edges. The ICW from Little Egg to mid-LBI does have some fluke in some of the stretches as well as weakfish in the deeper holes. Crabbing has turned on with lots of keepers coming from Turtle Cove area and the west side of the bay. Bunker on hand-lines and box traps worked well for blue claws. Offshore action has been hit or miss with a few threshers and some bluefin being landed from 10 to 20 miles, while good-sized tilefish are being caught around the canyons.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City said the hot fluke fishing continued from Brigantine south through Somers Point. The Intercoastal behind Brigantine, Rainbow Channel, Ship Channel, and several areas with 10- to 20-foot depths are holding excellent numbers of flounder. Drifting bucktail jigs and live baits through those areas have been producing with a lot of consistency. A variety of baits worked, from the ol’ squid and spearing combos to straight Gulp on jigs. Weakfish are being landed as bycatch along some of the spots, especially in the deeper holes. Fluke have ranged from 18 to 24 inches in most locations, with a few larger specimens being landed around the bridges. Kayak fisherman have reported a few sheepshead, fluke, and striped bass along the bridges.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point has a bunch of live shedders which have been excellent for flounder and weakfish from the main channels along the ICW. The 8 to 16 foot depths seem to be holding a good number of keepers up to 23 inches. The beaches are providing fairly consistent action on bluefish, some striped bass, and flounder. The best method has been fan casting and slowly working jigs tipped with spearing or Gulp back to shore. Families and crabbers found excellent blue claw action in the 3 to 5 foot depths, especially around many of the marshes in the backwaters.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City had another good week of fishing behind Somers Point and Ocean City with the skipper working some of his favorite channels and marshes. The striped bass have been good early with nice catches on light-tackle soft plastics and the fly. Some anglers have been fortunate enough to land a couple backwater slams with flounder, blues, and striped bass on the fly. The skipper has some openings in the next two weeks, so give him a ring.
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The reports from Cape May to Fortescue have been outstanding for flounder from the ICW behind parts of Wildwood to Cape May. Flounder have been averaging in the 20-inch range with larger fish to 26 inches starting to hit the decks. Gulp baits, such as the swimming mullet and shrimp patterns, have been producing for boaters. Bluefish and some weakfish have also been around the bridges with the night tides seeing better numbers of weakies. Striped bass action has slowed to a trickle for over-slot fish, with a few bass to 40-inches-plus being caught along Delaware Bay. The drum fish bite is still going strong with numbers being caught from the boats working the shallower areas from 12 to 20 feet, but even better numbers of fish to 20 pounds being caught from the Delaware Bay beaches (NJ side). The rivers dumping into the bay still have decent reports of white perch and some striped bass on blood worms. The Fortescue area had an epic run of drum being landed to 41 pounds over the past week with the nighttime tides producing the best numbers. Boat-based anglers anchoring in the shallow 15- to 25-foot sloughs found most of the nicer fish. The horseshoe spawn is still in full swing with lots of crabs being seen shore side, but that should hopefully dissipate in the coming weeks.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this upcoming weekend has a variety of options for the shore or boat-based fisherman. The surf has been very hot along IBSP for striped bass, bluefish, and fluke. Anglers looking to find striped bass will have their best chances slinging chunks of bunker or working plugs in the early morning or late evening suds. During the day, it’s metals and jigs for bluefish and fluke. If you plan on going for flounder, strap the kayak to the roof or hook the trailer up as the best action is definitely south. The backwaters and channels along the ICW behind a bunch of Atlantic and Cape May counties are producing excellent numbers of keepers. Boat-based crews will find some of the best action for fluke aka summer flounder from Somers Point southward to exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway. It’s a great weekend to go fluke fishing and remember, “It’s a Jersey thing”! Good Luck, Be Safe, and Tight Lines!