Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
After last week’s dramatic drop in water temperature, warmer water is slowly creeping back into the area. Party boat captains and tackle shops are already talking about an improvement in the fluke action. Most agree the bite isn’t what it should be, but there’s reason to hope. Shorts, however, still outnumber keepers by a wide margin.
Tuna anglers are also optimistic for a change in their fortunes as better weather and promising water have arrived. Reports indicate a solid bigeye bite out in the Hudson and hopes are high for a rebound in yellowfin and bluefin fishing.
And just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, blue claw crabs are showing up in good numbers in the rivers, creeks and bays.
Mark Fuduli at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said that the party boat captains he heard from said ocean fluking is still a bit of a struggle. It’s only been a few days since the water temp started heading in the right direction. There are still sea bass being caught and now anglers can at least keep one as they became legal as of July 1. He did hear that shark fishing has been good from the beaches. On the freshwater front, largemouth fishing is very good at Lake Hopatcong and Merril Creek and Round Valley reservoirs. Trout fishing, on the other hand, is terrible. Fuduli said water levels are extremely low in the streams.
Danny Stolba at Fish Tail Bait and Tackle in Carteret said the fishing in the Arthur Kill was a little slower this week but anglers still managed a bunch of schoolie stripers and a few fluke. All were caught on fresh and frozen bunker.
Patrick Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said ocean fluking has been coming back slowly with the best reports coming from over by the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. Sciortino said the folks fishing the Narrows itself have been doing well. The ocean bite came back in a big way for Randy Ciprich of Sayreville who weighed in a monster 13-pound fluke at the Tackle Box on Tuesday. The doormat was caught in 50 feet of water on a Spro bucktail fished on a teaser rig with Gulp. Fluke are being caught off the Sandy Hook beaches as well and they’re still catching schoolie bass and some bluefish. Sciortino also reported loads of spot and croakers being caught in the bay, especially around the Keansburg Pier.
Steve at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said the surf is giving up a lot of fluke. Unfortunately, most are shorts. There are also some blues and stripers to be had from the sand. He did say the crabbing is pretty good in Raritan Bay and Navesink River.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said there’s loads of small fluke in the surf hitting Gulp and sand bugs. There’s the occasional keeper mixed in. Pinto said poppers continue to catch bass off the beach early in the morning. Bluefish also pop up from time to time as well. The Shrewsbury River is also giving up bluefish on plugs and Ava jigs. The shop, Pinto said, will soon be carrying the ODM Eagle X surf rod.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said the beach fluking is still very good with a keeper every now and then showing up among the many shorts. Gulp and bucktails are doing the job. Gleason said there are tuna around, but anglers haven’t had much chance to chase them. He’s confident the action will pick up as better weather in the forecast will allow boats to sail. There are a lot of short fluke in the Ocean Grove/Bradley Beach surf hitting Gulp and bucktails. One angler was catching near keepers using a slip bobber and frozen killies off one jetty. Looks like a fun way to fish.
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Tommy Palmisano at Fisherman’s Den in Belmar said more keeper fluke are coming out of the Shark River lately. Rental boat customers are getting limits and there is plenty of action on shorts.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported a better showing of keeper fluke on Tuesday’s trip with loads of short action as well. Capt. Falcone said the good bite lasted until late morning when the drift slowed and they moved offshore for jumbo sea bass, ling and a few more keeper fluke. The Big Mohawk and Capt. Cal II also reported improved fluke fishing. Both boats found plenty of fish, if not as many keepers as desired.
Matt Heagen at the Reel Seat in Brielle said the warming water has everyone itching to get back to fluking. The Manasquan River is holding a lot of fish and they are starting to bite with more enthusiasm. The bluefish, he said, have thinned out. Heagen said there’s a lot of interest in cobia lately with boaters fishing bunker pods with eels, live bunker and S&S Cobia Crushers. He also reported a good bigeye bite out in the Hudson Canyon and, with a favorable forecast, he expects there will be a lot of boats heading out in the next few days. Heagen said the shop is offering special deals on Costa glasses and Major Craft jigs.
Jason Szabo at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach was too busy to talk on Tuesday so it’s a safe bet that the tuna folks were in stocking up on bait, ice and whatever else they needed for an offshore trip.
Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach reported that the fluke fishing is definitely improving with decent fishing on Tuesday with some limits and near limits. There’s plenty of short action to keep everyone busy. The Norma K III is sailing twice a day from 8 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6:30. There are also night bluefish trips on Friday and Saturday and until the blues show up in better numbers, the boat has been catching loads of ling.
Chris Parlow from Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach reported that the ocean fluke fishing improved dramatically over the last few days with water temperatures finally rising into the mid- to upper-60s. He fished the Axel Carlson Reef on Tuesday and caught fish into the 5-pound range. He was fishing a ball jig with white Gulp grubs. He also reported that there is a lot on life on the mid-range tuna grounds and it should be any moment that the tuna bite takes off. There have been a few bluefin caught in the 50- to 60-mile range. Fluke fishing along the Manasquan Inlet wall has also been very good with a lot of action and a few keepers.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle Co. in Brick said fluke fishing remains good in Barnegat Bay and at the Manasquan Inlet and in the Manasquan River. It’s a mix of shorts and keepers. Striper fishing remains good at night in the bay and river around the bridges and in the Point Pleasant Canal. Live lining eels is still the way to go. Crabbing remains good in the bay and lagoons.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said there are fluke in the surf right in the drop. Most are shorts but there are keepers to be had. Barnegat Bay continues to give up keeper fluke and the crabbing is very good. Kupper also mentioned that the first snappers, very small ones, are starting to show in the bay. There are spot in the bay as well and anglers are using them to liveline for stripers in the Point Pleasant Canal.
Scott Thomas at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said the fluking on the beach is very good. Customer Jerry Fabiano walked off the beach with two keepers up to 4¾-pounds and 23 inches earlier in the week. Thomas said there are blues out front and in the back bay. He also had his first reports of albies and bonito at Barnegat Ridge.
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Best Bets for the Weekend
By all accounts, fluke fishing is on the upswing as warm water finally returns to the area. Ocean fluking showed a marked improvement at the start of the week with plenty of action on reefs, wrecks and mussel beds. While shorts outnumber keepers, there is plenty of action and keepers to be had.Fluking in the surf is also good with Gulp and bucktails, sand crabs, and killies catching fish.
Plus, in a sure sign that summer has arrived, crabbing is excellent in rivers, bays and lagoons. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.