Southern New Jersey Fishing Report
We have officially entered the start of the “fall” fishing season with the first week of September and it’s nice to feel some brisk NW winds. The bays are loaded with a variety of baitfish from peanut bunker to spot, and mullet are beginning to stage along the inlets transitioning to their migration. Anglers able to make it out in the ocean over the past week have been finding some nice fluke up to 5 pounds from most of the reef sites. The rock-lined inlets are loaded with tautog, bluefish, and fluke. Striped bass have started to chew better in the backwaters and around some of the bridges on plugs and poppers in the evening. Offshore fishing has been yellowfin mania with some of the best trips reported by head-boats coming from the canyons. Now is the time to make the long distance run for pelagics!
Here is this week’s rundown:
Hook House Bait & Tackle in Toms River reported a new shipment of ballyhoo for anglers looking to hook up with bluefin and yellowfin. Bluefin fishing was good 5 to 10 miles off of Seaside and Lavallette. Tog fishing has been great for anglers (and spear fishermen) off the north side of Barnegat Inlet. With rougher seas, the inlets provided the best action for anglers looking for fluke. One ounce jigs or bucktails tipped with squid or Gulp accounted for some keepers.
Creekside Outfitters in Waretown had some nice weigh-ins over the past week with sheepshead up to 13 pounds and bluefin tuna being caught within 5 miles of the beaches. Fluke fishing was best at the reef sites with some fish up to 7 pounds being weighed in. Anglers working heavier bucktails to 6oz had the best luck on keepers. The bay has been much better on the fluke front with a few keepers showing, especially along the south jetty.
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Reel Reaction Sportfishing out of Waretown was back at school over the week, but has been running shorter 4-hour trips for ocean or bay fluke. The seas were too sporty for their last charter, so they stayed in the bay releasing close to 25 short fluke while keeping 3 fish to 5 pounds. There are limited dates remaining this season, so give them a call.
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The Super Chic out of Barnegat Light did not sail over the Labor Day weekend, but the skipper has back-to-back canyon trips planned going into this weekend. The canyon yellowfin bite has been borderline epic on chunked baits and on the troll. The crew said September should be a great month if the offshore weather holds.
Tony’s Bait & Tackle in Manahawkin reported a tougher week for the ocean fluke bite as the seas were rough. Anglers working the inlet and beaches had some fluke up to 23 inches on 5- and 6-inch Gulp trailers. Green crabs are working for tog, sheepshead, and triggerfish off the inshore wrecks and jetties. Surf fishing was very good for kingfish, some croakers, and fluke on Fishbites or small pieces of squid. The canyons continued to be excellent for yellowfin and mahi over the past week, but the shop said it should be even better this upcoming week due to a better weather window.
Tackle Direct in Egg Harbor City said the bays and inlets are firing for keeper flounder with the deeper channels seeing some of the better keeper action. Short to keeper ratios are still running 15 to 1, but there are alot of fish around. The reef sites continued to be hot for keeper fluke to 6 pounds. Anglers working large strip and Gulp baits found better numbers of keepable fluke tight to the reef structure.
Tight Lines Bait & Tackle in Somers Point reported heavy tog and sheepshead action for fishermen working fiddler and green crabs off the area bridges. There were also a few triggerfish caught closer to the inlets. Bonito and false albacore have been mixed within a few miles of the beaches. Fluke fishing was best at the reef sites (Ocean City, Wildwood), but the deeper channels close to the inlet have had some nicer sized fish as well. Striped bass action along the back marshes has been excellent with the recent NE winds, which has driven bass to feed along with the influx of small bait. Poppers and small plugs have been hooking bass from 24 to 32 inches along parts of the west side of the bay.
Badfish Charters in Ocean City had another busy week working some of the inshore areas for bonito and some Spanish mackerel. Recent trips have been very good for keeper-sized fluke up to 6 pounds where the skipper is pulling fish from both ocean and bay. Capt. Brian said he will begin running bay striped bass trips towards the end of this month, so give him a ring.
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Anglers fishing Cape May to Fortescue areas are still finding kingfish, croakers, and some weakfish off the ocean and bay beaches. The ferry terminal had some better numbers of weakfish during the night tide. Flounder action slowed a tad along parts of the Delaware Bay sloughs, but the action at the reef sites has been much better. Cape May and Wildwood beaches still have good numbers of brown and sand tiger sharks being caught on kingfish heads.
South Jersey Fishing Forecast
The best bet for this upcoming weekend will be to work the reef sites for fluke on Sunday as the wind turns NW and knocks the Saturday seas down. The reef sites have been very hot for keeper fluke up to 7 pounds and a few had fish close to 9 pounds being caught. It’s that doormat time of year! If you are willing to venture fishing Saturday, it’s best to grab the rain gear and a bucket full of green crabs. The local jetties and bridges have plenty of action from tautog, sheepshead and even triggerfish. Offshore would have been the best bet, but the weather has other plans. On a positive note, the wind outlook for next week looks epic!
Good luck, be safe, and tight lines!