Northern New Jersey Fishing Report
The nasty northeast wind finally shifted and anglers took full advantage of a change in the weather to chase tuna, catch sea bass and fish a friendlier surf. Sizable bluefin were caught in mid- and offshore waters this week while the Hudson Canyon held big yellowfin.
Loads of limit and near-limit sea bass catches were reported and porgies and blackfish are helping to fill the coolers.
The striper bite gathered steam in the surf as sand eels arrived on the scene. Avas, Tsunami sand eels and other slim profile baits accounted for many of the bass. Blues are off the beach as well, hitting metals, mullet and plugs.
There’s a lot of life around, an encouraging sign as we head into the fall run.
Rick Hebert at Tackle World in Rochelle Park said he’s had good reports on sea bass fishing on the local rocks and reefs. Porgy fishing has also been very good at Breezy Point. Eels are working for stripers around the Statue of Liberty and he’s had good reports on blackfishing. The shop is carrying live eels and green crabs. The lack of rain, Hebert said, has forced the state to postpone trout stocking for two weeks in rivers and streams until the week of Oct. 21.
Capt. Phil Sciortino at the Tackle Box in Hazlet said fishing is good for sea bass and porgies. There are big also big stripers at the Shrewsbury Rocks being caught on the troll and bass are in the rivers at night on eels. Sciortino’s son, Patrick, caught a beast of a bass earlier this week trolling an eel on a planer board.
Steve at Julian’s Bait and Tackle in Atlantic Highlands said everyone is waiting for the fall bass bite to get in gear. There are stripers in the surf for those that put the time in but he hasn’t heard of any blitzes as yet. In the meantime, the sea bass fishing has been decent with the boats finding plenty of action.
Mike Pinto at Giglio’s Bait and Tackle in Sea Bright said the surf is starting to heat up there with sand eels moving into the wash. The night and early morning bite has been good on sand eel imitations. Pinto said the shop now carries custom 9-inch green eel Blitz Baits that will do the trick.
Mike Gleason at TAK Waterman in Long Branch said the bluefin bite has been excellent with some angry but fun fish around. He got out on Tuesday and found them offshore in the 60- to 70-inch range. Most of the fish, and he said there were plenty of bites, hit NLBN straight tails. His crew also landed a yellowfin. He also said there’s been a good bite on Nomad Streaker and UVT jigs. There’s a big body of fish around, he added, spread out from shallow to deep. Gleason reported the striper bite is getting better in the surf with all the sand eels showing up. First and last light are optimum times with slim metals and sand eel imitations catching fish. The ocean, he said, looks like Sea World with sand eels and peanut and adult bunker attracting whales and dolphins. Gleason added a new shipment of plugs from Maine Fishing Co. has just arrived at the shop.
The birds have been working furiously on bait off the beaches in Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach. The tog fishing has been pretty good on some of the local jetties using sand crabs.
Tim Rizzuto at Fishermen’s Den in Belmar said blackfishing at the Shark River Inlet is very good right now on green crabs with plenty of bites and keepers among the shorts. The Shark River, he said, is also holding stripers with plugs and shads getting fish at night. The party boats out of the marina targeting sea bass, like the Capt. Cal II and Big Mohawk, have been doing well with limit and near-limit catches. Porgies and blackfish have been coming over the rails as well.
Capt. Rich Falcone on the Golden Eagle out of Belmar reported a good day of fishing on Tuesday spending the day switching between blues and bonito to sea bass. He also reported excellent fishing on last weekend’s tuna trip where the entire boat limited out on yellowfin and longfin tuna along with mahi-mahi. Capt. Falcone called it the best offshore trip they ever had. The Golden Eagle has another 23-hour tuna trip scheduled for this Sunday, Oct. 13, and there are still a few spots available.
Capt. Steve Spinelli on the Skylarker out of Belmar said he’s been catching a variety of species on his sea bass trips. In addition to some nice biscuits, porgies, blackfish, blowfish, bluefish, croakers and even some weakfish have come over the rail.
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Stanley at the Reel Seat in Brielle reported that from what he’s hearing the sea bass fishing is excellent. He also had good reports on tog fishing in 25 to 45 feet of water. He also said the bluefin are biting anywhere from 15 to 60 miles out on jigs, soft plastics and on the troll. You’ll have to travel a bit farther to find yellowfin as they’re in the Hudson Canyon. The Manasquan Inlet and river also offer tog off the jetties and monster blues by the Dog Beach.
Chris Parlow from Captain Bill’s Landing in Point Pleasant Beach reported that the tuna bite has been outstanding ever since the ocean calmed down. Big bluefin are being caught on jigs, poppers and bait at places like Little Italy out to the Glory Hole. Many boats reported multiple hook ups. The canyon has also been on fire with yellowfins on the chunk. He also reported that sea bass fishing has been very good on the Axel Carlson and Sea Girt reefs. Clams have been out-fishing jigs. There are also a lot of medium to large bluefish coming in and out of the Manasquan inlet on a daily basis feeding on sand eels. Blackfishing has also been good in the Point Pleasant Canal and the Manasquan River near the bridges and docks and at the inlet.
Capt. Danny Gregory on the Norma K III out of Point Pleasant Beach said it’s been steady fishing with sea bass, jumbo porgies and blackfish. He reported a good day of fishing on Wednesday with double headers of keeper sea bass, porgies galore and some nice blackfish. He said it’s usually a tog that takes the daily pool with fish up to 6 pounds. The Norma K III sails daily from 7:30 to 2:30.
Kyle Tangen at Fishermen’s Supply in Point Pleasant Beach said blackfishing is excellent at the Manasquan Inlet and in the Point Pleasant Canal. He also reported very good striper fishing in the Manasquan River at night and even during the day on eels. Fish up to 36 inches have been landed. Stripers are biting in the surf as well on sand eel imitations. It’s a pick, he said, but if you put in the time in low-light conditions, there are solid fish to be caught. Tangen did say it was at this time last year that the fall fishing really took off. He also reported outstanding tuna fishing with bluefin in the 60- to 75-inch range on the inshore lumps hitting jigs, ballyhoo and chunks. The Hudson Canyon is also loaded with yellowfin.
Frank Giacalone at Gabriel Tackle in Brick said there have been good reports on sea bass at the local wrecks and reefs. Blackfishing in the Point Pleasant Canal has also been good and getting better every day.
Pete Kupper at Charlie’s Bait and Tackle in Normandy Beach said there are bass and blues in the surf hitting a variety of plugs. Teasers, he said, are a must. There are still some stripers back in Barnegat Bay, which is loaded with peanut bunker. Bass up to 30 inches are being caught from the docks and bridges from late afternoon into the dark.
Ray Kerico at Grumpy’s Bait and Tackle in Seaside Park said everything is shaping up nicely for the fall run with loads of adult bunker sitting right off the beach. He even had a report of tuna busting in the bait out front. There are blues and bass in the surf hitting plugs, sand eel imitations and mullet. He also reported good blackfishing at the Barnegat Inlet jetties. Kerico also mentioned that the Tupperware Navy Flea Market is happening this Saturday at 9 a.m. right next door at the Seaside Park Tri-Borough First Aid Station. Plugs, rods and reels will be on sale and if show your wristband at Grumpy’s that day, there will be a discount on your purchases. Admission is $3.
Best Bets for the Weekend
There are plenty of options for the weekend and the weather will be on your side. Tuna fishing is on fire right now with bluefin in near-shore, mid-shore and offshore waters. Jigs, chunking, trolling and soft plastics are all working. Yellowfin are thick in the Hudson Canyon.
The surf is heating up as well with stripers and bluefish biting off the beach. Sea bass fishing is also good, with plenty of porgies and tog to fill out the catches.